The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop pre oiler brands and choices

Has anyone considered a pre oiler for their motors, if so what brand?
Thanks Rick....

What engine?

What pre-oiler?

Cut the top off a old distributor housing and run the shaft with a 1/2" electric drill. Use what ever distributor fits the engine you need to pre-oil. Or use a bushing that fits the opening with a round shaft in a drill motor and the end ground down to fit the oil pump. There are lots of choices with out spending much money, it just takes a little manual labor.

Joe

If you do what Joe said, either take the gear off of the bottom of the dist. or grind the teeth off. That gear is engaged with the camshaft and with it on you won't be able to spin the oil pump. Unless you have a REALLY big drill motor.

Rick,

When you referred to a pre-oiler, were you referring to priming after a rebuild (or after sitting for a long period), or are you referring to a pre-oiler/pre-lube system that supposedly lessens cold-start scuffing?

Let me clarify.
Yes Tim I am thinking of a pre-lube system to limit dry starts after my sbc sits for a week or two. Sometimes circumstances prevent me from getting to the car for a couple of weeks so I thought a pre-lube system might help. So I was wondering if anyone has used them and if so what brand?

Rick.........

Elmer, you must have experience with heavy duty engines to be aware of any need for pre lube or concerned about "dry starts".
One of the great features of the SBC, in my opinion, is the bottom end design including the lube system.
The oil pump submerged in the oil supply and a filter that will not drain back to the sump helps assure quick pressurization of the system and a proper viscosity of oil for the bearing clearances keeps the bearings well lubed until the pressure supply arrives.
If you think the system goes dry at shutdown, just spend some time working under an engine with the pan removed to roll in or inspect the bearings.You'll soon be hunting for a raincoat and goggles.
These engines with reasonable care will run 300,000 miles and have healthy bearings when you open them up and very seldom is the oil pump greatly worn.I like to do autopsy on an engine when dismantling for OH or repair.The wear patterns can tell you a lot about the operating conditions and needs.
Diesels many times start under load and need pre lube for good bearing life but the automobile driver can be more considerate of cold start conditions.
Just my 2 cents worth.

In the 70's I started to see ads for a starter with pre lube pump built on for heavy equipment and truck diesels but I never had experience with one.
Basically it was a Delco type,solenoid engaged starter with a oil pump on the commutator end plate.
The solenoid had been divorced from the starter motor circuit so operating the start switch first started the starter motor/pump turning,when oil pressure developed a pressure switch energized the solenoid, engaging the pinion gear.I don't know how this was done while protecting the starter gears.
I have never seen a small, inexpensive preoiler pump advertised for our smaller engines.
I remember seeing somewhere described an accumulator type system for engines that charged and trapped oil in an accumulator while the engine was running that could be then admitted to the system later for pre lube.
Dont worry about that little chevy, she'll be fine--just turn the key, count to 20 and turn her loose.

Rick,

Some vintage engines might have needed upper-cylinder, top-cylinder, upper-engine oilers/lubricators, and/or those devices were simply "snake oil" for many engines.

Here is an earlier post that refers to those devices.

Here is another discussion.

Vintage style units are still being made.

Amsoil builds a nice pre-oiler / accumulator. so does moroso and canton racing products. they are nice for starts after sitting for a long time, as well as for times when the oil pickup momentarily grabs air - really healthy small blocks in light vehicles or rock climbing

I heard that the Japanese cars have something like this oiler. Is that true?

none that I have ever wrenched on.

My VW bug (2001) has what I call a after oiler. Its some sort of pump the circulates oil after the engine is shut down. I believe they are cooling the turbo shaft. It wouldn't be hard to adapt to a old engine if you could get your hands on one.

Joe

most turbo motors have an electric circulating pump. VW even has a coolant circulating pump

...if worried about cold start ups on a SBC with a carb then consider the following. I have two vehicles that may get started everyday but then they may set for weeks.
So, after they have sat for a while I simply let the engine spin a few rounds till I see the oil pressure come up...which is pretty dang quick, THEN I pump the gas a time or two....besides, I wouldn't want to "wash" the cylinder walls with gas before they get oil.