Onboard pre-oiler
 

How feasible would it be to setup an onboard pre-oiler that would lubricate the engine while you're running the glow cycle?

Just put a manual vacuum switch on the shut off valve and crank the engine for a few seconds without fuel to oil the engine before it starts if it concerns you.

It can be done and has been discussed before but I think the consensus is that it won't really help pre-lube the cylinders which is where these engines seem to wear out first.

. . . plus the usual reminder to not rev the engine any more than necessary to keep it running until the oil pressure comes up.

However,
 

If you took Kerry's suggestion and had a Pre-Oiler online...
(OP @ 50+ PSI and engine rotation without ignition)
I'll venture to say your engine wear potential would reduce to the 5% level from
what it is now,with a cold dry start.
Plus,You'd have post-shut-down oiling available for the Turbocharger.

You could try something like this...

http://www.worldlube.com/preoiler.html

I guess you could either plumb it into the cooler return line or tap into the oil filter housing.

Except that runoff from the piston jets will contact the walls too.

I installed a homemade version on my Scout. It was actually very helpful because it would usually take a good 15-20 sec to build oil pressure after starting. Now I have instant oil pressure. The 617 only seems to take about 2-3 sec to get oil pressure. A pressure type plumbed into the oil gallery would be the simplest solution.

An pneumatic amsoiler wouldn't be to hard. You basically need a pressure/storage vessel w/ 2 x 1/4" FPT holes in the bottom. Inlet gets a check valve w/restriction so it doesn't starve the engine on refill, outlet is a solenoid valve. This would be hitting the high side of the filter, in parallel w/ the oil system. Not a huge deal if the solenoid fails in either position.

You could even do it very simply in series w/ the oil system just- a storage element and a solenoid valve, fed by IGN HOT and also HOT when the starter is cranked. In addition, it better be happy w/ 8V, 10V or whatever your battery draws down to when it cranks. You would lose oil supply if your engine runs on when the key is pulled, unless you switch at the dashboard, then you have ID10T problems instead. The risk is severe if the solenoid fails closed- you'll pump the sump dry and hear a screech if enough oil doesn't follow the timing chain down from the head.

In either case, with a single shot operation, you'll get pre or post run (turbo) protection, but not both. Seems to me that dumping the turbo through dump valve that opens when it loses IGN HOT is a better way to protect it. A dead headed turbo spins on because it's no longer doing any flow work, it just has losses at the bearing and viscous losses on the internal flow. Sucking air thru the filter and blowing it out should quench that momentum fairly quickly.

Fun stuff! Makes me wish I was working, again. DAMN! Where's my drafting pencil! I need the back of an envelope!

Hmmm. I'll continue to look into this....

Pre Oiler
 

Prestart oil prime of a long storage engine can save your bearings and bank account.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/86683-prestart-oil-prime-long-storage-engine-can-save-your-bearings-bank-account.html#post565636

instalation of block heater/pre-oiler, etc
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/30691-instalation-block-heater-pre-oiler-etc.html#post166907

Would a pre-oiler lengthen engine life?
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/31847-would-pre-oiler-lengthen-engine-life.html#post174393

AutoEngine, Pre Oiler...
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/160646-autoengine-pre-oiler.html#post1237783

Complicated idea.
You have a small Vane or Gear type pump driven off of the rear of your starter. The starter is wired so that when you press a button or hooked to the GP circuit the Starter spins and the Soleniod does not active so the Starter does not engage the Flywheel driving the Pre-lube pump.

When you turn the key the Starter operates as normal.

Pretty much standard equipment on many big generator and industrial engines.On 399 cats when you pushed the start button the only thing that started was the pre-oil pump,once it built sufficent pressure a pressure switch activated the start relay to the solenoid so at least Cat felt it was a worthwhile engine saver.Considering the cost of a 16cyl diesel eng the pre-oil system was small potatoes i guess. Don

These are often the topic of discussion on the 181 platform cars.

TheSamba.com :: View topic - Pre-oiling devices?

I used to use an Accusump on my race car. It's a pneumatic reservoir plumbed into the system. It has a one way valve that can be released with an electrical signal. While the engine is running, it builds pressure. When you want to start, you open the valve, forcing a shot of pressurized oil through the oil galleries. Works great. I haven't looked, but I bet there are plugs on the right side of the block than can be removed to fit it up.

Canton Racing Products

As has been mentioned, just rigging the stop lever to allow manual control will give you the option of cranking for a few seconds before you start. That will build more than enough pressure to prelube. And then again, my 190DT has made it to 340K miles without prelubing.

If you read Whunter's references.... you will see I have been interested in this a long time...
but I never did figure out where on OUR engines it would be feasible to inject the oil ....AND WHERE are you going to draw it from ? Are you wiling to make a hole in your oil pan to pull it from ?
Study the pictures of the oil system long and hard... as it is a little complicated....

I am not sure what the Pan on a 240D looks like. But, as you said that would be the easy place to tap from.

When the Engine is Cold the Oil Filter Thermostat is supposed to be closed that could and in theory that it should also block off the Oil Flow coming from the opposite direction.

That could mean you could pump Oil into the Oil Return Hose from the Oil Cooler and back into the Filter housing to pass through the Filter and into the Engine.

If the Oil Cooler Thermostat would not hold back the pressure you would need to put a one way Valve in the Oil Return from the Oil Filter so the Oil pressure would only go back towards the Oil Filter Housing.
I think the bugger is that the Oil Filter Housing holds a large volume of Oil. I think that would mean you need an Electric Pump or it will not supply enough volume.

Also without a One-way Valve in the Return Oil Cooler Line you might the Oil Cooler and Oil Cooler Inlet Hose might have to be back filled with Oil.
The One-way Valve needs to be between the Oil Cooler outlet and where you are pushing in the Oil from the remote Pump. I guess there also needs to be another One-way Valve to keep Oil from back flowing though the Remote Oil Pump System once the Engine is going.

Doing the above also avoids having to add another Filter to the Remote Oil Pump System since you would be using the Stock Fitler.

You would need a separate Oil Filter to do the below.
On Engines With a Turbo might be able to use a longer Banjo Bolt and stack 2 Banjos. the normal Turbo Banjo and another one for the Oil coming from the Remote Oil Pump.

That is easy but the bugger there is the Banjo Bolts have small holes in them and would restrict the Oil Flow making it slow to pressurize the system.

If you want a lager hole to flow more Oil you would need to custom make a Banjo Bolt that has the Oil Passage and fitting inline with the Banjo Bolt. That way you do not need an 2nd Banjo.

Diesel911, Good description of the situation.... I was about to mention that need for a one way valve ( temporarily ).... otherwise there is that possibility of pumping the oil without it actually going to the desired locations .... the crank,rod and piston pin and cam....which brings up the need to locate the pressure reading sending unit in a place which will reflect correct pumping direction.... which the original one May not indicate.

There was a lot of discussion on the TDR a number of years ago about the so-called benefits of pre oilers. They were more trouble than they were worth, and here's one other thing to consider- their external plumbing is another failure point where all your oil could be lost catastrophically. The uptake is that the cure was worse than the disease.

The engines last forever and lose compression before they wear out the bearings. Great idea but........what's the point?

If you can bring the Oil Pressure up enough to get the Oil Squinters on the Turbo to work that would help reduce Cylinder wear.

The Particles from Bearing Wear are going to get Circulated through the whole System and in one of the long Oil Filter Threads they typical stock Oil Filters filter to 22-27 nominal Microns. Read the definition of Nominal Microns and it means that the Filter only Filter out 50% of the 22-27 Nominal Micron Particles. To me that means that larger particles are also passing through.
Anyway less Bearing wear would mean less particles circulating through the System and that would include the Cylinders.

I have not re-read the whole thread but did someone mention the possibility have having the same Oil Priming system also act as a back up incase of Engine Oil Pump failure at least to give you enough time to get off of the Road.

Again, I'm fairly sure that there are plugs in the oil gallery along the right side of the block. On turbo motors, that's where they tap in for the oil feed. You don't need a return if you use an Accusump, it really simplifies the plumbing. It retains oil at the operating pressure of the gallery it's plugged into, and releases it back into the gallery when the valve opens. It will instantly pressurize the system to 1.5 bar, no problem, and has the extra advantage that it will maintain pressure if you do a 1G corner ;) and starve the pump. Simple is better.

Unless you're thinking of building a racing motor, I just don't see the need. These engines go 400K miles or more in stock form without spun bearings or bad rings.

I do not have a turbo engine at this time....
but I think the squirters are on the left side of the engine...
and I do not know of any built in place to tap that oil passage.... it is closed at the back end of the block with a pressed in steel ball bearing.
One system you are describing is more for catastrophic oil pressure loss.... as compared to pre oiling...
and what makes you think putting oil into the squirter oil gallery would force oil to where we want it.... as compared to simply sending it to the oil pump ? It does like any other liquid following the path of least resistance...

I keep forgetting that Mercedes aren't subject to the same laws of physics as other cars. A valved Accusump works fine as a pre-oiler, at least on physics-compliant cars like Jags and Ferrari's.

Any engine's oil pump is positive displacement, and won't allow oil to pass backwards (unless it's turning backwards.) And remember, the pump rotors can't budge in either direction unless the engine is running. You won't force oil into the sump. A shot from an Accusump will pressurize the galleries and oil will go exactly where you want it to. Where you plumb in isn't all that critical: pressure is everywhere. If you really want to implement a complex solution, you'll still have the problem of plumbing into an oil gallery. Accusump would save you also having to plumb into the sump, and would probably avoid a dozen other complications. I' sure that in the worst case, you can check out a turbo block and drill a hole in the same spot to tap your pressure gallery. Or you could just T off the oil pressure sensor.

Here's a quote from the Accusump website:

"An Accusump is an oil reservoir that is connected to the engine's oiling system. It is designed to deliver pressurized oil to an engine before starting to eliminate dry star scuffing (pre-oiling) and to discharge its reservoir of oil during low oil pressure surges to protect against engine damage during demanding racing conditions.

It installs simply with only one oil line connecting it. Through this line the Accusump fills and discharges. This oil line may be plumbed into the return line of an oil cooler or remote filter using a "T" fitting, into an oil input sandwich adapter, or directly into one of the engines oil galleys.

The Accusump's design includes a piston. On one side of this piston is pressurized air and on the other side of the piston is the reserve of oil. To hold this reserve of oil in the Accusump when the engine is not running and there is no oil pressure to hold it, a valve must be installed on the oil line. The three different valve options for the Accusump are the manual ball valve for pre-oiling and surge control, electric valve for pre-oiling operation , and the EPC (electric pressure control) valve for pre-oiling and surge control. Before the engine is started the operator should open the manual valve or turn on the toggle switch or ignition switch to activate the electric valve or the EPC valve. The opened or activated valve releases the reserve of oil that is under pressure in the Accusump. This released oil will go tot the engine's bearings to pre-oil the engine for a non-scuff start. After the engine is running and the oil pump builds pressure, oil is pumped back into the Accusump for the next restart or whenever the engine's normal oil pressure is interrupted. The Accusump will automatically charge and discharge as needed to maintain oil pressure during hard cornering , acceleration and braking."

Very funny...
have you checked the oil routing for any pop off high side valves ?
For instance... is there a high pressure relief between the oil pump .... and
the desired destination of the oil normally .... which routes oil back to the pan to relieve any excess pressure ?