Electric pre-oiler inquiry

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jan 5, 2007 | 12:48 AM

Bigredcrew

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 44

Likes: 0

Electric pre-oiler inquiry

Has anyone ever installed an electric (or pneumatic accumulator) pre-oiler on an IDI engine? I've heard that 90% of engine wear is at start up , and that one of these will reduce the wear a fair bit, but I'm wondering if there would be any benefit on an IDI. Anybody heard of this?

Guy

Jan 5, 2007 | 10:31 AM

Spectramac

Posting Guru

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 2,438

Likes: 0

From: Monroe, WA

I've seen a pre-oiler on one IDI. It was installed with an old Banks turbo setup. I'll agree that 80-90% of engine wear is done at startup on a fresh rebuild, but not near as much the rest of it's life.

Jan 5, 2007 | 08:46 PM

bc6.9

Elder User

Joined: Sep 2006

Posts: 588

Likes: 0

What's a pre-oiler?

Jan 5, 2007 | 11:04 PM

Bigredcrew

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 44

Likes: 0

Quote:

Originally Posted by bc6.9

What's a pre-oiler?

A pre-oiler pumps engine oil through the oil passages before the engine is cranked at startup to help prevent damage to bearings, etc. The electric one would operate anytime the oil pressure drops below the setting of the pressure switch, except for ignition off. The pneumatic accumulator type keeps some oil stored at engine pressure in an accumulator until the operator discharges it into the oil passages. It's a one shot deal when starting.

I have heard that race cars often have a pneumatic accumulator to help maintain oil pressure while cornering because the G forces will push the oil up the side of the oil pan away from the pick-up tube. Weird, eh?

Guy

Jan 6, 2007 | 05:10 AM

tjc transport

i ain't rite

Joined: Mar 2005

Posts: 65,492

Likes: 5,552

From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.

i have one in my 88, it came with the banks unit. they recommended using them way back when to cool the turbo after shutdown.
back in the pre-turbo days, it was hard to get people to let the engine idle for 3 minutes to let the turbo cool off, so banks added a pre-luber kit with the turbo, with the ecm set a 3 minutes after run time for cooling. i also get the advantage of having 65 lbs of oil pressure at startup, cause the pump runs while i am heating the glow plugs.

Jan 6, 2007 | 11:31 AM

tempfords

Freshman User

Joined: Nov 2006

Posts: 30

Likes: 0

How much does this cost? I would love to have one on my truck. I could just hook it to the glow plug solenoid and have it prelube/oilprime my engine before every startup. It would also be like having a spare oil pump if mine ever failed. It would also help with some of those days where it takes a while to start your engine.

As much info as you know on these would be greatly appreciated!

thanks

Jan 6, 2007 | 01:31 PM

farmnfly

Tuned

Joined: Oct 2004

Posts: 250

Likes: 6

From: new york

The pre oilers do work great and all our new Cat equipment has them. I think they are about $2 grand installed, But!! on the other hand most of the equipment we run gets traded about every five years with 7 to 9 thousand hours on them and are non pre oiled engines that have oil changed every 2 to 3 hundred hours, and we havent had a engine oil related failure yet. Usually when traded everything but the engine is shot!!
So yea they do work but I tell the boss in our situation they wont save us any money
On one piece of equipment the line from the preoiler which is external cam loose and caused the engine to loose oil and oil pressure but luckily these same engines have a low oil pressure shutdown, which in my words would be a better investment! My two cents