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Oil Pressure Blew up my Oil filter!

I think the technical term for my situation is "something is wrong."

what happened:

My 74 ghia has a 2110cc motor with a full flow kit that has an external oil cooler and oil filter. Its leaked oil to some degree since I've had the motor in the car. All the oil lines are rubber and held on by little metal hose clamps. A few months ago one leaked on the oil filter and I heard the lovely sound of oil shooting around and caught it before it was too late and tightened it back up... It hasnt been a problem since.

I decide to change my oil yesterday....and do... Then i take my victory drive. I rev it up pretty good through the first 2 gears.... then soon afterwards my oil pressure light comes on, and i kill the motor and pull over to discover that one of the lines running to the oil pump had popped off. So I drag the car back to the apartment and tighten the hell out of hte clamp on the deliquent line.

Today.... I add oil again.... Fire it up.... and then rev it up to see if hte pressure shoots it off again....... Sure enough.. oil pressure light again.... kill the motor, and I've got oil everywhere on the back of the car, and of course like 2 quarts on the ground.... The oil line is attached.... I look where the oil filter is. It split the oil filter at the seam, and spun it half way down the shaft that holds it on.

What the hell is going on here?

Additional Background stuff:

2110cc motor has been a nightmare since i first got it.... I ordered a crate shortblock with pistons from some place in california that is in the back of a hot vw's magazine... they had a website... I can't even remember the name now... something german autoparts.

My shop here in lexington, ky gets it and isn't pleased with what they get.... The main concern is that the case is not clearanced correctly. My shop calls the engine builder and speaks with a guy named chico that assures them everything is on the up and up... so they put it back together and do some headwork from my heads i already had. No power, runs like ass..... So my shop rebuilds it for me for free becuase i'd already spent a healthy sum of money with them already for the project. They were concerned with the amount of compression it had... and got it down to 10:1 which is still quite a bit for a bug motor.

I got the car back.... and one of my buddys whose automotive knowledge although is extensive is questionable at all points in time thinks i have way to much crank case pressure because of hte amount of air that comes through the oil filer when the cap is off.

I've never been schooled on the concept of crankcase pressure and its significance in the operation of the engine.

Enough Blabbering already:

okay guys, what do you think is going on... Do i need to rip the motor apart? My engine knowledge is much better than what it was 2 years ago when the 2110cc ordeal has started... I've spent a few hours hanging around a bug shop and apprenticing and I'm ready for the challenge of pulling my engine apart and rebuilding if neccessary.... So is something really screwy here, or did I just totally misread the dispstick when i put in 2 1/2 quarts of oil?

Lane

Reply to
Funky Fresh 6
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On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 05:21:44 GMT, Funky Fresh 6 ran around screaming and yelling:

not uncommon for a rubber oil line to fly off of a fullflow system...if your oilpump cover does not have a bypass pressure valve, you can see upwards of 175-200psi when the oil is cold..especially if the oil pump has larger than stock gears...it too is not uncommon for a cheap(thin) filter to rupture at these pressures...you need a good filter that is rated for high pressure..(was this by chance an off the shelf fram filter, non "HP"?)...it is always recommended to use stainless braided lines and AN fittings on such high pressure lines...you have been lucky so far, do you want to chance being out in the middle of nowhere next time? JT

Reply to
Joey Tribiani

I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE OIL PRESSURE IS BLOWING UP YOUR OIL FILTER, YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT LOOKED AT, HOPE THIS HELPS

Reply to
vwinformationejaculator

A couple comments. First, get rid of those oil lines that need clamps. They are nothing but trouble. Get the good barbed AN fittings and the 'Blue Hose'. It slips on, and never comes off. No clamps. And check that your filter is a High Pressure filter. I haven't blown up the FRAM HP yet, but switched to Amsoil filters before my luck ran out.

Reply to
jjs

Do NOT rev the engine until the oil has had a chance to warm up!!!!

Cold oil WILL blow coolers and filters, hoses and seals. It's too thick.

You also should check the oil pressure control valves in the case (remove any non-stock items such as adjusters and added washers etc. and see that the pistons move freely).

Jan

Reply to
Jan

I was going to suggest synthetic oil but realized that it would only start opinions

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Reply to
Dennis Wik

Indeed.. it was the cheapie fram, they were out of the one i usually get. Good lines and fittings are on my to get list. And Jan pointed out the biggest DUH! of them all that I overlooked.... Letting that thick oil warm up before I go to town.

Thanks guys...

Lane

Reply to
Funky Fresh 6

Hmm. Rubber oil lines are the first problem. Clamps too loose and they leak. Clamps too tight and they cut into the rubber hose. Spring for some good steel-braided oil lines with real fittings, like AN8s.

Soooo ... you did this with cold oil? Cold oil it harder tom pump than warm oil. Let it warm up before beating on it.

Yep. Too loose and they leak (or pop off). Too tight and ... wait. See my first comment.

Let it warm up first ... wait ... See my first comment.

And, use a filter designed for high pressure like a Fram HP-1 or Purolator L39001.

Max

Reply to
Max Welton

Max, have you tried the barbed AN fittings and Blue Hose? Seriously, I see no reason whatsoever for steel braided oil lines. The blue hose is better overall; it takes the pressure, requires none of the stainless fittings (which are pretty small 'inside') and is faster to replace and easy to maintain. The only hassle is minor: you have to split the end of the hose to remove it. Big deal.

Reply to
jjs

Never have tried the barbed fittings. Seen them on other folks cars of course. Not familiar with the "blue" hose. What is it made of?

I tend to remove my engines from time to time and my oil lines don't need replacing in that event. Also, the lines on my Ghia are not far from the exhaust pipes and having an unprotected hose there would make me nervous. For me they are worth the extra cost.

Max

Reply to
Max Welton

It's alien technology. :) How do I know what it's made of? It's made by Goodyear, and maybe other people exactly for such purposes. I can see maybe three layers when I cut it. I use it on the hotrod and it works very well.

Inside that stainless hose is synthetic rubber, right? And what's the narrowest diameter in that system? It's always smaller than straight hose. So the surface looks good near the headers while the inside turns to goo or cracks and goes to hell. I run the blue hose close to my headers, but I wrap the hose (and the headers) like it should be done anyway. Less complicated, more effective.

It really is high-tech, and a milestone: superior to stainless for oil applications. You can get it and all the AN fittings you could dream of from a four page section of JEG'S. JEG'S rules for that stuff. John at aircooled.net has the hose, too, of course.

Reply to
jjs

I had mine done in neoprene. Pretty much good for the life of the car.

Max

Reply to
Max Welton

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