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oil change after break in???

17K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  SWHEATON 
#1 ·
Okay folks just had a successful afternoon! got the budget 454 fired off, broke in the cam and this is where I sit. After 20 minutes of running, I went and set the valves, carb etc. Now I have to finish up and change the ps brackets etc. SO do I just dump the delo 400le and the eos after 20 minutes? or should I run the thing a few days? Only thing new in the motor is the rings, cam and lifters. Thanks!!! jim
 
#3 ·
I usually dump it after 15 to 30 minutes. And sometimes I do it again in another hour or so. And the filter. And cut the filter open for inspection.

Depends on the engine though. My cheapo 305 overhaul still has the original oil in it, but it's a roller cam and just a stock engine, really almost put itself together it went so sweet/easy. I'll leave that oil in there until it darkens a skosh and ain't one bit scared. And hell I never drive it so it shouldn't ever darken. I did pull the filter after it ran awhile and dumped it across my hand, clean/pretty oil so I just screwed it back on.
 
#4 ·
The advice used to be drive it 500 miles; but now my machine guys said run it the 20-30 minutes for the cam and take it for a spin around the neighborhood and then dump it + filter. That's my plan for the next break in.

--Rich
 
#6 ·
ASSUMING FLAT TAPPET CAM HERE.

DONT EVER RUN ANY NEW/RBLT MOTOR ESP WITH A PERFORMANCE FLAT TAPPET CAM BEING BORKEN IN FOR 500 MILES BEFORE CHANGING THE 1ST FIRE UP CAM/LIFTER BREAKIN OIL,THATS ASKING FOR TROUBLE!!!!!!!! IMHO.

Dump that berakin oil & filter with motor hot to get all crap out period,do not run it for 500 miles to save $25 which is just plain bad advice.

Doing that comprimises the complete new motor build if the cam goes bad 1k-2k miles down the road due to metal debries in breakin oil trashing the new cam.

Refill with more new delo or what ever oil you have with good zddp lvl .

Also run more gm eos for this post cam breakin oil change for some additional insurance,cant hurt.

Now run oil & EOS/lucas tb zinc breakin lube or what ever for 300-500miles max .

Then dump it again refilling with oil and or oil addive like cam shiled/zddpluss/lucas tb zinc etc that has the propper zddp lvl for the flat tappet perf cam your running.

Now you can return to std a 3k miles oil & filter change schd.

Scott
 
#7 ·
So is the delo 400LE okay for the post break in oil change? Ive got the cam broke in, drove around the block and to the gas station, maybe 5 miles total. I want to go back and check the valve adjustment anyway. So Im thinking I'll adjust the valves and then do a oil change. Ive also got a extra bottle of eos. jim
 
#8 ·
Delo is ok with gm eos no matter what cam you have for the post breakin oil change to run 300-500miles max then dump that too.

The gm eos offers enough additonal zddp and other additives to cusion the lifter to cam lobe interface.

But if you have a real hot flat tappet cam i would run an oil higher in zddp then the delo oil ,the delo has decent 1300zddp lvl thats good for stock to moderate perf flat tappet cams.

But rhot flat tappetcams with real high spring rates should use an oil like maybe valvolies VR1 or even better yet Spectros new oils with 1800ppm zddp or Cen-pe-cos oils that have approx 1600ppm + zddp. But there are other oils and or oil additives like cam shield/zddplus etc that can do the job too.

Let me know if you want the list of oils and will send it to your email address if you give me your email address.

Scott
 
#9 ·
#15 ·
The cam is the Summit generic .500 lift BBC cam http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-K1301/ and the springs are http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-911-16/ From what ive been told its a pretty mild setup.
If you could email me the list, my email is jsmcnamara@cox.net thanks. jim

I have a summit cam in my old 283. K-1105. That thing would cut your friggin thumb when I pulled it out of the box, so I sat down with emery cloth and worked on it for awhile, got it where you didn't bleed when you touched it.
 
#10 ·
I've always changed the oil after the initial breakin. I don't care how clean your shop was when you built the engine, it has dirt in it. An oil change is cheap insurance! DO cut the oil filter open! Why take a chance over a $25 oil change?
 
#11 ·
I wished I had a clean shop to build motors in. Unfortunately this thing was put together under a carport with bad lighting. With a mix of new, used and abused parts. Sort of like the 454 in my chevelle. Jim
 
#13 ·
yeah change the oil and filter all you need it the filter to be clogged up with moly paste and then you get a little foggy and boot it to 5K and blow the filter and send all the junk from brake in to your Barings.
 
#14 ·
I broke in my 66 396 with Chevron Delo and a pint of GM EOS. I changed the oil immediately after break in while the engine was hot and sent a sample to a lab for analysis. That break in oil was black and had all sorts of crap in it which the lab attributed to everything from RTV to shop rag residue to other gasket sealers and metal from the rings seating. The lab suggested all of this was normal for break in and the abnormal concentrations would probably return to normal within one or two subsequent oil changes. Now after 600 or so miles, 2.5 years, and 3 oil changes (Delo w/ EOS) the oil stays clear on the dipstick and valves are quiet.

The bottom line is that break in oil has a ton of abnormal stuff in it and should be changed out immediately after break in.
 
#16 ·
Tim,good point everyone should keep in mind when installing a flat tappet cam..

scott
 
#18 ·
Running flat tappet cam/lifter breakin oil for 100 miles i taking way too much of a risk .

That's because every so often an oil filter get's partially clogged with assembly lube durring breakin which can reduce oil psi a lot to almost 0 in some cases esp with a blocked oil bypass along with a non bypass oil filter too.

Too much crap/metal contam is in that breakin oil post cam/lifter breakin not to mention debries from rings /rockers/and other new engine parts breakin in taking the chance of scoring cam/lifters /cyl's along with main-rod-cam bearings too if some of the metal breakin debries /crap were to get into the oiling system .

Scott
 
#20 ·
You will get mult opinions/ans to your question and there is no real perfect answer.

But if it were my motor even with a roller cam i would still only run the breakin oil 200 miles max and dump it & not go 500.

And before you dump that 1st fireup oil & filter i would get into it /get on the motor a little to load it some .

There is just too much contam that can result from breakin & assemly lubes not to mention if there was any debries left in the heads/block that werent cleaned out properly/completly too which can happen that could do damage if it got by the oil filter for what ever the reason.

Since your running a roller cam you can go right to the valvoline vr1 after you dump the breakin oil & filter .

You could run the valvoline vr 1 race oil that has a decent zinc lvl along with some lucas tb zinc breakin lube /gm eos,etc in ths 2nd oil & filter change for some additional breakin protection .

But i think you would be ok running the breakin oil again for another 200 miles if you want to help any more breaking in if the motor really isnt fully broken in yet but keep in mind breakin oils are not formulated/designed to be run long term.

Scott
 
#23 ·
Larry,just dont over do it,too much of a good thing can be bad at times too.

I would only run 1/3-1/2 bottle max (not full bottle,thats too much zddp) of the lucas tb zinc additive for an additonal safety margine along with the chevron delo 15w-40 .

But that if your running a flat tappet cam,with a roller setup you would not need the additonal lucas tb zinc lube.

Scott
 
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