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The Prelub Plus System for the Dodge Cummins
by Bruce Gilkes

I met Russ Pollack, a representative for Prelub Plus, at a conference in June of this year.  I have no connection to Prelub Plus, however the brochure for the systems they sell interested me greatly when I saw it.  During a presentation, Russ outlined a system that when installed would help to prevent engine damage, prolong engine life and simplify oil maintenance.  The solution was Prelub Plus.  The Prelub Plus system uses an additional electric oil pump to bring your oil system up to operating pressure before you even crank the engine.  If you think about it, most of your engine damage occurs within the first few seconds of turning the key.

The Plus part of Prelub Plus is an ingenious mechanism that simplifies oil changes.  Instead of crawling underneath the truck and finding something that holds a lot of oil, you simply plug an attachment hose into a quick disconnect on the firewall, put the other end into whatever you are putting the used oil and activate the pump with a convenient thumb switch.  You have complete control over the oil evacuation process and you don’t even have to get crawl underneath the vehicle.  To top it all off, the system even removes about half the oil from the filter, totally simplifying the filter removal. 

Did you know that most people fill the oil filter by adding oil to the inside, larger hole in the filter?  Apparently you are supposed to fill the filter by the adding oil to the smaller outside holes so that only clean, filtered oil is available to the engine.  When you add oil to the larger inside hole, unfiltered oil goes right into the engine, so it really doesn’t do your engine any favors.  Anyway, the Prelub Plus system fixes this completely.  You install the filter dry (no more fumbling with a slippery 10 pound filter full of oil!) and the first time you start the system, Prelub Plus charges the filter correctly and supplies clean oil right to the engine galleries.  This is the cleanest, fastest, and easiest way I have ever seen for changing oil!

I own a ’99 Ram 2500 with the Cummins 24 Valve diesel.  Apart from a car starter, my truck is essentially stock, but the presentation Russ gave had me intrigued and made me want to consider doing a Prelub Plus install.  During start up it takes several seconds for my oil pressure to “stabilize”, even while revving at 1000 RPM as per the owners manual.  I can imagine the damage that goes on, especially if the engine is left sitting for a week and all of the oil is in the crankcase. 

I spoke to Russ, obtained some more information on the Prelub Plus system and I ordered the system from him for the Cummins in my Dodge.  Apparently the Prelub Plus system for the Cummins is the smallest that they manufacture.  Usually they do kits for Caterpillars and Detroit Diesels much more often.  They also manufacture a combined starter and Prelub pump system for many larger diesels. 

Russ shipped me the necessary parts in less than a week.  The kit showed up in a couple of flat cardboard boxes with excellent instruction manuals.  I am not a mechanic, but the system is very straightforward to install.  You simply replace the drain plug with a special 90 degree drain plug and hose attachment, run a hose to the pump, and run the pump output to the upper oil galleries on the engine.  An included ignition interface makes sure that the engine won’t start before proper oil pressure is reached.

I decided because I was going on vacation to let DelTech automotive in Calgary to do the installation work.  Adelmo Sciore, the owner, is a terrific guy who knows everything there is to know about custom automotive and truck installations.  His guys had the system installed and working perfectly by the time I got back.

Now that the Prelub Plus system is installed, I feel a lot better.  I was always unsettled during that first10 or so seconds until the oil was up to pressure.  Now when I turn the key to crank the engine, the Prelub pump whines reassuringly for about a second or two while the oil pressure builds up, and then the engine cranks automatically.  I wonder what kind of wear I will get out of the engine?   I don’t think I will be writing in anytime soon.  The stock Cummins is supposed to get about 600,000 kms plus between rebuilds, and the Prelub Plus is supposed to prolong the life by another 15 to 35 percent! 

If prolonged engine life doesn’t convince you that this system is worth purchasing, try to imagine doing a complete, spotless oil change in only a couple of minutes without having to crawl under the vehicle.  If you are interested in the Prelub Plus system, you can contact Russ Pollack directly at (734) 282-6238 or rjp@PRELUB.com, or can also find out more information about Prelub Plus at www.prelub.com.  If you need custom automotive work done in the Calgary area, DelTech Automotive can be reached at (403) 250-6555 or www.mikrotron.com/deltech.