EXPERT
REVIEWS
from TRAILER LIFE, April 1987, p. 109-110
PRODUCT EVALUATION
PRELUBER
Prestart engine oiler is designed to reduce friction and wear
by RICH JOHNSON
Without doubt, highest engine wear occurs during the initial
start-up. Tests conducted McDonnell Douglas and the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) have indicated that a great deal of
engine wear takes place in the few seconds of cranking time when the
engine is first started. This is partly because of gravity and
partly because of the laws governing oil viscosity.
Think of it this way: Last night, when you drove into the
driveway and turned off your vehicle's engine, the oil was hot and
free-flowing. It flowed so well when hot that within a short time
almost all the oil in the engine has followed Newton's rules and
dripped obediently down into the oil pan. In the morning, you get
behind the wheel and start cranking the cold, virtually oil-depleted
engine. You notice that it takes a few seconds for the engine to
start, and then a few seconds more before the oil-pressure gauge or
idiot light indicates sufficient oil pressure. You may even notice
that at first the engine runs a little rough and noisy, and then it
smooths out and quiets after a few moments. Have you ever wondered
why?
The problem is oil starvation. One estimate suggests that the
first 30 seconds after cold startup is equal to about a 500-mile
trip, insofar as bearing wear is concerned. In a nutshell, cold
engine startup is a deadly enemy.
To solve this problem, Lubrication Research Incorporated (LRI)
has developed an electric pump designed to circulate oil from the
oil pan throughout the engine before the ignition key is turned to
the "start" position. Not only does the pump, called the
Preluber, circulate oil throughout the oil gallery, but it also
prepressurizes the lubrication system to 50 psi before anything
inside the engine ever moves. The Preluber will even fill an empty
oil filter that may have drained due to a faulty anti-drainback
valve.
After testing 35 different off-the-shelf pumps in an effort to
find the right pump for the Preluber concept, LRI researchers
concluded that they would have to start from scratch and design a
totally new kind of pump. What resulted was a die-cast aluminum unit
capable of pumping anything from air to 140-weight oil. It can even
self-prime after an oil change. A custom-designed-and-built 12-volt
motor powers the pump by way of a special set of reduction gears
that were engineered for maximum torque, gear longevity and minimum
noise. The whole thing is governed by an electronic control box
composed of integrated circuits designed with precious metal
contacts rated at 10 million operations--which they say will survive
more than 90 years of daily use.
Since the Preluber incorporates permanently lubricated bearings,
maintenance is minimized. About once or twice a year, it is
necessary to remove and clean a filter screen in the pump.
How does it work? Actually, its function is automatic. When you
prepare to start your vehicle, just turn the ignition key to the
"on" position and pause for a few seconds prior to going
all the way to the start" position. The Preluber will
pressurize the oil system, and the gauge in your vehicle will climb
to operating pressure, or the idiot light will go out (depending on
how the vehicle is equipped). At that point, the engine can be
started. After the engine is running, the Preluber will
automatically shut down.
The Preluber does not interfere with the normal lubrication
system of the engine. Even if the Preluber pump should fail, the
engine would work as it always did.
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