I have a fuel lift pump left over from my FASS job. Is there any reason why I couldn't use this in a prelube system?
My thoughts are to tap off my bypass filter outlet with a tee and a oneway valve to the pump then back into the return line. Wiring it with a manually switched relay and a capacitor delay.
That way I could turn it on and get the oil moving before start for no dry starts and turn it on and off before shut down to run it a few minutes after shutdown to cool off the turbo etc.
I've seen commercial prelubers that are just pressure vessels with a solenoid valve but they don't do much on shutdown.

 

It is easy to install a prelube system, however I don't know if a Fuel Lift Pump would be able to efficiently move oil.

 

If you can find an old engine of any kind that has sat for at least 6 months, disassemble it and you will find oil in the bearings and under the rocker arm tips.

 

That's true. Never really though about it like that.

 

In regards to lubrication before cranking?

A lot of guys will run an aux oil pump on their Highway Tractors so that they can be pumping oil and have oil pressure while cranking. This makes them feel better knowing they have oil running through the passages, turbo, etc before the engine is started. And they will have oil pressure right away once the engines starts.

It's nice in cold climates because you can circulate the oil for even 10-20 seconds, get some pressure built up and away you go.

 

Has anyone really had a engine failure from lack of lube at startup??? ??????
I thought not. Enough said

 

there are systems out there that store the oil in a pressurized air/oil cylinder for using the oils pressure system and a solenoid and release on start up. Ed

 

I installed a pre-luber on my truck because it regularly sits for weeks on end between startups. Necessary, I do not know. However, it is nice to see oil pressure before turning the engine over. Ed B

 

Actually yes there has been.
90% of bearing scuff comes from startup. There is oil but not enough in the bearings to form an effective layer when the pressures of starting happen.
An engine won't grenade because of one low oil start but give it several hundred and your oil pressure starts to drop because your bearings are getting worn then it's just a matter of time.

more said

 

What i think I know..Bear with me.......LOL
If a prelube system was worth anything at all you would find them on the most expensive and finest eng from the vendor.
Next, if you could crank your eng all day long with out oil P. you would not find any anything different on tear dwn. A crank shaft going round and round and pistons going up and down...Nope No problem.
The biggest problem will be cam lobe related, The slow scuff as it lifts the valve against spring Pressure ( Incedently that is the biggest problem on break in s on a new rebuild....Not fast enough revs)
There is a difference to say most eng damage at crank and or eng damage at start up.
I guess you could say most damage from start up..not revolutions from cranking
A prelube will not help your valve train.
Truckers..........I am one sometimes....You would not believe the crap you can hear out on the road.
99% are now working for a company or leased to (same thing )
Very few actually own their own truck s any more..sad deal no such thing as a Owner Operator..hardly.
Be Careful what you hear...may not be true. If a prelube was worth anything Porsche would have one on board, as well as Detroit Diesel, Ferrari, mercedes .ECT

 

My problem with the "why don't engine makers put them on" arguement is partially tin foil hat related.
Engine makers are just that and so they want to make engines. If you can get reasonable good life out of an engine you make without adding additional parts that would effect your bottom line costs then good business models will say do it. Cummins will last several hundred thousand mile of normal use If they made the engine to last forever then they wouldn't sell as many engines.

Cam lobe is the most obvious place you find low oil wear but rod and main crank bearings are the most critical wear sites. I had to repair my inlaws Toyota that had plenty of oil until the two gaskets on the oil filter let most of the oil out on the road and less then 5 miles completely toasted ALL the crank bearings. The cam was still perfectly usable and the piston wrist pins were fine.

 

The cam lobe lifter will retain a small amount of "good" oil and provide boundry lube for the few seconds till splash oil gets to it. I doubt a charge of oil before cranking would accomplish much in this area. A scuffed bearing is just that - foreign material or oil pressure lost was reason for scuffing. Have seen plenty engines down with major milage and bearing be literally perfect. They were always tho ones that had reasonablly good serivce regurally performed. again JMHO

 

I think we are all exercising the opinion lever LOL... But a big diesel will usually go over a million miles (big trks ) and at least 600000 on the short side.. And usually the Overhaul is done because of high oil consumption (piston rings cylinders and the like )
So at O. H. It is just as EZ to replace the bearings ..you are there ! lots of times they are darn near PUrrrrffeecct !!.
So, IMO the prelube deal is snake oil and it is luck of the draw if your eng. ***** up B4 its time....like mine, No amount of pre lube would have saved it