Pressurized Engine Preluber

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Has anyone ever used one of these Pressurized engine prelubers? Like a Melling MPL-101 or a Sealed Power T40? I searched here and Google and found no BITOG threads about it. Ive always used the shaft things you hook up to the drill and yank the distributor out and prime. Now as most engines have front mounted pumps, the old shaft system doesn't work. Ive built a few OHC engines over the years and merely disconnected the ignition and cranked the engine til I got oil pressure. I just finished putting on a new timing chain and tensioners, oil pump, oil pan, all new gaskets and front/rear main seal on the 380SL. Prior to doing this, the car hadn't been started in over a month. After I completed the job, I had the oil filter housing off. I drew vacuum from the pump outlet side til oil flowed. There is a valve on this side which only allows oil to flow one way. I would like to pressurize oil to the other side of that leads to the engines oil passages by using one of these pressurized prelubers. I was going to build and adapter and feed pressurized oil via the sending unit. The question I have is by feeding pressurized oil via the sending unit, could I damage that valve on the oil pump side of the filter or just generally do harm to the oil pump side? Or damage a built in bypass valve on other cars in the future?
I thought about building one of these, but by the time I factor in all the parts, I'm 75% of the cost of a pre built one. For that I would rather just buy one of these pre made. There are high odds I will use this at least a couple of times a year, so this tool seems like a worthwhile investment.

Thoughts?

[Linked Image from static.summitracing.com]
 
Originally Posted by Michael_P
Ive built a few OHC engines over the years and merely disconnected the ignition and cranked the engine til I got oil pressure.


So why not do that now?
 
Dry cranking is still not optimal. It can take many revolutions to get the oil pump to prime and move oil depending on various factors.
 
Yes we have and do use them on LSx priming.
A friend of mine even used a garden sprayer with a hose adapter. He had the valve covers off when he did it and commented that he had oil at all of the rockers. I don't remember what he was able to get for pressure but he commented that next time he will use one of my home made units. I don't have one here or I'd post up a pic. (2) 6" schedule 40 caps and 12" of pipe. Then just tap all of your fitting holes where you want them.
I use what they call a Klunk hose inside the tank for the pick up that way all the fittings can come out the top. Works very well and is CHEAP.
Someone can chime in here but I don't think an LS will pick up prime on a new completely dry system. Not sure though because I've never fired a new one up without priming it.
 
Originally Posted by P10crew
Yes we have and do use them on LSx priming.
A friend of mine even used a garden sprayer with a hose adapter. He had the valve covers off when he did it and commented that he had oil at all of the rockers. I don't remember what he was able to get for pressure but he commented that next time he will use one of my home made units. I don't have one here or I'd post up a pic. (2) 6" schedule 40 caps and 12" of pipe. Then just tap all of your fitting holes where you want them.
I use what they call a Klunk hose inside the tank for the pick up that way all the fittings can come out the top. Works very well and is CHEAP.
Someone can chime in here but I don't think an LS will pick up prime on a new completely dry system. Not sure though because I've never fired a new one up without priming it.


Does GM have the ability like Ford where if you hold the throttle open and crank the motor it shuts off the injectors? That is how Ford wants the techs to prime a new/reman engine.
 
Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
In the sixties, several companies made pre-oil kits to circulate oil before start up. Personally never saw one installed.


Canton make the Accusump for engines that you can either use as a pre-luber for a dry startup and as an emergency oil supply in the case of a sudden loss of pressure.
 
A cheap, very effective and easy way is to use a cheap hand pump for differential gear oil. Just insert the pump in a quart of oil and connect the vinyl output hose to a hose barb inserted in the oil pressure sending hole.

Those pumps are between $5 and $7 at the local auto parts store. They are designed to go into a tall quart of gear lube, so the pickup tube is a bit long. Just cut it to length.

One thing to remember, those pumps will easily make 30 PSI, so use a zip tie on each end of the hose to keep it on the https://www.walmart.com/ip/Attwood-...K6s_U5wIVHYVaBR14SgwhEAkYBCABEgJLQfD_BwE
 
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So why not do that now?
That's a good question atikovi

On a pushrod V8 or a 4 cylinder from years ago, oiling demands weren't as great as they are for a modern 32V V8 with VVT. Oil has to get to all those parts putting a greater demand on the pump. A couple of engines ago, I rebuilt a Ford Coyote 5.0. I used the crank method to prime. When I was started the engine for the first time, it clattered for the first few seconds despite showing oil pressure on the gauge. That noise was enough to make me rethink my initial startup procedures. After sreading and researching, I came to the conclusion I should be pre pressurizing the oil system prior to start. Pressurized engine prelubers seem to be more commonplace in the rebuilding world these days. Ive seen where people have made their own pressurized engine prelubers out of propane tanks, sprayers or sandblasters. This enticed me to build one from a repurposed tank of some sort. But I am leery about what materials might have been in such a tank before I put oil in there, even using an inline filter. By buying a ready made pressurized engine preluber, I know there was nothing in the tank that might ruin a $10,000+ engine. Furthermore, the pressurized engine preluber I would get would be more compact than anything I would build. Since its purpose built, I only need to get a fitting for the sending unit hole. $200 or so for a pressurized engine preluber suddenly seems like cheap insurance.
Cujet, I like the idea of the hand pump for the pump side of things. Thats a good idea and I actually have a few of those.
 
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A local pilot had his engine changed on an old race plane, a T6 with an oversized radial engine. The mechanic forgot to pre lube the engine. The main bearing failed shortly thereafter. Nothing was wrong with the engine build. The mechanic knew better but just could not take the time to do the job right.
 
Cline will normally be in here in a couple hours and I'm betting he can shed a whole bunch of light on this subject.
I will yield my time till he weighs in.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
What do the car makers do at the end of the assembly line when the car is first started and driven off?


They just start them. A lot of the engines are at least spun up at the engine assembly facility before being shipped to the vehicle manufacturing facility.
 
Originally Posted by bdcardinal

They just start them. A lot of the engines are at least spun up at the engine assembly facility before being shipped to the vehicle manufacturing facility.


Decades ago, there was a GM commercial on TV that showed a freshly-assembled engine being spun over for 3-4 seconds. Why I remember that, I have no idea.
I'll be doing a complete timing chain replacement on a 4.0 SOHC Ford in a few weeks. The internet buzz always talks about these engines absolutely need to be pre-lubed. (I've done them before and gotten by without doing it, but....)
My plan of attack is to get one of those cheapie pumps that hook up to a cordless/electric drill that you can get for under $10. The inlet and outlet have garden hose fittings. I figure the suction hose would go to a five quart container of oil. The pressure side will get hooked up to the threads on the oil filter mount, probably using assorted sizes of heater hose and a hose clamp holding it to the filter mount. I haven't tried this method yet, but it sure will be a lot cheaper than a high-dollar engine pre-luber.
 
Well, its been almost a month since I posted on this subject. Just an update; I ended up buying the Sealed Power pressurized engine pre-luber from Summit. From my experience, it seems like the best option. I tried modified pressurized sprayers and hand pumps. You could feel the resistance of oil pumping in the engine, but with the valve cover off, I never saw a good oil flow coming from the top of the engine. After buying this ready made oil pre-luber and building a fitting to go into the sending unit hole (fitting on top of the tank), this is the way to go. I filled the pre-luber with oil, pressurized it at 40PSI. Waited a half hour for any bubbles to dissipate and then pressurized the engine with oil. Within 2 seconds, oil was flowing out of the spaces around the cam bearings and other spaces. You could see the newly installed timing chain cinch up as well. When I started the engine two hours later, it was a quiet start. The size of the pre-luber is prefect and easily fits on a shelf. From now on, If I do any engine work where I replace internal parts, I will be using this tool.


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