DIY Oil Change - Add Oil to Filter or No?
05-24-2018, 05:06 PM
#41
05-24-2018, 06:11 PM
#43
Intermediate
Three pages of replies and no one has asked why most cartridge oil filters have an anti-drain back valve... My thought is the OEM and aftermarket manufacturers would save the few cents per filter and leave them off if it wasn't important to keep the can full. I do realize we're talking about multiple starts over the life of a filter vs the single initial start, and that the filter is vertical on the C7, but as others have said, what can it hurt?
Last edited by CJZ51; 05-24-2018 at 06:18 PM. Reason: Incomplete thoughts.
05-24-2018, 06:32 PM
#44
Team Owner
It only takes a minute or so to fill the oil filter with oil(I fill mine ALL the way to the top)before installing it during an oil change. It sure won't hurt your car to do so. After the initial start up isn't the engine started with the filter 100% full of oil for the next hundreds of start ups until you change the oil filter during the next oil change.
Actually, it doesn't cost me any additional time, as I fill the new filter with oil and do the installation while the oil is still draining from the oil pan sump and my dry sump reservoir.
Actually, it doesn't cost me any additional time, as I fill the new filter with oil and do the installation while the oil is still draining from the oil pan sump and my dry sump reservoir.
05-24-2018, 08:16 PM
#45
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Member Since: Sep 2007
Location: NE South Carolina
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^^
I don't know how much it helps but as you, I replace the filter while the pan is draining. I need clean oil to put on the gasket so what better place to get it than from the top of the filter that I partly filled with new oil!
I don't know how much it helps but as you, I replace the filter while the pan is draining. I need clean oil to put on the gasket so what better place to get it than from the top of the filter that I partly filled with new oil!
Last edited by JerryU; 05-24-2018 at 08:17 PM.
05-24-2018, 08:47 PM
#46
Race Director
My wife and I were watching the first couple of episodes of Season 8 of the show Shameless tonight, and coincidentally in the show, Flip is working at a motorcycle shop and you can see him changing the oil on one of the bikes and he fills up the oil filter with oil before he installs it! I thought that was quite the coincidence that we saw that scene after this thread showed up today 
I always add oil to my filters.
Last edited by gpotski; 05-24-2018 at 08:48 PM.
05-25-2018, 10:15 AM
#47
Instructor
05-25-2018, 10:59 AM
#48
Yup.....all the "Engineers for a Day" above, can't answer the question with scientific data points..
05-25-2018, 11:10 AM
#49
Safety Car
I start with 5 quarts of oil. Either a 5 quart jug, or 5 one quart bottles.
I open the jug (or the first bottle), and I fill the filter with oil. I install the filter. I pour the rest of the jug, or the rest of the first bottle plus the remaining 4 bottles in the fill cap.
Please explain your claim. How am I overfilling the motor?
Last edited by C6_Racer_X; 05-25-2018 at 11:11 AM.
05-25-2018, 11:13 AM
#50
Race Director
05-25-2018, 01:16 PM
#51
I'm in the "nope" camp. Didn't do it on mine. I do lube the seal on the oil filter with some new oil, as you should. When you're pouring out of a gallon jug of Mobil 1, can get messy trying to fill up the oil filter and then you have to shimmy under the car (in my case with the car on jack stands--I don't use a creeper because I don't want to jack my car up that high) holding the full oil filter in one hand. Just not gonna do it.
05-25-2018, 04:05 PM
#52
I'll try to type slow, and use small words, so it's more understandable.
I start with 5 quarts of oil. Either a 5 quart jug, or 5 one quart bottles.
I open the jug (or the first bottle), and I fill the filter with oil. I install the filter. I pour the rest of the jug, or the rest of the first bottle plus the remaining 4 bottles in the fill cap.
Please explain your claim. How am I overfilling the motor?
I start with 5 quarts of oil. Either a 5 quart jug, or 5 one quart bottles.
I open the jug (or the first bottle), and I fill the filter with oil. I install the filter. I pour the rest of the jug, or the rest of the first bottle plus the remaining 4 bottles in the fill cap.
Please explain your claim. How am I overfilling the motor?
05-25-2018, 05:03 PM
#54
Melting Slicks
I'll try to type slow, and use small words, so it's more understandable.
I start with 5 quarts of oil. Either a 5 quart jug, or 5 one quart bottles.
I open the jug (or the first bottle), and I fill the filter with oil. I install the filter. I pour the rest of the jug, or the rest of the first bottle plus the remaining 4 bottles in the fill cap.
Please explain your claim. How am I overfilling the motor?
I start with 5 quarts of oil. Either a 5 quart jug, or 5 one quart bottles.
I open the jug (or the first bottle), and I fill the filter with oil. I install the filter. I pour the rest of the jug, or the rest of the first bottle plus the remaining 4 bottles in the fill cap.
Please explain your claim. How am I overfilling the motor?
Even if you overfilled the crankcase by just what that oil filter holds, Its very unlikely any damage would be done.
05-25-2018, 05:17 PM
#55
Also, it's a good idea to wipe the old oil off where the new filter gasket will seal to the block (in case there is a big chunk of grease, etc. left during filter removal which might interfere with getting a good seal on the new filter).
05-25-2018, 05:24 PM
#56
Most shops won't.
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.
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.
I had a Chevy S10 pickup with the 4.3 motor blow one of the hoses to the remote mounted oil filter... in the dead of winter... in DC area rush hour traffic jam... in a snow storm... at night. Oil pressure went to zero. It was an old truck and there was nothing I could do so I decided to keep going until it wouldn't go no more... made it all the way, another 10 miles mostly creeping along, maybe total average speed 20 mph. Fixed the hose the next day, filled with oil and it was fine. Drove it for another 2 years before trading. Not that I recommend trying that at home. So do I worry about taking a tenth of a second or so for a filter to fill on startup? No....
In cases where I had issues like that - in my case it was overheating on an old car - I got the car up to speed and shut the engine off and coasted down...rinse and repeat...
Regarding the oil filter filling, when is the last time you have had any lubrication related failures? Didn't think so...
Last edited by golden2husky; 05-25-2018 at 05:29 PM.
05-26-2018, 07:41 AM
#57
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Apr 2002
Location: Tellico Plains Tennessee
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I found a YouTube video where someone drained the oil out of an engine and ran it dry until it blew. It ran for nearly and hour! Of course it was shot long before an hour had passed. I guess the point is the engines aren't as fragile as most people want to believe. There have been billions upon billions of oil changes over the past century and no history of early life failures have been attributed to oil starvation during a dry filter start. I agree common sense tells us it can only be a good thing however that common sense has no data to quantify how good it is, can't answer the question is it worth the effort.
The bottom line for us all is if you want to do it, it can only help, if you don't want to do it then don't, it won't hurt. I'm confident that my engine can withstand a dry filter start.
Here's the video I mentioned above.
The bottom line for us all is if you want to do it, it can only help, if you don't want to do it then don't, it won't hurt. I'm confident that my engine can withstand a dry filter start.
Here's the video I mentioned above.
Last edited by Frodo; 05-26-2018 at 07:42 AM. Reason: to add link
05-26-2018, 08:45 AM
#58
Melting Slicks
OMG!!!! I can't believe I read another oil/oil fill thread I have to admit I always enjoy them though. I am starting to shy away from those....which oil to use threads....as they usually turn kind of nasty
I have to admit I always enjoy them though. I am starting to shy away from those....which oil to use threads....as they usually turn kind of nasty
05-26-2018, 08:45 AM
#59
Race Director
Has anyone ever seen a direction printed in an owners manual, repair manual, on a filter box or anywhere for that matter that recommends pre-filling an oil filer?
I haven't.
I haven't.
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Kevin A Jones (05-26-2018)