GEN 2 Cranking with full throttle following oil change

[CigarPundit]

I’ve read here and there (including on FRF) that, because we can’t pre-fill our new oil filters before installing, it is advisable to crank the engine with the throttle floored for a few seconds before actually starting the engine after an oil change. The idea is that cranking without starting will get the oil circulating and allow pressure to build, filling the empty oil filter and ensuring that you have good oil pressure when you actually start the engine.

There is a reference to this procedure in the manual, though it is not in reference to an oil change; the manual recommends it if the engine will not start. Oddly, the manual does not note that pushing the throttle to the floor when cranking will prevent the engine from firing, though this appears to be the case.

So what say you? Do you DIY oil changers follow this procedure? Seems like a good practice, and that it wouldn’t hurt, but I don’t know if you will suffer any negative consequences from not doing it.

 

[JohnyPython]

I typically prefill oil filters about 2/3rds. Wipe the gasket and spin it on.

On the 3.5, I fill it about 1/2 way and enough to soak the filter media. If you install quickly, no oil comes out.

Next oil change, I will prefill and floor/crank the engine.

 

[Muchmore]

10 years ago I would recommend this or pull the coil wire and crank it over a few times (how old am I). I found a really cool video a few years ago talking about newer oils. It used to be with older dinosaur oils you really had to be careful of low or no oil pressure until it's fully running. Nowadays...we don't worry about starving oil on bare metals because oils are so good and so penetrating that the metals are never really bare. We have all seen those commercials where some brand X oil is dropped on a piece of bare metal and it soaks out 25ft in each direction because of its super-nano-spiffy-tube particles!

So the goal used to be thick oil to keep metal from banging on metal. Now metals are so good, oil doesn't have to be so thick, it just needs to reach further and last longer.

Purely my opinion but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn last night.

 

[David Godbee]

So, let me get this straight. I will crank my engine over without firing it off to fill the oil filter with oil so when it fires off it will have oil to protect the moving parts. Is that correct? What is going on with all these moving parts while you are cranking it over with no oil? This procedure is ridiculous and not needed. When you start your engine it takes 2 seconds for pressure to pop up. I have never heard BS like this.

 

[CigarPundit]

So, let me get this straight. I will crank my engine over without firing it off to fill the oil filter with oil so when it fires off it will have oil to protect the moving parts. Is that correct? What is going on with all these moving parts while you are cranking it over with no oil? This procedure is ridiculous and not needed. When you start your engine it takes 2 seconds for pressure to pop up. I have never heard BS like this.

I hear you. Seems like a pretty plausible position. I think the idea is that less load is put on the parts when just cranking vs. when the engine fires up. I suspect that there will be no ill effects from not cranking first. As @Muchmore said, the current high quality oils probably penetrate and protect well enough to make an initial lack of oil pressure a non-issue.

 

[Muchmore]

I have never heard BS like this.

If you lived with the middle 70's cars you would have. I totally agree unneeded nowadays, nut it sure was needed not too long ago!

Hell, some of those Chevy 350's and Ford 300 I6's wouldn't have oil pressure for minutes!!

 

[Jason Snokhous]

What I do is change the oil after I've ran the truck for the day then start it immediately following the oil change. My thought is the internals should still be lubricated enough at that point. I may try to put a little oil in the filter to pre soak it next time.

 

[K223]

If you lived with the middle 70's cars you would have. I totally agree unneeded nowadays, nut it sure was needed not too long ago!

Hell, some of those Chevy 350's and Ford 300 I6's wouldn't have oil pressure for minutes!!

I can remember adjusting valves on a Chevy small block and waiting for oil pressure to build, before oil came squirting out of the tops of the push rods lol. Those things still ran forever.

To this day, I’d always pre fill my oil filters with oil. Truly needed? Just fulfilling the idea in my head it’s better to do? Obviously other than pre soaking a filter like some are doing it won’t be the case with this truck to fill up a filter with oil. I would have to believe the engine internals still stay coated enough so there protected. Not to mention oil pressure builds very fast as well.

 

[PlainJane]

I typically prefill oil filters about 2/3rds. Wipe the gasket and spin it on.

On the 3.5, I fill it about 1/2 way and enough to soak the filter media. If you install quickly, no oil comes out.

Next oil change, I will prefill and floor/crank the engine.

I will try this next time.

 

[Scottx]

fill new filter with new oil to top let sit, using big funnel drain filter oil into engine,install filter,very little oil drips, start engine.
Oil pumps are geared to engine 1 to 1 and build pressure immediately regardless of what gauge reads.