[Dean]

Anyone have any experience with the Infinity Engine Pre-Oiler GP-301. Is this a gimick or worthwhile. If the oil pump was lost in flight this could theoretically be the backup. Anyone currently flying with one of these?

 

[airguy]

If the oil pump was lost in flight this could theoretically be the backup.

Not trying to be excessively Smart-A here, but that is a VERY remote failure mode to be trying to introduce a backup for. Not to mention that if you lose the oil pump, you've sheared something mechanically and you likely have more problems than an external oil pump will solve.

 

[RV8RIVETER]

I agree with Greg.

If you want to pre-oil you can also consider an accumulator as it will pre-oil and maintain pressure during short periods of -G.

 

[LarryT]

Accumulator v. pre-oiler

For a while I thought about using an accumulator. I came to the conclusion that an accumulator (which would probably require a diaphragm or floating piston type for unusual attitudes) would be more weight and bulk than the Infinity pre-oiler. On that basis, I would consider using the Infinity as a pre-oiler whether or not it had any back-up benefit while flying. I would probably use the smaller one since I don't regard the in-air back-up capability very highly.

There could be some benefit in having a pre-oiler wired to run briefly off a timer, especially if the crankcase used cam spray nozzles.

Larry Tompkins

 

[robpar]

This would not be difficult to roll your own. I did a similar thing on an electrically driven bus. The electric motor was connected directly to the automatic transmission without the torque converter. Not my idea managements idea. When the bus came to a stop if the pump was not there it would have dropped out of gear. So I found a small Baldor DC motor and mated it to a hydraulic pump using a pressure switch for activation. It worked perfectly for years.

My system was not an integrated motor/pump like his but those are available. I don't think it would be much cheaper to roll your own, but it would be an interesting idea to try.

Bob Parry