Opinion on using a Kenz oil filter adapter kit

[mcgarrett]

I inherited a Kenz oil filter adapter kit for a Model A but know nothing about them, good or bad. Open to opinions whether it is a worthy product to install on a Model A or not. Would like to get information about its usefulness or should I leave it on the shelf? Always appreciate the insights of fellow Barners!

[alexiskai]

Isn't the Kenz kit nearly identical to the bypass kit sold by all the major vendors?

[mcgarrett]

No, it's quite different. Here's a pic...

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

No, it's quite different. Here's a pic...

It's common and still available, but is no longer made by Kenz. They work great, put it on the car and drive it.

https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/p...8850&cat=41693

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

No, it's quite different. Here's a pic...

That's the bypass kit. You might be thinking of the full-flow kit.

You can search the forum archives for "bypass versus full-flow" or similar to see the long history of debate over which type is better.

[mcgarrett]

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You are correct, it's a by-pass kit. I'd like to know if it's restrictive or impedes oil flow. Any downside to using it long-term?

[johnneilson]

A couple observations about this kit,
it does not filter the oil directly being fed to the main bearings, it diverts some oil thru the filter and then dumps it into the crankcase on the cam gear area.
There have been some others that dump the filtered oil into the valley that does go directly to the mains.
IMHO, either setup is better than no oil filter at all.
I did one with this kit, modified it and the pump for direct pressure feed to the mains and rods. But that is another discussion

[jack backer]

Its a misnomer to say its a 'bypass' kit,bypass means what flows over the oil pressure relief valve,which the A system doesnt use. A small amount of pump flow is diverted through the filter and dumped on the timing gear,basically starving the main bearings and cam bores a percentage of its oil.

[Benson]

The normal function of a Model A engine with no filter is for the oil to be pumped to the front of valve chamber.

Then oil fills the front chamber in front of the first "Dam".

At same time oil is filling the center "dam" from the two slots on top of oil pump and over flow from front dam. Engine sits at 3 degrees slope so oil runs to rear of chamber.

At same time oil flows over the center "dam" and fills the rear chamber.

The volume of oil put out by the pump is many times more than could run through the cam and main bearings to the oil pan below.

There is no way the small "bypass" of the filter (about 0.090 as I remember) could starve the bearings.

In fact the oil drain tube on side of the valve chamber cover is very large and drains a large volume of oil from rear of chamber.

About 55 years ago a fellow replaced the valve chamber cover on an engine with a piece of plastic ... it is amazing to see how much oil is splashing around under the cover, even at idle.

[alexiskai]

Bypass is not a misnomer. There is a "bypass valve" on conventional full-flow filters, but in this case "bypass" refers to the fact that the oil diverted from the normal flow bypasses the engine and goes straight back to the sump (or in this case, to the timing gear and then to the sump). Setting the intake of the bypass filter at the port for the oil pressure sending unit is also standard practice for engines that use these filters.

"Starving" is a loaded term that does not reflect the tiny percentage of flow diverted to the bypass. If an engine experiences a failure of the oil protection layer in the bearings, it's usually due to running the engine outside its design tolerance (high RPM, lugging, blocked drain tubes, etc.), not the presence of a bypass filter.

[mcgarrett]

Thanks guys, great info. I was concerned that the use of this filter arrangement could restrict the amount of oil going to feed the crankshaft and cam while it was being diverted into the filter.

[ndnchf]

An interesting and informative discussion. There is no filter on my engine, I therefore change the oil very frequently. I have thought about adding one, so its nice to hear how they work. Has there ever been a comprehensive, clinical comparison and evaluation of a full flow vs bypass system? I saw somewhere that someone mentioned Paul Shinn recommended a bypass type in one of his videos. I found the video and Paul just said he used the bypass type because he had one on the shelf

[Benson]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Thanks guys, great info. I was concerned that the use of this filter arrangement could restrict the amount of oil going to feed the crankshaft and cam while it was being diverted into the filter.

Me too. I wondered as a 16 year kid the same thing.

I asked Bill Kenz the same question in 1963 or so at his house in the 700 block of South Zuni Street..

His answer was what I posted in #9.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by ndnchf

An interesting and informative discussion. There is no filter on my engine, I therefore change the oil very frequently. I have thought about adding one, so its nice to hear how they work. Has there ever been a comprehensive, clinical comparison and evaluation of a full flow vs bypass system? I saw somewhere that someone mentioned Paul Shinn recommended a bypass type in one of his videos. I found the video and Paul just said he used the bypass type because he had one on the shelf

My personal opinion is that, if the car is mostly a showpiece or gets driven a few times a year, then do whatever you want, doesn't matter. If you drive the car frequently, you can do one of two things: (a) the original setup of no filter and non-detergent oil or (b) the "modern" setup of a filter and detergent oil.

If you do option (a), contaminants will settle out of the oil into oil pan sludge and the oil will retain its function for the full 500 mile change interval. If you do option (b), the detergent will hold contaminants in suspension and the filter will grab them, enabling the oil to work for 3,000 miles or whatever you prefer. But if you're mixing detergent oil and no filter, and driving the car a lot, that's where I'd be a little worried about accelerated wear, because those contaminants are just cycling through the engine over and over.

As to the bypass vs full-flow debate, the main difference is what filter you can use. Both setups accept the same size filter, but a bypass is intended to perform extremely fine filtering. It can do this because the flow rate is so low. So for example, on a bypass setup you could run a Purolator PL30001. This would get you essentially complete filtration down to 15 microns. And a bypass will give better results the *more* you run the engine, because a greater proportion of the oil will go through it in a shorter amount of time (that's real time, not engine-hours).

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by Benson

Me too. I wondered as a 16 year kid the same thing.

I asked Bill Kenz the same question in 1963 or so at his house in the 700 block of South Zuni Street..

His answer was what I posted in #9.

Bill was way ahead of his time. He was doing the oil filters, insert bearings and other things way before anyone else did, by decades! Not just in Model A's, but V8's as well. He's part of the well known "Kenz Leslie" partnership that build many well known cars.

You mentioned the oil return tube in post #9. The car can be run with the return tube blocked off, and it does just fine.

[Benson]

The White then later Yellow # 777 Streamliner which broke 200 MPH land speed record in 1950.

Two flathead V8 engines in 1950.

In 1952 they topped 255.

Later they added a third V-8 and eventually ran 270 MPH through the traps before retiring the car in 1957 .

They used three of the fastest cars that they had to push the 777 the two miles before the timing trap to get up to speed.

The fastest right behind 777, then the 2nd fastest and finally the third fastest lined up behind 777.

Cal Kennedy tells the story of how he was driving "The Odd Rod" right behind 777 for the first time.

He says that he remembers the 777 engines firing up at somewhere above 120.

He watched the car disappear into a "small yellow dot".

At those speeds on the Salt with no telephone poles to judge your speed it is very hard to tell how fast you are going.

The only thing is the black line of engine oil which marks the course.

Anyway Cal Kennedy said "well I guess that it is time to turn around" and cranked the wheel.

The Odd Rod a series of 360s at over 100 MPH.

Cal said that he had to change his shorts!

Being 2 miles away from the pits ... nobody saw what happened.

Cal said that it was a while before he told Bill about the incident on his first time driving the Odd Rod!

Maybe it was when they found the bent wheels on Odd Rod!!

[Benson]

Here is more detailed info on the land speed records that Willie Young, the driver recorded with 777.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/200...lie-young-dies

[alexiskai]

Just a piece of historical trivia, here is the first ad for the Kenz bypass filter. Published in The Restorer, Sept. 1980.

[mcgarrett]

My filter unit has "KENZ" cast into the filter housing. I suppose the knockoffs available from the parts suppliers these days work just as well as the original, but I just like the having the real thing. I've had it on the car for around 400 miles so far and am pleased with the way the oil looks.

[katy]

Thanks for the update.