Do you prime your oil filter?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,548
Likes: 379
From: Woodinville WA
Yep, I sure do.
It's like this - do I know it helps? nope. Does it make me feel like it does? yep.
I honestly don't believe it makes much difference, unless you load the motor the moment you start it (or race it to get the oil in faster
)
yeah, that's a neat trick leaving the oil seal on the block when you change the oil.... even neater if you don't notice it for 750 miles (left for California on vacation, noticed it in Sacramento).
It's like this - do I know it helps? nope. Does it make me feel like it does? yep.
I honestly don't believe it makes much difference, unless you load the motor the moment you start it (or race it to get the oil in faster
)yeah, that's a neat trick leaving the oil seal on the block when you change the oil.... even neater if you don't notice it for 750 miles (left for California on vacation, noticed it in Sacramento).
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 24,160
Likes: 78
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 12,239
Likes: 19
From: Chino CA
A buddy of mine got an oil change at one of those Quicky places....the old ring stayed on....by the time he got home - engine destroyed.
Granted - he should have been aware the he lost pressure - but I just took a mental note never to let that happen to me!!!!!
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Dry Starts
Never have primed oil filters on my vehicles. I don't think the car dealer service shops do it during an oil change.
Used to work on diesel engines in a power plant. They all had a hand or electric priming pump to fill up the oil filters and oil lines before starting the engines. This prevented dry starts.
Sound like a excellent idea now that the topic has been brought up again. I'll give it a try.
Used to work on diesel engines in a power plant. They all had a hand or electric priming pump to fill up the oil filters and oil lines before starting the engines. This prevented dry starts.
Sound like a excellent idea now that the topic has been brought up again. I'll give it a try.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 5
From: Japan
I have a) Never paid anybody to do an oil change for me and b) Always primed my oil filters before spinning them on. It probably doesn't make any significant difference, but it just seems like the sensible thing to do. It certainly can't hurt anything...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,455
Likes: 977
From: RI, Now Franklin/Nashville TN
Well if most of the wear in a combustion engine occurs at start up and then anything that you can reduce the time that the engine experiences no oil pressure has to have some effect-whether it matters over the long haul-don't know. But considering how it easy it is to fill the oil filter with oil before spinning it on, why wouldn't you?
Probably, just as significant or not, is using the 1 QT truck filter in place of the standard GM C3 filter of 1/2 quart. Again, same price, easy to do, and certainly can't hurt adding a 1/2 qt more oil to the crankcase.
Probably, just as significant or not, is using the 1 QT truck filter in place of the standard GM C3 filter of 1/2 quart. Again, same price, easy to do, and certainly can't hurt adding a 1/2 qt more oil to the crankcase.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 350
From: No Where USA
I take the distributor out and use my oil priming tool to prime the motor after every oil change and while I am doing that I remove the valve cover to make sure the oil goes up to the rockers. Then I run the motor for 15 1/2 minutes and then change the oil again. That is the cleaning oil. Then I put the regular oil in. I usually open the containers and let it breath for 2 days before I ad the oil to make sure all the air bubbles are out of it.
I do this weekly. or every 102 miles which ever comes first.
Yes I fill the oil filter with oil, but if you don't it won't hurt anything.
I do this weekly. or every 102 miles which ever comes first.
Yes I fill the oil filter with oil, but if you don't it won't hurt anything.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,241
Likes: 4
From: Okinawa Okinawa
That's the way I was taught and have been doing it ever since. Oil on the seal and fill the filter. Of course on the ones where they are horizontal I only put a little oil in and try to spin it on as fast as possible so I don't spill.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,000
Likes: 299
From: New York
LMAO .. 320,00 on a small block plow truck .. Oil done at quick lubes. Motor runs like new .. Never primed a filter never will .. It is just so **** that doing it would make me laugh so hard I would drop the filter and make a huge mess.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,040
Likes: 105
From: State of Confusion!!!
2018 C2 of Year Winner
...so the answer is YES!!!!!I think it would be more than just a few seconds of no oil pressure!!!
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,375
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
Not the exact topic but interesting conversation and I had forgotten about this. Many years ago we had a bet in shop class. We had an old English Ford. The shop teacher drained all the oil out of the car. We all wrote down our guesses on how long it would idle before the engine seized and quit. I can't recall my guess. The engine idled all through shop class and the next morning we found out how long it ran. Over 5 hours, with absolutely no oil and the drain plug removed. That still shocks me and I would never believe it.
(for those who are unfamiliar, 'Motor Up" was a "snake oil" additive that was beind sold about 10-12 years ago. Their TV info-mercial had Bobby Unser driving a new Viper w/o oil, after they ran the car for a couple of hours with 'Motor Up' in it...)
....and YES, I always fill my new oil filter with oil, during an oil change!
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,930
Likes: 11
From: AnyTown NJ
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Nope....I always change the oil after a drive to make sure the engine & oil are up to operating temp.....I coat the filter gasket with oil and clean the filter mounting surface but I don't fill the filter. The engine is already coated in oil, the second or two it takes for the gauge to register pressure is not causing any damage IMHO....if it were a fresh built dry engine I would consider filling the filter.
I think folks do more damage to their engines by idling them during the winter and or by using the wrong type of oil/viscosity.
I think folks do more damage to their engines by idling them during the winter and or by using the wrong type of oil/viscosity.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,233
Likes: 657
From: Thunder Bay
I take the distributor out and use my oil priming tool to prime the motor after every oil change and while I am doing that I remove the valve cover to make sure the oil goes up to the rockers. Then I run the motor for 15 1/2 minutes and then change the oil again. That is the cleaning oil. Then I put the regular oil in. I usually open the containers and let it breath for 2 days before I ad the oil to make sure all the air bubbles are out of it.
I do this weekly. or every 102 miles which ever comes first.
I do this weekly. or every 102 miles which ever comes first.
Yes I prime my filter. I really am that ****.
Last edited by drwet; Feb 16, 2013 at 09:13 AM. Reason: Kant spel
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
Just did it last night. I had to remember to do it, since I haven't on my 4.0 Grand Cherokee with a horizontally mounted filter. Thanks to the suggestions here, I will try that next time on it. I didn't think you could on a horizontally mounted filter.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Never used to do it but as my engines became more and more expensive I became more and **** about things, I do everything possible to keep a 15 grand engine on the road and taking 15 seconds to fill the oil filter is a no brainer. 