Pre-lub starter on cummins - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

MilitaryRestoration · 02-24-2009, 14:42

Has anyone used a pre-lub starter on their truck? Or seen one with it on. Been thinking about doing this as it is cheaper than a regular starter. However I would need to buy the wiring kit and also the piping for the oil.... opinions accepted

jasonjc · 02-24-2009, 16:13

prelube starter in place of the nomal starter???

MilitaryRestoration · 02-24-2009, 18:03

yes

Stretch44875 · 02-24-2009, 18:34

Um, what is a pre-lube starter? I know what a preluber is, put one on the M35, prime the oil pressure for 60 sec, then start....

Dennis

oilcan · 02-24-2009, 21:33

Here's the story I got.

Apparently that starter is used on some cummins powered dozers, and it takes a long time for them to crank over. The oil ports are to keep the starter cool while it's doing all that work.

Don't take my word on it, because I heard it 3rd hand and this information could be completely wrong.

If the starter does have an oil pump in it, that could be really handy. (Obviously!)

MilitaryRestoration · 02-24-2009, 21:41

According to the manufacturer there is an oil pump on the butt end of the starter. The starter cannot crank over until it senses that the oil pressure is to a certain psi. Therefore no starts with 8-15 second delays in oil pressure... Would be a great fix to the deuces.
here is it from their site:
How It Works
The patented Prelub™ system is automatically wired to your machine's existing start switch. Simply turn the switch to the "start" position. The Prelub™ system will automatically pressurize your engine with oil pressure. Only then will the engine be allowed to crank. Your engine's oil passages, oil filters, and all critical parts from the turbocharger to the crankshaft are pressurized with oil before anything moves. Dry start wear is significantly reduced and total engine wear will be reduced by up to 60%. Overall engine life can be extended up to 35-40%. (See software to measure savings in your application.)

WillWagner · 02-24-2009, 21:48

We installed a mess of these on UPS trucks that were loosing cams overnight. They are a joke with the original relay and timer. Maybe 3 seconds before the starter engages. If you were to install a switch that you could manually turn the pump on, that might be OK. I think it would be a waste of your money though.

oilcan · 02-24-2009, 22:12

That's pretty slick, and I'm glad my info was wrong. What do you have to lose by trying it out?

MilitaryRestoration · 02-24-2009, 22:17

Will - so yay or nay...? I've got a bad starter in the 5ton so I have to replace it and figured since it was initially cheaper than a regular starter I'd go with it, but if not really that worth it and it's just one more thing to go wrong then I'll just go with a regular starter. Like i said 'opinions accepted'

Thank You for help everyone so far

garp · 02-24-2009, 23:38

Nay. Caterpillar bought into this awhile back. The starters fail at a very high rate due to the fact to run the pump function it spins the starter with out pulling in the drive. This spins the internals faster than they are intended. You end up with a starter with its windings blown out. they still use em on some generators,but we have removed them from all the machines that ever had em on. Plus with a larger engine and cold oil, you run out of battery before you get oil pressure. So good in theory, poor in reality.