Warning: Prefilling An Oil Filter Can Be Dangerous To Your Engine

[HBarlow]

Soon after I bought my first Dodge-Cummins and joined TDR someone started a thread that contained a very valuable tip/warning that may have prevented me and many others from buying a new engine. I ALWAYS remember it when doing my own oil change but have not seen it mentioned in a long time. It's worth reminding everyone of here.

Prefilling an engine oil filter may (or may not be) a good idea for caring for an engine.

It seems that back in the '90s Cummins/Dodge and lots of unhappy owners experienced failed engines shortly after performing or having an oil change performed. Cummins disassembled a few warranty claim engines (and rejected the warranty claim) because a tiny sliver of aluminum was found blocking a piston cooling jet hole under the piston.

The cause was a tiny scrap of aluminum from the seal on top of the gallon jug of fresh engine oil. Apparently it happened many times. An owner, in a hurry, would puncture or tear the aluminum seal away and hurriedly pour fresh oil into the center of the new oil filter.

Oil poured into the center chamber of the oil filter bypasses the filter element and the engine oil pump takes a suction in the center chamber of the oil filter. If that fresh oil contains a tiny sliver of aluminum oil jug seal it will be introduced directly into the engine's oil supply and pumped straight through the engine.

Cummins engines have a tiny hole in the piston structure (haven't seen it, just read about it) that allows engine oil flow for piston cooling. A sliver of aluminum will plug the cooling hole. The first time the driver puts his foot in his Dodge to pull a grade or tow his trailer after an oil change he overheats and melts a piston and wipes out an expensive engine.

Not long after I read that valuable tip on TDR and old friend was visiting, pulling his fiver with his 7.3 Powerstroke Ford and wanted to change the oil while he was here. To demonstate the warning, I held a paint filter in place for him to pour fresh engine oil from the gallon jug into his oil filter. To our surprise, we trapped a tiny sliver of aluminum seal in the paint filter from the new oil jug he had opened.

Do-it-yourself oil changers beware. Prelubing your oil filter is considered a wise practice for avoiding dry start-ups but it you accidentally allow a sliver of aluminum oil jug seal to drop into the jug and pour it into the center chamber of your oil filter while pre-filling the filter with fresh oil you could destroy a new engine.