Pre fill oil filter?
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,748
Likes: 118
From: Tallassee, ALabama
Nah.....not everyone pre-fills the filter.....just a bunch of bunk about pre-fill or not....if Ford was concerned about pre-fill, they would have made a note in the owner's manual about doing it.
Just a thought......How about the older cars and trucks that didn't have a filter. Many were add-on aftermarket options before the mid 50's...
Just a thought......How about the older cars and trucks that didn't have a filter. Many were add-on aftermarket options before the mid 50's...
Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 10,120
Likes: 652
From: NH
Those rigs without a filter didn't have to worry about pre-filling, then!
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 10,107
Likes: 96
From: Hempstead, TX
In my mind, prefilling the filter (through either side of the filter media) isn't about having filtered oil on startup. It is about having oil pressure more quickly upon startup after a change. The Ford filter is a check type - btw.
I seriously don't obsess about prefilling, but I do it while the pan is draining, and use my extra quart bottle to fill it, so it costs no extra time or trouble for me. I then add my 3 gallons through the valve cover after I close the pan drain. I'm not certain it hurts anything to NOT prefill, but it also doesn't hurt to do so - IMHO.
I seriously don't obsess about prefilling, but I do it while the pan is draining, and use my extra quart bottle to fill it, so it costs no extra time or trouble for me. I then add my 3 gallons through the valve cover after I close the pan drain. I'm not certain it hurts anything to NOT prefill, but it also doesn't hurt to do so - IMHO.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 543
Likes: 0
There are those who have even gone to the trouble of fitting a pre-oiler to the engine.
With many here saying they don't bother and have still running engines, the Ford Powerstroke must not be terribly sensitive. I know some engines are - like the 1200cc Austin motor. You can't just assemble one and start it, even with the oil filter full. You have to remove the distributor, spin the oil pump with a drill motor till you get good pressure, reinstall the distributor and then start it. If you don't the bearings are ruined in the first few revolutions.
With many here saying they don't bother and have still running engines, the Ford Powerstroke must not be terribly sensitive. I know some engines are - like the 1200cc Austin motor. You can't just assemble one and start it, even with the oil filter full. You have to remove the distributor, spin the oil pump with a drill motor till you get good pressure, reinstall the distributor and then start it. If you don't the bearings are ruined in the first few revolutions.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,368
Likes: 620
There are those who have even gone to the trouble of fitting a pre-oiler to the engine.
With many here saying they don't bother and have still running engines, the Ford Powerstroke must not be terribly sensitive. I know some engines are - like the 1200cc Austin motor. You can't just assemble one and start it, even with the oil filter full. You have to remove the distributor, spin the oil pump with a drill motor till you get good pressure, reinstall the distributor and then start it. If you don't the bearings are ruined in the first few revolutions.
With many here saying they don't bother and have still running engines, the Ford Powerstroke must not be terribly sensitive. I know some engines are - like the 1200cc Austin motor. You can't just assemble one and start it, even with the oil filter full. You have to remove the distributor, spin the oil pump with a drill motor till you get good pressure, reinstall the distributor and then start it. If you don't the bearings are ruined in the first few revolutions.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,368
Likes: 620
I would pay to see that done with a horizontal filter! Lol
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 35
From: Utica, Nebraska
Kind of can't do it in engines with the Euro cartridge type that's just the paper element that goes into the engine. Or ones that sit upside down. I dare not do it on ones that sit 180* and are in such an awkward location that you risk getting debris on the filter gasket. I see it as an unnecessary things. I've seen both sides and never any issues either way. Until an engineer or someone with a lab can definitely say one way or another if it's needed, I probably will continue not doing it. Those filters can get heavy and messy so not worth the effort. I just oil the gasket and spin it on a bit beyond hand tight and call it good enough.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 10,107
Likes: 96
From: Hempstead, TX
There are those who have even gone to the trouble of fitting a pre-oiler to the engine.
With many here saying they don't bother and have still running engines, the Ford Powerstroke must not be terribly sensitive. I know some engines are - like the 1200cc Austin motor. You can't just assemble one and start it, even with the oil filter full. You have to remove the distributor, spin the oil pump with a drill motor till you get good pressure, reinstall the distributor and then start it. If you don't the bearings are ruined in the first few revolutions.
With many here saying they don't bother and have still running engines, the Ford Powerstroke must not be terribly sensitive. I know some engines are - like the 1200cc Austin motor. You can't just assemble one and start it, even with the oil filter full. You have to remove the distributor, spin the oil pump with a drill motor till you get good pressure, reinstall the distributor and then start it. If you don't the bearings are ruined in the first few revolutions.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,866
Likes: 84
From: Rainier OR
Many engine builders still do that - regardless of make - on engines with distributors. On the newer style engines that don't use a distributor, many use a pressurized tank of break in oil at the appropriate fill capacity for the engine, and tube it into the oil passage through an available port, or by removing the oil pressure sending unit and piping it in through there. This is after they have used assembly lube on the bearings and cam lobes, rockers, etc during assembly.
Kind of can't do it in engines with the Euro cartridge type that's just the paper element that goes into the engine. Or ones that sit upside down. I dare not do it on ones that sit 180* and are in such an awkward location that you risk getting debris on the filter gasket. I see it as an unnecessary things. I've seen both sides and never any issues either way. Until an engineer or someone with a lab can definitely say one way or another if it's needed, I probably will continue not doing it. Those filters can get heavy and messy so not worth the effort. I just oil the gasket and spin it on a bit beyond hand tight and call it good enough.
Also, not ALL engines filer the oil before the crankshaft. Different engines have the filer in different locations in the oil flow path.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,748
Likes: 118
From: Tallassee, ALabama
Ford engines since the 1950's with oil filters have always filtered the oil prior to routing it through the oil passages whether to the mains or cam or lifters. The oil is pumped directly to the filter and then into the block. I highly doubt the 6.76 is any different.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 634
Likes: 2
I don't know why this is even being debated. Pre-Fill, period.
-It costs nothing to do
-It takes no more time to do (what's the difference if you pour the quart into the valve cover, or into the oil filter?)
-It pre-soaks the paper element inside for less chance of ripping causing some unfiltered oil to get by
-It ensures full oil pressure at start-up
-Ford denies warranty for using the incorrect oil filter without an anti-drainback valve causing dry starts until the oil fills the oil filter and then oil pressure builds.....so they will certainly deny warranty for not filling the oil filter during an oil change. They'll pull the ECU data and prove it to you that you ran it without oil, even if it was only a few seconds. It's all recorded, they're not dumb.
-It costs nothing to do
-It takes no more time to do (what's the difference if you pour the quart into the valve cover, or into the oil filter?)
-It pre-soaks the paper element inside for less chance of ripping causing some unfiltered oil to get by
-It ensures full oil pressure at start-up
-Ford denies warranty for using the incorrect oil filter without an anti-drainback valve causing dry starts until the oil fills the oil filter and then oil pressure builds.....so they will certainly deny warranty for not filling the oil filter during an oil change. They'll pull the ECU data and prove it to you that you ran it without oil, even if it was only a few seconds. It's all recorded, they're not dumb.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,748
Likes: 118
From: Tallassee, ALabama
I don't know why this is even being debated. Pre-Fill, period.
-It costs nothing to do
-It takes no more time to do (what's the difference if you pour the quart into the valve cover, or into the oil filter?)
-It pre-soaks the paper element inside for less chance of ripping causing some unfiltered oil to get by
-It ensures full oil pressure at start-up
-Ford denies warranty for using the incorrect oil filter without an anti-drainback valve causing dry starts until the oil fills the oil filter and then oil pressure builds.....so they will certainly deny warranty for not filling the oil filter during an oil change. They'll pull the ECU data and prove it to you that you ran it without oil, even if it was only a few seconds. It's all recorded, they're not dumb.
-It costs nothing to do
-It takes no more time to do (what's the difference if you pour the quart into the valve cover, or into the oil filter?)
-It pre-soaks the paper element inside for less chance of ripping causing some unfiltered oil to get by
-It ensures full oil pressure at start-up
-Ford denies warranty for using the incorrect oil filter without an anti-drainback valve causing dry starts until the oil fills the oil filter and then oil pressure builds.....so they will certainly deny warranty for not filling the oil filter during an oil change. They'll pull the ECU data and prove it to you that you ran it without oil, even if it was only a few seconds. It's all recorded, they're not dumb.
Even filling the filter, there will be a hesitation of full pressure as the oil pump has to finish filling the filter and also the oil channels.
It comes down to a matter of preference. You do yours the way you want and others will do their the way they desire. Enough said on this subject.