Anyone using a Masterlube pre-luber?

[yellow94]

I have a '94 set up with a Masterlube pre-luber system. Since my Viper is not a daily driver and might go weeks without a startup, (I live in New England and I want to drive a true roadster) the thought here was that I would save bearing wear on the engine between cruises. When the Masterlube works, all is well. But three times now, in the last three years, the viton o-ring sealing the oil in the canister from the real world has blown out, causing major oil loss. Luckily, I have been near home and was able to avert catastrophe. I'd hate to think what might have happened had I been on the interstate or racing........ And the mess the oil makes under the hood is not pretty.

Anyhow, this thread is not intended to discuss what pre-luber is better or even if I should have one or not, but rather to discuss how I can keep the o-ring from giving up. After talking to Kerry at Masterlube, I was told not to over-tighten the fitting holding down the o-ring. I have been very careful and check the pre-luber between driving. But I can't prevent what happens when I'm actually driving.

Has anyone experienced this with Masterlube or similar products? Any ideas as to what I can do to retain a fool-proof o-ring seal other than disconnecting this system and risking a dry startup? How ironic: using a pre-lube system to ensure a well-lubricated startup only to lose an engine minutes later because of major oil loss!

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated......

 

[dave6666]

I have a '94 set up with a Masterlube pre-luber system. Since my Viper is not a daily driver and might go weeks without a startup, (I live in New England and I want to drive a true roadster) the thought here was that I would save bearing wear on the engine between cruises. When the Masterlube works, all is well. But three times now, in the last three years, the viton o-ring sealing the oil in the canister from the real world has blown out, causing major oil loss. Luckily, I have been near home and was able to avert catastrophe. I'd hate to think what might have happened had I been on the interstate or racing........ And the mess the oil makes under the hood is not pretty.

Anyhow, this thread is not intended to discuss what pre-luber is better or even if I should have one or not, but rather to discuss how I can keep the o-ring from giving up. After talking to Kerry at Masterlube, I was told not to over-tighten the fitting holding down the o-ring. I have been very careful and check the pre-luber between driving. But I can't prevent what happens when I'm actually driving.

Has anyone experienced this with Masterlube or similar products? Any ideas as to what I can do to retain a fool-proof o-ring seal other than disconnecting this system and risking a dry startup? How ironic: using a pre-lube system to ensure a well-lubricated startup only to lose an engine minutes later because of major oil loss!

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated......

Move to Texas. We drive all year here.

 

[yellow94]

That might be an option!

 

[DrDJ]

The consensus seems to be that you are drastically increasing the chances of grenading your engine with such a device as opposed to prolonging your engine's life because of the very reason you have cited 3 times. The manufacturer will be happy to give you a new part when it happens, but it will be up to you to rebuild your engine or purchase a new one.

DrDJ

 

[ViperTony]

Not an expert on pre-lubing an engine but it seems this preluber is causing more problems than its trying to prevent. Ditch it. In CT, the winters have been so warm that I don't even bother putting the car cover on it in the garage as I've been able to drive it through the winter months in between snowfalls and warm weather. Is bearing wear an issue with Gen 1's?

 

[yellow94]

Not an expert on pre-lubing an engine but it seems this preluber is causing more problems than its trying to prevent. Ditch it. In CT, the winters have been so warm that I don't even bother putting the car cover on it in the garage as I've been able to drive it through the winter months in between snowfalls and warm weather. Is bearing wear an issue with Gen 1's?

I agree the pre-luber is causing more problems. My understanding is the Gen I (and Gen II??) has no camshaft bearings. The cam rides directly in the aluminum block. An inadequate oil suppy on start-up could cause scoring. But I suppose that's a small price to pay versus losing the entire engine due to no oil at all. Just wondering if others have experienced the same problem and if/how they resolved it.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Its happened 3 times? And you're still asking about using it? I would've ditched the garbage after 1 failure!!!

 

[ViperTony]

By the way, nice yellow GenI! If you're still in CT, we should try to get together for a cruise sometime before the winter. Hope your pre-luber situation gets resolved soon. Have you called Chuck Tator about it?

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

I would yank it off. Sounds like a poor design that fails often. Did Masterlube give you a torque to tighten to, or just "don't over-tighten"? Another thought would be the O-ring material. If not specified correctly, the seal may be breaking down via contact with the oil. So, no matter how carefully you tighten it, it will degrade and fail. Lastly, according to Tom the Fluids geek, the additives in oil these days do a great job of sticking to the metal surfaces so the need for this is questionable anyway.

 

[grcforce327]

I chose to go with the 3qt Accusump.I like the idea of pre-oiling, and the safety incase of pressure loss.Looks good too!

 

[yellow94]

I would yank it off. Sounds like a poor design that fails often. Did Masterlube give you a torque to tighten to, or just "don't over-tighten"? Another thought would be the O-ring material. If not specified correctly, the seal may be breaking down via contact with the oil. So, no matter how carefully you tighten it, it will degrade and fail. Lastly, according to Tom the Fluids geek, the additives in oil these days do a great job of sticking to the metal surfaces so the need for this is questionable anyway.

'Just don't overtighten' was the advice I received. I used the suggested o-ring, but it looks like it softens and allows the pressure to push just enough aside to let the oil leak out. Regardless, it's being removed this weekend. I have read Tom's advice and agree about today's oil. I'll just have to drive it more....

ViperTony: thanks for the compliment: your R/T is sweet!! I may be joining you and 00 on the 14th's cruise.