mdrn69velle

iTrader: (2)

What assembly oils do you use on these aluminum blocks? Also Whats the best oil to run in the motor for first start up? I wanna install the cam when I buy it, in a week or two. But won't start the motor until probably a few months. When I can afford the rest of valve train. I don't want the top end to dry up. Sorry for such a *** question.
Thanks.

Sales@Tick

iTrader: (3)

Manley makes an Extreme Pressure lube that we use for one along with others. Joe Gibbs "BR" break-in oil is what we use to break them in with for the proper heat cycle and length.

themealonwheels

iTrader: (20)

I'm interested in this as well. Texas Speed has a couple lubes for sale, and a few break in oils. On my 383, I didn't assemble it, but I just dropped a bottle of Lucas break in oil additive into some cheap 5w30 for the first couple heat cycles. Is there a preference out there? Like, not the additive, strictly Joe Gibbs break in oil? Or is it effectively the same thing?

RezinTexas

royal purple also has a break-in oil, about $10/qt.

pharmd

iTrader: (4)

Anyone have thoughts on the Brad Penn oils?

Sales@Tick

iTrader: (3)

The Joe Gibbs BR oil is very high quality. We use it for good reason for the break in and first few heat cycles on a new short block. We actually just did this procedure on a 2010+ camaro on Friday.
The Brad Penn oils are also very high quality. IIRC their oil comes from an oil field in Pennsylvania.

SS10Tech

Brad Penn = Kendall

It is what i use and recommend.

Shell Rotella is another. They still keep a high level of zinc and phosphorus in their blends.

mdrn69velle

iTrader: (2)

thanks for info! Since its kinda on the same topic can you explain your heat cycles? Procedures?

SS10Tech

Once you have the valvetrain together after full assembly, it is always good practice to limit the number of turns of the motor until completion to prevent wiping cam lobes from lubricant and dry running lifters on first startup.

Usually i change the oil and inspect the filter after 20-30 minutes of run time. Afterwards 500-1k miles is usually my comfort zone before WOT.

Keep an eye on gasket leaks and if using solid rollers stay on top of valve lash adjustments which vary 1-2 thousandths. Run as tight of a lash as you can to prevent lifter throw/sledgehammer analogy on aggressive lobes. Hydraulic lifters not as much to worry about

mdrn69velle

iTrader: (2)

What do you guys use to clean off the cam, push rods from its nasty oil and debris it comes With? Can I clean everything with a brake cleaner then oil them right away? Also got some ls7 lifters, heard allot of pros n cons on cleaning them before hand whats your input? I was thinking of cleaning them then letting them soak in oil over night. I got a gallon of Mobil1 0-40 laying around can I assemble (soak lifters and oil cam and push rods..etc.) the motor with that?
Thanks.

badazz81z28

iTrader: (6)

Its funny that you say that. What is the real answer? Nobody seems to know. I know the GM crate instructions tell you to WOT up to 4K after 30 miles.

Some will tell you redline it from the "get go" to seat the rings. I know I dyno tuned with 6K+ RPM pulls with >100 miles on my engine.

So many opinions on when to run synthetic too. I have read from the get go, 200 miles, 1500 miles, etc.

What I have not heard....Someones rings not seating or breaking something...so must be alot of myths out there.

I personally used Comp Cam and Royal Purple Break in and Redline Assembly Lube for the cam and bearings.

As long as its a reputible brand and has the additives in it, I don't think you will have any issues.

I could be wrong...but I honestly feel Edelbrock, Comp, Joe Gibbs etc are not "making" their own oil in house.

Sales@Tick

iTrader: (3)

Yes you can use brake cleaner or rubbing alcohol as it's what we use here at the shop(brake cleaner is what we use but it smells just like rubbing alcohol). Make sure you lubricate everything you cleaned once it dries though.

mdrn69velle

iTrader: (2)

Great! Thanks Martin. I actually have 90% ISO (alchool) wipes form work that are lint free and some brake cleaner.

quik95lt1

iTrader: (7)

i use the royal purple assembly lube and either the joe gibbs breakin oil or rotella if you wanna be cheap lol

mdrn69velle

iTrader: (2)

Went with Royal Purple Assembly lube. Motor has been built now for a few months now with no oil in the pan so I plan to remove valve covers and pour Rotellla oil all over the top of the heads so everything is nice and lubed up at first start up and throw in a royal purple filter for first start up.


Correct me if I'm wrong! but as far as my research goes this is the plan for 1st start it up.
Fire it up and let it get to operating temps for about 15min. Then turn it off and change the oil/filter. Add some new Rotella, new filter turn it back on and just let it run for a while. Car is not really drivable because it has no breaks so I won't be able to take it for a spin. After about 30min of running ill WOT to 4k for about 10sec…. let off for a few seconds then WOT to 5-6k again, turn the engine off then change the oil and filter, this time adding conventional 10w-30? then at about 500,1000,1500,3000miles after that.
Thoughts? Sorry in advance for the *** questions I'd just like to ask before I fk anything up.

garygnu

maybe pull the fuel pump fuse and crank the motor for 10-20 seconds .then install the fuse and fire up the engine .seen a vid on U-tube about helping cams break in .where can I buy a can of spray graphite ?

mdrn69velle

iTrader: (2)

For those of you that have used Rotella for first start up what are you guys running? I was thinking RotellaT 15w-40 or Rotella straight 30w.

.boB

iTrader: (1)

15W or straight 30 is much to thick for a new gas street engine. It will take forever to fully lube the new running engine. You can get away with it on a SBF or LT SBC, because you can run the oil pump for a while before starting the engine.

I overhaul the engine in my street/race car at least every other year. More often if I break something. I use good quality components but nothing fancy, and set the bearing clearances on the tight side of normal for a street engine.

I start with a good dino 5W-30 oil, and a quality filter. Since my engine uses 9qts of oil, I add 2 bottles of comp cams break in fluid. Start the engine and let it warm up to operating temp at a somewhat high idle speed - like 1000-1200 rpm's. Once everything is up to temp, I back the idle down to normal. It takes about 5-10 minutes to set the timing and base mixture, and check for leaks, and generally make sure everything is OK.

Then I shut it down and let it cool off. Go around the engine bay and check fasteners, wires, look for leaks, etc. Then start it up again and check things over again while it gets up to temp again.

After 2-3 heat cycles in the garage, I change the oil using the same dino oil, additive, and filter.

Then it's time for some street miles. Gentle at first, and then gradually more agressive. 1/2 and 3/4 throttle accelerations to 5K, and then decelerate on a closed throttle. That seats the rings in both directions.

After a few more heat cycles and I'm sure everything is working correctly, I replace the oil with a good PAO synthetic and quality filter. Again, I add the CC break in additive. That's pretty much the entire break in procedure. Drive it like you stole it.

Sometime later I'll check cylinder compression and leak down. When I tear the engine down again, I'll check compression, leak down, and all bearing clearances to see how much wear there is. There's usually very little change at tear down.

I could probably go 3 years between tear downs. But my OCD won't allow it.

thehazz12

We use the Rotella T 15-40 to break in nearly every new engine we assemble. Most of what we do is Subaru motors which are quite different than your conventional V8, but our break in process is pretty much the same.
When I finish my Ls2 build I will break it in with Rotella T and then run Schaeffer for the remainder of that engine's life.

speer13

Take this for whats it worth...but its just an opinion

As somebody already said in here there is a lot of myth to breaking in an engine and a lot of myth is derived from real old technology.... Most ring manuafacturers will give you the recomended break in for ring seat as one guy stated theres usually a cycle of rpm up to WOT and a decrease to seat them properly... the warm up and cycle times and 1200 rpm times are really from old scholl cam break in methods as is using rotella because most oils don't contain the minerals older oils did ( I use it often ) but this will all be dependant of cam type/material etc with newer technology and coatings used in engines I don't see that there is a benefit to this anymore... I think break in cycles now are more to ensure things are operating correctly and to just get some thermal properties going ie aluminum blocks/heads and pistons all expand differently.. so if you ask me there really is no one way to break in an engine other than know what you are building and what it requires because if you take a solid flat tappet cam engine and break it in like some say as a general break in you will not have any lifters left...

Now onto personal experiance with our 2000+ HP car froma a few years ago... we had lots of major sponsors on board and some of the best engine programs and we were told that rings will normally seat in the first couple minutes of run time and if they don't they never will... when our engine was first fired up (turbo) it was put on an engine dyno using just a carb, brought up to temperature running just above idle and shut off to cool... when it was started again it was again brought up to temperature and once there it was rapidly brought up to 4K held for a few seconds and then down and then 6k held for a few seconds and then down and once that was done we brought it up to its operating RPM of 8600 for some normal dyno pulls... Then in went into the car for its normal runs....

Bottom line is everyone will have a way that they were told or saw someone or read something but you really need to look at your combination of parts and find out what the manufactures recomend...