Fill oil filter during a change or not
 

I haven't gotten to the end, but this guy is fairly entertaining and seems to be methodically going through it. I'm interested to see his results. He actually performs oil analysis to try to identify real world results (for a fairly limited sample, but it's better than any testing that I've done).

He's identified 3 groups. 1 Never fill the oil filter 2 It doesn't matter if you fill the filter 3 You absolutely must fill the oil filter.

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Another video on the same topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=939WTeorBnQ&ab_channel=TheMotorOilGeek

by whom?

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.

(edit) My definitely not professional opinion? If the filter mounting point allows it, won't hurt a thing to pre fill. And might help. Another thought...the filters used in the first video are also known as "The orange can of death".

I watched that the other day. It really makes no difference. Ive been filling them all my life but anyway. I once took apart a SBC that had been on the stand oil drained for 4 years. The rod and main bearings still had a pretty good oil film on them. I was amazed.

yeah he pretty much nails it. this is why the thicker oil people are wrong. lowestWwhateverthefactoryrecomends is the right oil for your car.

My first thought was that he destroyed any credibility right off the bat by using Fram filters. :)

I always fill it, but don't know that it helps much..or at all.

The video did remind me that with our cars the oil is filtered going into the tank, and that any junk that gets into the tank will not be filtered before being pumped through the engine. We need to be extra careful to not let any junk get into the tank.

Exactly. Full, empty, reuse, that engine is not going to be happy no matter what after seeing that many Fram filters.

Funny about Fram comments. I have similar opinions.

Didn't watch. My mind is set. Fill the filter. Why? Because you should always err on the side of caution. Wear in mechanical devices occurs at start and stop. Typical running is pretty negligible as systems (oil pressure) address these situations.

I am sure data doesn't support my opinion. Until that one time when a bearing runs dry. Actions are to address 1. expected events and 2. unexpected events. That is why I err on caution.

Rant over.

Note: It is funny how my cars / motorcycles / bicycles / other stuff never breaks. Why? I pay attention and service this stuff. I suspect most all Pelicans are in the same situation. My son's girlfriend had a car grenade. Me? That has never happened in a life of buying janky second-hand stuff.

It's funny that back in the day (80s and into the 90s) Fram was supposed to be the best. I believe back in the 70s Champion were supposed to be really good spark plugs. In the 80s and 90s, Champions were not considered good plugs, but Autolite plugs were considered good plugs. I do remember that at some point, Fram started to be considered junk.

I don't know who is supposed to make good filters out of the big US brands these days, like Fram, Purolator, STP, Wix, etc...

I think Purolater was a decent filter in the early 90s, but I've seen that they may not be good any more.

I've been using Mobil 1 filters for the wife's Outback.

Never fill, even with worn out oil there’s no reason the lubricated surfaces shouldn’t have a sufficient film to protect them. Especially with the 30 ish minutes that an oil change will take. That’s coming from a guy who still changes synthetic oil every 5k or so.:rolleyes:

I think the guy in the video said the same thing, even though his evidence showed that not filling didn't matter, he's going to keep filling his filter.

If the filter goes on sideways or with the opening facing down, I do NOT fill the filter. If the filter goes on with the opening facing up, I fill the filter.

I never fill it.
I go by the owners manual for the oil capacity. Fill a beaker with that amount of oil and dump it in.
I always check it after filling and running for a few minutes. It's always dead on without needing to top it off.

I use a giant 4l grad cylinder.

For my El Camino where the filter hangs from the bottom, yea I fill it. The oil pressure needle pops right up. Instant oil pressure = good. Slow to see oil pressure = bad. It is not just the film, it is the pressure.

For my 911, the filter is mounted sideways. No way to fill it, and removing the old filter always makes a mess even with paper towels under the filter.

The 911 with dry sump lubrication, always get instant pressure.

I don't care what someone using crappy oil filters says. And it only takes 30 seconds to fill the filter.

^^^ Arizona
Does that work easier than a beaker? Just wondering...I never thought of using a cylinder.

I never fill the filter, but I do pour a big glug of fresh into the top, mostly to lube up the threads; then I take my finger and wet the gasket with fresh oil.

I also date the filter with a sharpie, and I'll put a tic mark on it at the same time so I can make sure I tighten it between 1/2 and 3/4 turn, by hand.

At 2:58 he say Americas most hated oil filters :p

I try and fill it, but most of mine are bottom mount filters so it is easy.

I also write on it with a sharpie and have a little log book inside where I keep track of it. The exception being my Harley, since the filter is black I use the Trip B to know when I am at the oil change interval.

Nope! Never filled the filter on anything I've owned. I find it virtually impossible to believe that any oil wouldn't leave a film sufficient to lube for the hot second it takes for the oil to start circulating.

It doesn’t matter and it has nothing to do with film of oil on bearings. When you start you engine after an oil change, the sump is sucking oil into the pump from the bottom of the oil pan, not the oil filter. The oil is being pumped directly to your bearings first and to your oil filter and pressure gauge sender second. Or all at the same time, if you want to be technical but an empty oil filter doesn’t control the distribution of oil to the bearings in any engine ever designed. As pointed out, many oil filters are empty every time an engine is started, by the direction it is mounted. The lack of common knowledge on this subject is surprising on a supposed car forum.

That said, if a filter is mounted vertically on the bottom of an engine, I might pour some clean oil into it before screwing it on but not because I’m afraid of a dry bearing. That’s just ignorant.

I never fill it...but I make damn sure my cool collar is tightened down on the filter. :)


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I put Motorcraft on the F250. Toyota filters on the Rav and Highlander, Fram on the 08 Rav4, Fram on the Mazda 3. The Toyota filters don't cost much more than Fram and since both vehicles still have warranty, I like to make sure I use the "factory" filter.
Wix used to be my go to but since CarQuest got gobbled up by Advance Auto, the local CQ doesn't carry Wix filters anymore. I can get Wix from Oreilly's but they're pricey compared to what I used to buy them for.

I just use Wix. Buy em about 4 or 6 at a time or so, and make sure I get a handful of drain plug gaskets while I'm ordering.

On my old Ford P/U you couldn't pre-fill it because you needed to tilt it 90 degrees to get between the crossmember and the pan. PITA getting the old one off.

If I can fill it and not dump it yes, otherwise no.

Yup

I am a fill the oil filter guy, at least enough to soak the filter media. It probably does not matter on a dry sump

What does Lubey say about it?

On my F150, I don’t fill it, because the filter goes in horizontally over the k member. What a stupid design.

On my BMW 330, I don’t fill it, because it’s a cartridge type filter, installed from above. Any oil I put in there, would drain to the pan.

On my 911/930’s , I don’t fill it, as they install horizontally.

I do wet the gaskets with clean oil before install.

To me, it depends on the car.

The 911 - Never fill the filter. No point to do so. It's at the end of the line before it goes into the tank (plus is horizontal).

My Dodge truck - Filter is installed vertically up - YES - fill the filter. I think the service manual even says so. Not sure it matters - it still has that annoying Hemi tick.

The Q3 - Filter is installed upside down on the top of the motor - No way to fill it.

Older Audis with the 2.8 or 2.7 V6 - Nope - Filter hung horizontal - No way to fill it.

The old Audi Fox - YES - Had to fill it and also had to pull the oil pressure sender and pour some down the hole so that pump would prime after it was drained...

I've always done it when possible (see "fanaudical" post above).

Does it make a difference? IMO probably yes because it takes a moment longer for the oil pump to fill an empty filter. Those moments ad up over time.

I'd never heard of it until a year or two ago.

So by default, I'm a no I don't fill it guy.

I'd never heard of it until this thread. With 256K miles on my 07 BMW still running very strong, top mount oil canister never been filled, I'd say it doesn't make a difference. Cayenne is bottom mount canister so impossible. 911 are side so impossible.

So who cares.

But he is entertaining.

FYI: the Wix filters made in the US and Mexico are good quality , but the ones made in China are not . Apparently they use a different manufacturing process and anti drain back valves . Charles Navarro at LN Engineering has done testing to flush out the differences .

Back in the mid-90s (when the porschephiles mailing list was all models of Porsches) there was a guy on there with a 944 whose engine was destroyed by a Fram filter. The story was epic. He had documented evidence of filter media all through the engine, etc. and fought Fram to no avail. I think Fram basically said to pound sand the whole time.

Of course, as this story is unfolding, people are coming out of the woodwork with anecdotal stories of how Fram filters destroyed their engines, gave them cancer, ruined their eyesight, etc., but since then I have been wary of Fram.

I routinely change the oil on 6 different vehicles and I use factory filters on all of them.

Buy a bunch when you see the good ones, and check them all.






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Ive had always filled it , up till recent years. Its just how I was taught, even though I basically understood there was no real advantage to doing so for some time now .
Im pretty sure that Navistar, and CAT specifically instruct to "NOT" fill the filters . I stopped doing it probably a decade ago . I just wet the seal and sent it

Oh, and here in the rust belt, I see Fram filters rusted through somewhat frequently . Its always that wal mart customer, who buys super tech oil and a fram filter at wal mart, trying to save $4$ on an oil change when they bring me their KIA, and supply their own parts .
From personal experience , I would say ,Fram is the absolute bottom of the barrel. I cant remember ever seeing another oil filter rust through , even when they sit in a PA farm field for 10 years .

Fram. aka, "The Orange can of death"...(edit) But boy oh boy, did they ever have some effective TV advertising. Used to be that Purolater was considered good, among other brands.

These days...factory. Motocraft in the Mustang, Toyota dealership for changes on her car. Mobil makes the Toyotya full synthetic oil used, and I figure if their cannister insert isn't any good, whose is? On the Mustang, did Dino oil for the break-in ring seating, then switched to mobil 1. Ford dealerships use a semi synthetic, claiming it's a 50-50 blend. A chat with the service manager, and he had no problem with me bringing Mobil 1. Last I heard, the Motocraft filters are made for Ford by Purolator.

At 81, my floor jack, ramps, and jackstands all sit pretty much unused. Ditto the tools, though I do grab one once in a while for minor stuff around the house. Father time is a cruel bastid, boys. My balance is shot, I hurt in many places, and my strength has diminished a ton. We crusty old men are that way because what used to be easy-peasy is now either something we're no longer able to do or has become a major effort. Try to be kind & understanding, and maybe lend a hand when you can.

Local auto parts store had a few oil filters cut open on the display counter.
One look at the inside of the Fram, and you'll never ever use one.

I recently started doing my own oil changes. I add oil to the filter, it’s easy on a GM. I use AC Delco filters and Mobil synthetic.
Good to know about Wix filters.