Proper FE Break in
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From: Jackassville
Proper FE Break in
Hey there Im almost ready to fire up my new 352FE and I want to break it in right so it lasts. My question is, after I break the cam in for 30 minutes, how should I safely break it in? I am going to change the oil and filter after 30 minutes of 1200-1800rpm's. Then, with fresh Valvoline 10w-30 and a purolater ol filter, I plan to take er on the road and go though all the gears moderatly and slowly bringing it up to 4000rpm before each shift, does this sound like a safe way to do it? How long should I wait too open it up and have some fun with it?
Also, what kind of oil pressure should I be getting at idle and going down the road? My crank was ground .10 under, I plastigauged all the mains and they came in at just a hair over .0015, rods were the same, I also did all the recommened oil modifications to the block and am running a Melling High Volume oil pump/w melling high strength oil pump drive shaft.
Thank you
Also, what kind of oil pressure should I be getting at idle and going down the road? My crank was ground .10 under, I plastigauged all the mains and they came in at just a hair over .0015, rods were the same, I also did all the recommened oil modifications to the block and am running a Melling High Volume oil pump/w melling high strength oil pump drive shaft.
Thank you
Last edited by FERacing66; Dec 17, 2004 at 02:35 PM.
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From: Ohio
I know most of the time the story goes....you can put it up to any speed, but don't hold it there, vary it. Basically go out and drive it. Get it running, change the oil, and enjoy it. If something doesn't start making noise/or leaking by that time you're in pretty good shape.
I think most of the time your oil pressure should be around 50-60, maybe higher until you get some miles on it. Idles should be around 20-30. My 352 has 15 idle/45 running and it's got 135,000 miles on it. With the tight clearances this may make things a bit higher initially, but I think with time it will settle down a bit.
As for having fun?? How about NOW!!
Actually I think a couple days of driving should be good enough to start pushing it a bit. Lord knows my race car gets 15 minutes and its up at 6400 rpm pulling 4100 lbs
. Ya, that's a race motor, but still all the same. It's either gunna go or blow. I used to be pretty **** about new "street" motors, but anymore I don't get too worried.
PS: your crank was ground .01 UNDER...not .01 over
I think most of the time your oil pressure should be around 50-60, maybe higher until you get some miles on it. Idles should be around 20-30. My 352 has 15 idle/45 running and it's got 135,000 miles on it. With the tight clearances this may make things a bit higher initially, but I think with time it will settle down a bit.
As for having fun?? How about NOW!!
Actually I think a couple days of driving should be good enough to start pushing it a bit. Lord knows my race car gets 15 minutes and its up at 6400 rpm pulling 4100 lbs
. Ya, that's a race motor, but still all the same. It's either gunna go or blow. I used to be pretty **** about new "street" motors, but anymore I don't get too worried.PS: your crank was ground .01 UNDER...not .01 over
Last edited by Freightrain; Dec 17, 2004 at 02:27 PM.
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From: Jackassville
I dont have any exhaust or mufflers yet, staright headers, its an awesome sound, but I dont think my neighbors will like it. I love watching the flames come out when its reved up.
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Thats what I thought too tastyklair, but on the break in instructions on the back of the box it says too go from 1200rpm to 1800rpm for 10 to 20 minutes.
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From: SE, Michigan
What is the purpose of breaking the cam in? Is it for the cam bearings or the lobes against the lifters? I know a fair amount about engines just never rebuilt one. I would imagine if you don't break one in correctly you could wipe a lobe off the cam or destroy a lifter. I usually hang out int the 80-86 forum and the Inline 6 forum, but I like to read about the FE stuff. Fred
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From: Eastern Pa
Break in ins for the lifter to lobe mating. It needs the rpm to keep oil pressure high while the parkerizing wears off the cam and the lifter rotates against the lobe forming the mating pattern the will be compatable for them for a long time. Also is why you should use lot's of the moly lube that comes with the cam on the lobes. bottom and sides of the lifters. The lifter must rotate freely the bore. I'v seen lifters that did not rotate look like someone put it in a vise grip and held it against a grinding wheel to groove it. What cam manufacture is it? I know Crane, Erson and Crower recommend 2000 to 2500rpm break in.
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From: CT
Fred this is to scuff the cam lobes to start a good wear pattern. This mostly applies to soild cam breakin at 2000 rpm for 30 min. The soild cams lifters are oiled by splash in a solid lifter block. The 2000 rpm's is to ensure there is proper oil splash. The hyd cam and lifters are more forgiving as the lifter galleys supply oil to the lifters in a hyd lifter block and rpm breakin should be varied per instructions. I use a zinc additive for the solid cam and lifter breakin and remove the inner dampner springs in the head if running the dual springs. With todays aggressive cam lifts and spring pressures these are both key to success to breakin on solids. G.
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From: Jackassville
Its a Crane cam. From what I hear, the more aggrestive the duration and lift, the more aggresive the cam break in has too be. Im running the Crane 343901 truck cam and it is a fairly mild cam. Do you think that breaking it in at a higher rpm then reccomended is okay? Im just trying to follow the directions cause I dont want to ruin it, it is an expnesive cam, $170 for the cam and lifter set and break in lube, I did put a lot of the moly grease on the lobes and the bottoms of the lifters, however, because I had to take the intake off to put an oil plug in that came out, im gonna take the lifters out and coat the bottoms of them again just for safetys sake. This freakin motor better run good, because it has been very expensive to rebuild with high peformance parts.
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From: CT
Why not use the Crane super lube breakin additive. This contains zinc and is recommended by Crane for cam breakin. Part number 99003-1. You add it to the engine oil before start up. GM EOS and STP are another additives that had zinc but not sure if they have changed or not. Ford used zinc additives back way back in the early to mid sixtys for the solid cam engines. Also Kendall GT1 and Valvoline racing oil contain up to 2% of the Crane super lube breakin additive. Give Crane a call and see what they would suggest. G.
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From: Portland, OR
I broke the 901 cam in at 2500 to 3000 rpms. Varying the rpms is very important. Once you get the timing and carb dialed in take it out and run a few 3/4 throttle passes shifting at 3/4 red line. About 4000 rpm for the 901. FE's take a bit to fully seat rings in. Took my 390 3000 miles and towing 15,000 lbs over the steepest pass around to break in. I've got 15,000 miles on the motor now and 2500 since last oil change. The oil still looks the way it came out of the bottles.
Dustin
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From: Kansas
[QUOTE=FERacing66]Hey there Im almost ready to fire up my new 352FE and I want to break it in right so it lasts. My question is, after I break the cam in for 30 minutes, how should I safely break it in? I am going to change the oil and filter after 30 minutes of 1200-1800rpm's. Then, with fresh Valvoline 10w-30 and a purolater ol filter, I plan to take er on the road and go though all the gears moderatly and slowly bringing it up to 4000rpm before each shift, does this sound like a safe way to do it? How long should I wait too open it up and have some fun with it?
There have been a lot of good posts to you already.
Remember to give it some acceleration and some deacceleration, if possible.
When you accelerate, you have higher cylinder pressure and this will help the rings break in. When you deaccelerate, you have high intake manifold vacuum. This will help suck up some oil between your new rings and help
lubricate them intil they are broke in. As a lot of other posters have said,
don't just give it a steady RPM. Follow your cam manufacturer's recommendation for the RPM. A radical cam will need more RPM than a mild
stock cam.
There have been a lot of good posts to you already.
Remember to give it some acceleration and some deacceleration, if possible.
When you accelerate, you have higher cylinder pressure and this will help the rings break in. When you deaccelerate, you have high intake manifold vacuum. This will help suck up some oil between your new rings and help
lubricate them intil they are broke in. As a lot of other posters have said,
don't just give it a steady RPM. Follow your cam manufacturer's recommendation for the RPM. A radical cam will need more RPM than a mild
stock cam.
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