Ok, I've heard different opinions, so I thought I would ask you guys. Some people say to pour oil into the new filter when changing it, others say not to.

What do you all say to do, and why? Most important is the "why".

 

Why wouldnt you? It's less time that your oil pump is running dry. Reduces friction on the first startup after the change. If you want to be REALLY **** about it you could pull the distributor and prime the oil pump before starting it. I know guys who do that.

 

I fill it first, but I also 'bump' the engine a few times before fully starting it.

 

I would definitely fill the oil filter.

 

If I understand correctly, when you fill the filter first it removes the running time with no oil pressure when you start the car right after the change. - No chance of anything running "dry" even for a second.

 

I guess that I am the dissenting voice here ;) . The oil pump pick-up sits in the new oil in the crankcase after a change. There is no lack of lubrication aside from a few thousands of a second when the pump ingests the oil on engine start-up. The filter is completely divorced from that process. It is part of the overall oiling system and fills within seconds. That is why you check oil levels before start-up and after.

 

Paul,
So you are saying not to worry about pouring oil into the filter?

 

WOW only one against!
I just starteddoing this when I built the new engine, Why? Well there is no dipstick! The splayed caps get in the way of the dipstick tube the engine builder says...

So I put 7 quarts in the pan and fill the filter...
Besides, I do like the idea that the oil pump doesn't have to fille the filter before it can fill the engine...

 

I do 40-50 cars a day that way at a GM dealership. Put the oil in, check level, turn car on to fill filter, re-check dip-stick and the car is out the door. The PF25 filter found on Corvettes is quite large by modern standards: about 1/2 liter. The PF47 found on a cars such as Cavaliers, Grand Prixs, Impalas and the like is very small: about 0.2L. As I mentioned earlier, the pick-up of oil from the pump in the crankcase where it is emerged in the new oil is completely divorced from the filling of the filter when the pump is engaged. I really do not know what the issue is. That filter fills in seconds.

 

Those seconds of seeing 0 oil pressure is what bothers me.

 

I really do not know what to say in reply....Except that is just the way oil changes are done. There is residual lubrication on the cylinder walls and up top that is quite adequate to take care of matters. If the car had been in storage for months I would have a different answer.

 

It takes two minutes and probably helps. Is there any reason not to?

 

Even though its not totally nessisary I pour oil into the filter of every car I work on except for some that have filters that screw on sideways. Its not worth makin a big mess over.

 

The initial oil pressure is from the pump, not the filter.

 

always.....always.....ALWAYS fill your new oil filter before installing. The next time you change your oil, take note how much is soaked up by your new filter. I normally put 1/2 a quart in a new filter and it could prolly hold more.
Here's to long engine life :cheers:
Weasle :D

 

OK, I give way to the majority ;) .

 

ive also been doing this for 30 yrs and will continue to do so...simply because

#1 it only takes a minute
#2 it cant hurt
and best of all...#3 it gives me piece of mind...even if it IS false, i feel better :)

 

I've never filled my filter. I never saw a need to. Not to say it's really **** to do so, but...

I've run cars for over a hundred thousand miles, and I didn't fill the filter. The car didn't burn a drop on the day I bought it, and it didn't burn a drop of oil 100K later.

I think we sometimes overanalyze things and run an aspect of our vehicles into the ground. This is one of those times.

Another example: change frequency. I used to buy into the hype, that you had to change the oil every 3000 miles. I did this for years. Now I change at 5-7500. I've seen no discernable difference in wear. Consumer reports did a test on a bunch of NY taxi cabs. They wanted to measure the difference in cars that had 3000 mile interval maint. schedules and cars with 7500 mile maintenance schedules. After the test mileage (I think it was 75000 miles) they pulled the engines apart. There was NO difference between the two test groups. None. And that was on supposedly severe duty taxi cabs. Then you have the current cars, with their oil life monitors--they extend intervals even longer.

The back of my shampoo bottle says: lather, rinse, repeat, for a reason. They are in the business of selling shampoo. The oil companies want to sell lots of oil. Thus, you have the 3000 mile interval. Jiffy Lube, and the like, scream, even work guilt into the equation of changing one's oil. Why? They want to stay in business and sell lots of oil.

Yes, these are Corvettes we drive. And they are special. And they are our babies, and they deserve better than the norm, and they transcend all life and love and family and....I hate to break the news, here on the forum, but they really are just cars. The marketing guys have had their way with us, rubber glove style, and most of us don't even realize it.

 

Fill my filter first, then my stomach :cheers:

 

I do on the Vette.
I don't on the VW. I don't on the Saturn. (They are horizontal.)