Technical Do you prelube a new engine or cam

I'm curious as to whether most amatuer engine builders like me actually prelube before starting a new engine or a new camshaft, or just crank until they get pressure and then start the engine. What steps do you take to insure a new cam doesn't wipe a lobe?

 

see current thread "Cam Break In! Why All of The Problems?" lots of info - what are recommendations from your cam manufacture company?

 

I have a distributor oil pump driver for each engine I do. After I see oil pressure I turn the engine over with a wrench or bump it occasionally with the starter. I want to see oil at at all the rockers before starting. This helps the fuel pump too.

 

That thread is why I created this thread. Didn't want to hijack that thread. Lots of camshft failures mentioned there, but usually no one knows exactly what they did wrong after it fails. I think one of the causes might be that engines don't have an immediate supply of oil upon startup, so I'd like to see if most people do prelube, or what they do do

 

Big-time!
Show up w/no shoes, and forgot The ring?

 

Yes

 

If you take the time to check all the clearances , spend the money for parts and machine work and assemble it the best way possible , why would you not use the proper lubricants & pre oil the engine ??

 

Yep, for over 40 years.
Notice the set collar, you don't want to let the weight of your drill motor put pressure on the pump, can score the cover, especially when using a heavy 1/2" drive drill.

 

The real question is “why wouldn’t you pre lube” and give all engine components a good chance for survival.

 

What I do to make sure a new cam doesn't wipe a lobe is use cam lube. Some on the lobes and some on the ends of the lifters. it usually comes with a new cam or you can buy it its cheap.

I normally use an oil pump primer before starting when I am firing off a new mill. But I am not an amateur and am pretty anal when it comes to motors.

 

Always. I made an oil pump primer for my engine out of an old distributor by removing the gear and I use that to prime the oil galleries. I do it several times before I start the engine.

 

YES

 

I am A die hard believer in ISKY rev lube. The last two engines I have put together, I even took the cover off the oil pump and packed the pump with ISKY rev lube. Then prime the engine, turn the crank 90 degrees, then prime again and turn 90 degrees. I do this till I see lots of oil at all the rockers.

Once I get the motor fired and cam broke in, I change the oil, while hot so it all runs out good. Then run and set the timing and basic tuning. Once its drivable, I change the oil after 100 miles shakedown driving, then 500, then 1000. This has saved me in the past. I had a 327 that ran perfect had great pressure. but after 100 miles it started showing metal particles in the oil. I found an oil pump that had the gears grinding themselves apart in the pump housing. It was a cheap parts store pump, put a good Melling in it and no more issues.

 

I’m a professional and I always pre lube an engine. I also use Lubiplate 105 engine assembly grease when I assemble an engine. I do a tremendous amount of engine work, I’m the engine guy at the truck shop I work for.


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doe you try to fill the oil filter before install on changes . as stated I intend to but sometimes forget to install . ok not much . but I have forgot the oil plug , more than once . probably should quit having a drink while im waiting for ALL the oil to drain ?

 

cam lube, zinc additive with Rotella 15-40 T4.
prime engine before start up
rotella T4 after break in. no issues
Oil brand and weight has been debated here a million times. there are several correct answers.
think about a fresh engine compared to an engine with miles on it
the fresh engine does not yet have oil circulated through the galleys, push rods, sometimes the lifters ..........
new cams usually fail from either lack of PROPER lubrication or improper valve adjustment.
sometimes a bad mix of parts such as incorrect valve spring pressures or incorrect push rod length
and make sure you have a quality part to begin with and that the lifters can rotate in the lifter bores
the specs and procedures in the manuals are not recommendations for success they are the steps to achieve success.

 

Being honest, many years, many engines I did not pre-lube and never had an issue, mostly 4 cylinder industrial diesels. I did use a mix of lube when building, expect the lube was a scary mix for those first few miles / hours. Since then I have grown up and my stuff has gotten more costly. I have been doing the pre-lube with all of them. Now all assembly is done with oil and cam lube only.
Recently did a big cubic inch BBC with a solid roller. My engine guy had a fit over the name brand cam lube I just purchased. He gave me some ISKY rev lube and told me not to use anything else on that cam. I said OK (it's an .800 lift roller), I'll use my stuff on my son's baby solid cam, he threw me another ISKY rev lube. Both of them got prelube on the engine stand, and again once installed. Both are running great and exceeded our expected output on the chassis dyno.
Pre-Lube, even if you got by without it in the past, it's cheap insurance.

 

I always pre-lube a new engine, I have a tank that you put oil in and pressurize the can a hose goes to the OP sender port

 

I made one from an old distributor. I ground all the teeth off the gear and would bolt the distributor in and connect my big 1/2 drill to it and run it till I felt resistance in the drill. I would keep pumping it while cranking the starter motor over once in awhile..

 

It doesn't make sense to NOT pre-lube.

 

Pre-lube is like foreplay. It works!

 

Like the majority, I have made up oil pump rotators, but have often thought about using the procedure you mentioned for pre-lubing odd ball engines.
I have the perfect supply tank and lots of fittings, so that is my plan for future non Chevy -.Ford builds. I won't be doing too many more (voluntarily).
Bob

 

Every engine, every time, since 1986.

 

I just fired off a fresh flathead and there is no way to prelube since the oil pump is driven off the rear of the cam, have to make sure it has a good coat of assembly lube. I guess you could pressurize the oiling system from a pressure tank like j-jock said but it don't know how well that would work on a flathead.

 

Once, on my last engine. On every engine I build, I use lots of moly lube, and oil on EVERYTHING in the assembly process. I have never had a problem.

 

SOP for many years has been to prelube immediately before fire up, it's saved my bacon a couple times...

 

Absolutely every time.

 

Always.

Mike

 

I lubriplate all wear surfaces during engine assembly except for cam lobes. On cam lobes, I use the lubricant the cam grinder recommends. I generally do not prelube with a drill motor, though. Pull plugs, plug wires and coil wire, then spin engine over until oil is pumped to valvetrain. Reinstall plugs and wires. Prime carb if fuel bowl not filled as yet. Then fire the engine and begin initial break-in at 2,500 RPMs. This has worked well for engines I have built and stored for a few years before starting.

My son's engine may be an exception though. We got a new GM L31 350 long block for his Camaro 21 years ago whilst he was in the service. Since then, he has been busy with college, work and raising kids. So we are just now getting his engine together so he can drop it in his Camaro before long.

I pulled the iron Vortec heads and sold them to a couple of circle track guys years ago, so we now have the assembled short block and will install a set of AFR aluminum heads and an Edelbrock intake in a month or so. As we will not be disassembling the short block (so no opportunity to lube bearings with lubriplate) and already have a mild roller cam in it with cam lobes lubed...... We might go ahead and do the drill motor prelube routine on his engine priour to first startup and break-in.

Happy Motoring,

Harry

 

IMO , it would be well worth the effort to pull the pan and have a look ,there are many things that could have rusted sitting for 20 years , internal oil pump being one , crank journals being another , also be an excellent time to switch to a 1- piece pan gasket