Pre-Lubing the engine? (oil pressure)

[fwop]

Does anyone here use any type of prelube system? The basic concept is that either an electric pump or contained pressure bring the oil pressure up before starting the engine -- this is to mitigate the damage caused during the start-up/warm-up phase (supposedly accounts for 85% of engine wear. The theory is that engine oil has all drained to the bottom and has cooled -- during the start-up you basically have metal-on-metal until the oil re-circulates and thins by getting warm.)
The concept seems valid, but does anyone have any real world experience with any of these products??

 

[Pskhaat]

Nothing I've used on a driven vehicle. On my old 2F/3F if it hadn't/hasn't been run in a while I cut off a really long slotted screwdriver and put it in an electric drill, then manually spin the oil pump through the dizzy slot, but I know that' snot what you're asking...

 

[DaveInDenver]

One thing to note is that good oil filters have an anti-drain back valve that keeps the filter full of oil. I've wondered if by pressurizing the system you cause oil to flow backwards, possibly flushing all the junk from the filter back into the engine. Is this even remotely possible?

Anyway, the system I've always eyed is the Accusump. This is basically a pressurized vessel that before start up you open a valve and it equalizes the system. There isn't much flow as such, like a pre-oiling system, but rather it pre-pressurizes the oiling system. It can dump it's held volume into the engine (about 3 quarts) and that's why the drag guys like them, to protect against sudden pressure loss if the sump goes dry. But pre-start it's only gonna flow enough oil to give you oil pressure.

http://www.accusump.com

 

[Schattenjager]

I think the primary idea behind the AccuSump is to simply lube the engine before startup. I had one in an SCCA SOLO I GT1 Porsche - I would flip the lever allowing oil into the top end of the engine, wait a few seconds, then start the engine. The spring in the sump was light enough that engine oil pressure would re-fill it. If the motor ever took a dump, the spring would push the oil back into the engine, perhaps saving the day. Before shut down, I would rev the engine a little then flip the lever closed, trapping oil for the next startup.

I am not aware of a simple system that uses high enough PSI's to "pre-pressurize" an entire oil system, esp with only three or four quarts of oil. Of course it has been a few days since I shopped one of these.

I don't think you would ever be sorry for having a pre-oiler (lubricator) but I do wonder at the real benefit it would provide a modern engine.

 

[Mike S]

Or just pull the plug wires, foot off the throttle, and wind the starter a second or two. Then reconnect and start.

 

[goodtimes]

Or just pull the plug wires, foot off the throttle, and wind the starter a second or two. Then reconnect and start.

That may be realistic for vehicles that are coming out of storage...but to do that every time you start your daily driver would be a major hassle.

 

[Schattenjager]

On further thought - an AccuSump adds quite a bit of capacity - as in nearly double. Would this not help in engine cooling as well as greatly extending the oil change intervals? Wear at startup would be non-existent. This just might be the very thing for an expedition rig. Hmmmm.......

:REExeSquatsHL1:

 

[jrsteffes]

What about something like this?

http://www.pre-luber.com/trailerlifeart.htm

 

[Mike S]

That may be realistic for vehicles that are coming out of storage...but to do that every time you start your daily driver would be a major hassle.

Yep. But it works, and costs nothing,

 

[Schattenjager]

What about something like this?

http://www.pre-luber.com/trailerlifeart.htm

Looks GREAT! but its about $200 more than an AccuSump with electronic actuator... Plus, the drain plug adaptor would hang down like a wart on the Tacoma for some rock to grab. I like the simplicity of a no pump option. Now, for a street only application, I think you have the winner in your post.

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=1241

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=1245

 

[ntsqd]

FWIW Accu-Sump's are classic hydraulic accumulators. They use either air or Nitrogen to supply the pressure on the oil. The one car with such a system that I work on regularly has a check valve in the supply line so that the oil only goes into the engine's oil galleys, not also back thru the pump.

One thing that modern manual vehicles have that I delete on ownership is the clutch start switch. If you think about it, this switch causes you to push the crank into the crank's thrust bearing when there is no oil pressure. Safety device or bearing killer?

 

[Robthebrit]

I have never heard of one on a gas engine, they are common on big diesels. One of my mogs has a prelube/postlube, its an electric pump that you can run before cranking and it runs by itself when shutting down. It works but I don't think its required on this type of engine as the bearing stay wet even if the oil drains to the pan. It can take a mog 10+ seconds at startup to build oil pressure and they are pretty damn reliable.

I think its more suitable for later generation engines, especially on shut down where you don't want the oil coking inside the hot turbo when the pressure drops.

Rob

 

[ntsqd]

My '86 turbo yota truck came to me with a Greddy "Turbo-Timer" that keeps the engine running for some period of time after you've shut off the IGN switch. This for allowing the turbo to cool down after a hard run.

I like the concept for a turbo gasser application. Might even have a use in a diesel application. The problem in it's case is the follow-thru. If you can decipher the user's manual presumably you can set it up to run exactly as long as you want it to in nearly every situation. In the year-ish that I've had the truck I've yet to decipher it well enough to do much of anything, and Greddy is of no use what ever.
In the mean time it plays this stupid little 'song' during the shut-down mode. It's speaker is about to go the way of the Do-do........

 

[Haggis]

I have never heard of one on a gas engine, they are common on big diesels.

They're quite commonly used in the Buick world especially on high horsepower turbo Buicks, Grand Nationals and such. Those boys are running some huge turbos like PTE88s anf Garrett 67s, and the prelubers keep those things alive.

 

[Whoknows]

This what you're looking for?

I have one installed with dual bypass filter.

http://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/amk.aspx