I am curious if anyone has tried running a electric priming pump in order to bring up the ol pressure before startup? If so what have you found and if not then why? Also oil pressure is not important, it is volume that we are looking for in order to keep an engine alive. So why could we not use a constant volume electric pump and also be able to wire it in to work like a electric fuel pump so that it primes the engine say five seconds before startup? Then continues with a constant volume though all rpms so and the bearings are always receving plenty of lubrication? Thoughts anyone? Later, Bart
On some of the race cars I've worked on, we used to run an accumulator. It stored enough pressure, we just closed the valve before shutting down the engine. Open the valve before startup, and you had more than enough lubrication for startup. Just another way to attack the situation...
They actually showed an accumulator installation/setup on Horsepower TV on the black Nova project. Looked pretty easy to do and not expensive. Looks like good insurance, especially for a race car.
I agree with your thinking. I plan to use this idea for my ONLY oil pump. Grainger offers several 12V powered motors that spin at 1800rpm. They can be had in different power (1/4HP etc) ratings as well. I am planning to test some of this thinking when my motor goes back together. Can't test oil pressure without an assembled engine! Wouldn't it be nice to twist the key to 'run' and have an instant 60psi (or whatever you regulate it to) waiting for startup and driving? You will have to mate the electric pump to an external oil pump of some design. At least it doesn't have to be pulleyed to the crank! Then there's regulation, filtration, and cooling. It's got to be a lot of work. But, if you can get it to work properly with a failsafe engine shutoff feature, what's the downside??? -Ken.
www.masterlube.net I have one for pre-lubricating and as an accumulator. The moroso unit isn't very good compared to the masterlube system. When I called I got the owner and he told me differences between the moroso unit and the masterlube system. Before I start my engine I hold the switch for a few seconds and I get 40 psi of oil before starting. I also have the complete bottomend moly coated, but for the amount of $$ I have invested in the engine I want it to last as long as possible.
Ken-A few of us were talking about this just today-get some good oil pressure before cranking. Wouldn't a fuel injection fuel pump (30-40lbs) do a good job? and then there's the plumbing/mounting to do-
Fuel injection pump would not have enough balls to push any substantial oil flow before it melts down. Viscosity would kill it quickly. There is an electric oil pump offered that will meet these needs. I can't remember the manufacturer's name. Cobra website guys use it in high-g corners for additional oil pressure when their stock sumps suck dry. I talked to the company via e-mail. They offer no larger unit at this time. It's in the works. I'll try to post the company name.
Hey Rob, I was able to run my Masterlube system in front of the radiator behind the grill. The are a little big arn't they? Want to have some fun tell people that it is the new block injection nitrous system. You cannot believe how many people bite on that one.
It's definately big for sure. I'm running the manual steering set up, so I have some extra space to mount the masterlube system where the PS pump is. The thing I need to figure out is with my 1000 cfm demon carb. I need to pump it at least 7 times just so there's enough fuel to start it. With having the carb so big it sucks alot of air in. It needs the fuel to equal the air so it doesn't have a lean start. I'll prelube the engine to find out there's not enough fuel to start it, so I'm trying to get it where once I prelube it it'll fire right up. With the accumulator I have 7 quarts of oil capacity. It's amazing how much air and fuel my 350 wants.
