Homemade Pneumatic Engine Pre-Oiling Machine

[60dgrzbelow0]

Thanks for the in-depth corrections, P-R. You know... I was thinking about another promising possibility if this device proves itself in the coming weeks of testing, What if instead of using normal engine lubricants... substitute them with something like Seafoam or a similar Top-Engine De-Carbonizer was run through this process? Say initially, to prime all of the oil galleries and passages with the stuff and left to sit over night... and then flushed out with either straight kerosene or very light engine oil...and finally ...primed with the proper break-in oil supplemented with engine oil additives. Just think of all that hidden crap lodged inside the lifters and adjacent oil galleries being washed out...

[60dgrzbelow0]

P-R... Also... I forgot to mention that I spied one of those Shurflo Pneumatic Beverage Pumps on eBay as a "Make Offer" situation ...and forgot about placing the offer until this morning when I found out the Seller accepted my $10.00 bid. So I'll also be exploring the pneumatic driven pump design of the Oober-Loober as well. If you recall, I staggered through three iterations of "Frank" way back when and I see no reason not to try out this unit on the same machine...probably with both compressed air and via a 2000 PSI-Regulated tank of Dry Nitrogen I was using for HVAC copper tubing brazing line purges. Naturally, I want to take this pump apart to see what makes it tick before assembling a test bed for it. I was wondering if attaching a 3/8" fine thread plumbing "T" right at the FRAM C3 cannister would allow me to attach not only the braided clear PVC...but also an analogue Oil Pressure Gauge at a point where the maximum outflow oil pressure should probably be measured. I understand that over the distance the oil must travel down the PVC before it arrives at the Mobil Oil Filter Manifold, I can anticipate some loss of pressure, but at the very least.. I'll be able to measure what it is as close to the pumping force as possible. Here are some images of this used Shurflo Pump:

[pocket-rocket]

That's not a half bad idea with the Seafoam and Kero... I've never liked putting anything other than oil in a running engine, although I will recommend Seafoam occasionally. Considering the engine doesn't have to run with thinned out oil using this device, I actually like this idea. I still think I'm going to jump on one of those drill operated doo-hickeys though. I can just as easy buy a cheap Harbor Freight drill or use my DeWalt to run it, and since it's made for oil and has flexible impellers (in case there's a blockage and flow stops it doesn't bust off impellers trying to pump the fluid) it makes me want to go that route even more. Thanks for posting it and all about this project. I hate starting or turning an engine over that hasn't been primed, and for a DOHC, there really is no other way to prime it except pull the ECM fuse and crank... Come spring, I don't want to have to do that in my car, and now I won't

[60dgrzbelow0]

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss19/60dgrzbelow0/ANEWV6OILPUMPRIMINGTOOL/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16

Okay... I made some progress today on thrashing out what kind of sealing interface would be required to isolate the pressuring of the Motor Oil/Engine Break-In Additives by ensuring the correct model required for my 3.4L engine in using a Mobil1 Oil Filter. I then disassembled it using my Deibold Angle Grinder. It was critical to make certain the cut the canister off the steel base of the filter about 5/8" above the metal bottom of the filter. This was necessary to ensure I compensated enough not to cut into the base and to affect as perfectly straight a circumferential cut as possible, I then removed the entire contents of the canister which included a small, one way filter, a spring tensioner and a round rubber grommet. None of these items is necessary to use in the making of this part of "The FrankenUberLuber".

Because of the need to block off all the return holes in the lower plate, I thought it made more sense to simply stick nails in the holes to facilitate my brazing efforts and then grind off the nails afterward. I cleaned all the paint, decals and glue off of the areas of this Mobil Pre-Oiler Canister so that my braze lines would hold and to make it easier to heat and braze in the shortest possible time to avoid burning through the filter canister walls, which are only 0.020" thick.

I found a brass 3/8" barbed liquid line/air fitting that had the same approximate Outside Diameter as the beefy steel washer I wanted to braze around it to act as a support bung on the bottom of the canister and give it some needed additional strength, I pilot drilled a start hole centered in the top and used the largest drill I had that would fit in the 3/8" chuck of my hand drill to finish the hole and just wallowed out the hole to the size required to lay the steel washer over the hole and then screw the brass barbed fitting in the middle. I then used my small MAPP gas and O2 tanks to brass rod braze these items together.

I note that it is critical to either angle grind or file down the OD of the base of the filter just enough to require it be tapped in with a mallet symmetrically around the edge...but leave about a 1/16" space between the canister edge and the steel base for the brazing to flow and fill up for a decent mating and sure weld. As you work on this part of the project ...make certain to wear Mechanic's Gloves and eye protection to deal with all the razor sharp edges on these metal parts. Prior to assembly, radius and smooth all the rough edges and use a metal file inside and out to rid the canister and base of any metal shards or grinding remnants, If you do NOT clean up these things before brazing the whole thing together...whatever mung that is left inside the canister and base will be picked up by the inflow of new motor oil and pushed through the engine block.

This will occur because the Fram C3 External Canister Filter is upstream from this component on the build; the last thing the oil will pass through before entering and pressurizing inside the motor. Use the metal file, crocus cloth and if necessary, Brillo Pads or steel wool to clean and polish up the surfaces to be brazed and then make certain to clean off the rod rosin or it will corrode the brazing in short order. Before doing the final close up brazing of the canister body to the steel base... wrap a strong Neo-D magnet in a clean cloth (Tee Shirt material works best) and run the magnet over all surfaces. If you feel any snags as you go along, file or abrade them off and go over it several times with the magnet/cloth technique until there are no metal filings left. Clean up the pieces with either Isopropyl Alcohol or Spray Brake Cleaner and then carefully tap the two segments together...making certain that the part that holds the factory press-in rubber sealing grommet is facing out. Its worth noting that I slipped the grommet off the lower plate before tearing into this thing...No...it is not glued in place... and it is simply pressed it back into its intended groove as the last thing necessary to do on this part of the project before giving that grommet a light shmear of Motor Oil and then carefully threading it into the aluminium Oil Filter Manifold and tightening it by hand...with a slight snug after that.

This work is going to seem a bit tedious...but if you consider the alternatives to starting your engine bone dry after it has been dormant for years ...or that moment when you fire up "The undiscovered country..." of that Crate Motor...or perhaps even your own re-build... "The FrankenUberLuber" will give you some peace of mind and prevent you from inadvertently hurting your big investment.

Just as I was finishing this part of the project...UPS showed up with the Clear Braided Hose and the Shurflo Beverage Pump. I'll be doing a Dry Assembly tomorrow morning and try to dope out what kind of rack or stand I want to set all this hardware inside of as well. When the last component arrives (Twist Drill Driven Oil Pump) I'll start putting everything together...but not before doing a direct pressure test of this WWI-German-Helmet looking component first. If..." Der Hellmut Machen Mitt Der Ger-Shpringen Undt Der Leeken":...then I'll do the necessary touch up brazing and re-test it again.

The pics I took of this work can be seen here:

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss19/60dgrzbelow0/ANEWV6OILPUMPRIMINGTOOL/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16

[60dgrzbelow0]

I wanted to mention an alternative to brazing as the means to attach the brass barbed tubing inlet on the top of the steel canister and the circular plate on the bottom. If the idea here is to provide the means for the construction of each unique canister filter body for the varied kinds each engine uniquely sports...then unless you prefer the needed skills and equipment necessary to do this... brazing might be out of the question and in fact be so off-putting as to discourage our broader group of interested members from trying to make their own.

While it is unlikely that I will actually use the following alternative method at any point during these initial build and test phases... my confidence is high that it will work just as well. I'm suggesting that to secure the brass barbed oil inlet fitting using two snug fitting flat washers that have been hammered into a slight concavity using a ball peen hammer centered over the holes in the washers while resting on a section of flat 2" X 4" and uniformly struck with another hammer in order to impart the needed concavity. Then, find some sturdy, reinforced rubber grommets or washers that can be sandwiched in between the layers that follow the pattern as follows:

From the Outside In:

Brass Barbed fitting ----> into Curved Steel Washer---> Reinforced Rubber Washer ----> into the top of the Mobil1 Steel Oil Canister --->

Then... From the Inside:

---< Reinforced Rubber Washer ----< over Brass Barbed Fitting <----followed by the second Curved Steel Washer mating to the inside curvature of the Mobil1 Oil Canister <----- Followed by a Lock Washer <----- Followed by a Hex Nut to secure all of these components in place.

For the problem of how to secure the sliced off base... it might require sacrificing another identical Mobil1 Oil Filter...or perhaps using a section from the lower portion of the steel canister after the thick base plate has been sliced off and removed. What is necessary is for you to have a section of the canister available to fit over the lower plate section and the bottom of the canister after they are lightly hammered back together... with a very liberal dollop of JB-Weld thoroughly mixed and then ladled around the lower outer rim where the base plate and the canister meet. Prior to allowing the JB-Weld to set, make a small vertical cut in the sliced off ring portion and slide that item onto the canister from the top down until it meets the adhesive. Then...push the sleeve over the JB-Weld downward until it completely encircles the adhesive. Use a few plastic nylon tie wraps to secure the ring in pl;ace and leave it set on a shelf all day until the well mixed JB-Weld is hard and dry. That should be sufficient to hold the base and canister together. This will have to be pressure tested several times before Attempting to use it on a live engine... If this procedure doesn't do enough to convince you that brazing these parts together might not be such a crazy idea after all... Nothing will. You can find rubberized , reinforced washers in the basic plumbing kits used by plumbers to attach the water casements to the toilet base. I think those would work fine in this application.

[02GT_Skyhigh]

Nice job fabricating the filter!
It is very interesting to think about the value of an item like this.
In highschool, a friend of mine raced single piston dragsters and
he and his father were on their friends alcohol car crew.
I swear, they rebuilt that motor like 2 times a month in the summer!
Fabulous job, with this and your other projects!

[pocket-rocket]

I just ordered one of those drill pumps What sucks is I won't be able to do anything with it until this spring :/

[60dgrzbelow0]

I just ordered one of those drill pumps What sucks is I won't be able to do anything with it until this spring :/

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss19/60dgrzbelow0/ANEWV6OILPUMPRIMINGTOOL

Damn, Jon... I feel so stupid... I wish I could have caught you B4 you spent the $$$... I was in ACE HW this morning in the furtherance of this project and was getting all the various brass plumbing parts I needed...when I spied another similar pump...albeit, with a slightly less GPM rating for just under $9.00 and I thought of your interest... anyway... the link to my photobucket will show how they compare with each other.

Okay... I made some good progress in my first dry-run mock-up of the various functional parts and pieces...again with some elegance and practicality in mind in how I want all this to work. I decided to sh*t-can the green garden hose for use as the pick-up hose in the bucket of oil/additives; the reason(s) being obvious when you see from the photo(s) of how easily it collapses even when coiled only a bit. So I decided to kill the two proverbial birds here by using a fairly large, patent (a medical term for meaning in this application "wide open") acrylic hose that will not suffer the same fate and risk a suction collapse at the most critical time when the pump needs to pressurize both the filter canister and the hose leading to the Mobil1 Manifold Adapter. The second of the two birds getting killed here is that I (or YOU ...if you decide to build your own unique version of "The Oober-Loober"... once this thing is field tested) will be able to peer through that the large acrylic pick-up tube because it is crystal clear...making the idea of following the progress of the oil from the filling bucket...through the mini-pump as the screw gun/hand drill work to suction up the lubricant and pump it through the entire apparatus properly very possible. I suspect that if you cannot see the fluid moving along at any given point, then any problem causing the flow disruption can be easily investigated and fixed.

I decided that it made more sense to "T" off the inlet line on the pressurizing side of the inlet to the External Oil Filter Canister as the oil is entering the unit and watch the in-coming Oil Pressure on a decent and relatively attractive Analog Oil Pressure Gauge. Since I will only be using a short length of sender tube.. I opted for some slender copper tubing and fittings rather than use the cheap nylon tube. Besides... As the drill is turning away and I can take readings on how much the pressure rises... as soon as the External Canister Oil Filter Unit fills up...I will be able to see the oil exiting and flowing through the reinforced clear PVC tubing...on down to where it connects to the Mobil1 manifold and from there on...hopefully through all the various places inside the engine block.

It should not take very long for the oil to make its way around the engine innards and I anticipate the gauge will fluctuate as the liquid seeks to move in and around the various mechanical components that will attempt (in vain) to resist its passage through the oil galleries. I will have the valve covers off of the heads and will be looking for the presence of the oil working and percolating up and through the hollow push rods and then pouring over the valve train to drain down inside the crankcase where it will serve to feed the Oil Pick Up Tube when the Oil Level is finally topped of...just before the engine is to experience its first start-up. The latest components and layout can be seen here...

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss19/60dgrzbelow0/ANEWV6OILPUMPRIMINGTOOL

Tomorrow... I'll break out a few of the extra angle iron bed frames I found while making more space in my garage and begin doping out how I want all this "Oily Hardware" to be arranged and fixed firmly in place. I like the design I came up with for "The FrankInjector Machine" stand so much that I will probably come up with something very similar...with perhaps an adjustable height feature to the device so that it can be raised or lowered depending upon the height of any particular car or truck fender. I think that general height will be most advantageous for the installation setting up,the running of and ultimate, the painless removal of the device components and still afford the user the chance to watch the fluid level in the bucket/jug holding the special oil...the Oil Pressure Gauge...and still be able to keep an eye on the valve train while looking for the tell-tale signs of fresh break-in oil and additives completing its intended journey...with what I suspect will be no small amount of happy anticipation at seeing the oil bubbling on out on top...Just as planned!

[pocket-rocket]

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/s...PUMPRIMINGTOOL

Damn, Jon... I feel so stupid... I wish I could have caught you B4 you spent the $$$...

Don't sweat it I know Shur-flo makes good pumps (not that Wayne doesn't).

[60dgrzbelow0]

Cool Beenz, Jon... I'll probably wind up using both of these drill pumps if the BUNA material the internal impellers and shaft seals are made out of winds up dissolving in the presence of the motor oils and additives.

Okay... I'll be in the garage for the rest of the afternoon, measuring and cutting the steel angle iron blanks for this assembly. While I'm off line, I just wanted to drop this link in here because it bears repeating why building this machine means so much to me. IINM, either Ben or Brad (or John, too) have either mentioned, posted or alluded to the information in this article and it is still a worthwhile read for anyone coming late to the process of either re-building their engines or simply putting in a performance camshaft and valve train to gain horsepower. Regardless of whether 6 or 8 cylinders are involved, any motors that sport hydraulic or solid flat tappet lifters will need the lubrication help described in the article. We can't have enough good information like this... and no matter how much any of us knows ...trying to maintain an institutional memory of such matters is nearly an impossible task; especially when the folks holding the knowledge might be busy and/or not have the chance to pass these ideas and facts along in a timely fashion.

Building "Der FrankenUberLuber Machine" is simply my way of getting a great deal more peace of mind that I demand when working on our 6/60 engines with an eye towards longer lasting, better performing and fine running sets of engines...

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/flat_tappet_cam_tech/index.html

Okay... I ripped the bed frames apart with an angle grinder and have enough angle stock to build a decent frame...unfortunately.. The bloodthirsty "No-Seeum Bugs" got the upper hand over me and I had to quit for the day. I took some shots of the prep materials, etc. Tomorrow, I'll build everything and have it ready to try out by Friday afternnon...

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss19/60dgrzbelow0/ANEWV6OILPUMPRIMINGTOOL/

[pocket-rocket]

An update with the drill pump... I tried using it to clean the pudding like sludge (oil and coolant mix) out of a heater core and it couldnt do it. So either I got a bad one or they really arent powerful enough to force oil through an engine. Im assuming it wont work.

Sent from my Sony Tablet S using Tapatalk

[3400-95-Modified]

Most of the engines people are building are roller lifter now anyways... All of the 3x00 motors are roller and I simply took a stock oil pump drive and took it apart and ran a hex rod down through the middle and I can prime my engine very easily.

[pocket-rocket]

I modified a distributor plug (removed the guts), drilled a hole through the center of the cap and got the cheap $10 priming kit from Harbor Freight and use the hex drive through the center of it. Problem for me is, you can't get the distributor plug out of a DOHC without removing the rear head... otherwise the plug only comes up about 1/4-1/2", so I've go almost no option for preoiling while leaving the rotating assembly stationary. That's why I've been interested in a preoiling machine for a bit.

[robertisaar]

considering how cheap oil filters are.... couldn't someone with decent welding skills just remove the core of the filter and use the threaded portion to essentially make an adapter that screws on in place of a filter, then pump a large amount of oil(~5 quarts or so) at a decent pace to keep pressure at 60PSI or so?

how to keep enough flow going to maintain enough pressure to get near the oil pressure relief setting is where i'm not coming up with a good idea.

[3400-95-Modified]

Just buy a stock oil pump, make a plate for the top, that also supports the pump, with an o-ring seal and hose outlet coming off of it and drill power it into a sandwich oil filter adapter, blocking one side of the adapter....

You could stick the pickup in a bucket with 4-5 quarts in it, I would say you just stop once it's empty.