Just flicking through the Soft Top Hard Top mag, and there is a bit on doing an oil change.
I must have done a hundred oil changes over the years, and I have always put new oil into the filter before fitting. Even filters that go on horizontally can take a fair amount of oil without it leaking out during fitting.
But the mag article just spins on an empty filter.
I guess it wouldn’t matter if the filter is on the oil return to the sump, but I assumed it wasn’t. That oil is sucked through the filter and into the engine.
Does putting a filter on dry not mean “no oil” for the first couple of seconds after a change while the filter fills?
Have I been wasting my time and effort all these years pointlessly pre-filling?
When we changed them on BIG engines (like our Chieftain/Challengers) it “can be a good idea”.
Also, it all depends how and where the filter/housing is located as it could get very messy!
It has never been written down or indeed taught to do that anyway.
Never seen a garage/mechanic do it either…
On a car engine I have never bothered.
The only part that won’t have any oil (as you say) for a few seconds is the actual “oil filter”.
There will always be oil film on all the working parts anyway.
The engine comes up to pressure more or less straight away as soon as you start it.
Each to their own, but don’t bother.
I wouldn’t put much trust in the tech articles in there, they aren’t very good.
You can safely do it 3 ways and they’re all ok:
Fill filter up and put it on.
Put empty filter on and crank engine over to build pressure before starting (this is easy on an NC)
And 3: Don’t do either of those and just fire it up.
Many people think when they undo the sump plug (or even leave a car standing unused) that all the oil drains out of it, it absolutely doesn’t.
There is already oil in all the parts it needs to be ready for fire up, including in between the bearings and the crank.
If the engine has been warmed up so the oil drains more efficiently it’s very well lubricated. Starting the engine on an empty filter won’t do it any harm as long as it’s only idled until the warning light goes out.
When an “expert” tells us that 5spd gearboxes are only fitted to the 1.8l engine models and 2.0l models have 6 speed you do have to wonder where they get their information from. And then say that these engines are based on the Ford Focus engines…
