cherryelky305

iTrader: (2)

I've been helping my friend with his project, an 84 firebird. we dropped in a 355 to replace the tired 2.8.

We got it to fire tonight, any tips or words of wisdom for break-in? He wants to break it in at 2500 rpm for the cam, then go easy on it for 500 miles.

In all honesty I am amazed that it started at all, lol.

s346k

iTrader: (4)

flat tappet cam i presume? i believe the correct procedure is sustain 2500 rpm for ~30 minutes. once you break in the cam and heat cycle the springs - drive it like you stole it. it will break, or it will break in.

kenSS

iTrader: (1)

i break them in for 20 min. at 2000RPM if it's a flat tappet, then i'll check lash and beat the hell out of it on the dyno.

cherryelky305

iTrader: (2)

if its not flat tappet what else could it be? I dont know what hes running.

we think its over heating and the water pump is leaking under pressure. The oil pressure is good except he melted the gauge line and started an oil fire yesterday. so hes replacing the plastic line with copper.

when we first stared it 5 and 8 wer'nt firing but they are now.

lol, we may need more help in a few weeks. we are working in a filthy garage, tools every where. hell he even carried the lifters and push rods in his pocket then just put motor oil on em before he put them in. they were filthy when he put them in, its amazing it runs at all.

bluebeast

iTrader: (1)

it could be a hydro cam..... and no need to worry about big miles break in..... just get done with your 20-30 minutes and then drive it easy for a day or so and then change your oil and then its good to go....... also alot of guys to heat cycles instead of just one long 2,500 rpms.... like maybe after 15 minutes let it cool down and do it one more time.... cause not everyone can let a car run like that for 30 mintes without running down the road and fans only do so much!!!!

slow95z

iTrader: (33)

it's either a flat tappet or a roller lifter cam, then i assume when you said he put oil on the lifters that they are hydraulic flat tappets or did they rollers on the bottom. get the cooling system fixed first, then for the cam break-in, run atleast 20 mins. changing rpm's but never go bellow 2000. this is the best way to break-in a cam and i have never wiped a lobe this way. but the most important thing will be to keep the engine cool, you don't want to kill it before you ever get to drive it.

slvr98camaro

iTrader: (1)

im really hoping that it is a roller cam, because you immediately need to break flat tappet cams in once the engine starts up.. it is even recommended that if the engine doesnt start after 10 seconds of cranking, to pull the cam and put more lube on it

as long as you kept it at high rpms (2000+ with not much rpm fluctuation you should be fine

if not.. have fun putting a new cam in there after you have no lobes left

cherryelky305

iTrader: (2)

Well in about 3 weeks we've gotten no where very slowly.

its an 84 firebird
85 suburban 350
88 astro 700-r4
heddman headers 1 5/8 into a 3 inch collector, just open headers right now.

we cant get the timing for crap, the carb is probably all out of wack. we are stepping back and need to get some one to tell us step by step what we need to be doing. We've had the cap off the distributor a billion times. the timing mark never lines up.

his cam specs are the same as a summit 1103

"Part# SUM-1103
Intake @ cam 2947 442 Rocker Arm Ratio
Exhaust @ cam 3100 465
Intake 272Exhaust 282
Opens Closes Max Lift Duration
Intake 0 ATDC 34 ABDC 107 ATDC 214Exhaust 49 BBDC -5 BTDC 117 BTDC 224
Engine Identification: 1957-1987 Cheverolet V-8 262 thru 400 cu in
Lift: Intake @ Valve
@ .050
Exhaust @ Valve 1.5
Adv. Duration
Cam Timing"