quote:
Originally posted by T-Keith:
He may have been an expert at getting horsepower, but this modification shows very little thought.
-T
This modification was originally pioneered by Bill Jenkins "Grumpy" for racing engines. It was not about "very little thought" it was more about real world experience.
Have you ever seen people like Bill Jenkins, John Lingenfelter and some of their NHRA record holding cars in real life? In hot dusty pits at NHRA National events. Putting new parts in place of failed parts in there motors sometimes with no oil change. Because of time between rounds. I have. "very little thought" Doesn't seem like a fair statement to me.
I can still remember well one of Lingenfelter Super Stock Corvette's, the 454 one yanking the front wheels many feet in the air leaving the line than crushing the oil pan when it came down.
Keeping leftover metal and dust from ever getting circulated through the motor was the idea behind it. It can be nearly instantaneous death to a high RPM motor to have any debris larger than the oil film go through the motor.
I have taken apart enough racing motors to tell you that there is always a fair amount metal debris, identified, and unidentified debris in the bottom of the oil pan in racing motors. Even if you don't have a cam, lifter, or valve train failure. And if you do the metal debris goes up substantially.
Keep in mind back in the day straight 40 wt oil was the standard oil for NHRA Super stock and Pro stock cars. Having an oil filter go into bypass mode would not be unusual given how thick the oil was.
As for plugging the oil filter bypass on SBC and BBC. I done it on every Chevy Motor on my own cars since I was shown this in the around 1980 by a local Circle Track engine builder. The rod and main bearing have always come out looking very nice. Except for one street/strip car motor. Running below freezing temperatures with straight 40 wt was not a good idea. That motor only lasted 8 months.
