(January 12, 2011)
Only prelube pumps get oil throughout the engine prior to cranking
In today's economy and with industrial equipment prices on the rise, owners and operators are looking for practical ways to extend equipment life and increase time between top end and in-frame overhauls to maximize investment.
Studies have shown, the majority of engine mechanical wear, almost 90%, occurs at startup. At first crank of the engine, all the oil is in the sump and at the first rotation of the crankshaft the bearings, turbo bearings, rods, pistons, heads and all galleys are dry causing metal-to-metal contact to occur damaging the engine over its lifetime.
Common arguments are that warming up your vehicle before driving, frequent oil changes, oil preheating, etc. work to prevent this problem. While all these practices are positive, none of them actually move oil to where it needs to be at start up; only prelube does that.
Other arguments that, "diesel engines run for millions of hours anyway" or, "if prelube made a difference OEM's (original equipment manufacturers) would put them on", have been made to negate the value of prelube. In today's world of environmental regulation and impact as well as rising fuel costs, industrial engine operation is changing. With "no-idling laws" there are more frequent starts and getting enough hours is no longer enough -- consumers want the most out of their high-dollar equipment. Some OEMs are utilizing prelube in certain applications like power generation and marine because they know the value in demanding applications and the benefit it adds.
Another benefit of a prelube system is when used for engine shut down & turbo wind-down to lubricate the hot bearings for substantial reduction in wear and increase in turbo life. Prelube is also helpful in cold climates for cold starting to help circulate the cold oil.
VARNA Products, a manufacturer of industrial oil/fuel oil pumps and turnkey control solutions, offers a line of pumps Optimized for Prelube. VARNA Products positive displacement vane pumps utilize our patented floating whisper vane technology. The pump itself does not create pressure, it produces flow. Some models have built-in check valve and/or pressure regulator and all models are built for maintenance free operation. Available for intermittent and continuous duty applications. Available in 12/24VDC, Single & Three Phase AC, Air, Hazardous Location, motors available.
www.VARNAProducts.com for distributor list or contact Tiffany at 530-676-7770/ 888-676-7770
VARNA Products is a Division of Transportation Research Corporation, 4305 Business Drive, Cameron Park, CA 95682.
About VARNA Products: We are a manufacturer of industrial/marine oil and fuel pumps used in a variety of industries from oil and gas, power generation, marine, off-highway equipment, over-the-road trucks, etc.
Our pumps are built to last and maintenance free. Turnkey control solutions also available.