Looking for a cheap filter wrench when I came across this. Does anyone fill the new oil filter with oil before putting it on? Not in my USA softail service manual. 2.5 qts wet-3 dry and not a word of a prefilled filter.

http://www.dudeworld.com.au/HOWTO.ENGINE.HTML

 

Always add 4 - 5 oz. to the filter before installing, otherwise, the motor doesn't get any oil on start-up until the pump fills the filter.

 

I imagine that the 4 oz is taken from the 2.5 wet filling they recommendand not in addition. Is that correct? I've just added 2.5 in the hole but if pre-filling the filter is is the better route I'm going to do it.

 

Some folks do put some in the filter. The top-end is a little oil starved on start-up anyway, and this helps. The oil tank doesn't care if it's a tad over full either. The reference to dry vs. wet refers to a fresh fill on a new engine or one that has just been built. You never really can drain all the oil out of an engine unless you tear it all to pieces. The only thing that will happen if you overfill an oil tank is that it may expand and blow out the plug. The engine does not care as long as there is enough oil in the tank to feed it and little too much in there won't hurt.

 

I never used to, but lately I've been filling it half way, just so it will screw on without making a mess. Does make a difference on how long it takes to build pressure. With a prefill it's almost instant. My take is that whenever you can hear a lifter clattering without oil, it's damaging itself slowly but surely. It's the only thing that could be damaged in that short time frame, but over many oil changes this can add up to consideralbly shortening it's life. They are no screaming hell in quality to start with.
Ron

 

always fill the filter up a little then spin it around it will all soak into the filter so it won't leak when your putting it on. And if your doing 2.5qts take the amount off of that so if you have 3 new qts sitting there open one wet the filter then put that qt in the bike plus another qt and half of the last and check your level may need to add a little or may not.

 

Not a bad habit at all. The pre twin cams could care less as they filtered the oil after it left the engine in route back to the oil tank, but the TC filters the oil before it goes into the engine...more-or-less. Got to be careful with some of these high-mounted oil coolers as well. If you mount one above the filter adapter, it may drain back and cause a severe dry start too. The filter has a valve in it, but the way these sandwich adapters are constructed presents an open path back down to the engine. If you can, it is always better to tie the cooler into the return oil path

 

I never used to prefill but do now.

 

Thanks for all the info

 

I place just enough oil in so that when held horizontal it does not leak out.
I figure doing this will allow the oil system to prime faster.