Cam Break-In, Experienced feedbackers needed
#1
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Cam Break-In, Experienced feedbackers needed
So im putting heads/cam in my 99 T/A. the cam i got is a howards cam. in the cam card it says for flat tappet cam break-in, on very first start to run the motor up to 2500 rpm for 10 mins. shut it down, let it cool completely, and then run it at 2500 rpm for another 10 mins. in big bold letters it says DO NOT LET CAR IDLE ON FIRST START, is this necessary? i cant imagine firing up a dry motor and running it immediately to 2500 rpm can be good? especially since i have fresh valve springs, dont they need to be run at low rpm until the motor is hot and then allowed to cool to harden? I used ARP assembly lube on everything and i plan to use a light weight conventional oil like 5w20 for a few thousand miles. Any feedback please, thankyou.
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Yeah, I don't understand that one. You'll want to establish oil pressure first before you even attempt to rev up the motor. Howards? Never heard of them.
They might be thinking of heat cycles, but I don't understand the 2500 rpm thing to cycle it.
They might be thinking of heat cycles, but I don't understand the 2500 rpm thing to cycle it.
#5
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Hang on. So you installed this cam already??!?!!
Yikes... Did it come with the solid/flat tappet lifters? Hate to tell you this, but you got an SBC cam. Howards has been around for a while, but they do not have LS1 parts just BBC and SBC Ford/Chevy/Chrysler stuff. It wont work for a number of reasons but also because you dont have a distributor or dist gear. I'm not sure, but it may work in an LT1/4.
Take it back or ship it back.
Yikes... Did it come with the solid/flat tappet lifters? Hate to tell you this, but you got an SBC cam. Howards has been around for a while, but they do not have LS1 parts just BBC and SBC Ford/Chevy/Chrysler stuff. It wont work for a number of reasons but also because you dont have a distributor or dist gear. I'm not sure, but it may work in an LT1/4.
Take it back or ship it back.
#7
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Well, if he got it installed then that would be one thing. If it has a dist gear thats another. Also, they either don't know what they are selling or how to advertise it on that site. Look at the rocker ratio they have on there. change that to a 1.7 and those would be some big *** cams.
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#8
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Ya i wasnt even thinking since they do manufacture cams for sbc and ls, the instructions for flat tappet would probably be different.
#9
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Hang on. So you installed this cam already??!?!!
Yikes... Did it come with the solid/flat tappet lifters? Hate to tell you this, but you got an SBC cam. Howards has been around for a while, but they do not have LS1 parts just BBC and SBC Ford/Chevy/Chrysler stuff. It wont work for a number of reasons but also because you dont have a distributor or dist gear. I'm not sure, but it may work in an LT1/4.
Take it back or ship it back.
Yikes... Did it come with the solid/flat tappet lifters? Hate to tell you this, but you got an SBC cam. Howards has been around for a while, but they do not have LS1 parts just BBC and SBC Ford/Chevy/Chrysler stuff. It wont work for a number of reasons but also because you dont have a distributor or dist gear. I'm not sure, but it may work in an LT1/4.
Take it back or ship it back.
#10
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No worries, Howards sends that card with the VE's for the cam with every cam they ship, even hydraulic roller LS1 cams. You'll be fine, no special break-in needed.
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#11
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great thanks guys! so are there any specifics for break-in duration? i am planning on using a 5w20 conventional oil, but how many miles should i run this oil, and how many miles between the first few changes before its "broke-in"?
#16
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well i run mobil 1 5w30 normally, with lucas oil additive. so it should be fine to just go ahead and dump in my mobil 1? probably without the additive for the first 3k miles? no light oil or low rpm for so many miles? i know about the heat cycling on the springs, i plan on getting it good and hot and then letting it cool down overnight a few times before i take it over 3k rpm
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why shouldnt i run lucas additive? ive had as many good opinions as i have bad on that. my final deciding factor was the tiny metal particles in my oil (which after i pulled the cam out decided it was probably from my front cam bearing) so i decided to try it, the guy at carquest, also an f-body junkie, said he ran it and reccomended it if i was going to run anyhting. what is your opinion on that? and the springs are dual gold springs, are you sure they will be fine without heat cycling?