I wasn't aware that there were people on the internet claiming this was a bad idea so here's proof why it's a good idea.....
This is a GREAT youtube channel to watch for anything oil related. I got to meet Lake Speed at SEMA and he came by my shop and spent some time with me, he is a wealth of knowledge. This is a channel worth subscribing to.

 

I Been Prefilling Since I Was a Teen! Must Have Been in One of Those Magazines I Used to Scour Through! That or Autoshop 1

KC

 

Yes who ever doesnt do this should be banned from all motorized vehicles.

 

I do it, even though I know it probably isn't really "needed" because there is plenty of lubrication already up in the engine for the first start-up

I can't imagine what would be the reason NOT to fill it? (except it does make a mess some times when it spills out on installation, on cars where the attachment is tilted)

PS/EDIT: I want the one-minute "executive summary" version of that video; it is awesome and informative but too long to get the conclusion, LOL

 

I have NEVER done this in my 50+ years of driving and changing oil. All it does is make a mess. I never had an engine issue in any car, from foreign pieces of crap (Fiat) to older and modern muscle. Corvettes, Porsche, Mustangs, from the 70's to present. Here are just a few of my empty oil filter rides. Many have been all over the US and Canada. The 2001 Trans Am was bought new, has 83,000 miles on it, and has never seen an oil filter 'filled' before being put on.

 

Added a Poll!

KC

 

Never have here either. But I do use fresh oil to wipe on the rubber gasket before installing a new filter.

 

Interested to know what dealers and commercial oil change places do. I haven't changed oil in my cars for over 50 years. Been taking them to dealers for that. But I have always changed the oil in my boat myself. Cummins diesel filters hold a quart and they always get filled before installation. I would hope the "experts" doing my cars do the same. I will sure ask next time.

 

The only filters that I ever prefilled were the Fuel filters that the Diesels ran off, some reason they do not run well on air. They do fill the oil filter at the oil change place that I take the Kenworth to, about 1/2 a gallon in the filter.
My Mustang and F150 Both have the filter sitting Horizontal, kind of hard to get the filter on full

 

I was kidding... I love everyone.... well not everyone

 

Cliffs notes: The science does back up the idea that it's a good practice. While you aren't going to wipe out the engine bearings, the science does show particles present in the oil of bearing material when performing a "dry" start.

While this can be difficult and messy if your filter position tends to empty a filter, if you understand basic engine function and building then you know that the time it takes for the filter to fill and create oil pressure means that the only oil protecting your bearings is whatever residual oil is left. If the engine was shut off hot and the oil changed then there will be significantly more residual oil left in all parts of the engine than if you did a change on a cold engine that has sat and everything drained then there is going to be less residual oil among the bearing surfaces and that will allow more movement resulting in contact between the bearings and the crankshaft until it builds enough oil pressure to get that oil barrier into place.

The science backing this is sound....the choice is up to the individual. If you plan to keep your car forever then it's a pretty good practice...if you swap out cars every few years then you won't own it by the time something negative potentially shows up and it becomes the next guys problem to deal with.

 

PREFILL FILTER ,DO IT!