Fill filter housing?

[BQUICK]

Good idea to fill filter housing before starting after changing filter, right?

[Slim140]

I never have.

[BQUICK]

Any reason not to?
Operator's manual doesn't say to but it would seem like it would take a while for the oil pump to fill it before oil gets to the bearings if it was empty.

[Rick Spivey]

The oil is pumped into the filter in a "secondary" or "passive" route, meaning the oil goes to the bearings without having to go through the filter (I'm fairly confident of this, but someone correct me if I remember incorrectly). So no need to fill the housing, not like your modern car. It is a good idea to fill the housing, or actually fill the oil hole in the housing, in order to "prime" the oil pump on a cub that hasn't run in a long time.

[BQUICK]

I read in operator's manual that all oil goes through filter. Has anyone looked at oil pressure gauge right after starting dry vs filled?

[Scrivet]

Any reason not to?
Operator's manual doesn't say to but it would seem like it would take a while for the oil pump to fill it before oil gets to the bearings if it was empty.

I think Rick's answer addresses that, bearing oil comes from the pump not the filter. The filter is in a side loop not the main source of oil. By filling the filter housing you could actually be delaying the oil to the bearings.
Just curious if you do fill the filter housing what are you going to fill it with? Oil that should be in the oil pan, so you'll be a quart low on startup. Or an extra quart so you'll be a quart over filled once it's running.

[BQUICK]

I take that oil into consideration so as to not end up overfilling....just like when I fill a car oil filter.

[Gary Dotson]

The Cub oil filter is a "partial flow" filter. There is an oil passage, from the main galley, into the filter housing. The oil passes through the filter, passing through a small orifice in the filter cover bolt and returned to the oil pan. When starting the engine, the gage will show a delayed reading after the filter chamber has filled. Filling the filter chamber with oil will gain you absolutely nothing.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Remember, when you take the top off the filter you remove the orifice (part of the bolt) the oil passes through to get out, so the oil will drain out that hole nearly as fast as you pour it in. When changing the oil I sometimes fill through the filter housing. Has to be poured more slowly, but not as easy to spill as when filling through the dipstick tube.