Does Pre-FILLING The Oil FILTER Cause Engine DAMAGE?
When doing an oil change, it is common practice to change the oil filter as well, but should you pre-fill the oil filter before you install it?
I was taught that you should always pre-fill the oil filter before installing it. However, there are conflicting opinions about this practice on the internet, so we decided to put this to the test. Let's find out if the oil out of the bottle is actually dirtier than the filtered oil going through the engine. Using SPEEDiagnostix to run ISO 4406 cleanliness tests, we measure the cleanliness of the oil right out of the drum and right out of the engine. As always, we are going to rely on the science instead of speculation!
If your oil filter is vertically or horizontally mounted, here's a Short that shows you how to prime the filter before firing the engine: • Oil Change Hack For Ve...
To check out the previous video, here's the link:
Oil Change Video: • AVOID the ONE MISTAKE ...
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Who is the @themotoroilgeek? I'm a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Certified Lubrication Specialist and Oil Monitoring Analyst (I've maintained both of those for over a decade). I also worked for Joe Gibbs Racing for 12 years as their lubricant specialist. During that time, we worked with Wix Filters (one of our sponsors) to test and develop filters for our race engines. We also worked with Lubrizol and Chevron-Phillips Chemical to test and develop oils for our race cars. Following that, I was the head of R&D for Driven Racing Oil. During that time, I formulated and tested over 50 products. We also worked with Cummins, Comp Cams, Oak Ridge National Labs and General Motors on various R&D products. Those efforts are recorded in peer reviewed white papers published by SAE International and ACS Sustainable Chemistry journals. I also own and operate SPEEDiagnostix, which provides used oil analysis.
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#oilchange #motoroil #oilfilter
If your oil filter is vertically or horizontally mounted, here's a pro tip to prime the filter before starting the engine. kzhead.infoZF-SPAKtzrY?feature=share
@themotoroilgeek I've been a auto technician for years and I had a old timer. Tell me that didn't have to fill the oil filter if you did the oil change and no oil in filter. To start the engine and then turn it off and repeat atleast three times. To prime the oil in the system and through filter. I was never sold on not filling the oil filter so, I fill the filter still and then start and then turn engine off atleast three times. I would like to know your thoughts about this. After a oil change and oil in the filter should you start and immediately turn engine off multiple times before running the engine longer to prime the oil in the engine?
@@DK-Nachowifiturning it off and on does nothing because the oil pump doesn’t run with the vehicle off. But prefilling the filter just insures the system will prime faster, maybe takes a second to two at most. Prefilling the filter is good and can only help. If you can’t cause it’s a horizontal mount then oh well it is what it is.
I know for a fact that pre-filling the filter prevents that little slowdown from a fresh oil change from bearings dragging or lifter delayed pump up. I don't know what was causing the engine to have a sort of load on it on the start up but prefilling the filter prevented that. Keep in mind that that I have several V8's with high mileage that did that. The cars I have always owned and have prefilled are a '76 Dodge B200 360C.I., a'79 Camaro 5L, an '88 Ford 5L and a '98 Ford 4.6L. Lets just say all my engines don't burn oil happily without additives well over 100K miles. I only had to hear that lag once for myself to be convinced. I should point out that I was a professionally trained mechanic back in 1989 where my journeyman taught me to always pre-fill the filter.
@@mrwebber35 Thanks for sharing!
🤣
I'm 70 and have been prefilling filters since I was 18, on a tip from a friend. This the first time I've ever heard it questioned. It blows my mind that people think new oil out of the container is contaminated!
Right?
Especially given the fact that many smaller air cooled engine's don’t even have an oil filter, those are critical to start with clean oil.
@@jeffgriffith7003 exactly. Great point.
Do these people also filter their new milk from the grocery store before drinking it?
I always prefilled my filters when I had Chevy trucks. Can’t do it on fords.
I've been a heavy truck and equipment mechanic for 35 years. Today I serviced a Western Star that holds 11 gallons of engine oil. The two oil filters together held 1 1/2 gallons. I can't even imagine not pre-filling them.
I can't imagine the bill for the oil change!
That's a different animal than a daily driver auto. Special applications require different methods.
Right there with you. I always pre fill all vehicles I work on unless not able to.
Watch garage 54 with the transparent oil filter, they fill instantly with the motor turning over!
That's a Centrifugal pump and filter so your comparing a mountain to a couple grains of salt.
"If it came out with oil, then it will go in with oil." - My father
Well said!
Mad respect to yo Pops😂
@@karlpayne9069i cant listen to this fellow screeching😮
that is a killer line from your pop!! Blessings!
@MRworldEtikA; And look; here you are! Right out of your Father That made sense years ago 💪💪💪
I spent 50 yrs in the business, Building Engines from small gas to Heavy Duty Diesel, This is a habit I practiced through my career, Filled Filter is the Best way, Excellent Best Practice !
Thanks for sharing
As a lifetime pro mechanic and hi-performance geek, I just want to thank you both for going the extra mile to disprove some of the incredibly stupid stuff floating around the internet....you have my deepest respect!
Some people like to argue for sake of arguing
Thanks, I appreciate it. The response to this video is literally mind blowing, LOL
@bobmcgehee1749 What a load of crap, how can you say people like to argue for the sake of it? I want to see proof. 😏
@@johno9507 Ok, go look in the mirror.
@@bobmcgehee1749 😉 I couldn't resist
65 years old and changing oil for about 55 years with my dad. We have pre-filled since the first one. Proud to say I’ve paid for only 2 oil changes in my life. I look after the family’s cars.
Same here. Have always done free maintenance on my CLOSE relatives cars (grandmother, rest her soul, my mom, my brother, mine, and my sister when she lived at home when we were all teens. Also the ex and ex-mother in law). I like to get to pick out the oil, though, (either Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 OR Rotella T6 5W-40, depending on the engine) and always, always tell them to use an AC Delco filter for GM and Motorcraft for Ford. That's just how it's done. I have a 5.0 (the old school one), so I use the giant FL-1A. Mom's 4.6 3v and bro's 4.6 2v and 4v S/C gets the FL-820S. Silicon anti-drainback valve. And then there's a 3800II in the family in a Park Avenue, it gets the AC Delco PF-47... or the PF-47e when there's no PF-47's in sight. I think that's the right one. Haven't seen the plain PF-47 in a long time, really. I just know in my gut that "e" on the PF-47e is for "economy", meaning, economical parts inside of the filter lol.. aka, cheap.
@@JustAGuy85 - Hmmm... seems you might be familier with "Project Farm's" youtube channel(!?)
Same here but I never prefilled the filters because the engine fills it the instant you turn the engine over. Garage 54 did a clear one
HOW MUCH YOUR ENEGINE DID LAST?
@@user-wv1pj6wh4h I usually get over 225,000 miles / 350,000 kms before selling or the body rusts out.
Thanks! I never pre-filled my filters in the past (not because of thinking it was a bad thing, just lack of knowledge), but will from now on!
Same!
As an automotive machinist ( 40 years)I can say with complete confidence you don't have to pre fill the filter. A ton of modern engines have filters that are either horizontal or vertical ( upside down) that have zero issues not being pre filled.
I always pre-fill the filter three times. When I let it sit between fills I can see the level go down as it soaks into the filter material. Thanks for all the great info.
In the 1970s my Grandfather taught me to always fill the oil filter first, and lubricate the seal, always wipe the mating surface clean as well ! Been doing it that way ever since ! It just makes sense. Never had a lubrication problem with an engine ! My 97 Silverado is over 307 thousand miles still working great 👍
Vortec 5.7 is the Godzilla of V-8's💪🏽
What do you do when you have to turn your filter upside down?
Anti drain back valve, most of it will stay in the filter without coming out.@@alanmerritt860
i've built 180-cubic-inch V6 motors that have made 275bhp- with a slightly massaged holley model 4412 2-barrel carb- and all motor. lets see mr. goodwrench do THAT.
@@alanmerritt860spin it on really fast?? There’s definitely some dumb designs out there with oil filter placement.
I have filled the filter on my 91 460 gas for 25 years, 440 thousand miles. I still drive it now. No rattle, no smoke, no other complaints.
I have never prefilled my filter over 40 years with the same car but I don't see any problem. I don't think it will make any difference no matter what we do.
@@tswvxyastswvyeej5510 I agree with you. My Silverado is 19 years old. Never pre-filled the oil filter. No engine problems.
Been changing my own oil for 20 years. Always filled the filter before install. Never was told to do so, never heard to to do it, I just did it. Glad I have.
Glad to help
I'm 56 and been doing it for 39 years ...Do you know why you and I have been doing this for so long and were never told to do it? Cause we are not dumb. So to all you young dumb people out there that think your reinventing the mouse trap, If it comes off the motor with oil in it, don't you think you should put the new filter back on the same way you took it off? And for all you that think the new oil is dirty till it goes through a new filter,....You are just a special kind of stupid, aren't you. My God ! young people are Dumb ! As the saying goes, "Youth is wasted on the young"
And how much actually stays in the filter before you get it tightened 😮lol if its mount upside-down 😂😂😂❤
@@frankorobinson1540Bro you obviously just flip the car over in that case 🙄
@@christians131 actually you can just crank the engine over with ignition coil fuse out crank until red oil light goes out and good to go .but flipping the car over works too lol
I am a master technician, I've been around engines for the past 50 years and I agree FULLY with the practice of pre-filling a new oil filter prior to installing it. Best practice. Where possible (as on your SB Chevy V8). If it's a factory upside down cartridge or sideways mount, you're just out of luck. But looking back at all the engines I have serviced, repaired and diagnosed, there has not been ONE major engine (bearing) failure due to doing scheduled maintenance without pre-filling the filter. It's just moot. The small wear on the babbit of the bearing surfaces during the initial start has no siginificance on the engine lifespan. When all is said and done, major engine failures are caused by overheating, unfrequent oil changes and mechanical failures caused by incorrect fuel / air ratios and other problems causing an upset in normal engine operation outside of manufacturer's specs. This goes for your normal car or light truck engine. Race engines operate at much more demanding specs and other, stricter rules apply. Again, I fully agree with your video content, but the relevance in view of the actual engine life span is not given.
my 7.3 diesel pickup has a huge oil filter. It would not be a moot point to run that motor with no oil pressure while waiting on that filter to fill.
@@heightsgolan8742 It is moot as far as the overall longevity of the engine is concerned - this is from half a century of experience in engine service. But if it eases your mind, you can pre-fill your filter to your heart's content.
@@gonefilming2020 eases my mind?? You just admitted " the small amount of wear in start up". So maybe ease your own mind since no oil pressure for several seconds is a moot point and rev the snot out of it before oil pressure. My first rebuild was in 1969 on a car. But many small engines and one motorcycle starting in 1965. So, I have seen much in my OVER 50 years of EXPERIENCE. So many main bearing knocks and rod knocks. Too many to count. So it DOES EASE my mind to see oil pressure right away. I guess you get a thrill out of seeing that red light in the dash stay on as long as possible. Oh yeah, lets purposefully let that 2 qt filter on my diesel slowly fill while the crank is without oil. It don't matter.
@@heightsgolan8742 Woah, dude. You off your thyroid medication? Of course you also have OVER 50 YEARS EXPERIENCE. And of course your experiences are sliced bread as opposed to mine. Nowhere did I say to "...rev the snot out of it before oil pressure" or that I "get a thrill out of seeing that red light in the dash stay on as long as possible". You did not get the intent of my post. Perhaps read things so many times over, until you can follow the content. Or have someone explain it to you. And it's perfectly o.k. to have a different opinion - no need to discredit others, because only your opinion counts. Perhaps find someone to give you a hug. Everything will be o.k.. Promised. 🤗
@@gonefilming2020 amen bro. thanks
I have been pre-filling my oil filters for 50 years and now you proved the fact thank you.
And i am pre-filling oil filters or at least pre-cranking the horizontal filters for more than 30 years.
60 years for me
@@1957f100 GoooOoood !!! ! !!! Thanks to God that some people on the planet still Know how an engine bearings are Working !!! ! !!!
40 yrs for me so by my calculations that's 180 yrs collectively. ✅
the only thing that was proven is the fact that pre-filling the oil filter makes pressure more quickly upon startup. if it makes you feel better- good for you.
For 30 yrs I have always prefilled my oil filters and I don't think I will ever stop doing it that way.
Is it really a bad thing to not pre fill the filter? I’ve never pre filled a filter.
Aaammmeeennn , Me Tooo !!! ! !!!
@@bustjanzupan1074And me. It's not hard and it does save those golden seconds on first start. Anyone who argues different is just dumb.
Been driving and doing my own oil changes for 45 years, never prefilled any oil filter. Never experienced any engine failures either.
Me either. Tbh, if it was a necessary step you would think that either the oil can or the filter would say so on the packaging. I mean, it says to lubricate the seal but doesn't mention filling the filter with oil?
How long did you keep the vehicle for? It’s all about wear!
When you add new engine oil to the engine it fills the filter almost immediately
The oil will find the filter. The new engine oil is clean and it will coat the inside of the engine, circulate and find the dry filter and soak and fill it. Not prefilling the filter is no big deal. After running the engine for an hour or so you might want to check your engine level to make sure you are not a bit low after the filter soaks up oil,
The filters I see, say not to pre-fill
Good information for those who do their own oil change. I've been pre filling for years . Your video just proved I've been doing this right thing.
Right on!
This 70 year old always prefills his oil filter and I also concur on being careful not to get any pieces of the seal from the oil jug into the oil. Changing your own oil and filter is also a great time to inspect the engine area and under carriage for any leaks or damage underneath.
Thanks for sharing
you will get a better job by doing it yourself, if you let the quickie lube joints do it, they do not care.
I think the guys who post comments like that are truly just looking for attention.....There, there my uninformed friend, why bother with a prefill??? Or for that matter why bother changing your oil at all??? It's just a big scam to make the oil companies richer....Ha ha
With my Jag and Range Rover, the oil is fully changed from the top of the engine.
they do it that way to keep the showroom floors cleaner...@@JetFire9
When I was a young man in my 20’s My grandfather always said preload your oil filter my Dad told me this too… And they both always gave me great advice… thanks for confirming that for me… Now I’ve no doubt I’ve been doing it right for years…..
You guys pretty much slammed the door shut on this case. It's shocking that anyone can disagree but then again there are people that think the world is flat!
wait.....its not?
"But we have to starve the bearings of oil to save them!!"
They didn't slam the door on anything . Many German cars like my two Mercedes have the filters upside down on top of the motor. They drain completely every tim you shut the motor off. So far no one has told me why the motors don't go bad.
@@nickplenzick2602he talked about his Porsche motor in the video and explained what happened one he started to oil the filter vs not doing it. 6:25
@iFanchi once again, my Mercedes like most and many BMWS have their filters upside down. Totally impossible to pre fill them. So why don't these motors have short life's? 🤔
I work on a car ferry. Our big cat V8s need to be pre lubed with a pump before starting. It can take up to 10 seconds for the oil to get to the top end of the engine. And you can hear the valves tick until oil gets into the top end. So it absolutely makes sense to fill up a filter. Just like it makes sense to pre-lube our big diesel.
Another thing is that massive equipment like Caterpiller and Komatsu that are for quarry use have engines worth stupid amounts of money. Those machines have a prelube system to build oil pressure before every start to maximize engine life.
What if you spin the engine over without crank it?
Accumulator systems for this are pretty reasonable priced. Plumb into the gauge hole. Road race cars use similar to prevent starvation during cornering.
having worked in a hospital, now retired, the "CAT " diesel engines running generators would crank the engine with cylinder unloaders open until oil pressure was established, closing the cylinder unloaders/ shutting off starter motor(s), and letting the engine start/ run, first at at an idle then ramp up to operating R.P.M.( 1800), allowing the transfer switches to operate. we tested generators every two weeks. the engines also have coolant block heaters to keep the engines as close to operating temperature as possible. the oil cap. on these engines are 60 gallons
@@miltonwells6750That all I do. Hold down fuel pedal crank it over for 15-20 seconds. Fills the filter.
@@miltonwells6750Not good enough. The engine starter spins engine a few revolutions also before it starts chugging. Don't be lazy!! Just prefill filter
As a millwright I worked on many large industrial engines for 50 years and most of them had a pre lube pump on them so that should tell anyone how important lube is at start up. They also had post lube pumps on the turbos that were spinning at 30,000 RPM at shutdown.
If you want caterpillar actually offers oil analysis for a relatively low cost .I believe amsoil also offers this analysis too
Thanks Joe. Working with large diesel / natural gas prime movers for 33 years oil analysis was routine and required by the insurance underwriters. Take care.@@joesutherland225
...VW has auxillary waterpumps that circulate water through the turbo for 2 or 3 minutes AFTER shutdown. It keeps the oil from carmelizing inside the turbo. Thus prolonging the life of the turbo. It is why truckers don't shut off their engines immediately after driving. So when you see a semi-truck setting there idling for a time while parked , you'll understand why.......
I believe all engines should have an electric auxiliary pump for the oil however if you prefill or not a car without that will not have good pressure for the first five or so seconds prefill or no so I see no reason to refill unless you add that pump. Side note I have added that pump to my classic cars, it is not hard to do and you can tell the different every time you start the cars
You can do that with a car too by making it so it won't run when you try to start it.
Learned this 30+ years ago. Kudos for dropping the knowledge and research to prove.
Thanks!
Well I cannot believe that I am commenting. It seems obvious that pre filling the filter is a good idea. I understand that a horizontal filter can drain in any case but the argument that new oil is not filtered before it enters the engine beggars belief. Keep up the good work and a good informative video and I hope no one comes back with any more negative comment.
Amen!!! I work for a Fleet and have done this for well over 35 years. I can see and hear the difference upon start-up after the oil and filter change. You can see how long it takes for the oil pressure light to go out while cranking and at initial start-up. You can also hear any low oil pressure related knocks that exist in that engine until the oil pressure light goes out, and you can hear the sudden disappearance of that noise when it does go out. The only reasons people have to justify not doing the pre-filling of the oil filter method are: The textbooks do not mention doing it. The owner's manuals do not mention it. Finally, some oil filters are mounted at an extreme angle or even upside down which prevent a total fill of the filter without spilling oil during installation. In the last case mentioned, it still helps to add oil slowly to the filter while tilting it and rotating it around to at least saturate the media. Then install it. The majority of the time it takes to reach oil pressure while cranking and at initial start-up is because the media is still absorbing oil before it can let oil pass through. I know, I know, some will say "who has time for that?" I do. Especially for my own vehicle. I still do it for the Fleet vehicles I work on because I care. I know it helps longevity and I want to do the best job I can to ensure that. If you don't, even on your own car, you are plain and simple just being lazy. Before you saw this video or read this comment you could claim ignorance, but not anymore.
Right -On !!!
There's some crazy Russian mechanics on KZhead who do weird things with cars & engines. They once modified an oil filter by grafting a clear body onto a filter base plate. It took a surprisingly long time to fill the dry oil filter. They didn't time it, but I'd say it was almost 5sec from when first started.
Makes sense. My '11 Tacoma 4 .0 l v6 filter is a spin on upside down. From now on , I don't care if it gets sloppy, I will at least try to saturate the media with fresh oil. Thanks!
I bought new a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser with the 4.0 V6. The spin on oil filter is near the top of the engine, upside down. Many many oil changes and never, ever heard a knock or tick after changing the oil. Oil light went out almost instantly
@@jerrykorman7770bull 💩 roll the window down and listen. It ticks like crazy for about 1 or 2 seconds. Can't be good
Great video. When I was a kid my friend’s dad was a petrochemical engineer and told us to always pre-fill filters when doing an oil/filter change. My auto shop teacher in high school said the same thing and I’ve been pre-filling filters every-time for the last 46 years with no problems.
Thanks for sharing
@@themotoroilgeekI’m a 57 year old farmer who’s changed filters on a lot of tractors and combines over the years and I’ve never filled oil filters 🤷♂️
Have a side mount filter. How do you do that without spilling oil every where?
@@waveriderz2687if you pour the oil in the oil filter and let it sit upward for a while before installing it it will soak into the filter media just don't overfill it.
I all ways filled mine up half way to get it on , because a lot of them are side ways but still have about half the oil in it.
I'm a motorcyclist and home mechanic. I am gob-smacked after watching this vid and Googling the question! Forums everywhere claiming just as you say!
It's crazy, right???
Years ago putting your filters on dry was pretty much a non-issue. No one gave it much thought. I knew guys from both sides and it didn't seem to have much effect on the engine's life. However, with the advent of multi-viscosity oils that old method went to hell in a hand basket. When Cummins brought out the Big Cam engines there was a sharp increase in camshaft/follower failures. Cummins soon found out that many failures occured shortly after an oil change. What few operators realized was that the multigrade oils got so thin that when the drain plug was pulled that 8+ gallons of oil, which now had the viscosity of black coffee, rushed out with such a fury that it siphoned out the lube system. Refilling with fresh oil plus installing the filters dry took many seconds to refill the oil galleries. There was an advisory to fill the filters before installation. A second advisory was to not change the oil hot but to let the engine cool down for an hour before pulling the plug. "For the extra three cups of old oil left in the galleries, the new filters should take care of that." Close quote. After following that advice engine failures amost stopped completely...
Speaking for just over 50 years of owning Toyota’s and doing oil/filter changes every 3000 miles and NEVER prefilling the filters, each car had over 220,000 to 225,000 miles on them before I traded or sold them, all with excellent compression and very little oil burning between changes, never had excessive chain/sprocket wear, worn valve guides/stems etc. I am 74 now and still doing it the same way. Proof is in the pudding. Lots of wives tales out there along with poorly made engines and engines with poor care and neglect from their owners.
Kudos to Toyota
Same here with two Caravans that were near 300k before selling. Currently an Equinox and Malibu with over 200k and counting.
Nothing is always...you both beat the odds. But then again, knowing the science & data support prefilling the filter, how much less wear would have occurred had the system been properly primed and pre-filled?
@@dix_pack_of_sixie With respect to the Caravans it doesn’t really matter. I got my miles out of them. One of them went to 360k before a t-bone accident (no casualties) ended its run. Jury’s still out on the two Chevys.
Can’t say I’ve ever heard of an engine failing due to not pre-filling the filter. Most are from using oil not specified by manufacturer or not following recommended oil change intervals.
in the early 80's Bosch sent a Service Bulletin advising techs to pre-fill filters. The reason given was that the wet filter media was stronger and less likely to have elements break away during initial cold start.
Thanks for sharing!
that was before designed obsolescence. Now they do all kinds of things to accelerate wear like giving bad break in advice and long oil change intervals. I knew an engineer for aircraft told me we have the tech to make engines last millions of miles but choose to not use it for that. Brakes too!
Yes, the filter media can experience a great shock from the incoming oil pressure wave while being unsupported on the filtered side by an equilibrium of pressure. Another great reason to pre-fill the media.
Hmmm on my 3.7 mustang if I were to pre fill the oil filter and install it since its installed sideways then oil will come out while installing...I don't like dry installing the filter so what I started doing is filling the filter and then letting all the oil drain out of the filter...good to know about shock of oil pressure on dry filter media...I suppose my method of filling the oil filter and then draining and installing to saturate the filter media reduces this issue at the least on horizontally mounted oil filters
@@monikhushalpurion side mount filters, I fill them ~½ full. oil will wick/saturate media.
I have a mechanical youtube channel(another name). I get bad comments for different things over the years. I remember, what I call keyboard warriors, telling me I didn't do proper maintenance because I prefilled the oil filter. It's amazing how many people are so ignorant and are quick at telling someone they are wrong. It's also very wrong for people to effect your channel by leaving thumbs down when they are ignorant. I think that's one reason youtube did away with the thumbs down. I've seen many channels thay have did very well that give wrong information. I've had a hard time understanding why a channel like mine has never taken off with very good information even after many years of me starting it. I base the opinion on comments I get of "best channel" or "best video on youtube." But also get bad comments like "you shouldn't have prefilled the oil filter." Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for the comment and encouragement. I know exactly what you are saying, so I really appreciate the feedback from someone that has had to deal with the good and the bad of the comments section.
This is crazy that people think it's bad to pre-fill the filter. Love your Vids, so glad I found you on youtube
I’ve prefilled my filters for over 50+ years. And this proves what I’ve been doing 👍👍👍
proves nothing.
I`ve never prefilled a filter for 50 years without any problems. Current vehicles are 15 &20 years old.
Are you still driving that same car ???? My daily driver is 40 years old and I have never pre filled the filter in all that time so it proves nothing
I doubt it matters but whatever google told the man was dumb
Prefilled or not, it doesn’t matter.
Even though, as a seasoned mechanic I already knew the outcome before I watched the video. It was still a very good and informative study. Although, the fact that ANYONE would think prefilling oil filters is bad amazes me!!😅
Thanks for sharing!
@@GeorgeSanford-pb1yj Very true. I used to not believe pre-filling could damage my engine. I was cocky, so I did an experiment. I did an oil change and deliberately picked a tiny spec of dirt off the ground, about the size of a flake of black pepper, and put it in the filter while I pre-filled it. Then when done, I started the engine, and sure enough, after 10 seconds, the engine exploded. I studied all the parts and every bearing in the engine was completley wiped out. Now when I change oil, I do it as if I was working on the space shuttle.....clean room, complete body suit with respirator face mask. And no more pre-filling!
No oil at all will do it faster.@@GeorgeSanford-pb1yj
BS! @@jeffro221
It amazes me tooo !!! ! !!! But, this is obviously Just Because they Are sooo Lazy, or Careless , or Greeddy !!! ! !!!
Amazing how some people think or lack of. Thank you for the video
i have changed the engine oil several times and i never did prefill the filter with oil. and by not doing so, it never did any damage to the engine. now a friend has told me that its best to prefill the filter with oil before installing it in the engine. thanks for the demonstration.
I’m just recently going back to doing my own oil changes and I used to always prefill. The idea is you are allowing as little air into the pump as possible so it pressurizes as fast as possible. It’s weird this is even a debate. Even if it served no other purpose than piece of mind I’d still do it. It adds maybe 30 seconds of work to the job.
@@user-uv7up4vg6i But the entire system needs pressure regardless of if it’s downline or upstream from the pump. Air anywhere in the system causes pressure to drop, right?
@@user-uv7up4vg6iIt's not so much "air in the pump", but the filter will obviously be full of nothing but air if you don't fill it first, and those few seconds it takes to pump the filter full of oil means that the engine is running with ZERO oil pressure, and the engine suffers a bit of wear from it. That little bit of damage DOES accumulate over time, and takes precious life off the engine.
@user-uv7up4vg6i That oil left in the bearings is basically useless without pressure behind it. It's a proven fact that up to 90% of engine wear happens during start-up, when there isn't any pressure in the system. If oil sitting in the bearings was enough to protect the engine, we would use it, instead of a much more expensive special clingy, thick, assembly lube when we build an engine.
What about vehicles with oil filters that go on sideways 🤷. So it's not going to be fully filled.
@@guytowers8479 You still put oil in it. just enough before it wants to spill out. Anything is better than nothing.
My father taught me to pre-fill the filter when I was a kid and I've always done so. It always seemed common sense to me that you will build oil pressure faster by pre-filling. You can actually HEAR the difference in the initial engine startup with many engines. You generally hear a tiny bit of engine clatter before pressure builds, and starting an engine with an empty filter makes noise for at least a couple seconds longer.
Thanks for sharing!
Clear flood mode is easier, and better. When you remove the filter, you let more oil out than just what is in the filter. What are you going to do about that? Clear flood mode primes the entire system without the stress of combustion.
so just use flood mode...
@@thewatcher611 Do both if you know you can't afford a new engine.
dad taught me to prefill also, more than 50 years ago. common sense really proven here
Thank you for posting actual data to back it up.
Happy to help!
Good information. I'll be priming my filters from now on. I didn't think it made a difference as long as you re-checked, and added oil after the first start after an oil change.
Great video. As a retired aircraft mechanic it is wild to think anyone would recommend not pre filling. Unless someone is cleaning the filter housing area thoroughly prior to removing the filter, more contamination would come from there than a new bottle of oil.
I pre filled a filter and crawled under my truck, careful not to spill the oil, then bumped the fuel line and got sand all over the filter !! Back to the auto parts store for a new one !!
@@TIMEtoRIDE900 Good filters come with a plastic seal cover and you can reinstall it after prefill then remove it when you are in position to install it onto the engine. It's best to rinse clean the area of dirt and debris prior to service to prevent any contamination.
You should be fired if you are doing something in the maintenance routines that the manufacturer does not tell you to do. That is how you get people killed. If it tells you to fill it, fill it. If it doesn't tell you to fill it, don't.
This is why I don't fly in GA shitboxes
@@malcomreynolds4103 Sure - now explain how people are actually "killed" by pre-filling an oil filter where the manual says "don't bother" - - - ??
Another tip for funnel storage, keep it upside-down with the openings covered. Small opening up leaves less chance of junk entering the funnel.
I store mine in a gallon Ziploc bag. I also label the bag with the type of fluid the funnel is used for.
I wipe mine off and toss them in the dishwasher with the next load of dishes. Dishwasher detergent makes short work of oil.
Just hang mine on the wall until next time. 😂
Thank you so much for doing this and showing the proof! My father taught me this so many years ago while working on w123 Mercedes-Benz engines on an '83 240D, '82 300CD and '85 300DT and taught me the same applies to standard or American engines and I've always thought common sense made sense as to why to do so when changing the oil. Great video! Greatly appreciated!
This makes perfect sense considering the majority of engine wear happens at startup.
Absolutely!
makes zero sense. only oil at start up is on cylinder walls, bearings and pistons from previous use. Engine hasn't run yet.
Lol.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
More because of a cold engine clearances.
I want to see you prefill a filter that mounts horizontally or one mounted on the top mounted upside down. I'll wait.
Like everyone says! Been priming filters since the 70s and I’ll keep doing it!! Thanks guys!!!
I have been drinking green tea all my life, I guess I will live forever.
I've been changing my own oil and filter for nearly 60 years, and have never pre filled the filter, I'd never heard of the concept. I've never had a problem, but after watching this, I think I have a new habit. May be messy and not 100% successful with my Toyota V6 horizontal cartridge filter, but I'll give it a go. One thing I don't do is use the last half inch out of the plastic oil container as I have noticed some bits of dross in the bottom on occasions.
dont waste your time its pointless unless the vehicle has sat for months without turning over. Especially with that filter. if you are worried just crank it and let it run for a minute before oil change. everything will be sufficiently coated.
91 years here!
Excellent post. And surprisingly in a subject that ought not cause any controversy. But, it does. I placed a link to this video on one of my Facebook rants on the subject.
Also if motor oil was dirty from the bottle how would small engines like lawn mowers and generators survive since they are splash lubricated with NO oil filter!
Great point!
Or type 1 Volkswagen engines
They fail at 500 hours, far short of the 10,000 fir a modern engine
Not to mention, how do you fill your engine with pre-filtered oil? You don't, that's how. Bottle straight into the engine oil fill.
@turbodog99 At 500 hours hmm? I wonder how my 25 year old walk behind John Deere is still chugging along, starts first or second pull even after sitting all winter 🤔
I've ALWAYS pre-filled my oil filters. Been doing it that way for the last 55yrs, and I've always changed my oil myself. I didn't need anybody to tell me that, it was just obvious. For the last 25yrs I've been using FilterMags on my oil filters, too. If everybody could see how much ferrous dust those magnets can pick up out of the oil and hold it until you replace the filter, they'd be using neodymium magnets on their (metal bodied)filters, too. Maybe you could do a scientific test of that, and cut open a filter and show viewers that, also.
probably a good idea for crappy blocks. when you inspect for metal- inspect for stray casting sand in the filter media while youre at it and you'll see that GM blocks are the WORST
You still got lublication on bearing when you start it up since you just had it running before you change the oil . I saw a boy one time changing oil, had the oil out, decided to move the car off the rack and put it back on the rack for some reason, never hurt the vehicle one bit, a fact, Than he put the oil in it, filter was already on it, owner seen him do that. LOL No, did not hurt the car, owner of the dealership knew it did not hurt the car, it was a Chevey Impala . By the way, I never did fill up oil filters on any car , not even my NIssan Altma and it has 151,000 miles on it now , and I done thousands of oil changes on state police cars as a head mechanic, , it still has lublicant on the bearing, and it will fill the oil fifter right up fast , never had a problem with it , NEVER , after changing oil in hundreds of police vehicles for over a decade . Don't rev it up until it picks the oil up you understand. LOL Only problem I ever had with those Dodge cars where cam shafts on those 318 motors would go out or those police would get the car hung up and rev it up wide open back and forth until they blow a hole in the piston . Now those real old police cars that had the 440 motors in them, it could have a dead cylinder on that piston and he can ran it like that also , LOL it would still do 140 mph with one dead cylinder and run smooth as pie, yes that is a fact . LMAO
It depends on the filter orientation: pre-filling the oil filter is more feasible if the filter mounts upright, which makes it easy to pour oil into the filter without it spilling when you install it. If the filter attaches at an angle or upside down, pre-filling can be messy and impractical. I generally do not pre-fill the filter because the bearings are already pre-coated with oil (I use synthetic), after all draining the oil from the pan doesn't remove every drop of oil from the engine.I'm not concerned about damage without full pressure for a couple seconds. The engine takes a harder beating during Winter if you live in a cold climate zone.
Awesome video! I've always prefilled my oil filters ever since I was taught to do that in my high school auto mech class back in 1980.
I am a newer tech and I have not been pre-filling oil filters, wasn't even something that came up in school or around the shop. After seeing this video I am going to start doing this! Thank you for posting this.
Now imagine, that there are literally hundreds of such little things you don't know about the trade.
Makes perfect sense. Although I have not practiced it. Now, with my 2016 colorado, I couldn't if I tried. Cartridge filter on top of engine. My car's filter is cannister. But extremely tight space and on the slant. Have to turn filter a couple of angles to get where it's going . Days of V8 with cannister are pretty much over.
🤦wow
Hopefully this shows you how much your schooling lacks for proper education of practicing the trade correctly. As a ASE Master Engine Builder, plus other titles, 33 year owner of automotive machine shop, look at books used in classes to see horrible statements and massive lacking of information required for the tech to be successful.
I think my 29yo 1994 Toyota truck with 442K miles doesn't care, I have never prefilled my filter, 7 minutes per oil change with filter, and 5 minutes without filter (I change the filter every other time). Half a year to 30, no major work done, still running well.
I can't believe people would think pre filling a filter is a bad thing. I know what the ISO cleanliness numbers mean so I'm glad you touched at the end the difference in particles with the code number increase - im sure many out would be thinking the increase is only a couple of numbers, but each increase is actually doubling the number of particles
Absolutely! Thanks for mentioning that!
Definitely silly
It boggles the mind, doesn’t it?! I don't know what some People are thinking these days?
Great video guys, this information has been helpful and has finally given me a straight forward way to look at this from now on. Thanks
You hurt a lot of peoples egos by proving them wrong, some will still not listen because of pride
Truth!
I was a marine mechanic for years, pre lubrication is a big deal, you can't just stick on a dry filter and wait half a minute for the oil pressure to come up.. These hurt guys can carry on doing what they are doing won't do any great harm on a small engine but now they are informed.
That's because you can't argue with an idiot .... To them they are always right and you are always wrong ..... And believe me there are a lot of idiots floating around out there that have zero common sense.
proved? what?
@@Jonjs99that you didnt watch the video and/or have no comprehension. 😂😂 😊😊
It’s not just about oil starvation on initial startup. Pre filling the filter saturates the media and on startup the DP across the filter is lower in a full filter than in a dry filter. It also minimizes air in the oil.
Exactly, even with side mounted filters, I will fill the oil filter as much as I can to wet the filter media as much as possible, and pour out the excess if theres too much, for that exact reason.
Right on!
@@ratgreen sure you can, maybe not plumb full, but just because it's on a bit of an angle you can still get quite a bit in them. Some of the older Ford's it was real easy, they were pretty much vertical. One of my older pickups has an oil cooler with a horizontal remote mount for the filter. I can get it 2/3rds -3/4 ish full then hold it vertical and quickly tip it horizontal and spin er on. You don't lose much oil.
when I had spark engines , I used to pull the disturbor cap to keep the engine from starting up and spin the engine 3-4 times to fill the filter and then replace the cable and then start the engine. I know that was being paranoid but that would prevent any oil starvation issue, but to be fair that was being overly parnoid. Newier cars and diesels you can do what I'm suggesting.
@@ratgreenOn a side mount filter I do that too, except I totally fill the filter first until all air is purged, then hold horizontal until the level stabilises, then screw it on (with the a thin film of oil on the rubber of course).
Guys, finally we have scientific and empirical approach to the oil topic, not just opinions of sofa specialist who express their opinions and those are true because they do so. Please make new videos more often. Your content is super terrific and useful.
This type of knowledge is nothing new in the industry, oil analysis etc., was there for last 40-50 years. But somehow this is "new" to many people, especially in the automotive field. No one has an obligation to educate internet trolls.
@@GrandePunto8V Well ain't you a ray of fkn sunshine. Dude - EVERYONE has an obligation to educate internet trolls. Your way of thinking is the polar opposite of what it should be.
"sofa specialist" 🤣Love that! There are so many. I call them "armchair experts".
@@InexplicableBill I believe his/her way of thinking is no education is good education. 🤪
@@GrandePunto8V Nobody is saying oil analysis is new, but in this video it shows that new oil out of the bottle is cleaner than when it came out of and engine without filling the oil filter with oil prior to installation and after the system has been primed. It's showing the trolls that there is engine damage (crank main bearings and connecting rod bearings) due to not pre filling the oil filter. If this information is not put out there for the general public to know, then how are people to learn right from wrong. Everytime I sell and oil filter I inform my customer they should fill it with oil prior to installation and I explain why. They usually say if they do it will leak out when they install it because most of them are sideways on motorcycles. I tell them while the engine is warming up fill the filter with clean oil and let it sit and when it comes time to install it, it would have absorbed most of the oil and you're only going to lose maybe a table spoon.
Great video, great duo. I am going to start doing this
I started in a shop when I was 15 and didn't prefill filters my first few years. Now I always fill when possible and have for years. Even on a Duramax where the filter sat horizontal, I would prefill and lose very little 15W-40 getting the filter started. Good to see some actual data.
I always pre-fill my filters, even the ones are mounted sideways, I just get them as full as I can without spilling any oil because some oil is better than none. I’ve always been told people don’t like to pre-fill filters because they’re worried about stuff falling into the filter like a sloppy mechanic would do. But I always make sure I’m in a clean environment without dust floating around and I’m always very mindful of anything that could get inside the filter before I install it so it’s really a non-issue unless you’re a sloppy mechanic.
Thanks!
Yes, I think maybe they install the dry filter before removing the plastic wrap just to avoid any chance of contamination.
I hate the my Subaru had an upside down filter. Made it easy to change, but could not be prefilled.
I fill the filter "as full as I can" on my side mounted John Deere Yanmar diesel engine also!
Very good comment jeff! I pre fill my filter inside, away from my workshop, and cover the filter as I take it out to the vehicle, and immediately install it. COMMON Sense after all.
I’ve been filling my filters since the 80s. I saw an article about it, and it made a lot of sense to me. I have a Chevy small block, so it works well. Even though now it’s running a remote filter mount, that is vertical, I still fill my filters. My street car has a vertical filter mount, and you can bet that I still fill it. I believe that otherwise, there’d be a huge air bubble that would cause some damage in starting the engine
When you say vertical... do you mean the filter screws down on the post or up? Most filters are vertical... or slightly diagonal, but screw upward from below. I'm trying to wrap my head around the idea of pre-filling an oil filter but then turning it over to mount it... 😱😱
The thing is, there's always an air bubble, the pickup tube drains when you empty the oil pan and there's also still some air space in a pre-filled filter. This test was flawed because they did not test how long it takes to get pressure after draining the engine and installing a pre-filled filter, it takes more time than an already primed engine. I still think you should pre-fill the filter, but you don't get instant oil pressure like they tried to demonstrate in this video.
@@Enword_JimRight on... underrated comment!
Great video...glad I pre-fill the filter now...
I am 58 and have pre filled my filters since I was 20. Taught from my grandfather I believe because of exactly this reason, the few seconds of starting a vehicle it will have a few dry cycles. I don't think even auto shops do this so I do my own.
I’ve been pre filling oil filters during changes for 43 years. Thx for the confirmation.
Glad to help
I’ve always filled mine up with almost as much oil as they can hold on vertical or slightly angled filters. On horizontal mount ones, I add enough oil to be able to rotate it and soak the filter material without any running out.
Agreed. This is what I do. If I can't fully fill a filter because of the angle, I figure wetting the filter media is the best I can do.
Realistically, that's probably half full of the oil has time to saturate and pass through to the unfiltered side. Far better than nothing.
I am a master certified Automotive Technician with 35 years of experience and I can tell you “when possible”, it is always a good idea to pre-fill your oil filter. For most automotive applications in the first few rotations the filter has been filled because it is so small, before the engine starts but the air pocket with still make its way through the system. I guess best way to rule of thumb it. The bigger your filter the more you want to put some oil in it if you can. There are some application that you simply can not fill the filter, oh well. Blame the engineers. Bottom line, I agree fill your filter when possible and change your oil every 5000 or 6 months which ever comes first.
Thanks for sharing
Yes!!! Finally we have a respectable video with knowledgeable staff that stays going above and beyond. I gotta say jus by running these true analysis and using methods that potentially can and are sort of like bird feeding, it really holds Value, and also its enabling the rest of us to understand truly whats the truth, how, and why it works!! May God bless ya, and thank you so Much for the knowledge!! Looking forward to absorb as much as knowledge and wisdom as possible!!! Keep up the quality video!! Sending much love and peace from California your way 😊
Thank you!
So many engines have filters mounted at angles, or even horizontally, that pre-filling becomes problematic, and probably a moot point. Many other factors contribute far more to engine wear than not pre-filling the oil filter.
Yeah, longcranking because people don't pause at the on position for a few seconds for the ECM to do it's checks when starting the engine is probably the most common! My 323 takes 2 cranks when I pause at "on" to start, but if I go straight through it takes 7 or 8 to start!
The filter on my F150 is horizontal and pre-filled really isn't an option
@@steveeab2364 Fill it up and let it soak for at least ten minutes then drain it back out into the container. This helps prevent media damage from the initial oil rush on startup.
A major part of that starting sequence is fuel pump priming. I wait the few seconds until the pump stops @@DekGT5mad
Nah, yeah fam; I also have issues with scratching my arse and picking my nose at the same time. Life if just hard, amirite?
It makes sense to fill the filter/filters, pre-lube every part of the engine that is oil required when a repair, rebuild. The oil change is an important part of engine life, fill the filter first.
Friend of mine in the NHRA always told me to prefilled oil filter, and since he still holds a couple of records I'll listen to them, and have been pre-filled filter on my BMWS and Volvos for 20 years.
Wetting filter media with the filtered substance before introducing flow across it has benefits, too. During construction of a nuclear propulsion plant we discovered higher than specified dP across new (paper or cotton) filter media when putting fluid systems in service. We figured-out if we wetted the filter media prior to introducing flow, we'd have much lower dP. A barrier film forms on the dry media until dP produces enough force to penetrate the barrier, especially on pleated media.
Great video! I have been pre-filling since I started doing my own oil changes 7-8 years ago. I’ve never heard that it was a bad idea. Common sense would dictate that it is a good idea. You proved it.
Exactly... total "common sense" for sure!
Brand new oil in a brand new oil filter somehow not being filtered has to be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. Exhaust bearing, blinker fluid, winter and summer air for your tires okay I can see where you made a mistake 😂 but this makes me think that some people wake up and stop using their brains.
Not all filters can be prefilled though. Some are mounted sideways instead of up and down.
@@TheCompbuzz You do the best you can and clean-up any accidental or incidental spillage. Better than not pre-filling at all.
@TheCompbuzz You don't fill those filters all the way. You put in enough oil that won't spill then screw it in. Some oil is better than no oil.
My Auto Tech teacher at Independence High in Charlotte was the first person that told us to pre fill a oil filter. He was a club racer and ran a big block Vette, which he said must have a full filter on start up. So I am glad you confirmed the info I got 45 years ago!!
Is Charlotte area folks got to gleam info from the masters at Holman & Moody back in the day!
@@themotoroilgeek We went to the old shop many a time!!! thx
The people saying you shouldn’t pre-fill an oil filter are the same people saying the earth is flat 🙄
Don't try to explain WHY they put filters 90 deg. to the engine block.. it'd embarrass you.
@@mustangracer5124Imagine taunting someone with that super important knowledge. Holy crap.
I was going to write those words. 😂
The earth is flat and I’ve always prefilled my filters, you must be the type that thinks you were only taught the truth and can’t think for yourself, you might be the BELOW AVERAGE
Not necessarily my friend, been pre-filling my filters for 30 years…and the earth IS flat🙂. I reacted the same way(complete dismissal)…until I searched out the matter and discovered it’s only the tip of the iceberg of things which have been hidden from us.
Very entertaining couple of guys here! I learned of the importance of pre-lubing for airplane engines that sit for extended periods. My last truck was a 2003 Sport-Trac with the notorious cam-chain failing 4.0L V6. I experienced the startup rattle at about 35K miles (nearly just broken in) and found out that when it sat for more than a couple days, the cam-chain tensioners, which were pressurized with oil, would go flat......it didn't rattle if started every day. I rigged up a starter relay switch on the dash so that I could crank the engine about 5 seconds and never had a startup rattle. I later learned that I could use a non-chipped key and just crank for about 5 seconds. A couple years ago, I traded the Sport-Trac with well over a 100K. My Tundra, with the 5.7 V8, has a cartridge filter which cant be prefilled. I have a non-chipped key that I use to pre-lube if the truck sits for a couple of days. For my Tundra oil changes, I stretch the cranking to about 10 seconds before swapping to the chipped key and starting the engine. Some might think it's too much trouble and to them, to each their own. I think I benefited from this little detail with the Sport-Trac and I think it's wise. I salute you Motor Oil Geeks and keep up your good info sharing. 🙂
You'd be surprised of how many dealer mechanics and lube places skip that part. Filling the filter. I know first hand mechanics who told me they don't bother with it because of the extra time it takes. It's not them worrying about contaminated oil. Part of why I will always change my own oil.
those are speed oil changes,,the faster the more money they make,,they could care less about your car
Thanks for sharing!
You think anybody working on your car is deeply concerned about it. It's just a job to them regardless of where you go@@robertswift6101
You think that a mechanic is not pushing cars in and out as fast as he can to make the most money for himself.@@robertswift6101
exactly! @@robertswift6101
I've always prefilled. I feel like anyone who understands how an oil pump, and oil pressure / lines / fluid mechanics works would instinctively know that pre filling will always make sense. I've only ever heard 'its a waste of time' from people who dont understand how things work, or lack the ability to think ahead, or are hacks who dont care about anything.
Right on!
I guess people who design engines for a living don't have a clue about engine lubrication and the people who make oil filters are idiots also. However, some goof ball in silly glasses has all the right answers.
@@lukew2194 Actually YOU are correct. Those folks are 'compartmentalized' and know very little outside of their specialty.
Really? What about large filters? Running the engine for seconds longer with low/no oil pressure can't be good. Filling the filter can't hurt and surely must benefit the engine. People who design engines agree with pre-lubing. Racers do it all the time. Pre-lube kits can be installed on engines. You throw a switch before starting the engine and the oil is pressurized BEFORE starting. Dry starts are NEVER good! @@lukew2194
Indeed!
Thanks for the info, I will start pre-filling my oil filters & doing my oil changes myself, because most oil change places DO NOT pre-fill the oil filters.
as prior jet engine mechanic it makes sense to have lubrication dirty or not vs no lubrication. Dry starts from no oil in the oil filter is worse. So I prime my filters for all my vehicles as well.
I REALLY like this topic: The home mechanic doing an oil change can also test this for themselves: Time how long it takes for the oil pressure to come on from when you crank the engine, when: 1/ new oil filter is pre-filled, 2/ new oil filter installed without oil. I know for a fact that it takes longer for the oil pressure switch light to go out. So of course I always pre-fill. I can’t believe people would think new oil would have particulates that could harm the engine without going through the oil filter first! It needs to get dirty FIRST! That’s serious overthinking right there, LOL 😂.
As a retired ASE Master Heavy Truck Technician, I can vouch for everything you put forth in this video. I started out in 1969 as a mechanic apprentice in a small speed shop. When we built and engine, we assembled it using Lubriplate. Put it on a run-in stand and flushed out the lubricating system before installing it in a car. As I got older, I switched over to heavy trucks where I spent 49 years. During that time, if it were at all possible, we would fill the oil filter.
Lubriplate used to be some of the best oil you could buy, very high zinc levels. I used it for decades . When taking off valve covers to replace the gaskets that were starting to leak, I noticed that the valvetrain and even the inside of the covers were absolutely clean, no sludge of any kind. And that was after 100,000 mi on the engine. Now the epa has forced lubriplate to reduce the amount of zinc so I have quit using it.
Great information here. Question, how do you advise to fill a filter that is mounted horizontally in a very difficult location 03 Ranger 3.0? Thanks
I'm glad y'all did it for the people that needed it, but I wish I got my several minutes back for watching something most people already know 😅
Two points -working on and/or restoring vehicles and heavy equipment for 50 yrs I can't imagine that the oil out of the can is worse for your engine than the dirty oil you just removed from the crankcase. On some engines the flow is less the the diameter of a pencil with not a heck of a lot of GPM. I've always prefilled the filter and most of my machinery is from the 1950's with all ORINGINAL engines!
I started changing oil way back in 1968 on my dads Electra and ended up doing many of my uncles cars before I got my first new car in 1974. Initially, never pre-filled those canister filters and always bothered me seeing the oil light come on and hearing the noise on the first initial start-up with the newly installed filter. Not sure WHY I waited so long to figure this out but starting in 1987, I finally started to prefil the filters on my cars and oil light goes out right away, again with no noise on initial startup. Back in the day, my dad and uncles only kept their cars and replaced them every 3 years but I keep my vehicles now a minimum of 10 years and never had any oil related issues pre-filling the canister filters before an install. And I seldom put on more than 3500 miles between changes (using dyno oil, not synthetic) and ALWAYS a new oil filter with each change. Changing the oil is probably one of the best things you can do as its the lifeblood of your car as far as Im concerned. Side note, Im not fond of FRAM filters, especially now that they are NOT made in the USA. I usually use OEM.
Thanks for sharing!
YES!!!
I don't care what anyone says about this topic, I always pre-fill my oil filters. One thing everyone needs to understand is all oil filters are paper filters so the paper filter is going to soak up quite a bit of oil. I would rather have my oil filter pre-filled and the paper filter wet before I start my engine. That's just my 2 cents. On my 1995 dodge ram (5.2Lt) I can't pre-fill my oil filter too much cause it sits at a 48 degree angle and it will leak if I fill it too much. And yes, u read that right, I have a 1995 dodge ram sport truck (5.2Lt) with over 260,000 miles and still runs great.
Right on!
yes it will soak oil and make restriction on first start when air bubbles will pass ripping everything apart cut open filter and see for youself it will be damaged on first start already, leaving 10k km run on pure luck
I agree with you about all that. Just note that during an oil change, you will never get all of the old oil completely out of the system. But still, I agree with you. Been pre filling my filters for 40 years and I have engines pushing 200K mi. Thanks for the fun, informative video.
Thanks for the info!
I have been prefilling filters since I was at least 16 or 17 on all of mine and my family's cars that I maintain. From age 16 to 21 I worked at a full service Texaco station. Every oil change I did there I prefilled the filters. I am so glad you did this video if for no other reason it backs up what I all ready knew.
Too bad for those engines with sideways canister filters that can’t be pre filled
good for you- your customeerr will offer you a gift for pre cum flters
@@quonsetthehutt3105you can still prefill those kind of filters by priming the car
Yet in 45 years of wrenching I have never heard of or know anyone that did this. Not cutting it down, but it is not that common as you think.
Is not necessary to prefilled them anyways people been doing them for years they have no problems
I enjoyed this video. I was also told not to prefill my oil filters from the drum/ 5 gallon bucket. I said that was wrong, why would packaged oil be more contaminated than what's in the engine. The biggest reason, though, is that my trucks are diesel and have extremely large filters. The time it takes to fill an empty filter with oil can do significant damage to the engine. My large trucks use two filters that hold almost 2 gallons of oil...long enough to possibly seize the engine while filling. The filters even state damage can occur if they are not prefilled! The only other issue I have found is previous services or owners did prefill the filters as instructed, but then proceeded to fill the truck with the manual listed oil capacity which overfilled them by 2 gallons, also not good.
When I started working for a lube shop I was taught that you only need to prefill diesel oil filters, for any thing else my thoughts are the thin film of oil left on the components after you drain the old oil is enough to prevent damage for the few seconds that a dry oil filter takes to fill up before the fresh oil is pumped through the engine
Great video and agree! The only argument that I've heard that may make sense is that prefilling the filter has the opportunity to accidentally introduce dirt into the filtered side of the filter and then those particles are sent directly to the bearings you want to protect. If you're careful, even that argument is a bad one.
Always pre-fill the oil filter if you can. It reduces the amount of time during that initial start the engine has low oil pressure from filling the oil filter itself.
Lol. Uhh no. The oil pump is way before the filter. It’s gonna build pressure regardless of rather the oil filter is full or not. Pre fill. Don’t pre fill. Doesn’t matter
Some filters set up straight and wont let you pre-fill.
@@garyalford9394 and some like the pentastar are upside down AND cartridge so they 100% just bleed back down to the pan a few minutes after you shut the engine off.
@Russel_russelson No. There is no pressure until the system is filled. There is flow, but not pressure. Watch the video again. You can't have pressure pumping fluid into an empty cavity. There is no oil to the bearings while the filter is filling from empty.
@@mback12000 I don’t need to. I have built engines for over 20 years. There is no pressure at the gauge sending unit because there isn’t any flow there. But the oil pump on ever engine is directly connected to the oil reservoir and builds pressure the second you start the motor. You can’t have “flow” if you don’t have any pressure to push the flow. Oil sending units are located on the top end usually You noticed he dint show testing with a empty full filter? You know why? Because the time Result is the exact same. I have built and tested this multiple times.
I have always pre-filled my oil filters since early 70's, a mechanic at the time showed me. I have an original '64 327 365 hp Sting Ray with the original big canister filter set-up, I always prefill that as far as I can before it might spill over. Now I also have a Cadillac CT6-V with a twin turbo Blackwing engine, which is a very high tech engine. The spin on filter spins on at a 45 degree angle which means oil will spill out when you tip to install. What I do is fill about 2/3 full, tilt the filter in my hands while rotating it. This allows the clean oil to fully saturate the filter material. You can see the level of oil level go down in the filter as it soaks into the material. Now I pre-fill more oil into the filter up to the level it will almost spill out at the angle needed to spin the filter onto the engine. When its time to start that 550hp, 640 lb. ft. LTA engine I have the oil pressure screen showing on the DIC screen. I can see an indicated 40 psi pressure in under 2 seconds doing it this way! Bravo guys for showing everyone what I have been experiencing for many years!
Thank you!
Was a technician professionally for 20 years at a branded dealer, ALWAYS prefilled the filter. Never had any issues. Have ALWAYS prefilled on my personal cars and anyone else's I've worked on. For someone to say that unfiltered oil could damage your engine vs starting with a dry empty filter, hmmm yeah I'll take that risk of unfiltered oil
Right on!
And you made a video of this question, amazing.
I did a mechanics apprenticeship back in the early 80s in a specialist VW workshop. We would pre-fill oil filters on series 1 Passat and Golf cars as they would regularly suffer an air-lock if left empty and prevent the oil circulating through the engine. We would do two or three engine rebuilds every year when owners did their own oil and filter change and not realise the oil wasn't circulating. They would always say "But I put 4 litres of new oil in the engine."
Lake almost mentioned it, but there's a reason filters have an inner seal. Maybe Lake can do a video on what it's for and why it's important. And i loved how quickly the pressure came up with a full filter! it was quicker than I was expecting.
Equally to point: a prefilled filter that is newly installed, or an engine that's been sitting a while, won't have as much retained oil in the system as one that's been fully pressurized, shut off, and then run again a short time later. That last case is the only one they appear to have simulated. I would still expect the re-pressurization time to be shorter, but by how much? And what about with different oil pump styles, filter styles, and locations? There are a lot of variables to that question.
My 2020 Ram 2500 6.7 Cummins currently has 304190 miles on her… not once have I pre filled the oil filter. 7944 hrs (2891 idel hrs 5053 drive hrs) still purrs like a kitten! I’ve always been taught to pre fill the oil filter but on these trucks you have to turn the filter sideways to it get where it goes! Great video
I remember changing my oil many years ago and I always filled the oil filter. My father was an engineer and he told me that people should change their oil filter more often so the blood of the engine (oil) was kept clean. Thanks for the information.