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Technical Breaking in a new flat tappet cam

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by oregonite, Dec 29, 2014.

  1. oregonite
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 18

    oregonite
    Member

    Has anyone used Delo 400 to break in a new flat tappet cam? Is it a safe oil for the job?
     
  2. As risky and critical cam break in is, I'd use designated break in oil speced by cam supplier.
     
  3. I dunno about Delo 400. I used Shell Rotello with a little 4 oz bottle of ZDDP and if I wasn't sure of how much zinc was in that Delo I'd use a bottle of ZDDP in it too.
     
    Deuces likes this.
  4. oregonite
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 18

    oregonite
    Member

    I will probably use Lucas Break-in oil. The reason I asked about the Delo 400 is an ASE mechanic uses it and so far he hasn't had any cars come back.
     

  5. dirty old man
    Joined: Feb 2, 2008
    Posts: 8,910

    dirty old man
    Member Emeritus

    Do yourself a favor and use a good break in oil with high ZDDP. That ASE mech is good at what he does on stock cams , lifters and valve springs, but add in the stress and high loads associated with high performance cams, and all his experience on stock, grocery getter engines doesn't apply.
     
  6. joey7508
    Joined: Apr 14, 2009
    Posts: 149

    joey7508
    Member
    from TX

    I've used different things, but Kotzur Racing (out of SA TX) who built the last engine I broke in recommended Joe Gibbs break in oil. Expensive stuff, but not even a fraction of what the engine cost.
     
    73RR likes this.
  7. duke460
    Joined: Jan 7, 2009
    Posts: 192

    duke460
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    I lost two cam/lifter sets during startup on a Ford 460. Too stupid to buy the expensive oil and lost a second engine. Only use Joe Gibbs breaking oil and 4oz bottle of ZDDP. It is expensive but much cheaper than pulling and rebuilding an engine. No problems with any motors since I switched.
     
  8. unkledaddy
    Joined: Jul 21, 2006
    Posts: 2,865

    unkledaddy
    Member

    I used Joe Gibbs break-in oil successfully on last two SBC motors.
    But I also used these;

    camsaverLifters.jpg
     
  9. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    I do pretty much what Rocky does, Rotella T plus a bottle of zinc additive, but I use Lucas Break in Additive myself. I run the engine it at 2500 rpms for the first half hour, then I change the oil and put in another bottle of Lucas and drive it. After a hundred miles or so I change it again and use half a bottle of Lucas (I use that with every oil change on a flat tappet motor)

    We had to pull the motor apart on my Son's 455 Olds after driving it for a while and the cam and lifters looked brand new because we had done the system I mention above. Oil and additive are cheap, internal engine parts aren't.


    Don
     
    1927graham likes this.
  10. Don't forget the tiny little statement :
    Use light weight valve springs for break in.

    It's just the title of the books worth of work.
     
    55 Ford Gasser likes this.
  11. dirty old man
    Joined: Feb 2, 2008
    Posts: 8,910

    dirty old man
    Member Emeritus

    This issue has consumed a helluva lot of bandwidth here, LOL!! Lots of folks swear by Shell Rotella, but I don't agree with using diesel rated oils in any engine that can be considered a high performance/high rpm engine. Why? Because almost all diesels have a redline around 3000/3500 rpm and aeration or foaming of the oil isn't nearly the issue that it is in 6000+rpm hot rod engines.
    Aeration or foam is air bubbles in your oil, and air ain't much of a lubricant. Oil intended for modern, high rpm hipo engines has additives to reduce this aeration /foaming. Diesels turn slower and don't require or contain as much of this additive type.
    Furthermore, since the 2007 and later diesel trucks have a particulate filter similar to a catalytic converter on the exhaust, and just like in late model cars, ZDDP has been reduced in all but the few oils out there that market one diesel oil for pre '07 and another for '07 and later. So you ain't getting the extra zddp you wanted.
    There's a whole lot of good, high zddp oils out there that plainly state they are intended for pre cat converter hipo engines with flat tappets, so why try to out engineer the folks whose whole career is based on development and marketing the oils you really need?
    As another variation on the Crower lifters that Unkledaddy shows, I'm using Comp Cams lifters that have a .012" bleed hole in the flat face of the lifter that goes up inside the lifter where the oil is pumped up the pushrods on sbc engines. This bleeds oil out directly on the lobe at the point of contact with the lifter. This type obviously only works on solid lifters though. Unkledaddy, do the Crower lifters come in both solid and hydraulic?
     
  12. unkledaddy
    Joined: Jul 21, 2006
    Posts: 2,865

    unkledaddy
    Member

    I personally don't want to have to find and study the MSDS on any motor oil every time I do an oil change just to make sure the ZDDP content hasn't been altered.............as in the case of Shell Rotella stated above.

    Yes;
    http://www.crower.com/media/pdf/2008b/140-141.pdf
     
  13. I haven't used the dell oil. I used the proper cam lube, which is normally supplied by the cam builder (if not I got some 3M stuff that I like) and motor oil with GM breakin additive. I have used the GM stuff for gawd knows how long and I like it, mechanics tend to stick with what they know works.
     
  14. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    DOM X2. Shell Rotella is not what it used to be. Can't understand why people still swear by it when high ZDDP motor oils are so readily available.
     
  15. olscrounger
    Joined: Feb 23, 2008
    Posts: 4,770

    olscrounger
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I do as beaner says. Good oil (Bran Penn or Gibbs) and a bottle of GM eos. Take it to 2000 rpm and vary a little for 20 minutes at least. Drive it a bit and change oil.
     
  16. 1-SHOT
    Joined: Sep 23, 2014
    Posts: 2,693

    1-SHOT
    Member
    from Denton

    Joe Gibbs break in oil only way to go. I use on every cam Chang and have not lost one yet.
     
  17. Yea most guys put 500 to 1,000 miles on a mill after cam break in before an oil change and then can't figure out why their lower end doesn't hold together. Cam break in lube has grit in it a lot like valve lapping compound, the break in period is to burnish the cam lobes as well as mate the tappets to the lobe.
    I never run an engine very far without dumping the oil after I break in a cam.
     
  18. oregonite
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 18

    oregonite
    Member

  19. Fogger
    Joined: Aug 18, 2007
    Posts: 1,804

    Fogger
    Member

    I use Joe Gibbs BR breakin oil and Zinc additive on all my flat tappet engines. Run it at 2000 rpm for 20 minutes and dump the oil and filter. I also block off the relief spring with a pipe plug in the filter adapter. I see no reason for an oil bypass in my engines, oil should be filtered and the bypass spring is very low rated. I run a Traco remote oil filter on my 360 cu in SBC and it has no bypass.
     
  20. JOECOOL
    Joined: Jan 13, 2004
    Posts: 2,771

    JOECOOL
    Member

    I just use the light spring method. Its a pain to change the springs later but I have not had any trouble that way. Just my opinion ,I do stuff weird anyway.
     

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