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I always do. It can't hurt as the filter doesn't have to take time to fill up. One of the benefits of changing your own oil. I would doubt most shops do this.
Why does this help please explain?
Oil capacity is a fixed amount so if you add more than that amount you could create a problem. you prefill the filter then add the 5 qrts., you have just overfilled your motor, nice.
Unless something has changed (I'm not aware of) in the lubrication system, and unfiltered oil goes to the bearings, the engine wont have proper oil pressure until the filter is full.
I always do this if the geometry of the filter installation allows for it. It can't hurt, and it might help.
Another thing I do is disconnect something so the engine won't fire, and I crank until the oil pressure gauge shows pressure or the oil light goes off. The "something" varies from one car to another, but the concept is always the same. On some cars, it's easy to disable the ignition by disconnecting the crank position sensor. Others, with a single ignition coil, just pull the plug there. If I can't find anything better, the fuel pump relay or fuse gets pulled when I pull it in for the oil change, and it mostly won't fire until that's reinstalled. I can't help you with a specific recommendation for the C7, but if I was doing an oil change on one, I'd find something.
The rule here is, no fire until there's oil in the bearings. On my "use for a whole season" (or more) race engines, the proper start up procedure is to push the button for the starter, hold it until you see pressure on the gauge, then flip the switch to turn on the ignition system.
Typically, the oil pressure sending unit is located on or near the oil filter on most vehicles. The first place the oil in the filter goes is back in the oil pan/sump. Your oil pressure gauge and light will certainly show oil pressure sooner after an oil change if you fill it beforehand because the filter is already filled. However, that doesn't mean you engine is starving for oil in those few extra seconds. I've never pre-filled my filter and my cars go three hundred thousand miles no problem.
lots of carryforward from the 60's here. we are now 50 years on. Back when mobil 1 was a novelty, Mobil 1 had a commerical where they emptied the car of the Mobil 1 oil in the oilpan and drove it some distance (much like the CP of the busted chevy hose to remote oil filter above.) No damage to car.
Segueway to 2006, when dry sump oiling was introduced to the c6 via the Z06. A car and driver interview with a Chevy engineer about the new Z06 discussed what happened on a track with a wet sump C6; the engineer admitted that in hard cornering (forget whether right or left) the pickup tube from the oilpan was left sucking wind. "And at that moment" said the Chevy engineer, "is when we depend upon the staying power of Mobil 1"
now aficionados are debating how many (more) angels there are in a drop of Mobil 1 0w-40 vs Mobil 1 5w-30. And the beat goes on.....
Personally i liked ARCO graphite oil, but wasn't that a mess to change!
Last edited by SilverGhost; 05-24-2018 at 10:11 AM.
Another thing I do is disconnect something so the engine won't fire, and I crank until the oil pressure gauge shows pressure or the oil light goes off. The "something" varies from one car to another, but the concept is always the same. On some cars, it's easy to disable the ignition by disconnecting the crank position sensor. Others, with a single ignition coil, just pull the plug there. If I can't find anything better, the fuel pump relay or fuse gets pulled when I pull it in for the oil change, and it mostly won't fire until that's reinstalled. I can't help you with a specific recommendation for the C7, but if I was doing an oil change on one, I'd find something.
The rule here is, no fire until there's oil in the bearings. On my "use for a whole season" (or more) race engines, the proper start up procedure is to push the button for the starter, hold it until you see pressure on the gauge, then flip the switch to turn on the ignition system.
I find that the LT1 doesn't really fire up instantly when you push the button, it turns over a few times before firing, possibly due to direct injection, so I think that helps build up oil pressure on that first start after an oil change. Therefore no extra procedure would really be necessary.
Yes, I always fill the new filter before install. Picked up the habit from years of working on circle track race engines. For the poster who was concerned about over filling - you subtract the amount of oil you've put in the filter from the overall fill amount.
It may not "help" anything, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have instant oil pressure.
Why does this help please explain?
Oil capacity is a fixed amount so if you add more than that amount you could create a problem. you prefill the filter then add the 5 qrts., you have just overfilled your motor, nice.
I have always put as much oil into the filter as I can before installing it. The obvious reason is that having the filter full means that oil will get to the engine when first started quicker because oil does not have to be pumped to fill the filter..
I don't care if it really does not affect bearing wear long term, I will probably always do it.
Why does this help please explain?
Oil capacity is a fixed amount so if you add more than that amount you could create a problem. you prefill the filter then add the 5 qrts., you have just overfilled your motor, nice.
Been doing oil changes for 60 years. Never filled by some volume estimate in a table. Always by the dip stick level. The C7 four volume service manual says the volume estimate in the table is only an estimate check the dip stick!
It’s the oil level that is critical not volume! Keeping the level a wet sump below the spinning crank, windage trays etc!
I was thinking about my always using the dip stick not a volume estimate in a table to define the proper oil level. Without sounding like Marisa Tomei in my favorite move, "My Cousin Vinny" (clip below) - that is the way I learned 60+ years ago!
Pop was a good mechanic, not his profession, but I helped change oil, install brake shoes, tune-ups, mufflers, wheel bearing etc etc not only in his car but in a number of relatives cars! Two of his brothers did as he did and his youngest brother was the service manager at a large large Chevy dealership before becoming general manager. Uncle Fred was the one who helped put the Olds engine together from parts that I stuffed in my '41 Ford coupe when I was 16! Good teachers!
Fun Recent Example:
When assembling parts from 35 boxes that came with the 502 cid (8.2 Liters) Chevy crate motor for my Street Rod I used long tube Sanderson headers.
There was no room for the supplied steel dip stick tube and long dip stick. Thought, no problem will use an aftermarket Loker billet aluminum **** that can fit flush with the block and has a high temp plastic dip stick that you just cut off on the back end in use set screws in the **** to attach - AFTER cutting to the correct length! Now how much oil is it "estimated to hold" so I could measure? The instructions did not say, it just said fill to the level indicated on the dip stick! And as a high performance wet sump, it included a "windage tray" to keep oil from hitting the spinning crank! Don't want excess oil! A Catch 22!
Since the engine was already installed best I could do was measure the dip stick tube and dip stick marks and adjust the new dip stick to those dimensions!
Long tube headers prevented supplied dip stick tube and metal dip stick from fitting.
Engine came in a crate with parts in ~35 boxes.
A "windage tray" helps keep oil from the spinning crank. That is why oil level NOT some volume estimate in a table is most important and why it says in the C7 Owner's Manual: From page 232 2017 C7 Manual: Caution Do not add too much oil. Oil levels above or below the acceptable operating range shown on the dipstick are harmful to the engine. If you find that you have an oil level above the operating range, i.e., the engine has so much oil that the oil level gets above the cross-hatched area that shows the proper operating range, the engine could be damaged. You should drain out the excess oil or limit driving of the vehicle and seek a service professional to remove the excess amount of oil.
Never done it without an issue in five plus decades of car ownership and maintenance, but if you feel the urge, do so...
I agree. There is sufficient oil film remaining on the bearings the engine can rotate at an idle without damage for the few seconds it takes for the filter to fill and the pressure to build up. Hell even if you do fill it half way or all of the way you are still waiting for the pressure to build for some period of time because the oil in the engine oil passages has drained away.
A long time ago I had a 71 Corvette LS6 Big Block. I was driving away from home when I noticed the oil pressure gauge go to 0. I turned the car around and drove a mile home at an easy pace. At home I was able to pull the oil pan and found the oil pump pickup had fallen off. This was common on those engines and the brazing that had been done to lock the pickup to the pump had broken. I asked at several machine shops about the potential for damage to the bearings, etc and they all said don't worry about it. They said as long as you weren't winging on the engine with 0 pressure it would be fine. I sold the car about 5 years later and never had an issue with the engine due to the pickup falling off.
I was thinking about my always using the dip stick not a volume estimate in a table to define the proper oil level. Without sounding like Marisa Tomei in my favorite move, "My Cousin Vinny" (clip below) - that is the way I learned 60+ years ago!
Pop was a good mechanic, not his profession, but I helped change oil, install brake shoes, tune-ups, mufflers, wheel bearing etc etc not only in his car but in a number of relatives cars! Two of his brothers did as he did and his youngest brother was the service manager at a large large Chevy dealership before becoming general manager. Uncle Fred was the one who helped put the Olds engine together from parts that I stuffed in my '41 Ford coupe when I was 16! Good teachers!
Fun Recent Example:
When assembling parts from 35 boxes that came with the 502 cid (8.2 Liters) Chevy crate motor for my Street Rod I used long tube Sanderson headers.
There was no room for the supplied steel dip stick tube and long dip stick. Thought, no problem will use an aftermarket Loker billet aluminum **** that can fit flush with the block and has a high temp plastic dip stick that you just cut off on the back end in use set screws in the **** to attach - AFTER cutting to the correct length! Now how much oil is it "estimated to hold" so I could measure? The instructions did not say, it just said fill to the level indicated on the dip stick! And as a high performance wet sump, it included a "windage tray" to keep oil from hitting the spinning crank! Don't want excess oil! A Catch 22!
Since the engine was already installed best I could do was measure the dip stick tube and dip stick marks and adjust the new dip stick to those dimensions!
Long tube headers prevented supplied dip stick tube and metal dip stick from fitting.
Engine came in a crate with parts in ~35 boxes.
A "windage tray" helps keep oil from the spinning crank. That is why oil level NOT some volume estimate in a table is most important and why it says in the C7 Owner's Manual: From page 232 2017 C7 Manual: Caution Do not add too much oil. Oil levels above or below the acceptable operating range shown on the dipstick are harmful to the engine. If you find that you have an oil level above the operating range, i.e., the engine has so much oil that the oil level gets above the cross-hatched area that shows the proper operating range, the engine could be damaged. You should drain out the excess oil or limit driving of the vehicle and seek a service professional to remove the excess amount of oil.
That isn't the be all end all for the oil level since it varies depending on how you are using the car. From Page 9-6 of the 2015 Owner's Manual: Z51 and Z06 Only: Check the oil level often during track events and competitive driving and keep the level at or near 0.5 L (0.5 qt) above the upper mark that shows the proper operating range on the engine oil dipstick. You will also find the same statement in the OM's for all of the C7 model years.
Bill
Last edited by Bill Dearborn; 05-24-2018 at 02:21 PM.
It's not the end BUT as I have mentioned several times before and quoting the Owner's Manual statements AFTER the one you quoted to add an extra 1/2 quart it says, page 165 of the 2017 Owner's Manual (and the same in all others) After the competitive driving, remove excess oil so that the level on the dipstick is not above the upper mark that shows the proper operating range
There is a lot of oil at high rpm in the engine from crank and rod bearings etc. The extra IMO may be because the C7 engines have small oil/air pumps and to be sure there is enough they say add the 1/2 quart extra.
I have speculated why they say clearly to remove the oil after Tracking but since it's not GM's words I'll just put in this pic. GM no doubt has a reason for stating it and a reason to say if there is excess oil above the Max mark remove or have a professional remove it! Perhaps a good question for Tadge!
Jerry
Even when idling into the pits expect that small LT1/4 pump takes time to pull excess oil into the tank. I am familiar with the large pumps used in racing engines that can create a significant vacuum in the crackcase. It is far from that! GM no doubt has their reasons but have never had them state why it should be removed.
05-24-2018, 07:31 AM
It's not the end BUT as I have mentioned several times before and quoting the Owner's Manual statements AFTER the one you quoted to add an extra 1/2 quart it says, page 165 of the 2017 Owner's Manual (and the same in all others)
