The Studebaker V8 used the industry standard by-pass oil filter bolted onto the top of the engine from 1951-1962. In 1962, they changed the oil filter system and added a screw-on full-flow filter on an adapter on the lower right side of the block. Over the years, it has seemed a no-brainer to always opt to buy and/or build a '62-64 full flow filter block. Filtering all the oil has got to be better than just some of it, right?
Well, after years of study, research and disassembling many Studebaker V8s, none of the full-flow engines seemed much cleaner internally than a similarly maintained by-pass filter engines. Thus, I've come to the conclusion I will no longer be paying a premium for a full-flow block.
1. For about the first fifty years, most Studebakers didn't have any sort of oil filter. Frequent oil changes were the norm. Purolator invented the by-pass filter and a version finally became available on Studes as an extra cost option. IIRC, an oil filter was always standard on the V8s.
2. By-pass oil filters were the auto industry standard for many years and did a reasonably good job. A hydraulics engineer did the modeling for me and he proved at highway speeds 100% of the engine oil goes through the bypass filter every few minutes. It all gets filtered. The only possible working disadvantage to a by-pass filter is if someone dumped sand in the crankcase or small bits of the engine started shedding into the oil. A full-flow filter would catch more of the debris until it plugged up and began bypassing the contaminated oil. However, those are two extremely unlikely events, and I'll risk them.
3. The earlier blocks are generally better castings with thicker walls than the later full-flow blocks. The '55-62 blocks are much more common and much less expensive to buy than the less common but more sought after full-flow blocks. (I offered to give a local Stude guy a '56 partial flow block but instead, he opted to pay me $150 for a '63 full flow. His money, his engine, his decision.)
4. FWIW, by-pass oil filters are the latest, hottest add-on to diesel pickups. There are dozens of companies making them and the idea is the OEM full-flow filter is too coarse. Adding a fine-particulate by-pass filter catches the really little bits of nasty in the oil. Do a search for "by-pass oil filter system" and you'll have infinite reading.
5. Every full-flow filter has a by-pass valve. If internal pressure gets too high, for instance when oil is cold, much of it is shunted past the filter. If there is too much debris and the filter is filled, the oil bypasses the filter.
6. Adding a closed Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve system does much to help keep the oil clean. IMHO, no Stude which sees much mileage should be without one.
I'd be interested in seeing your experiences and thinking on the subject.
jack vines
Well, after years of study, research and disassembling many Studebaker V8s, none of the full-flow engines seemed much cleaner internally than a similarly maintained by-pass filter engines. Thus, I've come to the conclusion I will no longer be paying a premium for a full-flow block.
1. For about the first fifty years, most Studebakers didn't have any sort of oil filter. Frequent oil changes were the norm. Purolator invented the by-pass filter and a version finally became available on Studes as an extra cost option. IIRC, an oil filter was always standard on the V8s.
2. By-pass oil filters were the auto industry standard for many years and did a reasonably good job. A hydraulics engineer did the modeling for me and he proved at highway speeds 100% of the engine oil goes through the bypass filter every few minutes. It all gets filtered. The only possible working disadvantage to a by-pass filter is if someone dumped sand in the crankcase or small bits of the engine started shedding into the oil. A full-flow filter would catch more of the debris until it plugged up and began bypassing the contaminated oil. However, those are two extremely unlikely events, and I'll risk them.
3. The earlier blocks are generally better castings with thicker walls than the later full-flow blocks. The '55-62 blocks are much more common and much less expensive to buy than the less common but more sought after full-flow blocks. (I offered to give a local Stude guy a '56 partial flow block but instead, he opted to pay me $150 for a '63 full flow. His money, his engine, his decision.)
4. FWIW, by-pass oil filters are the latest, hottest add-on to diesel pickups. There are dozens of companies making them and the idea is the OEM full-flow filter is too coarse. Adding a fine-particulate by-pass filter catches the really little bits of nasty in the oil. Do a search for "by-pass oil filter system" and you'll have infinite reading.
5. Every full-flow filter has a by-pass valve. If internal pressure gets too high, for instance when oil is cold, much of it is shunted past the filter. If there is too much debris and the filter is filled, the oil bypasses the filter.
6. Adding a closed Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve system does much to help keep the oil clean. IMHO, no Stude which sees much mileage should be without one.
I'd be interested in seeing your experiences and thinking on the subject.
jack vines
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