Is it necessary to prime the oil filter on the Evo engine at oil change?On my Softail the oil goes from the tank to the oil pump, oils the engine then to the filter,on to the oil cooler and back to the tank.Having the fresh oil from the tank to the engine firstly means it's not so important to prime the filter?Thanks for your advice.

 

I don't. It's a high volume low pressure system. It'll fill pretty quick and there's plenty of lubrication left so that you won't damage it in that few seconds. All IMO of course.

 

Not primed one in 35 years

 

I only do it if it's easy like on my small block chevy.

 

The routing is why you don't have to prime your oil filter.
When you change your oil and fill the tank by the time the oil filter is full your tank has dropped a very small amount.

 

I do it, but I have no reason for it other than habit.

 

now you can like we do for the big power motors - we take the end of the return line off at the tank put it in a jug and after the filter is installed and oil is in the tank run the engine till the return oil turns clean - in this way all the old oil is out of the engine, and lines

 

Completely not needed on a big twin Evo. The oil goes from the scavenger side to the filter to the oil tank, not from the filter to the bearings. So, unless you are worried about your oil tank not having oil flowing INTO it for a second or so, there's no reason to.

 

I always prime mine. I always prime an inverted oil filter on whatever it goes on including my old P30 motorhome chassis with the GM 454 and the Volvo V70. When I worked on aircraft engines we always primed filters that were inverted and it seems to makes sense. It gives the paper element time to get good and soaked, it what seems to make sense to me anyway.

 

I always prime mine, cars and bikes...old habit