Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil?

Posted By: Big Bad Bee

Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 08:09 AM

It won't be long before the bee gets her engine and we fire it up. I was talking to a guy who builds rece boats. He's a Chevy BB guy. He says that I should use a zinc additive to the oil for break-in. He went on to say that just before start-up he pours the zinc additive directly over the valley, coating the cam and lifters. He prefers to use the additive rather than the oil with zinc because the additive is much cheaper.

What do the engine builders here on moparts use?

Posted By: hemi-itis

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 12:17 PM

LUCAS break in oil

Posted By: SSDart

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 01:14 PM

Comp PT #159

Posted By: SSDart

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 01:15 PM

Compcams PT #159

Posted By: mopar_to_ya

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 02:27 PM

I've seen all the test and comparisons.
Justice Brothers HDV...
And they have been around since the 1940's so they must be doing something right. If interested, PM me I have lots of info

Posted By: drew72

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 03:35 PM

Quote:

It won't be long before the bee gets her engine and we fire it up. I was talking to a guy who builds rece boats. He's a Chevy BB guy. He says that I should use a zinc additive to the oil for break-in. He went on to say that just before start-up he pours the zinc additive directly over the valley, coating the cam and lifters. He prefers to use the additive rather than the oil with zinc because the additive is much cheaper.

What do the engine builders here on moparts use?

And you trust anyone that is willing to possibly sacrifice a new engine for 20 bucks or so?

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 03:47 PM

I just have not had the luck with additives. What we have found running in new cams day after day is this
Valvoline VR1 is available at any NAPA--being easy to get it is what we use most often--never a failure with it.
Brad Penn is fantastic oil--never a failure--hard to get unless you order.
Believe it or not the Amsoil Hotrod oil ( or any other variety that has the zinc load) works and is the oil we have been able to run the highest spring pressure with on flat tappets with zero failures.
Gibbs Oil--also good stuff , high $$ and you have to order.
VR1 is the go to for us

Posted By: gregsdart

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 03:54 PM

Brad Penn break in oil, and the cam manufacturers lube for the cam, if it is a flat tappet. Never lost a cam, never had break in problems.
Each is specifically designed to meet the needs of a flat tappet equipped engine during break in. Do not mix with any other lubes, or "juice up " the mix with special additives, because you have no idea what may or may not interact between different brands of lubes.
Did you check the lifters for rotation before putting the intake on?. Rotation is critical. If any don't rotate after turning the motor over (they don't need to move much) pull the offending lifter and scuff the base with 500 grit paper till it is dull by putting the paper in your palm and rotating the lifter against it. Other than prelubing and making sure all parts have lube on them for start up, you should be good to go.

Posted By: Leigh

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 03:59 PM

Quote:

Did you check the lifters for rotation before putting the intake on?. Rotation is critical. If any don't rotate after turning the motor over (they don't need to move much) pull the offending lifter and scuff the base with 500 grit paper till it is dull by putting the paper in your palm and rotating the lifter against it. Other than prelubing and making sure all parts have lube on them for start up, you should be good to go.

I did this, except marked each lifter with a felt tip, and swapped them around until they all rotated. New lifters, used cam. Worked.

Posted By: Deepockets

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 04:15 PM

I'm about to run an new solid flat tappet cam and was reading a lot. i'll post it when I find the article. it has said that oil is formulated to meet it's specs, and when putting additives in it made the oil it's been added too become less effective. also, it had said to not have too much of zinc additive. I'm sure all the people that make additives would like to say something about that.
http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31791

Posted By: Deepockets

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 04:21 PM

also not to steal the thread, would you see lifter rotation by rotating the cam with the lifters by hand. the heads would have very light mock up type springs. just thought I'd try that?

Posted By: mopartoby

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 05:50 PM

Plain 10w30 and one can of e.o.s.

Posted By: ademon

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 06:20 PM

I've used VR1 with a little GM eos, or a little redline additive.

Posted By: Mopar Guy

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 07:14 PM

Im no expert i the subjekt but the zink should also benifit on the breaking on the piston rings if i understand it corekt

I used the Royal Purpel break in oil on my RB stroker and have no issue whit that product and after break in time and oil change i still use that oil in a 50/50 blend whit 20w50 mineral to have the zink in lower numbers but still in the engine and it works for me

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 07:54 PM

Quote:

I'm about to run an new solid flat tappet cam and was reading a lot. i'll post it when I find the article. it has said that oil is formulated to meet it's specs, and when putting additives in it made the oil it's been added too become less effective. also, it had said to not have too much of zinc additive. I'm sure all the people that make additives would like to say something about that.
http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31791

540Rat is not against oil additives. You go to his website, http://540ratblog.wordpress.com/ , and he said he tried one brand and it improved the oil. And he goes on about it performance.

So there in his own words it is possible for an oil additive to improve the oil film strength and anti wear.

.
.
.
Interesting that 540Rat tested 96 different oils a multitude of times, but only tested ZDDP-plus and Edelbrock Zinc additive. He said he had used STP and Lucas Oil addtives but didn't test those? I realize they are both oil thickners and Lucas does cause foaming.

But why only test two additives? It takes a couple of minutes each.

Quote:

... A few words about STP and Lucas oil treatments. I didn�t test these products added to a motor oil. So, I can�t say for sure how they would perform. However, based on my past experience with STP as an assembly lube, I expect it absolutely would show an increase in �load carrying capacity/film strength�. But, it does have a couple of downsides that override any increase in wear protection. It increases an oil�s viscosity which will reduce flow. And both STP and Lucas oil treatments have been known to cause increased foaming issues. Obviously it would be wise to avoid both of those concerns....

Posted By: Big Bad Bee

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 10:37 PM

Quote:

Quote:

It won't be long before the bee gets her engine and we fire it up. I was talking to a guy who builds rece boats. He's a Chevy BB guy. He says that I should use a zinc additive to the oil for break-in. He went on to say that just before start-up he pours the zinc additive directly over the valley, coating the cam and lifters. He prefers to use the additive rather than the oil with zinc because the additive is much cheaper.

What do the engine builders here on moparts use?

And you trust anyone that is willing to possibly sacrifice a new engine for 20 bucks or so?

Trust him??? um... no. That's why I am asking.

Posted By: Big Bad Bee

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/15/13 10:48 PM

Quote:

Brad Penn break in oil, and the cam manufacturers lube for the cam, if it is a flat tappet. Never lost a cam, never had break in problems.
Each is specifically designed to meet the needs of a flat tappet equipped engine during break in. Do not mix with any other lubes, or "juice up " the mix with special additives, because you have no idea what may or may not interact between different brands of lubes.
Did you check the lifters for rotation before putting the intake on?. Rotation is critical. If any don't rotate after turning the motor over (they don't need to move much) pull the offending lifter and scuff the base with 500 grit paper till it is dull by putting the paper in your palm and rotating the lifter against it. Other than prelubing and making sure all parts have lube on them for start up, you should be good to go.

Greg, I haven't buttoned the engine up yet so I can check. How do I mark my lifters? How many revolutions should I give the crank to check it? before I do this, I am going to check with my engine builder to see if he checks for lifter rotation before they leave his shop.

Posted By: BobR

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/16/13 06:29 PM

I can't believe people still use flat tappet cams. Unless one runs in a class that outlaws rollers is simply makes no sense using a flat tappet.

Posted By: Biginchmopar

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/16/13 09:33 PM

Brad Penn break-in oil

I have also used Joe Gibbs break-in oil

Posted By: dogdays

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/16/13 09:45 PM

I had to laugh.....The original post sounded so familiar.

Back in the day, I installed my first camshaft in a 2-barrel chevy 350 over the Thanksgiving weekend. The new cam was the 350hp 327 3863151 cam, bought from Rydell Chevrolet in Grand Forks, ND for a little less than $40.00. My brother and I froze our butts off in an unheated garage. Right before we buttoned it up, I poured a can of GM EOS over the camshaft, plopped in the lifters, buttoned up the engine and fired it up. We ran it at high speed for 25 minutes, and called it good.

What the OP said reminded me that that was THE WAY to do a cam swap in the '70s. GM EOS was the magic elixer.

Times have changed, though, and there are better ways to do things. Break-in oils and antiwear goop smeared on the lobes probably do a better job. Camshafts have changed, too, and the lifter/lobe interface is much more highly stressed.

R.

Posted By: gregsrt

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/17/13 08:02 AM

Ha s anyone used or heard anything about Quaker State Defy? It claims to have a higher zinc content.

Posted By: gregsdart

Re: Engine Break-In Additive or Motor Oil? - 12/18/13 04:35 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Brad Penn break in oil, and the cam manufacturers lube for the cam, if it is a flat tappet. Never lost a cam, never had break in problems.
Each is specifically designed to meet the needs of a flat tappet equipped engine during break in. Do not mix with any other lubes, or "juice up " the mix with special additives, because you have no idea what may or may not interact between different brands of lubes.
Did you check the lifters for rotation before putting the intake on?. Rotation is critical. If any don't rotate after turning the motor over (they don't need to move much) pull the offending lifter and scuff the base with 500 grit paper till it is dull by putting the paper in your palm and rotating the lifter against it. Other than prelubing and making sure all parts have lube on them for start up, you should be good to go.

Greg, I haven't buttoned the engine up yet so I can check. How do I mark my lifters? How many revolutions should I give the crank to check it? before I do this, I am going to check with my engine builder to see if he checks for lifter rotation before they leave his shop.

I use a felt tip pen, or "Sharpie" to mark them. Two or three revolutions and you should see something on every lifter, maybe only an 1/16th of a turn, but there must be something. Remember it takes two full crank revolutions to get one lifter through its cycle, so rotation movement will be very little when cranking the motor with a breaker bar.

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