Engine Pre lube systems
 

How many guys out there are using engine pre lube systems on their expensive engines? Is it worth the expense and if you had them laying in your shop, would you bother to install them? I have 2 like new systems sitting here from Master Lube and can't decide whether or not to put them on. Advantages or disadvantages, comments or questions, I don't hear much on the subject so I figure I would toss it out there.

i personally dont see much need for them.i have a 99 tahoe with 191 thousand on it and it can get pretty cold here in chicagoland.if it does not need a preluber neither do my 1200 hp boat engines!

close to a million miles on my semi tractor. has like 34,000 hours on the engine. Has been started with 15w40 oil for the past 16 chicago winters. Oil pressure still in spec and hasnt had the valve cover off.

I'd rather invest in spring oilers or piston oilers before investing in a preluber. Thats just my opinion though. I'm just a truck driver/wanna be mechanic

yschmidt has them on his big cube motors on his Cigaratte bullet and he claims they are one of the best investments he ever made in the boat.

I would like to get 1/100th of that many hours on my boat motor

I have run an accusump for the past ten years, allows me to run less oil in the sump and reduce windage. Also prelubes engine at startup. simple and effective.

http://www.accusump.com/

I am in favor of them especially for marine apps that sit for 6 months to whenever around here with the darn drought. Depending on what motor oil is used as I summarize / spring commission a lot of boats - IMO the dry start ups can cause a lot wear plus the lifter bleed down that took plus over lay up time and so on. Like I said depending on motor oil, some of these marine engines at first start up will have a lot of valve train noise until that motor oil builds enough pressure / flows thru the engine. I have notice this especially with the 496 customers using Amsoil 15-40 diesel / marine oil. I also have notice customers using VR1 Valvoline straight 40 w do not have this problem with valve train / dry start up noise after long term layup. FWIW

I've wondered in the past if you were to pull the coil wire and crank it over for a few seconds to move some oil back up, is that a good thing or a waste of time?
After a lengthy layup is what I'm referring to.
Thanks ken

Most of your engine wear is at start up. The synthetics leave more of a microscopic film which reduces this.

Not trying to start anything, just telling you what the automotive co have found.

Wannabe

Ken actually Mercruiser recommends to do this as for a pre luber after long term storage. They want you to pull all the spark plugs out dismantle the fuel supply / (fuse or connection) dismantle spark as well and crank motor over X amount times for no more than 10 seconds max at one time. The other way Mercruiser lists is thru the distributor hole and drill combo. They even list this procedure for their reman engine replacement before any start up. They do not list how to pre lube any of their distributorless engines for manually doing it but still list pulling the spark plugs out and cranking over the engine like I said.

I do not like cranking the engine over to pre lube for a new or reman engine replacement. I would hate to nick a bearing or score a bearing from the rotating assemblies.

On distributorless engines you can pre lube thru the oil sender with a manual oil pump device / pump or use a pressurized remote oil tank like what Melling sells or Motive Products. Use can even use the same set up that you have for filling your outdrive just do not use gear lube. There is a few other ways to pre lube an engine as well.

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

I agree and like I said one of their procedures is to pull sparks plugs, disable fuel and spark and crank for 10 to 15 secs no more than that at any giving time, but make it to a time frame of 45 to 60 seconds total, so basically 4 to 6 engine cranking at 10 to 15 sec each time. it is even in some of their service manuals plus when or if you by a Mercruiser reman long block it was tagged the same way on the engine for info before start up and breakin procedures.

My next question to you, the pics under your name - the last couple 3 or so. Who in the world is the chick or chicks. The one on the puter and this current shot, Wife, girlfriend or lets find something hot and post it because you can. Jeepers Kreepers - nice shots of the 10's.

Mild Thunder is very ANTI prelube. He likes it dry.
He is very PRO Mystic so you guys always have that !

Never mind about the lube or KY what about the info on the pics and your pics to ? Like I asked - wife - girlfriend or lets search for some 10's and post them. A handful of you guys do the same with the pics. I am surprised no one else has brought this up especially since everything else from a thru z has been and will be brought up.

Just another opinion here to throw in, I have been storing my Cars and Boats for 7-8 months at a time for over 40 years now never used a pre lube device and have Never had any lower end failures yet, so I personally don't see the need for one in my applications, Now do I run a large amount of HP? I would like to think so, Do some of my cars run high compression(hard on brgs) yes 13:1 in one of my cars and that engine has not been apart in 42 years. so it seems to work ok for me, and again that is just my opinion, I think the money could be better allocated elsewhere.

You know what is awesome about the Aeromotive preluber check valve? That its hard to know if it fails and when you happen to check it and find out that its shot, you call Aeromotive to see if its rebuildable (cause its $75) after all its just a cheap spring and a ball. They say no replacements parts why do you ask. Cause it failed. Oh wow I`ve never heard of such a thing in the 200 years Ive been working here the tech guy says. They never break! So rare!!

Ok great well I`m going to order a brass one thats rebuildable from Good Vibrations ( a very nice, heavy duty, well machined piece btw) but Ill just order one because this Aeromotive breaking was just a fluke! They last forever and 3 days!! The port motor will be fiiiiine

Fast forward 3 month...... hmm why is one motor running hotter oil temps? Hmmm.... fast forward another 2 months.. maybe I should check that other bullet proof check valve.... fast forward 10 minutes, yup the piece of **** is busted!

Its letting -6an worth of oil right back in the pan instead of going thru the filter and oil cooler. GREAT product AEROMOTIVE!!



Moral of the story is don`t buy this pile of $hit!!


http://aeromotiveinc.com/wp-content/...4/01/15106.jpg



Much nicer:


http://www.goodvibesracing.com/GIF_I...6001-LORES.gif

I put this on last year when I built my oil system.. I have a -10 line from pan to this pump, then line goes to Y block on oil filter boss on block. I use it to pre-lube, and I see about 30 PSI with it. Most engine builders I talked to before assembly said it really isn't necessary. For the $175 for pump or whatever it was, it helps me sleep at night. I mostly use it for oil changes, I take the line after the filter and put it into bucket, flip switch. Super easy.

This pic was a mock up, didn't get installed exactly like that but close. Check value before pump, SOV after.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ps94e09a1d.jpg

Flip off safety switch, crank, watch oil pressure gauge, when it comes up in a few seconds then flip the safety switch to on and will start with some prelubing.