Thanks John, your a wealth of knowledge and information as usual!

I have the MasterLube system on my engine and I use for both a prelube and an accumulator. When I am pounding some rough water I know the oil is floating above the pickup and it's sucking air, so I open the valve on the MasterLube tank and it keeps the engine oil under pressure in all conditions. Especially if you already have them, it's a no brainer. Spring time is great, flip the switch watch the oil pressure gauge come up and crank the motor, no lifter noise and no worries. I will always have a MasterLube on my motors, just make sure you are running their larger line to use it as an accumulator.

Ive never had any starvation issues in big water, but i do use an extra capacity offshore style oil pan with trap doors

Well. looks like another winter install project to do. Thanks guys!

After reading through this...seems like a why the hell not option?

I am no engine builder by trade, but I've tore into a few engines in my lifetime. Marine, and automotive. From what I have found, is as long as the engine has been maintained (key word here), the bearings, crankshaft journals, almost always come out looking great. What usually wears out, are the piston rings, valve guides, valve jobs, valve springs, and so on, basically long before the bearings. Preoiling will not save those parts.

If you are wearing out rod and main bearings prematurely, there is another problem, and pre oiling will not fix that. IMO.

I rerouted my preluber to prelube my used oil containers.

Another nice little advantage that dry sumping grants you is the ability to prime the system with a drill motor on the pump after a prolonged storage period.

I hear you but with me, Merc recommends if their engines are being stored for over 6 months untouched - pre lubing an engine is very advised before start up. I do what the Romans tell me to do most of the time, not all of the time..Its called judgement calls.

Which is probably at least half the boats on oso that live in the north. Why wouldnt merc just put prelubers on their engines? They charge enough for them, whats a preluber cost in the big picture. And its not like mercury would eat the cost of them, theyd pass the extra cost onto the customer like they do with everything else