Is anyone running an oil filtration system with no relief valve setup?

I lost an engine (SBC) from the main thrust bearing chipping...and being fed to the main bearings, bypassing the filter with 15w40 on startup. With the oil trap style dip stick...all I saw was clean oil when checked. The dip stick tube needed to be pressurized to blow out the new clean oil to let the oil pan oil back in...to have a proper measure of the oil condition.

I have System 1 stainless filters on BBCs now, and don't want to lose another engine for something as simple as unfiltered oil putting chunks into the bearings.

A lot of guys run some pretty heavy oils...that will likely require some sort of bypass.
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​​Maybe I run the System 1 filter no relief with a looser micron screen...that feeds to a 2nd tighter filter that has a relief.

yes mine was plugged

You either need a plug or GM's 30 psi relief valve in hole as pictured above. Assuming a Gen V/Gen VI block.

And a filter without a bypass

Good point.

I saw a guy do vid on Harley oil filters and components. Harley went the totally cheap route changing their brand named filters internally to low quality.

Knowing what is in your filters is important.

New Merc Racing 520 engines are about $30k? Don't use the wrong filter...

500hp Merc V12 Commercial outboards are $100k cad.+ tax up here north of the 49th.

NAPA 1060/1061’s (Wix 51060 / 51061) have no bypass. 1060 has anti drain back. 1061 doesn’t. Use’m all the time - even with conventional 20w-50 - marine and non marine. 30yrs ??? Also warm up the oil before getting on it. As you should no matter what filter setup you use.

Not sure what difference a plugged bypass would have made ? The thrust bearing would have failed pretty quickly anyway along with everything else.

I am not a big fan of plugged bypasses. I have seen two engines ruined because the bypass was blocked. The owners used a cheap filter and did not warm the engine properly before running it hard and the filters collapsed internally

There are a bazillion engines running happily with the bypass.

Just my opinion,

Yes, ran the 1060/51060 for years on my 496 with no issues.

I just inherited my Dad's boat he built in '69. Ended up putting and LS5 454 into it in '75. He always used RPM Dela 30wt. He gave me an unopened metal quart can of it. Always let it warm up...and watch for the oil pressure drop.

1061 check...anti-drain back seems like a good option...but more moving parts.

I was getting thrust on the crank somehow. Either the alignment ended up getting off, or something like that.

​​Either a higher pressure bypass...or plugged bypass would have arrested the mass of debris getting fed to the bearings. Was impressed how much was impeded and still survived. Eventually one of the mains spun.

Mr. Murphy came to visit with a flanking. The frontal was the dipstick oil looking clean not indicating an issue...as it was in the evacuation low trap from the pan. The flanking was the bearing getting chewed away...me not knowing, despite checking every day of use often a few times. Clean oil is not unusual for a new tight engine with low hrs.

Tuition of experience.
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I would always use quality high pressure parallel filters if not the System 1.

Your words have wisdom, I suspect it comes down to proper setup and consistent maintenance.