Warning: Prefilling An Oil Filter Can Be Dangerous To Your Engine

[Matt400]

so when you pour oil into the valve cover and it makes it way down to the pan, are there no places the oil can go that can trap foil or plastic pieces and cause damage before it ever hits the pump and filter?

Nope, just runs down through large holes into the pan where the pump picks it up and sends it to the filter.

 

[AH64ID]

I don't know who is right or wrong on this. But here is something for thought. Where do you think that QUART of air goes that's in the oil filter. It has to go through the engine to get out. Have you ever seen what air bubbles can do to bearings. I have and if it's done enough times the bearing has pin holes and dents in it. That Babit layer on the face of a bearing is soft and an air bubble explodes when compressed and surrounded by liquid. I have always prefilled my filters (48 years) and never had a problem. Besides I don't like the rattles and knocking the engine makes before pressure comes up. So I will always prefill and be careful doing it!

There is always going to be a little air in the system. . Like I said earlier oil pressure comes up faster on a 55* day with an empty filter than it does on a 20* day with a full filter... The air is not enough to blow any of the residue oil off the bearings. And think of how many engines have inverted filters that can't be pre-filled. . Like Toyota and they are known for engines that never die.



Everyone has the right to do whatever they want with their filter, but I think there are more reasons not to pre-fill than to pre-fill. And this is coming from someone who pre-filled every filter I could for years. I don't bother anymore.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I have ben filling the filters from the age of 13 I am 70 and i never had this ever happen to any car or truck are any farm equipment. I will keep on doing it.

YUP - you and me both!



Been prefilling all the spin-on oil filters that were installed on the engine in a position allowing it for as many years as I've been changing that type filters - the first spin-on filter was probably on a Ford or GM engine in the mid or late '60's.



Never had the slightest related issue - and for an older high-mileage engine, every little bit of added lube pressure helps!



SURE, it's only common sense to maintain care and cleanliness in the process - and go ahead and filter the oil going into the filter if you have concerns - but me, I have LOTS more serious stuff worth losing sleep over than stray debris running around loose inside an unopened container of engine lube... :-laf:-laf

 

[Bob4x4]

I understand the rationale behind the cautions of missing a piece of aluminum foil or a small piece of plastic from the oil jub... but... what about using the paint strainer (already mentioned) just as insurance to eliminate the worry against this? Might take a while for the thick 30W oil to run through. . but at least it would solve the problem would it not? I would feel better having the oil filter full when replacing it... just seems to make sense to me... needed or not.

Why 30 wt ?

 

[mymtnhauler]

I usually plug the hole in the middle of the filter and then fill it. That should prevent any plastic or metal from entering the engine. Ed B

Had both my trucks in for service ( not related to engine oil, ) and asked the Cummins tech at the dealer, how the oil flows through the filter. He said the oil flows in the big hole in the center, and back out the little holes around it. When I told him abought what was discussed in this post, he said that he had seen small pieces of aluminum in the oil jets, and other parts that caused an engine to fail. But he had not seen one fail because of foil from an oil bottle. He also suggested to fill the filter but, not all the way too the top.

 

[Bob4x4]

Had both my trucks in for service ( not related to engine oil, ) and asked the Cummins tech at the dealer, how the oil flows through the filter. He said the oil flows in the big hole in the center, and back out the little holes around it. When I told him abought what was discussed in this post, he said that he had seen small pieces of aluminum in the oil jets, and other parts that caused an engine to fail. But he had not seen one fail because of foil from an oil bottle. He also suggested to fill the filter but, not all the way too the top.

Engineering has documented many cases of the foil wrappers from oil jugs plugging oil jets. The Chrysler training centers were instructed to pass the word on.

Where did your tech think it was coming from?:-laf

 

[mymtnhauler]

Engineering has documented many cases of the foil wrappers from oil jugs plugging oil jets. The Chrysler training centers were instructed to pass the word on.

Where did your tech think it was coming from?:-laf

He said the damages that he had seen came form the pistons. He also said that he found things in the oilpan that you would not think could get in there. Did engineering and the training centers say were the foil came from?

 

[AH64ID]

Had both my trucks in for service ( not related to engine oil, ) and asked the Cummins tech at the dealer, how the oil flows through the filter. He said the oil flows in the big hole in the center, and back out the little holes around it. When I told him abought what was discussed in this post, he said that he had seen small pieces of aluminum in the oil jets, and other parts that caused an engine to fail. But he had not seen one fail because of foil from an oil bottle. He also suggested to fill the filter but, not all the way too the top.

I am pretty sure that these are outside/in filters, just like 99% of this style filter.

 

[brods]

As per the diagram in the service manual the oil flow is from the outside, then through the element and the filtered oil goes out the center.



Also per the service manual:

FILTER - ENGINE OIL



REMOVAL

1. Clean the area around the oil filter head. Remove the filter from below using a cap-style filter wrench.

2. Clean the gasket surface of the filter head. The filter canister O-Ring seal can stick on the filter head. Make sure

it is removed.



INSTALLATION

1. Fill the oil filter element with clean oil before installation. Use the same type oil that will be used in the engine.

2. Apply a light film of lubricating oil to the sealing surface before installing the filter.

CAUTION: Mechanical over-tightening may distort the threads or damage the filter element seal.

3. Install the filter until it contacts the sealing surface of the oil filter adapter. Tighten filter an additional 1/2 turn.

Right there in the factory service manual. So unless someone can show where Dodge or Cummins recommends going dry, thats good enough for me to keep pre-filling it... that and the 30+ years of doing it without any problems.



While the original post is a great warning, it simply emphasizes that care and attention to detail is required in anything one does. Thanks for the reminder to be careful Harvey.

 

[AH64ID]

TSB 09-004-01



That TSB just says to use caution.

 

[brods]

Not to be a nit picker, but that tsb is about neoprene in oil filters. The text added below “Policy: information only” is not part of the original tsb and could have been added by anybody.

 

[HBarlow]

All too often dealership technicians simply don't know what they are talking about. In fairness to the techs, few of them own a Dodge-Cummins so don't have the opportunity we have to learn about them.

Many of us grew up in an era when cars and trucks were relatively simple compared to the products of today and a "mechanic" was a widely experienced, very knowledgeable guy who had worked on them for years and was very capable of driving a car or truck, listening to them run, and correctly diagnosing a problem. His long and wide experience usually allowed him to answer questions with accuracy and provide expert advice.

That simply is not the case now. Many dealer techs are right out of a tech school if they've had any formal training at all and many dealerships are reluctant to spend much money on sending their techs to manufacturer's training.

I have a young friend who worked in a dealership for six or more years. He is an excellent parts changer but he is not a skilled troubleshooter. I've obtained answers and suggestions from TDR members like Bill Stockard and Joe Donnelly and then had my friend replace the parts.

 

[Grizzly]

If you don't prefill the oil filter and when you have filled the engine with fresh new oil, can you bump the starter a few times to fill the new oil filter? Same as we do to fill a new fuel filter.

 

[HBarlow]

Grizzly,

I don't think so. It probably takes a few seconds run time for the oil pump to take a suction and pump it to the extremities and built up pressure.

Your question and my answer raise a question I can't answer. On my '01 the factory oil pressure sender died when the engine was still in warranty. I took it to the local Dodge dealer for repair and instead of replacing the sender, they performed an approved reflash that caused the ECM to "simulate" oil pressure. In plain language, the computer provided a false oil pressure reading to make the driver feel good.

Does anyone know if the HPCR and ISB6. 7 engines actually read oil pressure or is the oil pressure gauge indicating a false signal from the ECM?

 

[Buffalo]

Have any of you noticed that when you fill the filter to the top, the first time, the oil is absorbed into the element & the oil level goes down to less than half fill. It takes a couple of top-offs to get the level near the top of the filter.



I wonder just how long the engine takes to fill the filter the first time it starts on a new oil change? Seems like pre-filling the filter, carefully, would be a good idea, to me. However, I could be wrong!!!



Joe F.

 

[Bob4x4]

Grizzly,



I don't think so. It probably takes a few seconds run time for the oil pump to take a suction and pump it to the extremities and built up pressure.



Your question and my answer raise a question I can't answer. On my '01 the factory oil pressure sender died when the engine was still in warranty. I took it to the local Dodge dealer for repair and instead of replacing the sender, they performed an approved reflash that caused the ECM to "simulate" oil pressure. In plain language, the computer provided a false oil pressure reading to make the driver feel good.



Does anyone know if the HPCR and ISB6. 7 engines actually read oil pressure or is the oil pressure gauge indicating a false signal from the ECM?

IRRC the newer trucks are using a pressure Switch... ... good or bad

 

[Bob4x4]

Have any of you noticed that when you fill the filter to the top, the first time, the oil is absorbed into the element & the oil level goes down to less than half fill. It takes a couple of top-offs to get the level near the top of the filter.



I wonder just how long the engine takes to fill the filter the first time it starts on a new oil change? Seems like pre-filling the filter, carefully, would be a good idea, to me. However, I could be wrong!!!



Joe F.

The quantity of oil that flows is quite impressive.

Double gasket a filter just once and you will see how fast it can dump 3 gallons :-laf

 

[Bob4x4]

He said the damages that he had seen came form the pistons. He also said that he found things in the oilpan that you would not think could get in there. Did engineering and the training centers say were the foil came from?

The pistons are what get damaged AFTER the cooling jet gets plugged

When the pistons overheat they swell and stick in the cylinder.



The foil is from the oil jug seal

 

[mymtnhauler]

I am pretty sure that these are outside/in filters, just like 99% of this style filter.

Just asking, were did you get this?

 

[mymtnhauler]

The pistons are what get damaged AFTER the cooling jet gets plugged

When the pistons overheat they swell and stick in the cylinder.



The foil is from the oil jug seal

He was saying the pistons were damaged prior, to the cooling jets getting plugged, then the engine seized up. He had stated, that he had not seen one fail because of foil from an oil bottle seal.