Is new oil dirty ? Unfiltered ?

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Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
I ran across this site the other day. It advises against pre filling your oil filter as they say new oil is "unfiltered". I usually add oil to a filter before installation and always thought I was doing the right thing. Any thoughts?

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/171


Fairly hogwashish site.

Quote:
Bottled oil is clean, but is not filtered. Any debris that enters the threaded opening will not pass through the filter element. This oil is not filtered and any debris is transported into the engine. The oil pump pumps oil on the output side of the oil filter straight to the engine bearings. Any debris that falls in when filling the filter will cause engine damage.


He actually answers your question.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with prefilling the filter. New oil is just fine for your engine. You pour it in your engine - yes it gets filtered after collecting in the oil pan, but still. It's overworry and overthinking and faulty logic.
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
I ran across this site the other day. It advises against pre filling your oil filter as they say new oil is "unfiltered". I usually add oil to a filter before installation and always thought I was doing the right thing. Any thoughts?

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/171


Fairly hogwashish site.

Quote:
Bottled oil is clean, but is not filtered. Any debris that enters the threaded opening will not pass through the filter element. This oil is not filtered and any debris is transported into the engine. The oil pump pumps oil on the output side of the oil filter straight to the engine bearings. Any debris that falls in when filling the filter will cause engine damage.


He actually answers your question.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with prefilling the filter. New oil is just fine for your engine. You pour it in your engine - yes it gets filtered after collecting in the oil pan, but still. It's overworry and overthinking and faulty logic.



We as bitogers can be a little obsessive when it comes to oil but this idea takes the cake.
So I gotta agree with Pablo here and the hogwash idea
 
They certainly made a mountain out of what can be a mole hill car maintenance item.

Tilting the car towards the drain hole? Uh, no. Do this if you must, but the cost benefit has never been shown.
 
So what he REALLY means is be careful not to allow contaminants into the filter. Dirty oil out of a sealed container? Nonsense.

Frankly, I feel more "damage" will occur from the first dry start after an oil change. Most engines take a second or two to reprime after start up. If filling the filter with oil will help reduce this extra wear to any extent possible, then I will continue to do so.
 
Some of the dodge cummins guys have had piston cooler sprayers plug because some foil or plastic was poured in on a filter prefill. I'm careful to makes sure things are clean on the bottle side of oil and coolant.
 
And, how many thousands of cars every day get their oil changed with a dry filter installed? It should be easy to see the many cars with ruined engines waiting for tow trucks outside the oil change shops......
 
If the oil you are going to use is contaminated then maybe you should not be pouring it into your engine, either.

This could be true of bulk oil, that you should not be using it at all if it was not properly stored and dispensed.

Oil out of a bottle that you purchase at the parts store is probably much "cleaner" than it will ever be once you pour it in your engine or your filter. Pour with confidence. At least you can be sure of the brand and the viscosity and not worry about "mystery oil" from a big barrel.
 
I doubt if the average oil filter for an automobile engine will filter the oil any better than the oil coming out of a new bottle or jug.We did find that Stauffer Fyrquel used in our EHC units had a high particle count but was still cleaner than what the EHC system fluid ran. I think most DIYs would be surprised at the particle count of the oil they use in their vehicles.
 
If you are going to worry about the oil from the bottle being clean enough for your bearings, I would worry a lot more about how clean the inside of the filter itself is. Loose dust and fibers here are much more likely than chunks in bottled oil.
 
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
They certainly made a mountain out of what can be a mole hill car maintenance item.

Tilting the car towards the drain hole? Uh, no. Do this if you must, but the cost benefit has never been shown.

I did this all the times, for S2000 I get about 3-4 oz drain out after raising driver side up about 8-10". When I have time to kill why not having fun tilting the car ?
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
They certainly made a mountain out of what can be a mole hill car maintenance item.

Tilting the car towards the drain hole? Uh, no. Do this if you must, but the cost benefit has never been shown.

I did this all the times, for S2000 I get about 3-4 oz drain out after raising driver side up about 8-10". When I have time to kill why not having fun tilting the car ?


I could not get the last .25 quarts per change out of my Subaru, until I tried running the back end up onto a 2"x4" before draining. Worth it to me, since it costs nothing, and takes no extra effort.
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
If the oil you are going to use is contaminated then maybe you should not be pouring it into your engine, either.

This could be true of bulk oil, that you should not be using it at all if it was not properly stored and dispensed.

Oil out of a bottle that you purchase at the parts store is probably much "cleaner" than it will ever be once you pour it in your engine or your filter. Pour with confidence. At least you can be sure of the brand and the viscosity and not worry about "mystery oil" from a big barrel.


No, it isn't. New oil is approximately 18/15 on the ISO 4406 cleanliness chart. My car has an Amsoil Bypass filter system on it and my oil cleanliness level is currently 17/14; with 12,000 miles on the oil, it IS cleaner than what you pour from the bottle from your local parts store.

My wife's car has a Kleen-oil bypass filter on it and they claim to produce a cleanliness level of 15/12. http://www.kleenoilusa.com/index.php/products/kleenoil-product-brochure

For every step DOWN on the chart you go, you have the mechanical potential to double the useful life of your engine. http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/1291/lubricant-cleanliness
 
As a google search of bitog will reveal, pre filling the oil filter is an oft discussed topic on oil filter board. And there are posters, some long time and respected, that side with the unfiltered oil argument for not prefilling.

That said, wherever practicable, I always prefill the filter.
 
As far as I know no car manufacture nor oil company nor oil filter company against prefill oil filter. I prefilled when I remember and I slept well if I forgot. There is no proof one way or another prefill is good or bad. Do what you like and sleep well.
 
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