Z320 Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 Hi, a new oil filter is on its way and I ask myself, does it make sence to prefill the oilfilter via the pressure relieve valve? With a plastic hose down direct in the „inlet channal“ to allow the air to go out and not to „return“ the oil in the engine? Any ideas, please? Ciao, Marco Quote
Hamish Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 I don’t know if it makes much difference but I have started to fill the modern style screw on canister before fitting. It takes quite a lot of oil. Quote
Z320 Posted January 3 Author Report Posted January 3 (edited) 1 hour ago, Hamish said: I don’t know if it makes much difference but I have started to fill the modern style screw on canister before fitting. It takes quite a lot of oil. This was the recommendation I read anywhere not long ago. As I want to use the original filter this is a bit more challenging….. The thread inside is BSP 3/8 x 19 tpi….. Edited January 3 by Z320 Quote
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 I have always added sufficient oil to the original oil filter canister and new filter before fitting. Yiu cannot fill it completely as it installs at an angle. My thoughts are to pre wet the filter and reduce the oil needed to fill the canister at startup. If you pull out all the spark plugs and crank until the oil pressure shews on the gauge I guess you have done all you can. Quote
trchris Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 I’ve always where possible filled canister oil filters Chris Quote
Dale Moore Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 9 minutes ago, trchris said: I’ve always where possible filled canister oil filters Chris Yeah, same here. Even if you get covered in oil trying to screw it back on 😂 Dale Quote
stuart Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 23 minutes ago, Z320 said: I make a tool I wouldnt disturb the pressure relief valve to try to fill that way as its always a challenge to reset and reseal it. As stated half fill the canister, let the oil soak into the filter and top it up a little once thats done then fit, remove plugs disconnect coil and spin engine over till pressure shows on the gauge and then carry on. Stuart. Quote
tim hunt Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 Yes, that is what I do at every oil change. I did try fitting a spin on type filter adapter but it always ended up leaking so I reverted years ago to the original canister set up. With experience you get to know just how much oil you can pour in the canister and filter assembly before it will start to run down your arm as you install it at the required angle. Tim Quote
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 Marco. During my career I worked rebuilding aircraft engines. A last process before test was to prime the engine with fluids. Most importantly oil. This was done via a simple hand driven rotary pump and flexible hose with a non return coupling that attached to a similar quick release coupling as used on garage/factory compressed air systems. As a youth I thought of fitting a similar non return valve with quick release coupling to the oil filter canister of my TR and having a simple hand pump and reservoir system to prime my engine after oil and filter changes. I never completed the project. It was more tooling in the garage, and worse still it was filled with oil. Logic says you could fit an adaptor to one of the oil gallery plugs along the LH side of a TR engine. Pumping oil in there would reach bearings and of course the oil filter canister. Do not forget the BMC A series engine has an oil pump above the sump oil level driven longitudinally from the back of the cam. The oil gallery from the pump to the oil filter has an upward facing external ‘priming’ plug that should be removed and oil poured in to prime the pump, filling the oil pump, oil gallery and the filter head. Failure to do this on a rebuilt engine means your oil pump just runs dry, unless you packed it with grease in the hope that would create sufficient vacuum to lift oil from the sump. TR5/6 engines. Shame Triumph did not consider doing similar on the 6 cyl TR engine that has its filter canister bolted to the side of the block, stopping you from priming the filter after changing. Stupidly it drains down when the engine is stopped so you get the dry crank bearing death rattle every time you restart the engine. Hence the oil filter conversion kits to instal the filter vertically. Big Healey has the same issues. Quote
Z320 Posted January 3 Author Report Posted January 3 (edited) Hi Peter, thank you for that information. April 2024 me and my wife have been sailing on the Roald Amundsen (brig) from Cherbourg (F) to Amsterdam (NL). It was pretty interesting to talk with the mechanic how they prime the 8 cylinder Diesel with oil and start it with compressed air. A guided tour in the engine room was very interesting, sadly with the engine ogg (or luckily). My tool is ready, I wait for the filter. Can anybody post a photo of the TR6 oil filter installed on the engine, please? Ciao, Marco Edited January 3 by Z320 Quote
RogerH Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 A few years back, on the CT Forum, Markus invented the compressed pre-oiler. This would suply oil to the important bits before starting. Only a few years later did I find that it had already been invented but it is still a good idea. https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/s/oil-system/accusump Quote
Z320 Posted January 3 Author Report Posted January 3 Hi Roger, now you are telling this, I also remember the thread, but not where or wen. But my worry is not a re-start, it is ony to fill up the empty filter after a change. Quote
ianc Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 I have always removed spark plugs, disconnected feed to the coil, then just run the starter motor until presure is registered on the gauge. This avoids the messy business involved in fitting a part-filled new oil filter. Ian Cornish Quote
Z320 Posted January 3 Author Report Posted January 3 (edited) 1 hour ago, ianc said: I have always removed spark plugs, disconnected feed to the coil, then just run the starter motor until presure is registered on the gauge. This avoids the messy business involved in fitting a part-filled new oil filter. Ian Cornish How long do you run the starter this way, please? And a question: does pressure on top of the oil pump, this is where the pick up is installed, meen oil at the rockers? Compressed air also causes pressure… Edited January 3 by Z320 Quote
stillp Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 10 hours ago, Z320 said: I make a tool Why am I not surprised? 😃 Pete Quote
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 1 hour ago, Z320 said: How long do you run the starter this way, please? And a question: does pressure on top of the oil pump, this is where the pick up is installed, meen oil at the rockers? Compressed air also causes pressure… My thoughts are that the cam needs to be rotating to promote and assist in the movement of oil from its bearing journal up inside the block to the head and then into the rocker shaft via the rear rocker pedestals. This is achieved by the flat ground on the cam journal. That is important with a newly built dry engine, and pumping oil into the rocker shaft through the pedestal to shaft location screw does this. It is my thought too that an engine that has run will have an amount of oil trapped in the rocker gear. There will be leak down overtime but we do not know how much nor how quickly. Quote
Z320 Posted January 4 Author Report Posted January 4 Hi, to fit the tool I remove the release valve BODY without touching the adjustment. The tool goes down in the BSP 3/8 x 19 tpi thread and seals there more or less (like original). It is drilled inside 8.5 mm to plug a 100 ml syringe To get the air out I remove a plug from the oil galery. The idea is the pump is more or less "sealed" while the air and oil goes ot through the oil galery plug. I will see, I wait for the new filter. Ciao, Marco Quote
Ian Vincent Posted January 4 Report Posted January 4 I partially fill the new oil filter and then turn the engine over with the plugs removed until I get pressure on the gauge, but back in the day, I can’t believe that your average garage mechanic did that when he serviced a vehicle. And what happens nowadays? Are modern vehicles designed to retain oil in the system when they are turned off? Rgds Ian Quote
stuart Posted January 5 Report Posted January 5 18 hours ago, Ian Vincent said: And what happens nowadays? Are modern vehicles designed to retain oil in the system when they are turned off? Rgds Ian I suppose with the tight tolerances on a modern theres bound to be some left round everywhere and most oil filters on moderns are on the top facing upwards so they are empty when you remove them. Stuart. Quote
ianc Posted January 6 Report Posted January 6 With plugs removed, I run the engine from the pushbutton on the solenoid or, if I have disconnected the electrical feed to the coil, from the ignition switch. It takes about a minute or so before the oil pressure registers the fact that that there is oill in the engine once again. As the interval between draining the old oil and pressurising with clean oil is so short, and the load on components is so light with the plugs removed, I don't worry about creating wear on the engine. Ian Cornish Quote
Trumpy3 Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 I bet every time you take a car to be serviced, the oil filter is never primed. If it is, its not the norm. Back in the day overhauling P & W twin row Wasp engines (DC3) we always primed the oil system prior to start on the test bed. We also did it on the heavy duty diesel engines at my last employer. On the aircraft engines the primer was plumbed into the main gallery and was electrical driven. On the diesel engines it was a steel container that was pressurized with air. When I retired and purchased my first TR3A, I made up a pressure primer. For a pressure container I used an old fire extinguisher and used my shop air. It plugs into the main gallery. The oil filter is changed as part of the oil change so after changing the filter I simply pump the required oil to top the engine up in through the gallery. Simple. Brian Quote
Bfg Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 I pre-soaked the oil filter in fresh oil, in a Yoghurt pot, overnight, before transferring it to the original type oil filter canister. I then filled it to almost 3/4 full before fitting. It was not difficult nor messy as long as the seal around the bolt is good. I then disconnected the power feed to the coil and turned the engine over for half-a-minute on the starter motor to prime it, before reconnecting the power to the coil and starting her up. Pete Quote
John McCormack Posted January 9 Report Posted January 9 I've never primed the oil filter after a filter change on my TR2. The car has only done 250,000 miles in my ownership and apart from new rings and bearings back in 1986/7, maybe 150,000 miles ago, I've not done any internal engine maintenance. Oil pressure and engine performance are still excellent. From real world experience, it isn't necessary and adds to the workload and mess of an oil change. Quote
Z320 Posted January 10 Author Report Posted January 10 On 1/9/2026 at 6:40 AM, John McCormack said: I've never primed the oil filter after a filter change on my TR2. The car has only done 250,000 miles in my ownership and apart from new rings and bearings back in 1986/7, maybe 150,000 miles ago, I've not done any internal engine maintenance. Oil pressure and engine performance are still excellent. From real world experience, it isn't necessary and adds to the workload and mess of an oil change. Hi John, thank you for this very helpful experience. Pretty sure a pre fill is not really needed, I also never did that before. And if this would be needed, and mostly not done, a number of car owners would be in trouble. But I know some worry about this with their engine starting the first time after a new built up.... I have my tool and today I used it. With a clear PVC hose and a 100 ml syringe I pressed in very easy 0.75 liter oil, than it came out of the oil gallery. Pretty sure a noticable volume direktly went though the oil pump in the oil sump? I plugged the oil gallery and presses another 0.1 liter in there without any problem. With the next 0.05 - 0.10 liter I had a problem: I had to press strong and hearded my oil pressure switches and relays clicking (1 bar). How hard I tried, I got NO oil in anymore, meens: the oil pump is sealed for a reflow (is there a valve anywhere?). It volume I was able to get in for a pre fill was about 0.85 liter without any problem. Sure not needed, but who feels better can pre fill. Ciao, Marco Quote
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