Silly question? Bypass working as intended?

[DickWells]

I drove all short trip all winter in Brownsville, from Nov. 1, till last Saterday. Forty miles each way, max. Took off on Sat, heading west and have driven a minimum of 2 hours non-stop since. In Brownsville, my dipstick showed a little darker as time went on, all winter. Never got black, mind you, just went from light honey, through mollasses color. Got to Del Rio, and I could swear that the oil on the stick was cleaner looking! Got to Marfa, and cleaner still. Can it be, that in short trip driving, the orifice to the by-pass filter doesn't get to circulate enough oil to filter out the soot?
Long hours of a constant little stream going through there making the system do what it's supposed to do? Or am I just seeing things in my old age? Did have to add a quart yesterday, but that's days after I thought the oil was getting lighter. Got about 7 grand on it now, BTW.
DW

[Mark Rinker]

I have seen sooty oil 'drive itself cleaner' when a better tune was added, and boost matched correctly to the fuel rate. That was on a 2002 LB7 with Kennedy tune and boost valve.

Not sure how that worked, sans any bypass filter, but have seen what you are experiencing. Sounds like you are getting good fuel and a good burn with little or no soot resulting, on the longer trips...

[jbplock]

I...Can it be, that in short trip driving, the orifice to the by-pass filter doesn't get to circulate enough oil ..?

Dick,

I've felt my OilGuard bypass canister after driving various lengths of time and found that it doesn't warm-up until driving for at least a 1/2 hour. I assume that until it's warm to the touch, not much oil is flowing though it. Coincidentally just yesterday I checked my oil and noticed it's darker than usual with only 4kmiles since the last change in June 08. Over the past year I've driven the truck less and the trips were usually short (under a 1/2 hour) compared to previous OCI's when the oil "looked" cleaner so this seems to correlate with what you observed.

[DickWells]

Whew. Thanks guys. Thought that might be the case, but at my age, (69), one never knows when "OauldTimer's" might set in. Second thought, that's not very funny, but I'm going to leave it in there, regardless.:rolleyes:
Wish there was a smily for tongue-in-cheek.
Hope I never get like my father, and all that.
Keep on happy-truckin.
Dick

[Mark Rinker]

My dad went to the home last year - he's in the final decline with 'old-timers' disease.

I freak out every time I lose my keys or cell phone.

My sister told me - "...don't worry, its not losing your keys or cell phone...its having a set of keys and not knowing you have a car to use them in..."

:D