What engine lubes do you need when rebuilding an engine

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Oct 5, 2004 | 07:40 PM

bryan_johnson

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From: Kernersville, NC

What engine lubes do you need when rebuilding an engine

I've got my 351W sitting on the stand, I just popped in the crank and am moving to the cam and/or pistons. I looked for moly cam lube and no one here has it. They have instead recommended, of all things, Vaseline. I am not feeling good about that. So now I'm trying to make a list of what parts need lubing and with what:

Crankshaft - assembly lube
Camshaft - moly grease or what else?
Cylinder walls - light coating of engine oil (30W?)
lifters (lube top/side/bottom?) - coat side and bottom 30W oil
timing chain - assembly lube
rear main/front oil seals - 30W oil
...and what have I missed..

Bryan J.

Oct 5, 2004 | 08:01 PM

Cloim

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Vaseline? On the camshaft lobes?
I don't know enough to recommend anything specific. But I would certainly not do that.

SummitRacing sells cam break-in lubes, assembly lubes etc.

I'm sure there are many other places as well to get it online.

I'm also looking forward to seeing the final list...

Oct 5, 2004 | 08:59 PM

ga302p

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I use moly grease on mains, rod bearings, cam bearings. Use Delvac, Delo, or Rotella on everything else.I also break engines in on Delvac, Delo, or Rotella. You can get Molly at the Ford dealer, if you cant find it anywhere else. Any petroleum distributor should have Moly grease. I know Napa and advance auto have Moly assembly lube. If they dont, they can order it. I would't use vaseline on anything except seals. What kind of cam is it, Roller of flat hydraulic? You have to try pretty hard to mess up a roller cam, but for a flat tappet hydraulic, I'd use cam lube or moly grease. I usually just dump oil on a roller. I just pour oil on rocker arms. On my roller rockers, I usually soak them in oil overnight, and work oil into them. I do not turn the oil pump before I crank the engine. I always use high volume pumps. Within 2 or three seconds of turning the starter, you see oil pressure on the gague; assumeing you prefill the oil filter.

Last edited by ga302p; Oct 5, 2004 at 09:07 PM.

Oct 6, 2004 | 10:32 PM

bryan_johnson

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From: Kernersville, NC

These oils you are referring to, Delvac, etc. are diesel oils, yes? Why the heavy weight oils at startup? Doesn't that take longer for things to settle down and seat properly? For right now I'm soaking the lifters and cam in 10W-40 until I find the right lube before installing them. Nobody stocks the moly grease, only assembly lube which I used on the main bearings but does not have molybendum in it...I hope that is not too big a deal.

Bryan

Oct 7, 2004 | 05:13 PM

ga302p

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We assembled engines for years before anyone put moly into an assembly lube. Dont have to have it, its just one of the best. Actually, some of the full synthetics are probably the best, but I wont waste money on them. As to the oil. It is only 15 viscosity cold. Thats no real difference between 10, in normal climate. The reason I use the "diesel" oils is the fact that they are much more stable. They are much better against thermal breakdown than regular 10-40. They also have much more friction modifiers than conventional oils. They also have huge amounts of detergent. They keep gasoline engines with 300,000 miles clean as the day they were assembled. They also are not just "diesel" oils. They meet the latest gasoline spec. Actually they far exceed it.

I have not tried 15-40 in anything that calls for 5-20. I use them in anything that calls for 5-30 weight. I am still waiting to see some long term results from some people who are using 15-40 in engines that call for 5-20.

Oct 8, 2004 | 12:39 AM

bryan_johnson

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Mountain Pass

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From: Kernersville, NC

Well, I stopped by Napa since they tend to have the real stuff, and the guy suggested Permatex Ultraslick for the cam lobes, and Lubriplate 105 for pretty much anything else(pushrods, lifter bores, etc.). I already dropped the lifters into a can of oil and will just let them sit until I'm ready to install them. I've got to try a speed shop (Napa was sold out) for the Ultraslick, so the engine sits tonight :-(

Bryan

Oct 8, 2004 | 04:50 PM

ga302p

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Is it roller cam, or flat tappet? Is it roller rockers or regular rockers? If its roller cam, you do not have to worry about it. You can oil it and crank it. If its Roller rockers, soak them in oil. If its regular rockers, assemble and pour oil into them and you will be fine. The most important thing is have your timeing very close and crank the engine quick. Napa has moly

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Oct 15, 2004 | 04:07 PM

FORD352V8

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Joined: Jul 2004

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From: North Carolina

Crane makes a assembly lube for the cams. I would not use vasline on anything, heck would it dissovle? Would it clog passageways? I dont want to find out.