What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Break-in procedure / 1st motor start

Keitha

Keitha

1/2 ton status
 Premium
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Posts
1,027
Reaction score
75
Location
Costa Mesa, CA
What do you all recomend for a Break-in procedure and 1st start on a rebuilt motor? I had my motor rebuilt and am a few hours of work away from starting it up. It is a 383cid SBC w/ full Roller Cam, roller rocker set-up. What type of oil? Break-in additive? Any other advise?

Thanks,
 
First it needs primed. You need to remove the dizzy, and spin the oil pump until oil comes out of the pushrods and dribbles into/onto the rocker. You can accomplish this by using an old dizzy, removing the cam gear, and hooking up a power drill to it and bazinga.

Secondly, with hydraulic roller cam I am assuming, you dont really need special oil for it. I would use just regular old kinda cheapie oil since your going to be changing it around 500 miles or so, depending on your preference. So I wouldnt go out and spend 50$ on full on royal purple.

Lastly, Im guilty of not checking and rechecking stuff when Im excited about starting a new motor. Things like antifreeze, oil, tranny fluid, t-case lube, blah blah blah.
 
Cheap conventional oil. Prime it. U can build one as described(wont work with a unmodded cam gear on it). They also sell em but some dont block oil to get it to all the motor. Eos engine oil supplement. Its gm stuff. Think some other companies sell break in additive too. Big fan in front of rad too. Not the time to run hot durring a high idel in a garage since its a new set up and u dont know how it runs. Plus will smoke with new paint, oil, etc. leave dist a tad lose, prob need to move it, then tighten once you know its good. Then there is the whole alter rpm etc for 30 min. Best to not shut it down if u can help it.

After garage break in, make sure no leaks etc and u tighten things like header bolts etc i like to change just oil filter. Then take it out on road for a nice trip, vary rpm(key imo), load, down hill, engine breaking etc. Check fluids, bolts etc. Then get 500 miles and change oil and filter
 
BREAK IN OIL! As it is loaded with the zinc and phosphorus additives needed to break in a motor properly. Prime it. Start it, rev it to 2k and hold it for 20 min, dont let it idle. Yes you can just use standard conventional oil. But to me the extra cash spent on some quality break in oil is worth it to break in the motor you just spent alot of cash on. Edit: i didnt see the roller cam part. Much more forgiving.
 
Duelings way is the correct method to break in a flat tappet cam. The roller cam is much much much more forgiving, basically rendering that method obsolete except for gen 1 BB/SB with flat tappet style cams. That break in oil he mentioned will not hurt, but its not necessary on roller cams as there is helza less friction when compared to the flat tappet smackin off the cam lobe.

Number one thing is to drive it easy, and by easy I mean below 5500 rpm, LOL. Keep it down low, like around and below 3k, and cruise some backroads or something, and baby it for a thousand or two thousand. Some people break them in like that till 5 thousand.
 
Yah that's why I edited my post when I saw roller cam. The break in oil is for flat tappet break in. Still think break in oil would superior compared to regular oil IMO. Rings and such still need to be seated and I'd want the best oil I could find to do such.

I broke mine in with royal purple break in oil, ran it for 300 miles and changed. 2 years later it still makes 80 psi cold idle, and 60 warm. I'll go by it.
 
I have done this quite a few times, just looking for opinions of what everyone thinks is the best method.

What do you think of Rotella oil?

So start it up, quickly set the timing, and bring it up to 2,000RPM -hold there for 20 minutes?
Then just drive it mildly for 500 miles and change the oil?
 
Keitha said:
I have done this quite a few times, just looking for opinions of what everyone thinks is the best method.

What do you think of Rotella oil?

So start it up, quickly set the timing, and bring it up to 2,000RPM -hold there for 20 minutes?
Then just drive it mildly for 500 miles and change the oil?
Click to expand...

Even better have someone on the dizzy to adjust and get it to 2k right now.

But pretty much that. My engine guy told me 300 miles but who knows for sure
 
Everyone has a little different method. Some people are super anal an believe in rolling the motor over when priming. I believe in varying rpm slightly. Get it running, set timing, then vary rpm. But pretty much everyone says no ideling. Ive always ran the gm eos(never built a roller motor) and prob go overboard on oil filters and such but figure cheap. Figure all the assembly lube, break in wear, bits of rtv and crap plug it and put u into bypass quicker.

Look at what the car manufactures do for thier motors. Most people would cringe to do that to their new built motor :eek1:

I also figure after garage break in cam(although u dont have to worry) and other crap should b mostly good. If something is going to let lose it will and most stuff is seated(short of rings) with initial garage start. Its just a matter of seating rings. Jmo but thats were load and decel and varying load and rpm on an initial cruise is good. Some people say 250 sOme say 1000 miles till "broke in". True that may take awhile to seat rings and for them to "break in". Some say pussy foot it for 500 miles, some say drive it like its a rental to seat rings etc initially. I lean more twards drive normal/a bit agressive after initial garage break in
 
Is it carbed or FI?

And like was said above, everyone has their own methods. I have broken some in the "right way" to have them die at 5k miles, and broken one in for 10min, and took it straight to a mudbog and ran the pizz out of it and it still runs 8 years later, and its been through 3 trucks. The general consensus is, change the oil and filter, and dont wind it all the way up or hit it with a 200 shot of NOS the first day. Other than that, it depends on how far your willing to go as far as your own personal oil change/break in style.
 
Some people are super anal an believe in rolling the motor over when priming.
Click to expand...
Not sure about all motors but I do this.

It is required on an IH motor or you only prime half of the upper end.
 
Question:
I'm priming my oil system and do not see any oil comming up through the pushrods. I have a priming tool and am powering it from my 18v Makita drill motor - forward (clockwise) direction. I ran the drill for a good 30 seconds at a time. Any thoughts?:dunno:
 
Keitha said:
Question:
I'm priming my oil system and do not see any oil comming up through the pushrods. I have a priming tool and am powering it from my 18v Makita drill motor - forward (clockwise) direction. I ran the drill for a good 30 seconds at a time. Any thoughts?:dunno:
Click to expand...


Ive had motors that Ive had to prime for 5+ minutes straight to get oil up to all the rockers.

Ive said it before and I'll say it again. The best way to seat rings is to take the truck out and drive it like you stole it from the very start for the first 20 miles. Obviously start it, make sure you're not running hot and the tstats opening good. Get the carb tuned and take it out and run it.

Babying it is not good for seating rings and there is no cam break in with a roller.
 
Keitha said:
Question:
I'm priming my oil system and do not see any oil comming up through the pushrods. I have a priming tool and am powering it from my 18v Makita drill motor - forward (clockwise) direction. I ran the drill for a good 30 seconds at a time. Any thoughts?:dunno:
Click to expand...
Clockwise and you should feel a load on the drill.
 
Last edited:
Stomis said:
Ive had motors that Ive had to prime for 5+ minutes straight to get oil up to all the rockers.

Ive said it before and I'll say it again. The best way to seat rings is to take the truck out and drive it like you stole it from the very start for the first 20 miles. Obviously start it, make sure you're not running hot and the tstats opening good. Get the carb tuned and take it out and run it.

Babying it is not good for seating rings and there is no cam break in with a roller.
Click to expand...


I did that with my Harleys...zero problems....:waytogo:
 
You just need to prime it (clockwise) longer to get oil to the rocker arms and roll the motor over a little at a time when priming.
 
what type of piston rings, and cylinder prep has it had?...that makes a difference in breakin procedure.
Do NOT use synthetic oil for break in, rather a quality 10-30 or 10-40, with your cam and rockers you don't need a break in lube, just good assembly lube when it was put together.
Bearings don't care as long as they are assembled with assembly lube.
Roller cam don't care as long as rpm is sufficient to provide splash lubrication on the cam, and lifters. It should have a coating of assembly lube when assembled.

Prime engine, turning it over a few revolutions while priming, make sure you have good oil pressure.
Set your #1 timing to fire straight up or a few degrees advance, and try to get carb set right before trying to fire....run the rpm up to 2K or so until the engine has reached operating temp. This is needed to provide pistons, rings and cylinders with lubrication.
Run it for 5 min after reaching operating (175-200) then let it idle and set timing and carb properly. All this time you should be looking for leaks or anything that doesn't sound or look right.
A roller cam doesn't need a break in period, rings might depending on what type they are. Moly will seat pretty quickly, and a few miles of regular driving will do that, Iron rings will take longer, never used the run the piss out of it right out of the gate theory, but race engines do that all the time!
 
Not sure what type of rings, but it has new SpeedPro (I think) pistons.
Motor is TBI typd, so no carb setting.

I ran the drill motor some more priming it. I can see the oil flow just at the back side of the priming tool but still not through the push-rods. Could it be the speed of my drill? I will turn the motor over by hand and give it a bit more time priming.
 
Keitha said:
Not sure what type of rings, but it has new SpeedPro (I think) pistons.
Motor is TBI typd, so no carb setting.

I ran the drill motor some more priming it. I can see the oil flow just at the back side of the priming tool but still not through the push-rods. Could it be the speed of my drill? I will turn the motor over by hand and give it a bit more time priming.
Click to expand...


I hope you have a chip for this thing because that TBI computer isnt gonna know wtf to do with a stock tune with a 383.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom