Pre-luber

[zigg]

I've worked all day on my engine, and I'm getting close to having it ready to drop into the truck(maybe next weekend). Put on the rear main seal cover, front cover plate, water pump, oil cooler, engine mounts and balancer.

I'm planning on putting in a pre-luber, but I'm not sure where to plumb it in.

I thought about the oil sender port, but then the oil I'm pumping in might just drain down through the block without pressurizing the lifters and bearings and stuff. I figured if I plumb it in lower, then put the gauge in the sender port, then when pressure shows on the gauge, since it's the highest point, I can be pretty assured the rest of the engine is then getting lots of oil.

The guy that sells the pre-lubers says the most common mistake is to plumb the thing into a 1/8" hole, and that causes high back pressures, and damages the pump.

I'm thinking of going split into the 2- 1/4" pipe plugs just above the oil pan rail on the drivers side.

I could put it direct into the filter header(there looks to be a big 1/2 or larger plug there) but I'm afraid the oil will be just as happy to pump backwards via the oil pump rather than forwards into the oil gallery.

What do you guys think?

Any guys out there with pre-lubers? Where'd you plumb them?

Zigg

 

[icanfixall]

Either of the 1/4 inch main oil gallery plugs will get it where you want it and not just backflush into the oil filter and back thru the oil cooler into the oil pump. If you plumbed it into the top oil sender plug it will be about the best place because its on top of everything so it will lube from there on down thru the lifter gallery into the mains gallery thru the crank.....

 

[Tristan]

I've got one on my truck, but it was on there when I got it. I have never really checked to see where the oil is pumped back into the engine. Guess I should figure that out. Leaving for a camping trip tomorrow though so I don't think I will be able to let you know right away, sorry Zigg!
One thing I am planning on changing is the feed line which comes out of the drain plug. I want to change it to an inch or two up on the side of the oil pan. Just waiting to get the time to pull the oil pan and take care of it.
Tristan

 

[Diesel JD]

Think again about pulling that oil pan Tristan....its a tough task unless you pull the engine! It'll be interesting to see if these prelubers actually help these 6.9s to last longer. I don't lnow if he has an account over here, but DreamamchineF250 from TDS has one on his truck that he installed himself on his new block. He would be an excellent source to talk to.

 

[zigg]

Tristan

Why do you want to put the fitting somewhere else. Do you find that on the bottom of the oilpan is just a pain, or is there another good reason I should know about before I go ahead and plumb it all in. the preluber comes with the fitting for the oilpan...

Zigg

 

[tenlug]

I prelube my rebulids thur the plug at the front of the oil filter mount. This way the oil is filtered before it goes to the motor. Have not seen flow back toward the oil pump as long as the oil cooler is not leaking [found a leak this way]. Also found that the oil squiters for the bottom of the pistons require a high volume, if I were going to build a preluber I'd plumb it in low to make sure the bottom end was lubed. Steve

 

[Tristan]

Zigg,
I want to change it from the drain plug location, mainly because it is a bit of a pain every time you cange the oil. Maybe Pre-Luber have come up with a better fitting to make it easier. Secondly by pulling from the bottom of the oil pan the pump is pulling all the garbage that sinks to the bottom and pumps it back up into the motor. Thirdly it seems that it could be somewhat vulnerable since it sticks a couple inches off the bottom of the pan. "If" something ever happened that damaged it bad enough or broke it off all the oil would drain right out!
Maybe the oil filter mount like Tenlug said is the answer?

 

[Full Monte]

Ole Mister Bill did some preluber installs. I've only done one and it was on a Chevy. It involved a pressure accumulator that would charge up under running oil pressure and hold that pressure with a solenoid valve until the next time the engine was ready to start. No pump involved.

 

[Agnem]

I don't know how you would do it, but I like the idea of presurizing the oil pre-filter. It wouldn't matter then if you were sucking it out of the pan. I don't know if the oil pump would act as a check valve or not.

 

[sle2115]

I don't know how you would do it, but I like the idea of presurizing the oil pre-filter. It wouldn't matter then if you were sucking it out of the pan. I don't know if the oil pump would act as a check valve or not.

I agree Mel, seems like the way to do it and I would think the oil pump would act as a check valve. The clearance is tight enough to make oil pressure and volume, so I can't imagine too much would back flow. I wondered if there might even be a check valve somewhere, oil filter possibly?

 

[Full Monte]

The idea of a pressure accumulator has to do with the compressibility of air.
The air acts as a spring that will push the oil back into the oil passages when you want it...before the engine starts. You need a large enough volume of oil to do some good and you need it at a decent pressure. I doubt any engine filter would have enough volume to accomplish this. I also don't think you would want air mixed in with your main oil supply. The advantage of a pump is that it would give constant pressure for as long as you like. The advantage of the accumulator is simplicity.