This weekend I am putting in a fresh EFI 460 in my truck, what should I use for the first Fill? I have heard that the use of an oil with moly will not seat the rings right. I was thinking a diesel rated oil like 10w30 for the first 500 miles. Any suggestion? Should I change the oil after cam break in?

 

I built a 350 that will be started and broken in when the weather warms up. I filled it with 10W30 Quaker State. I’m planning on draining the oil after the fist 30 minutes of running and again at 500 miles. I don’t see the point in the diesel oil. Just use whatever conventional oil you plan on running in the engine. I don’t think the molly will affect ring seating because the assembly lube that is all over in your motor is usually high in molly content.

 

I had a Buick Regal GN turbo and after getting it rebuilt the recommendation was an oil change at 500 miles and again at 1500.

They did say "no synthetic", only dino for the first two changes. I followed their recommendation and switched to synthetic after the second oil change.

So 10W30 sounds like good advice...

 

I'd change it after cam break in, then after 500 miles, then 1000 miles, then however often you plan to go. I suggest every 3000 miles.

I like to use a diesel rated CI-4 / SL oil because of it's better additive package. Look for Shell Rotella T, Mystik JT-8 Super Heavy Duty, or Chevron Delo. I like to use the Mystik in 10w30, since it's the cheapest around here. Any of the above listed oils would be good for use from day 1 and for sustained use throughout the life of the engine.

 

A lot depends on what components you used like rings, some bearings/bushings etc. Most modern engines will break in fine with regular dino oil. Some even recommend syn. I might go with a diesel oil since it will have antiscuff additives that may be useful in breakin(Or am I thinking backward here? I never used diesel oil so only am guessing basedupon what I have read on it)

I like syn and use it in almost everything but I am nervous about break in so I would go with dino for the first 3,000 or so.

Depending on how clean the engine was etc, I might go to 1,000 for the first change or if you think the engine was a bit dirty I might go after the first hundred or so.

The way I like to break in an engine is... Fire it up the first time and let it run at about 2,000 RPM for about half an hour. Shut it down, maybe change the oil and filter, retorque stuff adjust whatever then take it on the road for about 2-3 hundred miles.

I like to take a long freeway trip with little traffic and some hills. Start out slow at maybe 50mph for 20 minutes, vary the speed up and down +-10 sometimes. On hills let it compression brake on the downside. Take it up to 60 or so for maybe half an hourand vary speed once in awhile, compression braking on hills as needed. Take it up to the limit assuming it is maybe 70 and vary speed etc, for maybe half an hour. Return home, varying speed and compression brkaing when you get the chance.

By compression braking I don't mean throw it into a lower gear on a hill, just let it stay in whatever gear feels normal and let it coast. You might have to down shift but normally you won' t need to.

When you get home either change the oil or drive normally until you decide to change. When I hit 3,000, I would go to syn for the life of the engine with drain intervals around 5K-7.5K. But dino is excellent stuff, although most would recommend 3K intervals.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

I've always heard that constant speeds (RPM) for any length of time is what you DO NOT want when breaking in a engine.

Varying heat cycles is what is called for. 2/3 or so throttle runs then an accompanying "cool down" cycle of just compression braking or no gas driving for twice the time in which your ran it up.

Now this was with my motorcycle engines but an engine is an engine.

AFter doing this 5-8 times then an oil change then normal conservative driving with varying RPMs and a few high RPM visits will help everything seat properly.

Just my .02

 

You should always change oil after cam break in because the filter can become clogged up with the assembly lube. Changing the oil again at 500 helps to prevent clogging and removes any dirt and break in metals from the engine. Synthetic oil is not recommended by cam manufacturers for use during cam break in when using flat tappet lifters because it can prevent proper break in.

 

Thanks everyone, I cant wait to fire the big old 460 up this weekend. This will be the first time every breaking in a motor, because everything I have owned has had 200,000 plus miles on it. Wish me luck

 

I run some pretty expensive engines and break them all in the same. First fill on 10-30 Valvoline for initial cam break in. Change oil. Dump in second half of case of Valvoline and run no more than an hour with moderate to heavy loads and lots of varying the rpm. Never rfun steady state. Makes those rings work and they will seal up better than if you baby them till they glaze over then they will never seat like the could have. I cut open every filter to check for problems. Third oil fill is 10-30 Mobil-1. Then I will go ahead and race it or dyno it at full power or if it's for the street I will put it into full service. After another couple days or at 100 miles I will dump the oil one more time and check the filter. Refil with fresh Mobil-1 10-30 and then go 3000 between changes. In 25 years of building engines and racing to excess I have never failed an internally lubricated part on my own or any engine I built. Treated like this other than the carbon on the piston tops is is very hard to tell one of my engines have been run when pulled down for inspection 5 years later.

 

The new 460 is up and running, I ran supertech 10w30 for cam break in and drove about 25 miles on it and dumped the oil. Put a diesel rated 10w30 that is in it now and will probally run it another week or two just to keep an eye out for coolant and other things in the oil.