Switched Oil Lines on a Perkins 4-108

[HailAtlantis]

Here’s my tale of woe… last year I found a fuel leak from the shaft of the high pressure injection pump, with advise from this forum I bit the bullet and decided to replace the pump (instead of repair) and since I have 2100 hrs on the engine, replace the injectors at the same time. Since time is not on my side these days, hired out the job to a qualified shop. (at least I thought so). I now have a Seized Engine with a large hole in the block. While stripping down the engine (for a rebuilt) I discovered the Oil lines to the block were re-installed in reverse order one going to the oil cooler now to the oil filter and vise versa. (I have an rear external Oil Cooler/Filter configuration). Shop claims these lines should work in either order and are talking no responsibility for the Seize. TRUE or FALSE ? Can the Oil system work in either direction? Many Thanx

[never monday]

it would depend on if you had a full flow oil filter or not.
If it's full flow, then it should work, but filtering will be diminished because the filter is flowing backwards. If your filter has am anti-drain back valve then it would not.

[HailAtlantis]

The Filter is a NAPA 1806 (full flow) but inspecting the line coming from the oil filter back to the block was clean when I took it off. No oil in the line. Any possibility of check value or blockage due to reverse flow ?

[Chief Engineer]

When you started the engine , before the failure, did you have oil pressure?

[anjou]

What evidence do the shop have to prove they test ran the engine before you got it back?
If they have none, it stands with them.
To cover your ass, get an independant engineer to do a strip down and report on whats found.

[anjou]

Just another thought, I did an oil change on a twin, in series, spin on filter Fiat marine engine and didnt have enough pressure. After exhaustive investigation, I cut open the filters and found one to have collapsed inside and the remaining surface area was insufficient to allow enough oil through.

A simple but very rare manufacturing defect.

[Captain Diesel]

Hey Captain, I read about your engine mishap. We have seen and heard of this numerous times and have never seen this lead to seizer. Was there any oil pressure when you started the motor? Do you have a low pressure oil alarm? If not you should. What weight oil have you been using? What type of failure was it? Where was the failure?