Engine Break-In

[packman]

I know I must have made a thread about this before, but I can't seem to locate it. When breaking in a new engine, do you change the oil (put fresh dino oil) right after after the cam is broken-in? Do you wait until a few hundred miles and then put fresh oil in or just run the dino oil with the cam break-in grease the whole 1k or so?



Packman

[torquelover]

What engine? Flat tappet cam?

[1987cp]

What you do is you use a hydraulic-roller cam so there's no particular break-in procedure other than monitoring your oil pressure.

[packman]

I guess for a hydraulic flat tappet and a hydraulic roller engine.



Packman

[gadget73]

which? Those are two different types of engine, and they need different procedures. The flat tappet motor you usually run the motor at 2500 for some number of minutes, then shut it down and change the oil. You're also supposed to use break-in additive with ZDDP so the cam doesn't ruin itself instantly since modern oils don't have it anymore. The assembly lube really isn't a big deal in the system. It will dilute with the motor oil and not cause any harm.

Roller motors, nothing overly special. Run it a couple hundred miles, change the oil.

[packman]

So a flat tappet engine can have the cam break-in grease mixed with the oil for the duration of the engine break-in period and the roller engines should have the oil changed soon after?



Packman

[Lincolnmania]

using a flat tappet cam is not a good idea because they dont use zinc in the motor oil anymore

[Pesty351]

Is there anything wrong with changing the oil allot?

[merc91]

yeh it thins your wallet.

[1987cp]

:lol:

On both my roller 5.0 builds, I went with the instructions to just monitor the oil pressure at startup, take it easy at first and change the oil at 500 miles, then go a bit harder on it and change it again at I think 1500 miles, and call it good. No special "procedure" except priming the oil pump with a drill motor until it makes good pressure and oil's been squirting out the pushrods for several seconds. I'll be doing it again on the one motor (or something similar), just because the heads are fresh and it's been sitting for a couple of years.

[Pirate]

Comp Cams makes a break-in fluid chock full of zinc and phosphates....and you can run it in the oil full time.

Problem Solved.


Looking for a part number?

[gadget73]

So a flat tappet engine can have the cam break-in grease mixed with the oil for the duration of the engine break-in period and the roller engines should have the oil changed soon after?



Packman

the grease really isn't a problem with either, but since you're sort of expecting some metal to be ground off a flat cam, I'd change the oil right after cam breakin, and then again in a couple hundred. Roller motors you wouldn't expect much in the way of metal loss, so the couple hundred is fine. If you're paranoid, you can change the oil on a roller motor right after initial startup, your option. I would keep a close watch on the oil tho to make sure it doesn't look all sparkly and metal-laden.

[ironstealth]

i always though that on a fresh motor,you vary your engine speed. Like,dont drive normally or at a certain speed/load for any amount of time to let the piston rings seat properly. 500 miles of varying speeds and then 1000 miles , and then 3000 miles.

[gadget73]

there are as many theories on how to break in an engine as there are engines to break in. I was only mentioning the oil change frequency. The steady 2500 rpm for however many minutes thing is specific to flat tappet cam engines. Its been a long time since I did one myself, but I seem to remember 20 minutes? I remember doing it on the Beetle engine. I had it sitting in the back yard running off a gas can. Fired it off, rigged the throttle open to run at the proper speed and let it run. I'm sure it pissed the neighbor off hearing that old flat four spinning away.

[packman]

there are as many theories on how to break in an engine as there are engines to break in. I was only mentioning the oil change frequency. The steady 2500 rpm for however many minutes thing is specific to flat tappet cam engines. Its been a long time since I did one myself, but I seem to remember 20 minutes? I remember doing it on the Beetle engine. I had it sitting in the back yard running off a gas can. Fired it off, rigged the throttle open to run at the proper speed and let it run. I'm sure it pissed the neighbor off hearing that old flat four spinning away.

I probably should have worded the title of this thread a bit more concisely. I was only curious about the oil aspect. As Gadget73 said, there are quite a few theories on engine break-in. From basically babying the engine to WOT runs in each gear (I'm guessing sticks and manual autos) during the first 20 minutes of taking the maiden voyage (after cam break-in). When my father rebuilt the flathead in the '53, he broke-in N.O.S. cam doing the same basic method as Gadget73 used. It pissed off a few neighbors back then. Now that would probably get us run out of town by the short hairs lol.

Pirate: I would love to have that part number for future reference. I would like to do a hydraulic roller conversion on my 390FE, but the cam that I really want is a flat tappet. Though this is far into the future (I probably should get that rebuilt B4 2012 rolls by huh?) and I will likely rebuild something for the CV first.



Packman



Packman