engine prelube

[Ed Service]

I’m thinking of installing a unit like this http://www.engineprelube.com/ to prelube my 1600 on cold startup to eliminate the tappa tappa tappa that so bothers me when I start my engine. what do you think?  I’ll build my own for a small fraction of what this one costs using a propane torch bottle.

 My engine isn’t really in bad shape, it has good oil pressure with the stock oil pump, doesn’t burn much oil and runs strongly on the road. ( no problem cruising at 65 mph) The crank end play is a trifle high at .008 . oil gets a little hotter than I’d like but never over 220 so far but I’ve not driven it further than 30 miles at a go. I have tried various oils to get the temp down, from 15w40 to 10w30 and now 5w30 mobil 1. the 5w30 mobil 1 run coolest with the highest oil pressure at idle ( I had to reduce the idle speed when I installed it!)  but it does seem to take a trifle longer time for the oil light to go off using it.  the oil temps  were over 240 degrees with the 15w40 diesel oil!
(

edsnova2013-08-03 13:49:37

[Ed Service]

See this article http://prelube.com/articals.html

edsnova2013-08-03 13:50:00

[edward ericson]

Eddy–and all–I stepped in and edited your posts to make your links live. You see they show up blue now? That means anyone can just click on them to go to that web site.

You can do this too–and you don’t even need to put the url (http://blah blah) as text in your message. All you need to do is highlight any text you want to turn into a link, click the little earth-with-chainlink icon above the editor (it’s to the left of the smily face), and past the URL in the window that pops up. Then click OK et voila: you saved all the board’s interested users a step.

All that said, I kind of like the idea of a pre-lube system on these cars. I have read that modern motor oils–synthetics especially–are pretty “sticky” and tend to stay on wear parts much better than old oils did. But since we’re running old engines, usually with dino oil blends, and can very often leave them unstarted for two weeks in a row, I can see the point of a prelube.

Hadn’t seen that gadget before.

edsnova2013-08-03 14:10:22

[Paul Mossberg]

Millions of Beetles, Buses, Ghias and other VWs ran for decades without add-ons like this.

Take that for what it’s worth.

Just my two cents.

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[edward ericson]

That too, Paul. That too.

[Ed Service]

There is no doubt that millions of vw ran for years without any crutches. It’s just that mine seems to have a little looseness in the bottom end and I really don’t want to rebuild this engine so I’m curious if a prelube setup would extend the life of my engine in it’s present state!  I don’t think that knocking on cold startup can be good for it. I HAVE heard quite a few VW’s do it though and they seem to last a long time in spite of it.  VW’s got along ok for many years without an oil filter too, but I doubt many folks would deny they would have benefited with having one! 

[Author]

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