>Filling the filter first is a new one to me.  Ooops.  Is this very
>important?

I always have filled the filter, on any car I ever worked on. Its real fun
when the filter mounts RA to the block, ie Chevy :-)

Some folks might dispute it, but having the oil already in the filter
prevents any moments of no oil pressure when you first start it up. I
suppose in older engines, things are pretty well oiled and worn, but when
I built motors for drag racing, I got into the habit of filling them as
those motors were often just rebuilt and a few seconds of no oil was the
end of the motor. Something about better safe than sorry springs to mind
:)

John