Engine Pre-Lube

[britannic]

Any tried one of these? - comments, experiences welcome: Engine Pre-Lube System (http://www.masterlube.net/home.asp)

[Peter J. Bierman]

Principle is ok, but I have my doubts for the instalation.
How shoud you wire this, if switched by the ignition, pressure is gone by the time the glowplugs are done.
If switched by the starter youre too late.
Should need an extra switch to operate.
If you figgure that out it should be ok.
on the other side, would it be wotrh the $?
If absolutly nessisairy it would be on every engine, and it is not.
It would make a cool gadget though. :D

Peter

[britannic]

Good points, I guess you'd have to wire the relay to be triggered by the wait to start light switching off.

[britannic]

Or use a manual switch, this is from their FAQ:

What is the procedure when using a MasterLube Prelubrication System on my engine?
A.

Turn the vehicle key or switch to the "ON/RUN" position, which sends power to the 3 position switch. When Prelubricating hold the switch in the "Spring Loaded" position, which opens the system's valve.

Oil will now be flowing into the engine

[triggerman]

I think the best feature on this is when a new oil filter is in place, it will fill it before the engine is started. When I first got my truck, I forgot to pre fill the oil filter before I started it after a oil change. Needless to say It took alot longer for the oil pressure to come up. Since then, a #2 cylinder lifter has been a little vocal. I would suspect alot of lifters on the 6.5 have gotten beat up in this way. Just a vertical mount oil filter would be a plus!

[tom.mcinerney]

Britannic--
I think one of these would be worth it to extend the life of a nicely set-up machine.
I have a long-retired acquaintance. He graduated from a Merchant Marine Academy as an operating engineer in time to transport gasoline in a tanker to the Pacific Theater in WWII; later ran crude from Aden to Texas. After that he was an operating engineer on aircraft for Pan Am during the transition from reciprocating radials to turbofan jet engines. When i talk with him regarding automotive/light truck issues, he always says(sighs), "this stuff is garbage...". Years ago i visited on my motorcycle, which i 'warmed up' a bit before leaving. He asked what i was doing; then after i explained, commented, "Well, yes. On an engine of some value we don't turn it before establishing lube oil pressure, sometimes warm it before starting, never load it until it's warmed throughout, allowing all dimensions to (re)establish proper tolerances. --But a motorcycle? We usually just drive them!"
I worked out of a Chevy p/u for a while. We'd drive it from one telephone pole to the next down streets, turning it off at each pole. Later I bought the truck from the company. I ran it intermittently for 7 years, with abuse and minimal maintenance. Eventually the timing chain skipped on the nylon timing gear, and, clueless, I tore the engine down. The main and rod bearings were still at tolerances that could only be established through 'selective fitting'--closer than i could buy new bearings from the Chevy dealer. This was a small block '~400', which had a life in a SuperSport before the pickup!
"Best practice" in engine lubing is a dry sump, so oil pressure estab as soon crank turns[or a preluber, as you show]. I believe Porsche uses dry sump systems.
Whether it would be 'worth it' depends on how you value the condition of your crank/bearings, and how much/long you'll use the truck. More Power and Dr. Lee have both had good things to say about the cranks in this series of engines. If i remember correctly, last winter (Feb 2003) member "Mainous" tore down and photographed his severely cracked (1997??) 6.5L block, and reported the crank bearings {I forget if rod or main or both) had 'radius' wear, almost definitely an indication of improper grinding before assembly. So that could make a difference too.
I wonder if Peninsular/Avant/Kennedy ever fit these on their setups?

[tom.mcinerney]

I just looked at the fotos Mainous took of his engine at teardown, when block cracked. One shows a rod bearing that has a film/layer of metal worn off. This wasn't an old engine. If such wear is commonly found by rebuilders, it would warrant widespread use of some type preluber. Worse, if rod bearing failure is characteristic of these engines in their death throes, that would also suggest prelubers .
But i was under impression that the bearings were 'more than adequate'....

[Uncle Wally]

The engine preluber idea has been around for several years.

A friend of mine was asking this question of boat manufacturers down in Florida last spring. Why noone uses them.

Apparently Amsoil is coming out with an accumulator assembly that will release it's pressure when the starter is engaged. I am told it is suppose to plumb right into their remote filter bases. I have been waiting for almost a year and have not heard anything as of yet. Maybe Greg has some insight?

The only thing I don't like about the pre-luber. The model I saw takes a suction right from the pan. No filtration. And pumps up the oil galleries via hoses. It seams to me that an unfortunate break in an oil line would be quite catastrophic. Maybe things have changed since I first saw them.

Waldo