Mechanic installed filter without filling with oil

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Originally Posted By: Artem
Originally Posted By: spasm3
I fill mine, when i had a sideways mounted screw on filter, i would put enough in to wet the element. If i cant fill the filter i would also bump the starter several times before letting it fire up. Not necessary but i just like filling the filter. What i do think is important is wiping the cut threads of the filter with a cloth or paper towel. Make sure you don't leave any lint behind but i always get silver looking metal dust off the threads.


The oil filter is mounted at an angle in my 98 Toyota Camry V6. It's pointed at the 8 & 2 o'clock positions with the outlet pointing down and I still pre-fill it each and every time. The 1MZ-FE engine rattles and makes a lot of noise upon initial start up, after an oil change. With the filter pre-filled ever so slightly (I fill it to the top quickly and within 60 seconds, all the oil is soaked into the filter media) I'm able to screw it on without dripping a drop.

Originally Posted By: KCJeep
I used to but I quit doing it. All I seemed to be gaining was making a mess. I don't even get start up noise at an OCI with a dry filter, why bother?


All you guys that mentioned making a mess while doing something so simple as pouring a cup of oil into the filter are hilarious...

I want to see how you spill oil all over the valve cover while pouring oil into the engine.
I want to see how you spill oil all over while pouring the used oil from the drain pan, into the jug.
I want to see how you spill oil all over the place as you pour used into into the recycling tank at the auto parts store.
I want to see how you accomplish simple every day tasks like pouring coffee into a cup without spilling it because you guy make it seem like it's SO HARD to pour oil into the filter without dumping the quote 5qt jug all over the drive way.
crackmeup2.gif
come on now!


No silly, spinning a pre-filled horizontal filter onto the vehicle simply made a mess.
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted By: KCJeep
Originally Posted By: Artem
Originally Posted By: spasm3
I fill mine, when i had a sideways mounted screw on filter, i would put enough in to wet the element. If i cant fill the filter i would also bump the starter several times before letting it fire up. Not necessary but i just like filling the filter. What i do think is important is wiping the cut threads of the filter with a cloth or paper towel. Make sure you don't leave any lint behind but i always get silver looking metal dust off the threads.


The oil filter is mounted at an angle in my 98 Toyota Camry V6. It's pointed at the 8 & 2 o'clock positions with the outlet pointing down and I still pre-fill it each and every time. The 1MZ-FE engine rattles and makes a lot of noise upon initial start up, after an oil change. With the filter pre-filled ever so slightly (I fill it to the top quickly and within 60 seconds, all the oil is soaked into the filter media) I'm able to screw it on without dripping a drop.

Originally Posted By: KCJeep
I used to but I quit doing it. All I seemed to be gaining was making a mess. I don't even get start up noise at an OCI with a dry filter, why bother?


All you guys that mentioned making a mess while doing something so simple as pouring a cup of oil into the filter are hilarious...

I want to see how you spill oil all over the valve cover while pouring oil into the engine.
I want to see how you spill oil all over while pouring the used oil from the drain pan, into the jug.
I want to see how you spill oil all over the place as you pour used into into the recycling tank at the auto parts store.
I want to see how you accomplish simple every day tasks like pouring coffee into a cup without spilling it because you guy make it seem like it's SO HARD to pour oil into the filter without dumping the quote 5qt jug all over the drive way.
crackmeup2.gif
come on now!


No silly, spinning a pre-filled horizontal filter onto the vehicle simply made a mess.
laugh.gif



oh ok, i can picture it now, the overfilled oil filter spilling oil on itself, making it hard for the person to get a grip on it and spin it on.
33.gif
 
I prefill filters only on vehicles that have the filter mounted thread side up, and then not every one, either. The old Audi's filters would not allow you to pour in at any sensible rate, so I didn't bother. The cabs were vertical, so I did. The F-150 and the G do not get prefilled, since they're filters are mounted horizontally.

If the engineers were extremely petrified of oil filters not being prefilled, they wouldn't mount them any way except thread side up. That's clearly not the case.
 
The one time I forgot to pre fill my oil filter I had a horrible loud screech sound upon startup for approximately one second (GM 5.3L). That's reason enough for me to pre fill. The filter surprisingly holds almost a half quart (XG 9837).
 
That brings up another point, filters have gotten smaller and smaller overall, actual capacity of many common applications today is just a fraction of what was very common 20 or 30 years ago.
 
Absolutely pre-fill your filter where possible, when mounting is straight up. It is one of those simple steps that makes it worth the your DIY time. I find you need to fill several times to allow the oil to get through the media, probably 2 minutes of time. You also have a better reading on the fill level.
 
Originally Posted By: mr_diy
Absolutely pre-fill your filter where possible, when mounting is straight up. It is one of those simple steps that makes it worth the your DIY time. I find you need to fill several times to allow the oil to get through the media, probably 2 minutes of time. You also have a better reading on the fill level.


?????

Ask GMBoy if they prefill the filters at the factory.

I worked at Chrysler Canada engine plant in the 1960's and the filters weren't prefilled.

I have never prefilled a filter nor seen it done at the dealer or anywhere else.
 
I dont prefill my filters as mine are at angle where the oil would spill. Never prefilled, never will unless its on a diesel engine.
 
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Originally Posted By: mr_diy
Absolutely pre-fill your filter where possible, when mounting is straight up. It is one of those simple steps that makes it worth the your DIY time. I find you need to fill several times to allow the oil to get through the media, probably 2 minutes of time. You also have a better reading on the fill level.


?????

Ask GMBoy if they prefill the filters at the factory.

I worked at Chrysler Canada engine plant in the 1960's and the filters weren't prefilled.

I have never prefilled a filter nor seen it done at the dealer or anywhere else.


Why would an assembly plant prefill oil filters? I'm sure they know that the engine will be "fine" and will last just barely past the warranty period. Beyond that though, who cares, right?

It takes time to prefill oil filters and time = money for an assembly plant. They overlook something as small as this.

Same for a dealership.

If I can help get the oil flowing faster by prefilling the filter, I'll gladly do it.
 
Originally Posted By: shell_user
I dont prefill my filters as mine are at angle where the oil would spill. Never prefilled, never will unless its on a diesel engine.


And that's why those engines last hundreds of thousands of miles...
27.gif
 
When the company says to use 0w-20 only, everyone jumps on board with "the engineers know what's best," etc. The clear extension of that is if they wanted the new filter filled with oil they would put it in the manual and mounted the filter vertical.
 
Well, likely many anal retentive diy OC Bitogers like myself prefill where practical/possible. Reduces start up rattle time a tad. But in the real world of engine life, it's insignificant in reducing engine wear over the life of an engine or the vehicle.

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
 
I only prefill the filter on my 83 Silverado, I run a 2qt filter so I always add 1qt of oil in the filter and she's good to go
19.gif
 
Isn't preventing dry starts why filters have anti-drain back valves? Of course, each OCI is only one dry start out of many starts, but it such an easy practice to fill a filter. Also seems to me vertical mounted filters are becoming more and more common even when it that a bit more engineering/cost.
 
I prefill 100% of the time on one vehicle. My Chevy truck with its 5.3 mounts vertically with the threads up. So to me if it is that easy why not. I don't prefill 100% of the time on another vehicle. My wife's Subaru 2.5 FB engine filter mounts vertically with the threads DOWN....I'm not going there. I haven't heard start-up noise on either vehicle, so there is no advantage to prefilling, but I do it anyway when I can. These findings I know are 100% scientifically correct.
grin.gif
 
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