Is it ok to do a dyno tune on my fully built supercharged lsx with the Lucas 30 weight break in oil in there?

Seems like most do not switch to a synthetic until over 1000mi. I currently have around 600mi plan to switch to Amsoil 10w30 once I'm over the 1000+ mi mark...

 

If it was my engine and it was brand new I would dump the oil after the dyno run. After that I would put 500 miles or so and then change it. Sounds like you have spent a pretty penny on your engine so no reason to take any chances.

 

The basis behind "Break in oil" was for old engines using flat tappet cams and cast iron rings. With technology today and roller cams and lifters, a break in oil isn't necessary.

What you mainly need to look at it the seating of the rings. You can use synthetic oil from the start. but you want to run the motor with varying rpms over a few heat cycles to seat the rings. Especially before a dyno tune. Modern rings nowadays seat fairly quickly usually within 15 min of run time if the honing was done correctly.

I have sat in front of a dyno while seating an engine and have seen hp go up substantially with the engine sitting at a constant rpm as the rings start to seat and the engine gets up to temp.

 

I used VR1 for "break-in". 3 heat cycles, dump oil, change filter, new oil. Good to go. Had 25+ WOT pulls before it even hit 500mi

 

I built my LS engine that is in my 1965 Cutlass and have used Quaker State 5W30 Full Synthetic motor oil and Mobil 1 Oil filters since day one. Great prices and Great products that are sold at Wal Mart.

 

Ok so I'm confused by all the replies lol...

Will I be fine using the Lucas 30wt break oil for a dyno tune?

 

We don’t know the bearing clearances inside your engine.to to recommend weight. But break in oil is fine

 

I wouldn't use anything from Lucas IMO. But break in oil is a good idea, change it at about 150-200 miles, run a decent conventional oil until 1k miles, and then run a good synthetic.

It worked great on my LS6.

 

USE BREAK IN OIL. While the cam/lifters may not need it like back in the day. The rings still need that type of oil. If you start off with synthetic, they may not seat as well...DONT USE SYNTHETIC.
Oil is cheap. Engines are not. I changed my 4 times within the first 1000 miles. First two were with Break in oil, second two were with mineral based. I plan to switch to synthetic at some point after getting more miles on it.

 

We used Driven BR30 oil on the Dyno for my engine, after a few heat cycles everything was retorqued, filter inspected and run again. After another couple cycles oil and filter was changed with a wix and Driven LS30 oil before making full power sweeps. Current oil has close to 50 Dyno runs on it now with rock solid 70# of pressure at 6800 rpm. Plan is to change it after the chassis Dyno sessions or during depending on fuel wash.

 

too many keyboard engine assemblers on here. The idea of a "break in' oil is it has a high zinc content which helps flat tappet cams conform and resist immediate wear. Rings don't need that. They see such a small amount of lubrication that no matter what oil you use, they will seat by way of heat and conforming to the cylinder walls based the condition of the walls. i.e. Fresh hone with correct finish, slap hone using a ball hone and with whatever grit, no hone and just run it as is, etc.
Your steel billet cam and roller lifters do not need to seat to each other. Besides, you want everything else in the engine to spin as easily as possible. There is no other hard metal to metal contact other than the rockers. And you want the best lubrication you can get at those points.

Besides, if synthetics weren't good for a fresh engine, why would manufacturers put their own synthetic oils in brand new cars or their replacement engines? If it was a bad idea, there would be no such thing as a 300k mile LS swap making 1000hp.

 

Wow your theory goes against almost everything what everyone has said but yet makes sense! You know what, I think I'm gonna try your theory

 

GM did have some oil consumption problems in the early LS motors. I don't know who you are referring to, or what you're trying to imply, about "keyboard engine assemblers," but I've done my share of engine building. I stand by what guys who have done done this for decades have advised. When my W2W engine was built, very little proven data was available for break in oils, and very few oil companies were making it. I'd probably go that route myself today, but I also have reservations about using super low friction oils to seat rings. There is only one way rings "seat", and that is thru very slight wear. Not that long ago, and it may still be SOP, some two stroke dirt bike engine builders used to assemble the pistons and ring pack with no oil at all, to seat rings as fast as possible. I realize there's more than one way to skin a cats ***, but your comment sounds insulting, and if it's meant that way, it's totally uncalled for. Who died, and made you, OR me, engine building geniuses in their place?! I'd also be VERY INTERESTED in seeing a 300,000 mile, 1,000hp, anything motor! NEVER seen one.......

 

One of my car buddies just took delivery of a 2023 C8 last week. We had lunch last week and he said that until you put 500 miles on the car the computer limits you to 80% throttle max. I asked him if that was to break in the engine or the driver? He said maybe a bit of both! I believe all the newer Corvettes came new with Mobil1.

 

Now THAT is just funnier than

 

I try not to be condescending but I've been on forums for a very long time, back to the old AOL chat rooms, and, Yes, I am one of the guys that been been around and building engines for decades. Even while in the military I would work part time in machine shops learning everything I could from all the old timers. I now work at a GM dealer. Was a Tech for quite a while but chose to move into the parts dept because I don't need to work hard anymore. Even left for a while to work at another machine shop building race motors for a break from here. Retirement and a good VA disability keeps me housed and fed. I don't claim to know it all, but I know enough that a lot of people ask me for advice. But I hate when people get bad advice and can easily see when some advice is usually someone guessing based on what they've read on the internet. I don't really need to explain myself, but just know where I'm coming from. I'm pretty well rounded. Except turbos, don't ask me about turbos, I'm am straight up turbo-dumb.

As for the subject at hand, The problem with the 5.3s oil burning was low tension ring design, that was a stupid idea and the AFM system is junk. I have proven so many times by turning off the AFM, the engine will burn much less oil. I've never really seen any non AFM, 4.8, 5.3, 6.0, 6.2s ever burn oil like the 5.3 AFM. As for the C8s, they figure a "break in" period is needed because GM felt that this break in time would alleviate the problems, such as broken valve springs and such that these POS LT2s have common issues with. but it also gets a Trans filter service at 500 mi. Not the funnest job though.
But in all honesty, I break in my engines with whatever cheap oil I have on hand. Which is usually some parts house conventional, synthetic, whatever I have a few jugs of in the shop. then change it out after some run time. Except old school flat tappet. they actually get a qt of high zinc break in oil. Then they all get Amsoil in them.
When we install new engines here at the dealer, they get Dexos in them and sent on their way. Granted GM doesn't care about a long life, as long as it lasts past their warranty period. and 99% do.

 

Finally got ahold of my engine shop and he suggested that I just do the dyno with the lucas 30wt breakin oil or use some VR1 10w30...

I just might try the VR1...

What do you think @SAPPER ?

 

I agree with a lot of what you said. But I'm not a keyboard engine builder. The info I got came straight, person to person, from the guys I've mentioned, not off the internet. Non-detergent is what came in my 427 Darton motor. BTW, I never had any issue with the Darton motor in 30,000 miles. A LOT of the trouble people had with those was due to the person who "tried" to machine the blocks, and then tried to install the sleeves. I had mine done by Steve DeMirjian(?) at RED. However, the LS1 that was originally in my 2000 C5 was an oil burner. No smoke, but the low oil level light would light up@ around 30% oil life/3,500 miles. GM said it was normal to go thru 2 quarts in 3,500 miles. Uh, yeah! I had just bought the car, and I had no idea it was going to go thru that much oil so soon. It had only around 25,000 miles on it. If I was building an engine today, I'd use Redline assy oil, and would run just what I once did in the Darton motor, non-detergent for 300 miles, conventional until it showed 1,000 miles, then Mobil 1. I mean, a 4% leakdown rate is damn good in anyones book. I agree on the internet, in that many people give wrong info. I've probably made a few incorrect posts myself, even though I try very hard not to. I'm not angry, I just don't like being compared to keyboard builders.......

 

Grinder, I didn't mean to call you out individually. It's just there's so many opinions and it's hard for the OP or anyone looking for the answer, to find the right answer. You also did exactly what I'm going to suggest to the OP. Do what your engine builder says. If they say run lucas or whatever, then you need to do that. DO NOT deter from what your engine builder tells you. It's his build, he knows what he believes to be best for it.

On another note, You said your LS1 used about 2 qts or so every oil change. As far as GM is concerned, 1 qt every 1,000 miles is acceptable. So is 7psi oil pressure at operating temp at idle. To any of us, that's ridiculous. But that's GM. I'm not gonna argue they're wrong, but will argue they are the dumbest, smart people in the world.

 

I like VR1 for break-in. My go to. This must be the 250th engine oil break-in thread here on Tech.