I'm about to rebuild my 460 engine & was curious about how you recommend breaking in the newly rebuilt? What kind of oil do you run (or do you prefer ATM), & for how many miles before changing? Do you drive hard & fast or easy & slow during break in & why? Any advice will be appreciated.

 

As far as oil use a good qualty oil like Valvoline, Havoline, Kendall & etc. in a 10w-30 weight NO SYNTHETICS OR ADDITIVES. Make sure you have the distributor "timed" right, make sure your carb is ready to run & not just start the engine, top off all fluids. After eveything is ready, find a buddy that can help you & one that you can trust to watch gauges or lights. Start your engine and bring it up to 1800-2000 rpm DO NOT LET IT IDLE doing so could wipe-out the cam's lobes then the rest of the engine's bearings. Check oil pressure and any signs of leaks, after a minute or two there will be smoke and burning smells coming from your engine this is normal for a new engine (paint being burned off as well as oil residue). Allow engine to run at 1800-2000 rpm for 15 mins or so and keep checking for any possible problems. Now bring down engine rpm to a decent idle 800-1000 rpm and then shut it down. Check oil for contamination, check all connections for leaks. After everything checks out OK re-start engine and get ready to road test. First from a stop make gentle accellerations to about 1500-2000 rpm 3-5 of these. Then from a rolling stop make a little bit quicker acc. to 2500-3000 rpm. Now take it out on the hi-way and holding a steady speed 40-45 stab the throttle go up then let engine rpm come down then again, this will help piston rings seat. Try not to hold a steady speed for too long for the first 500 miles and don't run it "***** to the wall" either, just vary your rpm while driving. After your road test you won't have to change oil till the 500 miles is up but you could change the oil filter just to be safe. I hope this helps.

Todd
BB79RANCH

 

All excellent points.

I'm a big proponent of wearing safety glasses and having a fire extinguisher and charged garden hose near by as well.

The safety glasses are for the situation where you're leaning over the engine either inspecting the engine, source of smoke, or simply tweaking the carb and a backfire, belt, of some loose bolt or washer finds its way to the fan or pulleys.

Lots of parts can be replaced...you eyes are not one of them.

 

> As far as oil
>use a good qualty oil
>like Valvoline, Havoline, Kendall &
>etc. in a 10w-30 weight

FYI...both Crane and Crower recommend using high quality straight 30 or 40 weight for intial cam break in along with some sort of "oil conditioner".

 

Even though you may prime the oiling system prior to start-up, using a 10w-30 or 10w-40 weight oil will ensure faster lubrication of entire engine. 30 or 40 weight oil doesn't flow fast enough at start-up at this most critical time in an engines life. BTW what kind of additives or conditioners do they recommend, because ANY time you use an additive with today's oil you probably are doing more harm than good. Today's oil is a combo of many different properties that are used in a specific ratio to one another to perform not only lubrication duties but also take contaminants that enter the oil through the combustion process and neutralizes the contaminant so that it won't or can't harm the engines internals (bearings). Adding to this ratio upsets the effectiveness of the oil to do what it was intended to do.
I hope this helps in any way.

Todd
BB79RANCH

 

Crower recommends using their oil supplement part#860684 or GM EOS (I assume that means Engine Oil Supplement) part#1052367. They also specifically say not to use multi-vis or synthetic for break in. They say that they don't provide sufficient shear strength for the break in. Crane recommends using Crane Super Lube part# 99003-1.

The cam lobes are the most critical portion of the break in and they are protected by the moly assembly lube (as are the engine bearings) during the intital start up. Providing you prime the oiling system I don't think the time lag for straight vs multi would be that much different. I have seen other sources recommend multi vis too so it may not make all that much difference.

 

You are probably right about not seeing the difference from a straight weight and a multi-vis oil. Like you stated some companies like and others dislike the use of straight or multi-weight oils. Thanks for the info.

Todd
BB79RANCH

 

A friend of mine rebuilds engines for a living and he says that priming the oil system, then using a multi vis oil is the best way that he's found because the oil is up in the motor to begin with and multi weight allows the oil to adjust while it's in the motor because their's going to be some temperature changes. Another thing I've found, along with him, is that changing the oil immediately after cam break in is also good because 75% of all the metal shavings will be produced during cam break-in and by eliminating them before they have a chance to do any kind of damage to the engine is very wise. Then change the oil at 500 miles and you'll be fine. The main thing when breaking in the motor is that you don't let it idle when breaking in the cam, and then make sure you don't stay at a steady RPM when you break it in for the first 500 miles.

TBirdGuy

"Stuck with a m*par, Settle for a ch*vy, Happy with a Ford!!!!"

 

i always add a couple extra quarts to the engine for cam break in, it will give plenty of splash on the cam.

 

you'll have to pardon my ignorance on this question, but How do you prime the oil. I'm rebuilding my first engine (460) to a 520 stroker or a 514, i don't know yet.

Antonio

 

>i always add a couple extra
>quarts to the engine for
>cam break in, it will
>give plenty of splash on
>the cam.

Never heard that recommended by a pro. You run a real risk of aerating your oil because the crank hits it and foamy oil is definitely not a good thing.

 

>you'll have to pardon my ignorance
>on this question, but How
>do you prime the oil.
>I'm rebuilding my first engine
>(460) to a 520 stroker
>or a 514, i don't
>know yet.

You need to buy or make a tool which fits the on the top of the oil pump driveshaft and extends out of the distributor passage.

After the engine is installed either in the truck or on the dyno and all of the connections are hooked up except the distributor, fill the engine with oil and install the filter. Before installing the distributor, put the tool on the oil pump drive and spin it with an electric drill the same direction as the distributor spins until you get an oil pressure reading. Make sure to put some assembly lube on the drive gear then install the distributor and fire the motor. Don't let it idle! Get it immediately to 2-2.5K RPM and leave it there for at least 20 mins.

 

Just want to add that I also believe that it is better to get the break in oil out of it after the intial run in. Have a cleanable oil filter, with by-pass of course, you would not believe how much comes out of the engine in that first 15-20 mins., made me wonder how soon it clogs the reg. oil filter. If it does that, anything else in there is by passing the filter and going straight back into the engine. And after all, you just put how much time/money/effort into your baby? What's the cost of an oil change and filter compared to that? Very, very good tip on the safety glasses, use them myself, as well as a pair of welding gloves to protect the hands/forearms from burns while checkin' it out (bad habit of crawlin' around/under when first started). Other thing I was taught, right or wrong, was to let it cool completely between runs for the first two or three times it's started, this is a good time to go back over it to check and tighten everything.

 

This is some great info, however I would like to add that in a good rebuild book I have, it say's to baby it to500, pamper till 1500 then take it easy till 2500, when you can drive how you want. Cahange oil at 500, 1500 and 2500. Also, change oil and filter no later that first 50 miles or cam lube ect. will clog up oil passages.