Pre-fill oil filter question
02-22-2008, 04:07 PM
#22
Melting Slicks
Exactly! It's really no extra work at all.
02-22-2008, 05:24 PM
#24
Race Director
02-22-2008, 06:11 PM
#26
Be careful when you prefill as the oil you see will not be filtered. I have heard of instances (not a corvette)where a piece of the metal foil on the oil container made its way to a oil passage and wiped a bearing.
02-22-2008, 09:49 PM
#28
Cruising
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The first place the oil pump sends the oil is the filter why allow the engine to run for that few seconds without fresh oil? Nothing good can come from that!
02-22-2008, 10:05 PM
#30
Melting Slicks
Actually I'm amazed at the shavings left over from when the threads are cut in oil filters. That's definitely not something you want pumped through the system. I now give it a quick blast of compressed air or at least a wipe before using.
Last edited by LMB-C6; 02-22-2008 at 10:23 PM.
02-23-2008, 12:43 AM
#32
Race Director
Even on those filters mounted that way you can still pre fill it a little bit. My wife's Honda has it's filter mounted sideways and I always pour in about 100 ml of fresh oil, just enough to absorb into the filter media. It won't spill out when I spin the filter on, but having that little bit extra oil in there helps the oil pressure come up faster on that first initial start since it takes less time to fill up that filter the first time.
02-23-2008, 01:06 AM
#33
Burning Brakes
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How would metal foil get into the oil in the first place? If somehow it did, a filter only takes about a half quart and any metal in the oil container would settle to the bottom and a would be the last thing to come out.
02-23-2008, 07:48 AM
#36
Le Mans Master
Isn't it more likely that the foil goes in when you put 5.5 quarts into the valve cover than when you put a pint into the oil filter? Yes, you should be careful when putting unfiltered oil into an engine anywhere but that also goes for sand, pebbles, metal filings, contact lenses, cigarette butts, shop towels, ...
02-23-2008, 08:19 AM
#37
Isn't it more likely that the foil goes in when you put 5.5 quarts into the valve cover than when you put a pint into the oil filter? Yes, you should be careful when putting unfiltered oil into an engine anywhere but that also goes for sand, pebbles, metal filings, contact lenses, cigarette butts, shop towels, ...
I also prefill my filters, and I use a funnel with the stainless steel screen on the outlet.
I don't think it is a urban legend as some engine manufacturers recommend not prefilling the oil filter; Cummins is one.
02-23-2008, 09:01 AM
#40
Safety Car
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Pre-fill the filter if it makes you feel better. When you change your oil, you are not draining every single passageway in the engine and all the parts and bearings still have a film of oil on them. That instant when you start the engine, everything is still lubed. The time lag before the pressure gage moves is just the time it takes for the pressure sensor port to refill and everything to react.
