filling the oil filter during an oil change

[tomtoc]

so you should fill the filter with oil during an oil change, right? to prime the pump or something (irrelevant).

problem is, i have a horizontally mounted filter, so i can't fill it up too much. even with it filled and some oil spilling out briefly while i screw it on, i still have a couple seconds with no oil pressure (read on a mechanical gauge).

am i doing something wrong, or is the couple seconds unavoidable?

 

[89frankenford]

what engine do you have? and what filter are you using?


im an idiot...i didnt see the 300 in yor sig. what i have found solves that problem is running a motorcraft filter. i have had no luck with a/c delco, wix(napa filters), (i don't ever use fram on anything....i can tell you why in a different topic or a later post if you want) i don't fill the filter with oil either. it just has pressure within a 1/2 second. ive found that only the motorcraft filters do that.

 

[d-kuzmen]

Either way is ok, most filters you can't fill and install without spilling. Here at the dealership the only filter we fill before installing is the 7.3. Even if you fill the filter your going to get that couple seconds of no oil pressure.

 

[tomtoc]

i use the motorcraft (fl-1a).

that's fine if that's what everyone else does, just want to make sure i wan't missing something obvious to avoid the brief lack of pressure.

 

[Fellro]

No matter how full you get the filter, there is still a bit of lag time, no way to avoid it. I do try to get some oil in every filter as I can. I tend to half fill the filters for horizontal mount, then tip it on side like it will be for install, and keep adding until it is full that way. Don't know how much difference it make, but I figure it is that much less fill time.

 

[john112deere]

257k miles of putting the horizontal filter on without filling and my truck still runs...

I tend to "bump" the starter a few times (and the PO did, too) after I change the filter, to try to fill it up without the engine running. Honestly, I doubt it saves my engine any more than it wears my starter, but...

 

[ford4life69]

every time i start mine after it's been a few hours the pressure takes a few turns to come up on my mechanical guage. my dad put it in with a t fitting so the stock guage still works. i'm wondering if that's got something to do with the reading cuz it seems to take too long *to me* to pressure up.... i watch the guys change my oil at the place i take it to but i don't think i ever paid attention to whether they filled the filter or not... *shrug*

 

[mtflat]

Interesting discussion - I've never pre-filled one.

 

[smokey]

I have never prefilled them on any of my trucks and cars.

 

[TexasNomad]

I thought you put oil in the filter because it was thirsty from sitting in that box for so long.....

 

[Lost]

I do not either . I do pre crnk some as my curent motor takes while to come up . even with new pump .

 

[Brian_B]

I have always pre-filled them on everything I have ever owned. The sideways ones (motorcraft) will soak up quite a bit before they leak. Just don't put too much.

Just about everything I have had was either straight up or at a slight angle though.

Dads old 77-300 I6 was about sideways. I always dripped a little when changing his oil.

 

[Truckin4life]

I have ALWAYS pre filled.
I worked in a shop for a couple of years and the first oil change i did was on my boss's vette. I drained the oil put the pulled the filter and put the new one back on and he asked what i did with the old filter, he made me dig it out of the trash can, we cut it in half so he could look at it, then asked me if i pre filled the new filter, after my 45 min butt chewin, and being "reminded" about it almost daily, i have never since forgotten to pre fill a filter...

 

[eco]

I always pre fill.

With my oil filter relocation kit, both filters are perpendicular to the ground which makes a pre fill easy. Wether or not is makes a big difference I don't know for sure, but in theory is has to help some and it definetly can't hurt any.

 

[RangerPilot]

Always prefilled on every vehicle I've changed on (then again, I've always been lucky enough to have vertical filters as well). When I change my Explorer, you almost have to "burp" the filter, as it will soak up some and dislodge air bubbles from the filter. Filled up though it's nearly a quart of oil.

 

[jake]

hey!! the only time you really need to pre-fill an oil filter is on diesel motors, this helps lube the supercharger (or turbo) at start-up. have you ever heard a loud screech, almost like a seizing sound or starting on the wrong cylinder thats it. jake

 

[mrxlh]

If you don't have oil pressure before you crank, you are not accomplishing a thing by filling the filters. The only thing that will "save" your engine from "dry starts" is a pre lube system. As far as a turbo charger goes, post lube is far more important than pre lubing, as a turbo is not hot or under load at start up or low idle. It is however heat soaked upon shutdown and will cook or coke the oil off the shaft and bearings. Most modern day bearings all have oil grooves in them which retains enough oil to "viturally" eliminate "dry starts". In large industrial stationary engines there are very few engines that have oil grooves in the bearings. Thus just about all of them have pre/post lube systems installed.