Prime oil filter before installing?

[tmihalic]

Do you have to prime (or fill) the oil filter on a 2013 Cummins when changing filters?

 

[AH64ID]

I don’t, but it’s a controversial topic.

My 05 had an aftermarket oil pressure gauge in the cam journal above the ECM. The added delay of a dry filter was minimal, at best. The motor would build oil pressure faster with a dry filter than a very cold start.

If you do prefill only do so thru the outside ports, otherwise you get unfiltered oil in your block and virgin oil is not as clean as you would think.

 

[HVS]

no the oil goes to the bearings first and returns through the filter

 

[AH64ID]

no the oil goes to the bearings first and returns through the filter

Not sure where you got that idea, but it does not. The oil gets pumped, filtered, then dispersed. The return isn’t pressurized, it’s gravity into the pan.

Even on systems with pressurized returns the filter is on the feed side.

From the FSM

A gerotor style oil pump draws oil from the crankcase through the suction tube and delivers it through the block where it enters the oil cooler cover and pressure regulator valve. When oil pressure exceeds 517 kPa (75 PSI), the valve opens exposing the dump port, which routes excess oil back to the oil pump.

At the same time, oil is directed to a cast in passage in the oil cooler cover, leading to the oil cooler element. As the oil travels through the element plates, it is cooled by engine coolant traveling past the outside of the plates. It is then routed to the oil filter head and through a full flow oil filter. If a plugged filter is encountered, the filter by-pass valve opens, allowing unfiltered oil to lubricate the engine. This condition can be avoided by frequent oil and filter changes, per the maintenance schedules found in the owners manual. The by-pass valve is calibrated to open when it sees a pressure drop of more than 345 kPa (50 psi) across the oil filter.

The oil filter head then divides the oil between the engine and the turbocharger. The turbocharger receives filtered, cooled and pressurized oil through a supply line from the filter head. The oil lubricates the turbocharger and returns to the pan by way of a drain tube connecting the bottom of the turbocharger to a pressed in tube in the cylinder block.

Oil is then carried across the block to an angle drilling which intersects the main oil rifle (3). The main oil rifle (3) runs the length of the block and delivers oil to the crankshaft main journals and valve train. Oil travels to the crankshaft through a series of transfer drillings (one for each main bearing) and lubricates a groove in the main bearing upper shell. From there another drilling feeds the camshaft main journals. J-jet piston cooling nozzles (1,4) are supplied by a separate oil rifle. Plugs are used in place of saddle jets when J-jets are used. Crankshaft internal crossdrillings
supply oil to the connecting rod journals.

Another series of transfer drillings intersecting the main oil rifle supply (14) the valve train components. Oil travels up the drilling, through a hole in the head gasket, and through a drilling in the cylinder head (one per cylinder), where it enters the rocker arm pedestal (3) and is divided between the intake and exhaust rocker arm (1). Oil travels up and around the rocker arm mounting bolt, and lubricates the rocker shaft (2) by cross drillings that intersect the mounting bolt hole. Grooves at both ends of the rocker shaft supply oil through the rocker arm where the oil travels to the push rod and socket balls.

 

[C M McCormick]

I'm my forth Cummins and have always filled the oil filter before installing. Plus I check to make sure the rubber O-ring from the old filter didn't stick to the mounting point and spread a little oil on the new filter O-ring.

Craig

 

[Turbo Terry]

Hand tight cold oil filter half full gets oil pressure pretty fast no worrys

 

[Topzide]

Pick your poison! The great debate continues!

 

[Cummins12V98]

I believe it’s recommended to pre fill. Just changed mine and pre filled the EaO80 and accessed from the TOP .

 

[BigPapa]

From the Cummins B5.9 Service Manual.

 

[Ozymandias]

Funny idea

 

[tmihalic]

Thank you all. I will be sure to fill the oil filter before installing it.

 

[odinjunior]

Does anyone think the dealer primes the filter before installing it? New truck came with two oil changes.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Does anyone think the dealer primes the filter before installing it? New truck came with two oil changes.

HE!! no!!!

 

[GroundSquirrel]

After dropping the filter full of used oil in the engine bay, I will never try to screw on a new one full of fresh oil

 

[lpennock]

In 50+ years of changing oil, they only time I have messed with pre-filling the filter was on brand new motors that had never been run before as the oil passages and if equipped hydraulic lifters were empty plus there was no residual oil film on things. Depending on the oil pump drive I'm been know to run the pump with a drill to get everything pre-oiled and lifters filled.

On a hot oil change there is enough oil film on parts to protect them during the 1-2 seconds it takes for oil pressure to come up. IMO it is no worse than a cold start in the morning and probably not as bad since the oil film hasn't had hours to drain off the parts.

 

[Ozymandias]

Same here, that pre-fill thing is a US thing. No one in Europe does that on any engine and they do not die from it.
The engine isn't dry cleaned, there is more then enough residual oil in any lube point to run for this 3-4 second that it takes to fill that filter. The oil pump has more then enough flow for that task.

If you want some fun, check out YouTube for videos of engines running without any oil for fun, sometimes it takes ten minutes at red line till they blow up. Ad long as there is no load on the engine it can run almost for ever without oil pressure.
It's the load that kills it.

 

[Cummins12V98]

After dropping the filter full of used oil in the engine bay, I will never try to screw on a new one full of fresh oil

that ain’t nuttin, forget the drain plug ONCE.

 

[GroundSquirrel]

that ain’t nuttin, forget the drain plug ONCE.

I hate to admit, but I've pulled that derp, derp, derrrrrrrp before

 

[BigPapa]

First time I ever changed oil in my vehicle was a ‘76 Pinto. Poured in four quarts, nothing on the stick. Couple more, still nothing. After 8 quarts (come on now, I was just a kid…), I noticed the pool of oil coming from under the car on the shop floor. Yep, forgot to put the drain plug in….

 

[cerberusiam]

Pre-filling an oil filter is a good way to NEED an engine rebuild, don't need THAT specter hanging around. Like John said, if you actually test how quick pressure builds with an empty filter as opposed to a cold start it is obvious. Some engines require filters pre-filled, not an ISB and never has.