A way to make your CTD last longer?

[dalexander]

Sorry if you have already read this but I decided to change the title of the post did not get a response from the last one. The question I have is that I have done some SCCA road racing over the years . In the Improved Touring classes we ran a device called a Accusump. It was basically a oil accumulator that kept pressurized oil so if you were experincing high cornering G's and your oil pickup sucked air it would still provide oil to vital engine parts. The feature that I can see an application in the CTD is two fold. First, it continues to provide oil after engine shutdown which could be directed to the Turbo to provide cool down after hard runs. Second, the device is used quite a bit at engine startup to run oil through the engine prior to cranking. The standard procedure is the shut the valve to the accumulator before you shut the engine off that provides 2 or 3 quarts of oil to the bearings before you start. Was told by other racers that it prolongs engine life by quite a bit since most wear occurs at startup. Is this something that would work on the CTD?



Sorry for the long post.



Dennis

 

[Ramboy]

Why bother? Unless you are using your truck commercially, the engine will outlast you anyway.

 

[SOOT]

Sounds like a good idea



I don't see why not

 

[dalexander]

Why Bother?

Ramboy said "Why bother? Unless you are using your truck commercially, the engine will outlast you anyway. "







That is my point, Most high mileage motors are people that drive commercially, ie they run long stretchs without shuting down, fewer startups less wear. I am buying a new truck now because I am not sure what the new cummins will be like as far as reliability goes plus all the new EPA rules that are coming. Right now I will not be running long trips using mostly as a daily driver. In the future I will have more time to pull my Racing Rig to all the tracks back east that I have been wanting to race on. When this happens I would like the motor to be in the best possible condition. My question was has anyone ever done this or know if it would work as opposed to if it is worth doing.

 

[Beast2B]

Dennis-

Was the setup you were using in SCCA manually operated (you turn the valve open or closed)? I kinda recall hearing about a system that would automatically close the valve at key off and open the valve at key on... I don't remember any details, but I will start researching some.

I agree that a daily driver/commuter truck would benefit more than a commercial rig, so I will follow this post for more info!

 

[dalexander]

Beast2B-



We always used a manual value next to the Driver seat for simplicity but they do make a electrically operated valve that can be connected to a ignition power source with toggle switch override. This is a website that lists parts. http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/accusump.htm

The issue is where to tap into the oil system that would supply the oil to the bearing first and not just the valve train or turbo.

 

[NVR FNSH]

Instead of a sump how 'bout you buy the Pre-Luber kit I have sitting brand new in the box in my garage? The sumps are a good idea but I just don't see it being very pratical for the majority of owners.



Brian

 

[dalexander]

Pre-Luber?

NVR FNSH-



How does a pre-luber work that is something I am not fimilar with? The method does not matter to me just the end result.



Thanks, Dennis

 

[Beast2B]

... and to go one step further with Dennis' question, why is it sitting in your garage instead of under your hood?

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I can answer this one because I had one in the past (it's in my garage too). A pre-luber is very simply an oil pump that sucks ***OIL*** from the bottom of the pan (you connect it to the drain plug usually) and plumbs into your oil lines somewhere on the truck. When you turn the key on it turns the pump on for a period of time (usually settable) and pressures the oil system to pre-lube the engine. When you turn the truck off it comes on again and runs the oil through the system for a period of time (also settable) to stop the oil from coking. Two concerns with the setup - one is that it adds a lot of hose to your oil system, and I've read of several cases where one of those lines broke or abraded through and toasted their engine because they were running on no oil. Second thing is the cost of the system and the unreliability of the pumps. I bought mine through Summit racing and the kit cost about $500 - the oil pump lasted for 2 years and approximately 50,000 miles on my GMC Sonoma then the pump died. To replace just the pump was going to cost almost what I paid for the whole thing - didn't make much sense to me.



The thing to keep in mind is the thickness of the oil that we run (it doesn't all drain into the pan) - open your valve cover after it's been sitting for a few days, there's lots of oil left in there. Also the lifespan of the engine without a pre-lube. What is a consideration IMO is the coking of the oil at shutdown. I solved that with an ISSpro turbo temp monitor - I turn the key off and the truck idles until the post turbo EGT is below 300 degrees and then it turns itself off - no coking. The preluber was one of the biggest wastes of money I've ever done when it comes to vehicles. JMHO

 

[Sled Puller]

Originally posted by Steve St. Laurent

A pre-luber is very simply an oil pump that sucks *fuel* from the bottom of the pan

Perhaps Steve's didn't work well because he was sucking FUEL from the bottom of his oil pan?

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

DOH!!!!!! Oops - corrected! I make so many posts on fuel pumps on here I musta had a brain fart.

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

I like the sound of this for pre lubing... the Accusump that is...



if you had a valve that was open when the key is on if you were to turn the key on for 5 sec before starting the oil would have time to squirt all the bearings.



I found out something while swapping a cam into my CTD. . only the first cam journal has a bearing. The rest are cast into the block and ride only on a oil bath.



food for thought. oil pressure before motion is definitely good.

 

[dalexander]

Thanks Steve for the info.

After reading steve's post I will not be using a pre-luber. Do not need to add all that complexity to the truck. Accusumps are very simple devices. They use air pressure that is compressed when they fill with oil and the air forces the oil back out when pressure drops. They are just a canister with a piston inside one side holds air the otherside fills with oil. We just run a steel braided line to the plate that mounts on the oil filter flange and that is it as far as hoses. Never had one fail. The only electrical part would be the valve and if it failed the most that would happen is that you would lose the pre-lube function.