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Oil Filter Connector “Thingy”
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JerryvanDaniel
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 11:28 am    Post subject: Oil Filter Connector “Thingy” Reply with quote

I haven’t been able to find this on any of the forums so I’ll hopefully be the first one to ask what the function of the ball bearing is that is in the oil filter galley where the filter connects to the engine? I have an 83 Aircooled 2 ltr if there’s any difference in other year models. Mine is missing the ball bearing and it had me curious if it was a pressure relief of some kind. I have attached a picture of mine and then another one removed from a nonrebuilt engine. Any help would be appreciated. Also, is there any major harm in it not being there? Looks like I would have to remove several components to get down to the top bolt to remove it.
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1983 VW Vanagon Westfalia Aircooled 2.0 ltr

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?Waldo?
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 12:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Oil Filter Connector “Thingy” Reply with quote

It is a check valve that allows unfiltered oil to your oil gallery if your oil filter gets clogged. Without the ball bearing your oil is not filtered. Harm, yup. Your engine will wear out more quickly without any oil filtration happening.
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 1:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Oil Filter Connector “Thingy” Reply with quote

It is fairly common for them to fail. If you run a filter than has an internal relief you can just block off the port where the ball sat. Note that the original filters that VW specced did not have internal reliefs, but I personally have never run a filter on one of these engines that didn't have one.
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Sodo
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:46 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Filter Connector “Thingy” Reply with quote

?Waldo? wrote:
It is a check valve that allows unfiltered oil to your oil gallery if your oil filter gets clogged. Without the ball bearing your oil is not filtered. Harm, yup. Your engine will wear out more quickly without any oil filtration happening.


^^This^^

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Missing that ball& spring your engine oil is not forced thru the filter.
It's just flowing across the top and going right back into the engine, unfiltered.

The bypass is to protect the engine in case the filter is never changed (and plugs up).
You could fill that hole with JB Weld.
Then be sure to change the filter every 5,000 miles, and the filter won't plug up.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
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Last edited by Sodo on Wed Jun 23, 2021 11:04 am; edited 4 times in total
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?Waldo?
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:58 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Filter Connector “Thingy” Reply with quote

The last air-cooled engine I rebuilt (~20 years ago) was a 2.0L Vanagon with relatively low mileage (~100,000 miles). That engine suffered from the same failure of the check valve at some unknown time prior. That engine was completely worn out inside. Crank, cam, lifters, bearings, valve guides, rockers, etc... were all worn way out of spec. Heck even the case was worn out where the crank thrust bearing is supposed to fit snugly. I've rebuilt multiple diesel engines since then with two or three times that mileage and with internals that had only a tiny fraction of that wear. I can't say with certainty that the unfiltered oil was the main cause of all that wear on that air-cooled, but I suspect that it was.
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2021 12:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Oil Filter Connector “Thingy” Reply with quote

[quote="Sodo"]
?Waldo? wrote:
I
Then be sure to change the filter every 5,000 miles, and the filter won't plug up.


Or start your engine with 20w50 in it or even with 5w30 in it if it is wintry outside if you are a purist and running a filter without a built in bypass. Using a filter with a bypass built into it like most all automotive engines do is very easy to do. A Motorcraft Fl300a (or equivalent) will do well or a Motorcraft FL1a (or equivalent) if you want a huge filter.
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