Did I hurt anything??

[BApple]

Changed my oil this weekend and after the job was done I realized that I forgot to pre-fill my oil filter This was my second oil change and the truck has 7k miles on it. Was just wondering if any damage could have been done by not pre-filling the filter? I was just rushing through and simply forgot about it. Thoughts?



Brad

 

[DHess]

Brad,



No - you didn't hurt anything. You will find a lot of folks prefill and a lot that don't. Just a personal preference I guess. But you didn't hurt anything by forgetting to prefill - well maybe your pride a little by forgetting

 

[TCrawley]

Hope not as that is how I did mine 3,000kms ago. Must remember to prefill next time as it seems like quite a good idea. I am not going to loose any sleep over it as one rarely gets all oil out during oil change.

 

[phloop]

I prefilled the filter on the first change and did not prefill on the second, did not notice a difference in the amount of time it took for the oil PSI to come up. Now if Cummins had decided to mount the filter where it was easy to get to, I would prefill the thing.

 

[McDowra]

If it makles you feel better i haven't prefilled my filter in 270,000 miles. :--)

 

[klenger]

If it makles you feel better i haven't prefilled my filter in 270,000 miles.

Wow, it's probably time to change it by now.

 

[MCummings]

I stopped prefilling a couple oil changes ago.



There is residual oil in all of the motor. It is not a dry start.



Filling your oil filter before putting it on, presents the risk of running unfiltered oil through your motor.



The oil filter drains back 1/4 of the way at every shut down.



To me, there seems to be too little benefit, compared to too many risks pre-filling an oil filter.

Besides,,, it's a whole bunch easier to screw on a empty filter.



Merrick

 

[Bertram65]

I stopped prefilling a couple oil changes ago.



There is residual oil in all of the motor. It is not a dry start.



Filling your oil filter before putting it on, presents the risk of running unfiltered oil through your motor.



The oil filter drains back 1/4 of the way at every shut down.



To me, there seems to be too little benefit, compared to too many risks pre-filling an oil filter.

Besides,,, it's a whole bunch easier to screw on a empty filter.



Merrick

Just curious how does the oil filter drain back 1/4 of the way when it is verticle? it would have to have a vacume on it. I doubt it causes any problems not filling the filter but it does specifically say to in the manual.

 

[MCummings]

hmm, Actually, I don not remember reading the manual. (I had my bailing wire, gray tape, and vice grips allready prepared)



Not sure how it drains back,, but mine does. I let the truck sit for atleast an hour, and when I pull the filter off, it's a good little ways from the top. Maybe it's foaming the oil?



Merrick

 

[mattymac]

Just curious how does the oil filter drain back 1/4 of the way when it is verticle? it would have to have a vacume on it. I doubt it causes any problems not filling the filter but it does specifically say to in the manual.

If you ever drain your pan completely then take off the filter havent you noticed that the filter isnt completely full of oil? More like 1/2 full. I never have filled the filter.

 

[lmills]

yeh, I have noticed that also. I just figured it must somehow siphon the oil out to a certain point.

 

[DLeno]

Filling your oil filter before putting it on, presents the risk of running unfiltered oil through your motor.

Merrick

isnt' the oil you pour all over your valve train at fill time also unfiltered? or is that substantially downstream of the filter?

 

[catoiler]

When you pre fill the filter if you happen to get some dirt on other junk in there it will go right to the bearings. The oil that goes in the VC though not filtered yet goes to the pan then to the filter then to the bearings. Caterpillar put a service alert out sometime ago warning about pre filling the filters.

 

[Mr. Hemi]

Cummins has found that people prefilling the filter have inadvertantly gotten the foil from the oil jugs in the filter. This then entered the engine and blocked the piston cooling nozzles and caused failures :--) . From what I have heard they do not recommend prefilling the filter as you are pouring whatever comes out of the jug into the filtered side of the filter so if dirt or impurities from the oil bottling process fall/pour in they will go directly into the engine.

If you feel you must prefill use a strainer to prefilter what you are pouring in.

 

[Bertram65]

If you ever drain your pan completely then take off the filter havent you noticed that the filter isnt completely full of oil? More like 1/2 full. I never have filled the filter.

I have actually, about 5 times, it has never been half full when I have removed it, it always spills a little over the sides as I take the filter down to the drain pan.

 

[MCummings]

I had an older fella tell me once, that if I was set on prefilling my filter, to fill 'er up through the little holes on the outside, because the oil goes in the little holes, and out the one in the middle.



That way,, it's filtered.



Maybe. I'm not sure



Merrick

 

[Mr. Hemi]

On my 12 valve I would drain the oil first and then let it sit awhile before removing the oil filter.

When doing this the oil filter would be 2/3 to 3/4 full.

I think what happens is the oil siphons out of the filter when the truck sits.

 

[DLeno]

yea I'm aware of all the cautions, foil, etc. seems like if you're going to put a piece of foil from the jug or a piece of plastic from the filter wrapper you are both an idiot who can't pay attention to detail, AND you will put the upper engine and oil passages at risk as even if you don't pre-fill. Sure, the pressurized (bearing) side of the oil system is protected, but if there is a contaminant that you pour into the engine from said idiocy, even if you don't pre-fil you are still at risk. remember that Cummins and DC has goals that are different from yours. they make recommendations based on the lowest common demominator monkey so that they can profitably support the warranty and so that their own maintenance recommendations are idiot proof. of course the "no pre-fill" does reduce risk, but I'm only pointing out that avoiding the pre-fill doesn't reduce risk to zero if the condition that prompted the "no pre-fill" recommendation (foil from the jug) is actually present.



I think the question should be what benefit, if any, is there in pre-filling. only a real tribology study will give that answer; speculation won't. we don't know what the boundary lubrication properties are upon cold startup, or if getting pressurized oil to the bearings 1-2 seconds earlier represents a meaningful acceleration of the transition from boundary lubrication to hydrodynamic lubrication.



there is the argument that the original pre-fill recomendation was based on engine life, and that they backed off of this due to the idiot factor. so idiots unite and protect themselves by not pre-filling. non-idiots can continue to carefully pre-fill and believe they are contributing to engine life...

 

[phloop]

so idiots unite and protect themselves by not pre-filling. non-idiots can continue to carefully pre-fill and believe they are contributing to engine life...

I take offense to your words, sir. I are not and idiot. :-laf I have gone to the non-fill oil change only becuase of the **** poor location of the filter mount. As soon as I can find a nice filter relocation kit, I will go back to prefilling my oil filters. That and how many other makes of engines have the filter mounted either at an angle or horizontal, making prefilling impossible? I think it all boils down to what makes you fell comfortible doing. As for me, I lost no sleep over not filling the filter as compared to the aggrivation caused by fighting the removal and installation of the filter in it's poor location.



It's all good.

 

[DLeno]

ok, I shouldn't have made such a blanket statement. I was of course refering to only the condition that the recommendation was designed to prevent (foil in the oil) and pointing out that it takes only a little care to prevent that condition from occuring. You of course do not fall into that category, so you have my appologies for my words.





Doug