[Jbeach]

I have a 68 396 that I rebuilt over 15 years ago. Always been stored indoors in a garage in Fl now Tn. I turned the motor periodically for years and oiled the cylinders. It was originally a 325 HP motor and when I rebuilt it I put a new 350HP cam and new lifters in it. Also put cam lube on the cam lobes for break in. I had the best intentions of startiuiing it in a year or two but life gets in the way. I've had the elCamino since 85. My question is before I start it for the first time do I need to relube the cam lobes or has technology progressed to something easier.

 

[vortec710]

My experience...A good break in oil with a half can of EOS in the oil, I have one of these 12 volt oil change / drain set-ups that you can change your oil by inserting a tube down the dip stick tube, except I directed the flow into the camshaft area after removing a valve cover. TOOK MY TIME and directed crankcase oil all along the cam/lifters, oil runs back into pan and gets pumped into the cam valley. Give the pump and battery a rest every few minutes, meanwhile SLOWLY turning the motor by hand..breaker bar on the crank. Repeated this SEVERAL times before I stuck a modified distributor into the motor with a Milwaukee slowly turning the dist. and a friend on the breaker bar turning the motor slowly. Repeated this several times over a couple of days, had a BBC valve cover with a cut open top to watch the rockers oil and keep it off the floor. I did not hurry the process, lit the motor up, kept it 22-2400 RPM with a little cycling, water hose on the radiator, ran about 4-5 min., shut it off, let it cool and repeated it one more time, checked for leaks , timing, carb settings, etc. and drove it away with no issues. I'm a patient person, if you're in a rush, step back. This was for a motor that had sat a while after being built and dyno'd. Others may have a different approach or method.

 

[Jbeach]

My experience...A good break in oil with a half can of EOS in the oil, I have one of these 12 volt oil change / drain set-ups that you can change your oil by inserting a tube down the dip stick tube, except I directed the flow into the camshaft area after removing a valve cover. TOOK MY TIME and directed crankcase oil all along the cam/lifters, oil runs back into pan and gets pumped into the cam valley. Give the pump and battery a rest every few minutes, meanwhile SLOWLY turning the motor by hand..breaker bar on the crank. Repeated this SEVERAL times before I stuck a modified distributor into the motor with a Milwaukee slowly turning the dist. and a friend on the breaker bar turning the motor slowly. Repeated this several times over a couple of days, had a BBC valve cover with a cut open top to watch the rockers oil and keep it off the floor. I did not hurry the process, lit the motor up, kept it 22-2400 RPM with a little cycling, water hose on the radiator, ran about 4-5 min., shut it off, let it cool and repeated it one more time, checked for leaks , timing, carb settings, etc. and drove it away with no issues. I'm a patient person, if you're in a rush, step back. This was for a motor that had sat a while after being built and dyno'd. Others may have a different approach or method.

I had heard of break in oils but didnt know about the additive. Sounds like a reasonable approach. I have the old valve covers off the engine I can cut for oil shields. If being patient means doing it only once I'm there. I'm retired so I have all the time in the world. My next project is a pontiac 428 for my 74 GTO 4 speed. I'll use this procedure with it as well. Thanks for the input.

 

[vortec710]

E.O.S. = Engine Oil Supplement, sold by GM dealers as an additive to oil when changing a camshaft / lifters, originally you dipped the lifters in it and poured the balance down the lifter bore onto the cam before inserting the lifter, or you could coat the cam with it then insert it into the motor. One of the original zinc/phosphate additives if my memory is correct.

 

[oldcutlass]

All you need to do is oil prime the engine and fire it up. I use 4 qts of non-detergent 30wt oil and 1 qt of EOS, break in the cam, and the do an oil/filter change.

 

[vortec710]

All you need to do is oil prime the engine and fire it up. I use 4 qts of non-detergent 30wt oil and 1 qt of EOS, break in the cam, and the do an oil/filter change.

I think you did not fully read the original question, he was asking about an engine which had sat around for some time (15yrs ?), with a new cam and lifters which had been lubed but not yet run, if I read this correctly, and the risk of the previously oiled areas being DRY of lubricant.

 

[Jbeach]

E.O.S. = Engine Oil Supplement, sold by GM dealers as an additive to oil when changing a camshaft / lifters, originally you dipped the lifters in it and poured the balance down the lifter bore onto the cam before inserting the lifter, or you could coat the cam with it then insert it into the motor. One of the original zinc/phosphate additives if my memory is correct.

When I put the cam in originally i coated it with the break in lube it came with. I assume some is still on it. I have a small camera that I'm going to stick down a push rod hole just to look and see what's left if any. But I'm going with your process regardless.

I think you did not fully read the original question, he was asking about an engine which had sat around for some time (15yrs ?), with a new cam and lifters which had been lubed but not yet run, if I read this correctly, and the risk of the previously oiled areas being DRY of lubricant.

I assumed that spinning the oil pump and pressurising the system would take care of all the bearings that the assembly lube may have left over the years.

 

[oldcutlass]

I think you did not fully read the original question, he was asking about an engine which had sat around for some time (15yrs ?), with a new cam and lifters which had been lubed but not yet run, if I read this correctly, and the risk of the previously oiled areas being DRY of lubricant.

You can mod an old distributor or buy a tool like this.

 

[vortec710]

So you don’t understand what is meant by a “modified distributor” to prime a motor? Read the first post

 

[Jbeach]

You can mod an old distributor or buy a tool like this.

View attachment 701753

Where did you get it?

 

[vortec710]

When I put the cam in originally i coated it with the break in lube it came with. I assume some is still on it. I have a small camera that I'm going to stick down a push rod hole just to look and see what's left if any. But I'm going with your process regardless.

I assumed that spinning the oil pump and pressurising the system would take care of all the bearings that the assembly lube may have left over the years.

My concern was not so much the bearings as the lube that had been put on the cam and lifters 15 years previous. Most cam greases after 15 yrs of sitting unused will harden and lose their lubricity after sitting for 15 yrs unused in the atmosphere. If you ever had to wash off old parts covered in grease that sat out for any length of time you might appreciate how well intentioned lubes dry out over time