Ok so I was changing my oil this morning and like a moron forgot to fill the filter first. Now I have already poured the oil into the engine. What should I do? Will it be ok if I start it? I don't want to blow up my engine. Should I just get out another gallon and fill the filter? I don't wnat to over fill it neither. It would be hard to drain just an extra quart since I haven't got a drain valve.

 

Don't worry about it, just start the truck and let it idle until the pressure comes up. Some manufacturers are recommending that they not be filled to keep the possibility of contaminants from getting into the clean side of the engine. Anything going in the big hole goes straight into the engine.

 

You can easily drain off a little bit, by not taking the drain plug out. Just loosen it enough and it will slowly drain. The fill the filter like usual. Or maybe you can pull the connection to the lp if it has electric lp, and crank the motor over a few times. it won't take long to fill. the pump on there moves alot of oil real fast.

 

Im with FS.. the guys that change your oil dont put oil in your filter.. at least not the ones ive seen when I was working at Ford.. And it only takes about a sec and a half for the oil to hit that filter.. it looks scary too when you start it and there is no oil press for a sec then the needle jumps to around 40 and your all good..

 

AS above, very few dealershipos pre fill a filter, just start it and let it idle till you see oil pressure, as above it can be a little scarry but shouldn't do any damage. When I change my own oil I very seldom pre fill the filter for the reasons above, worried about contamination on the wrong side of the filter, I want it all filtered prior to oil going to the engine side.

 

Caterpillar specifically says NOT to fill the filter first. They are more concerned about the possibility of some crud falling into the clean side of the filter than they are about damage due to a dry start. Cummins says you should prefill, but it's obvious that there's more than one "right" way to do a filter change.

 

Yeah I figured there wasn't gonna be much of a problem. Did the fuel filter while I was under the hood. Forgot to close the drain valve before bumping the starter to re-fill the filter, fuel all over the place. While I was in here writing the first post my friends 2 year old spilled a gallon of used gear oil I had put into a milk jug. Hasn't been a good day over all.

 

It's a Cummins......start it up!!!

 

if you have already filled the crankcase with oil it wont matter if you pull the filter back off..the new oil wont drain out all over the place. so you could take it off and pre fill it if you wanted to but at this point I would just start it

 

lol.. master I hope you dont have an asphalt driveway.. that #2 loves to eat pavement..

 

After leaving the oil drain open overnight during changes I notice the filter is only about half full.
This indicates to me that a "dry start" happens every time you start your engine after it sits for awhile.
I never prefill and it's gotten both my rigs over 200k without problem.

 

Good thing my driveway is gravel. Gave my front axel and tie rods a good anti-rust coating.

 

Glad somebody else brought the subject up because I constantly forget to fill the filter. For years I have been so ashamed of myself (sob, sniffle) but couldn’t bring the subject up for fear of ridicule and scorn. You guys are the best (group hug).

---LOL--- wife was looking over my shoulder while I was posting so I decided to get carried away for her benefit.