Has anyone installed a pre lubrication device to minimize cold start wear on their 6.2? I only use my F350 occasionally and was looking for a similar device to install on my truck. Amsoil had such a unit but they discontinued it. Was it just poor sales? Seems like its a great idea, should be standard on all vehicles, especially in colder climates.
I saw a u-tube video of an F150 owner with the Eco-boost who recommends pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor and pressing the brakes on a cold start to crank the engine and build up oil pressure. Apparently, this method send a signal to the ECM to crank only and not start. He showed about 30 lbs of pressure for a second or two. Would this be enough to lube the lifters?
Thanks

 

I don’t think it’s necessary. Use a good synthetic oil and you’ll be good.

 

A solution in search of a problem.

The engine has oil on cold start. It just doesn't have pressure for a couple spins of the starter. But this doesn't make one bit of difference. Engine crank and rod bearings are hydrodynamic bearings. In operation, there is a wedge of oil between the crank journal and the bearing shell. This oil is there even when the engine has been sitting for a long time. This wedge of oil is what keeps the bearing shell from riding on the journal and even when the crank is turning without oil pressure, the oil is still there. In fact, oil is everywhere it's supposed to be, including cylinder walls and piston rings, cam, lifters, chains and everything. It doesn't drain away once the engine is shut down. What you may hear gurgling and draining once you shut down the engine is just the pooled oil in the heads and such draining back down into the sump.

Oil pumps put out a lot of volume. Far more than the engine can flush through the system. This is from where oil pressure comes; more fluid than can flow through the system. Manufacturers, in a continuing effort to squeeze out every last MPG, are starting to use variable flow pumps since pumping that oil takes some power and if the engine doesn't need that much oil volume no point wasting fuel to pump oil straight back into the pan. The point here is that oil volume and pressure is available with just a few rotations of the engine so pre-oilers and starting tricks are completely unnecessary. And the guys trick on flooring the throttle and cranking? Pressing on the throttle shuts off the fuel injectors. Things can happen with a gasoline engine, like a stuck fuel vapor purge valve, that can flood the engine with fuel. Adding more fuel doesn't help, so you crank with the throttle open to introduce an abundance of air and no fuel to get the engine started.

Here's the more subjective part of this that everyone can interpret however they want to: There are things you can do that will prolong the useful life of your vehicle. At a minimum, you'd want to do regular maintenance, like oil changes when needed or just ahead of that. Tire rotations, tune ups (gassers), hoses and belts, coolant, brake fluid and all that need maintenance to keep your truck on the road and give it a full service life. For the finish, regular washes and waxing a couple times a year will maintain the finish. Cleaning the interior helps prolong the materials. And then there are other things that are based more on marketing and less of practicality. This pre-luber would be one of them. So, you could make the argument that it helps give your engine more life. But things that wear out, like your transmission, other engine parts not affected by oil pressure, body damage, and all that are going to occur regardless. And your vehicle needs might change over time. And sometimes you change up vehicles -even of the same type- just because you want something new. With that in mind, I would ask; So how long do you think you're going to own this truck? Sure, we all like keeping our truck in tip-top shape. But then there is such a thing as over the top where you get nothing back on your time or financial investment. Yeah, maybe the next guy will appreciate how well you took care of your truck. If you think his opinion really matters to you, make sure to invite him to your funeral.

 

It’s not a bad idea if the truck sits for awhile. I’ve never done it on a 6.2, but have on other engines. Canton and Moroso make good oil accumulators. Add a solenoid valve and tie it into the oiling system, works well.

 

i dont know what a preluber is but couple my vehicles sit for extended periods. i try to atleast start the engine once a week or once every two weeks at most and i try to drive the vehicle alittle if i can but sometimes i dont always have the chance. also i have engine block heaters on most my vehicles which greatly helps cold starting. in -2 the engine starts up like its summer time. i would highly recomend block heater if you dont have one

 

Yep. (plus unneeded extra characters)

 

Yep. (plus unneeded extra characters)

 

Do people forget how long some of these trucks sit on a dealers lot without being started? 6months or maybe longer.
I would only be concerned if the engine has not been turned over in a year or two. But who buys a truck to let it sit for years?

This i a non issue bc the engine is designed to hold/keep oil where its needed for startup. Added aftermarket parts will only enable more of a chance for an oil leak while driving. Then its tow truck time unless your capable of fixing an oil leak on the side of the interstate with what tools and stuff on board.

 

I put one on my prior truck. spent about 400 bucks for it and I did the install myself. I took it off after two years.

my conclusion is that there is a difference between pressure and flow rate.

the preluber devices do raise the pressure at key on before the motor spins......but...I was not convinced the flow rate out of the device and into the engine made any difference.

there are oils today that bond to the metal better than yesteryear. some of these newer oils can sustain an engine operation after all the oil has been drained out.....so no doubt...the internal parts have sufficent residual oil.

which type of oil bonds better...synthetic...dino...blend...the newer gas based blends...or the newer bio oils????? from looking into this im convinced the bio oils bond better than the legacy syn or dino.

why did I remove it....my relay switched mechanism failed so the 2 qts that should have recharged the prelude tank did not and stayed in the engine...resulting in a 2 QT overfill senrio.