# Purge oil filter at installation?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/purge-oil-filter-at-installation/43857>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** thunderbird, filters, ford, oil\
**Created:** [February 4, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/purge-oil-filter-at-installation/43857 "2010-02-04T21:10:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coxsackie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b38774/32.png) [@Coxsackie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Coxsackie)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/purge-oil-filter-at-installation/43857/1 "2010-02-04T21:10:35Z")

</div>

Do you fill a new oil filter with oil before installation? That is, do you need to prevent an unlubricated interval at first startup as the new filter fills and pushes air down the lubrication system? I hadn’t heard of this until recently, but as Bill Nye says, before the Internet it was harder to start a rumor.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/purge-oil-filter-at-installation/43857/2 "2010-02-04T21:25:57Z")

</div>

We have had this post several times. When you change oil, a lot of oil remains on the bearings and cylinder walls. The couple of seconds that you “don’t have oil”, as you indicate, will not cause any measurable wear on the bearings.

On both my cars the filter screws on horizontally and it would be very messy to try to pre-fill it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/purge-oil-filter-at-installation/43857/3 "2010-02-04T21:41:05Z")

</div>

Whether you choose to do it or not, you will never be able to notice any difference in engine life.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/purge-oil-filter-at-installation/43857/4 "2010-02-04T23:00:01Z")

</div>

I do, but that’s only because the filter installs hole-up. Most of my previous vehicles installed on a horizontal axis, so installing them full would have been impossible. I’ve never worn out an engine even after hundreds of thousands of miles, so that suggests to me that it isn’t necessary…but I do it anyway.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![EllyEllis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@EllyEllis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EllyEllis)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/purge-oil-filter-at-installation/43857/5 "2010-02-05T02:14:00Z")

</div>

I once had a car that the oil filter went upside down on top of the engine. That was impossible to pre fill.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/purge-oil-filter-at-installation/43857/6 "2010-02-05T05:12:55Z")

</div>

The 83 Camry was inverted and dry if you let it sit for a few minutes before removing it. I loved doing oil changes on that car. It had 250,000 miles when I sold it.