how do u recomend i break in my new 383. how many miles before first oil change? should i set the idle at 2000 on first start up for 10 minutes or so?

 

nope, i'd just crank it up, check for leaks, make sure your cooling system is bled, then go rip on it.

 

Exactly...

 

The high rpms for 10-20minutes thing was for FLAT TAPPETS and does not apply to our roller cams.

 

I did three heat cycles. Start it let it idle to operating temp. Let it cool completely and did it two more times. drained the break in oil and change to a dino oil like castrol 10/30 and was hitting 6500-6700 rpms while tuning with maybe 2 miles on it. Break it in the way you are going to drive it.

 

1 heat cycle check for leaks. Drive 100 miles on the interstate varying the speed/rpm. Come back change the oil again and let the beotch have it with both barrels.

Pay attention to whats in the oil when you change it

 

ok that souunds simple enough to me!! its almost scary to rip on an engine with that few of miles on it, especially since this is the first engine ive ever built and i didnt have any help with it lol.. i guess we will see if i did something right or not haha. im just waiting on fed ex to bring my new balancer hub so i can start it up.

 

Let those rings seat and then your good.

 

how do i know when there seated?

 

Let it idle normal. I would change the filter at 100 miles.

Yup. One click below drive it like you stole it.

Dont be scared of it. If its built correctly, it is gonna be fine. If something bad is gonna happen, chances are it will happen very quickly. Keep an eye on your oil pressure the whole time.

When you change the oil, you need to slice the oil filter open and look a whats inside. Its normal to have some tiny metal slivers and gray looking stuff so dont freak out however you should not see this stuff in the second used filter. If you see lots of gold flake, thats very bad and the motor is coming back out.

 

Put a magnetic oil drain plug in it to, will tell you alot.

 

Here's a good explanation as to why high rpm and load should be used while breaking in an engine:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

Everyone has their own different procedure.

I put Oil and regular Water in mine, let it get up to normal operating Temp at idle RPM. Shut it down, came out the next morning when it was cool, did the same, shut it down, did the same that night, shut it down.
The next morning I changed the Oil, drained the water, put 50/50 Coolant in it, and started driving it varying the RPM's. I changed the Oil at the 250mile mark, the 500 mile mark, the 1K mile mark, the 3K mile mark, and it is currently sitting with a little over 4K miles on it. I've been hammerin on it since the 750 mile mark.
When I get back from Iraq I'm changing the Oil again, mainly cause it will have been sitting for over 4 months..

 

Yes read the articles on how to seat them. You just don't want to glaze them. they seat with in the first 100 to 500 miles but you can still glaze them in the first 1000, types of oil used vary this so much its hard to say. You want them to smooth out the cross thatch on the cylider walls but not fill or file them compleatly smooth. Oil sits in the cross thatch and lubes the rings as they pass over the thatch. once it takes the rough edge off the thatch, the rings are seated and then you can drive how ever. Like others have said there is nothing to the cam but put several heat cycles on the engine to help season those internals. you just want to avoid quick stabs of the gas untill somewhere in the 100 to 300 range but high rpms are fine. At 1000 most will readjust valves if you are solid lifter. I like to get a couple of heat cycles o the engine and then go around and retorque certian bolts like headers and what not.

 

DO NOT use synthetics to break in a motor. Dino juice only!

 

the run motor for 10 min at 2000 RPM is necessary for older flat tappet cams

...however running the engine for 10 min at initial start up is needed for multiple reasons.

2k RPM keeps oil pressure up vs. idle
engine needs to come up to full op temp
check for leaks
monitor the "sound" of everything
bleed cooling system

^^ all this and more basically takes about 10 min if all goes well

change oil and filter. there will be assembly lube and minimal debris in the oil

start motor and idle to operating temp while looking everything over.

drive in a low gear (1st or 2nd) with RPMs to 4k and then let the motor brake itself. repeat getting up to 5k. Do this about half a dozen times.

this "loads" the pistons and will set the rings. then drive the car and don't ***** foot around

500 mile oil/filter change