[TR] Break-In Oil Change: an observation and a question

[Randall]

> I never used to think it mattered all that much if you put in 
> a quality filter.

Something that perhaps some people don't know: All "full flow" oil filters
have a bypass valve that will open if the filter becomes clogged, and allow
unfiltered oil to pass into the engine.  There is no indication that this
has happened, especially on the TR3-4 where the oil pressure gauge is on the
inlet side of the filter.  But if you've ever torn down an engine after a
blowup, the swarf will be spread all through the galleries and in the
bearings, making it obvious it went through the filter bypass valve.

(TR2 and very early TR3 used a bypass filter that always fed unfiltered oil
to the engine galleries.  The filter output went directly back to the pan.)

I'd guess the black stuff on your finger is carbon.  Personally I would be
tempted to drop the pan again, as it sounds like the oil broke down and
possibly left a layer of sludge in the pan.  Many years ago I had a TR
engine that would break down multi-weight oil, leaving it as thin as water
and a heavy layer of sludge in the pan.

-- Randall