I have a new remanfactured long block 5.0l, what should I do to break this engine in, Also, I will be using Mobil 1 oil in the engine and someone told me to run the engine for 500 miles change the oil, then a regular schedule. that oil is expensive. Is he correct?

 

He is correct, but don't start with M1. Run some conventional oil for break-in, then change the oil after cam break-in (if it is not a roller cam), and change again after 500 or so. Then you should be okay to run synthetic at normal intervals. I would check with the engine remanufacturer to see if they have a particular break-in oil that they recommend. 15W40 diesel oil is a good break-in oil, or so I have read and been told.

Here are a few others' thoughts on the subject: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...-question.html

 

Great responce, So it will be ok to put the M1 in the engine after using convential oil? They will mix together ok?

 

It will be fine. However, I would not use 15w-40 in a new motor. Much too thick.

I would use a quality dino oil, and change it after the first 200 miles. Then at 500 and again at 1000 and you can switch to synthetic no problem. This is what I've done in the past and it's worked well. If you're cheap, skip one of the intervals, but I would do it at least twice.

I tend to err on the paranoid side in general, and especially here, as the cost of 4 qts of oil is cheap compared to the time and money invested in a new motor.

Stick with 10w-30 all the way through. That's the best weight for these engines. You don't need anything thicker.

Also, you probably already know this, but be sure to prime the oil pump with a drill before you crank the engine the first time. When oil comes out of the passages in the head it's primed.

 

Andy, I think you are right on. The only reason I've heard 15W40 diesel oil is because of the increased levels of zinc or phosphorous which can be beneficial when breaking in a flat tappet camshaft.

Changing over to synthetic will not cause any problems at all after break-in.

 

Eric, there are so many ghost stories, myths, and old wives tales about oil that I don't know what or who to believe any more. For every person who says to run ATF through your engine every other oil change there are just as many who say it's useless and twice as many who say you're supposed to do it *every* oil change.

You could be right about the zinc/phosphorus thing, I honestly have no idea. It sounds good though. I know people who run diesel oil in their 300's all the time, and as far as I know it doesn't hurt anything, but I think it's cause the 300 guys like to think their gas motor is a poor man's diesel. It probably doesn't hurt anything, but no one has done a study on it as far as I know.

I know some manufacturers use special "break-in oil" in new cars, but I don't know what's in it, and I don't know if it would do anything beneficial for older engines or not. Manufacturers aren't typically concerned if your vehicle lasts more than 100k miles anyway, so you have to throw that into the equation too.

Bottom line - I dunno. People should do what they think is best. In reality, I don't think stuff like this makes a big difference. The extra 10 lb-ft of torque you put on the #4 main bearing cap has more to do with engine life anyway.

 

Again great responce again, you guys are ok! How do I prime the pump?

 

The lack of the additives in the new oils makes flat-tappet cam break-in a HUGE problem.

The FE guys suggest the diesel 15w40 for cam break-in.

To the original poster: Is that 5.0 an "HO" ? If it's an 80's-up 5.0 HO, it should have a roller cam/lifters so it's not an issue.

But boy, we get lots of people in the FE forum complaining about wiping out their cams - first question: What oil did you use for cam break-in?

And, yes, I'd suggest NOT using conventional oil during initial break-in. I think the theory is the rings will not seat correctly, because the synthetic oil is TOO good and doesn't allow the cylinder walls to wear enough for the rings to seat. Not an issue with modern motors with low-tension rings and tight tolerances on cylinder bores, but definitely an issue with earlier "normal" motors

 

When I got my 460 rebuilt last month, he told me to drive it for 100miles, change the oil, drive another 500, change the oil, and then after 3000 more, I can go synthetic...

The zinc/phosphours thing isn't a myth, it's a fact that the oil manufacturers are putting less in than they used to, because modern engines don't require as much, and it ends up being a enviromental concer (what doesn't)

Deisel oils, such as Shell Rotella 15w-40 contain more of these additives, and are "supposedly" good for flat tappet cams (I do believe this)

Also, I'd use 5w30 not 10w30. Ford has changed it's recomendations for ALL motors, not just recent ones, and recomends that the previous motors run 5w30. I believe now all three american makes recomend 5w30.

 

The use of thinner oils is directly related to the tighter tolerances the newer engines are built with. If the rebuilt engine has a roller cam, run whatever oil you want. The rings are the only parts that need time to break-in.

 

When you speak of engine break-in you are talking about ring seating. If the rings do not seat properly to the cylinder wall, the engine will continue to use oil and not perform to its peak efficiency.

Use of non-detergent oil in the first 200 miles of operation is one method. The additive compounds in detergent oils tend to hold the rings away from cylinder wall contact which is needed for ring seating.

The full power method is also used. The engine is loaded by putting the transmission in high gear at low speed, then flooring the accelerator until the engine load eases.

This does two things. By flooring the accelerator it richens the fuel air mixture, and the additional fuel washes the upper cylinder allowing the ring to cylinder wall contact.

At the same time, the combusion pressures force the rings outward for better contact of the ring to cylinder wall assuring a better seal.

Bottom line, ask the engine builder which method to use for proper break-in. jd

 

There is some transfer of bearing material from bearing to crank during break-in too, and the polish of the crank, it's not all about the rings...

And, the break-in depends on what ring material was used, chrome, moly, or cast.

To the original poster:

To prime the pump, make sure you fill the pan with the right amount of oil, put a filter on it, and drive the oil pump driveshaft COUNTER-clockwise (it ain't no chebbie). It might be easier to get oil flowing if you leave the filter dry (don't fill it).

The drive for the oil pump is 5/16" on most Fords, I think, but check it to be sure. Pull the distributor out, look down the hole, and you'll see the hex (six-sided) shaft. Find a socket that will fit on it, you might have to shave the socket to get it down the hole at the bottom, then put an extension on it - turn counter clockwise.

You can also either get a special tool to do it (basically a long 5/16" socket) or take the gear off the bottom of the distributor (drive out the shear pin) and put it back in and put a 1/2" drill on it that can go counterclockwise. Better to do this with a spare distributor, the mechanical advance might not like the torque...

It's good to have a mechanical oil gauge hooked up so you can see pressure, but when the oil pressure is all the way up, you'll feel it - the socket will get hard to turn. Turn it for another minute or two, making sure everything gets some oil. While doing this, maybe rotate the engine by hand a few turns to make sure everything is well coated.

Then, reinstall the distributor and start it up.

If you want, post back with a step-by-step game plan, and we can critique it

 

True, and there is some seating in the valve guides, rockers, etc., but one doesn't have control over that like seating of the rings. And, yes the break-in depends on the type of rings used, but it has to do with the time it takes for the rings to seat. All rings have to have a good seat to work properly. Chrome is the hardest to seat. I like the plasma-moly rings myself. Good wear properties without the hardness of chrome. jd

 

Well put...

 

Some mis-info on this thread: (and this is important chit for those of us who build engines or break them in. This is from a thread in the lube forum)

for flat tappet cams this info is a must as is using an additive like from comp cam or edelbrock or better yet... lucas...i have a couple cases of it. roller cam engines are not a problem and need no additive. I use dino 5-30 and lucas break in additive then synthetic 5-30 with a half bottle of lucal oil stabilizer...great stuff...the 5-30 is good for the new tight engine and the additive makes it stick to the parts a little better...i've noticed the difference when i adjust valves etc. Wal-mart full sythetic is like 15 bucks for 5 quarts and is made by a major company like valvoline....stock up on it and quality filters...but wait til 5-7k before changing oil??? look at the research!! :

doing this for the search engine when it's back and up..there are 4 current threads dealing with this topic and I think we have some solid info to build upn regarding zddp and flat tappet cams and engine break in. cut and past from another current thread.



Great article!! http://www.lnengineering.com/oil.html (4tl8ford) i cut/paste what i felt were the highlights...we should copy this to all the other threads talkng about this issue....anyone know when the api cj-4 standard went into affect?- it kills the concept of using fleet oils I think!

Update: I just looked at my rotella containers and the rotella t 15w-40 has CI-4 (and others) and the rotella t 10-30 CJ-4!!! so the new 10-30 is almost ZF and thats not good for flat tappet engines!

It would be good to guard against cj-4 compliant oils!


quote from article:

Prior to the new CJ-4 API standard for diesel oils , we found most of the CI-4 15w40 and 5w40 oils to have excellent levels of Zn and P.

"However, it is worth noting that these new API guidelines do not apply to “racing,” “severe duty,” or any motor oils that do not carry an API “starburst” seal or clearly state for off-road-use only."

"Against conventional wisdom, engine wear decreases as oil ages to a certain extent, which means that changing your oil more frequently actually causes engine wear; these findings were substantiated by studies conducted by the auto manufacturers and petroleum companies, leading to drain intervals increased from 3,000mi to 5,000-7,500mi in most domestic vehicles. It has been suggested that no more than six months or 7500mi should be observed between service intervals and vehicles driven in more demanding conditions should be serviced more frequently"

"Vehicles subjected to very short drives or sustained operation in heavy traffic should indeed be serviced more often. Regular used oil analysis is the best way to determine ideal drain intervals for your driving habits."

for those like me that rebuild engines with flat tappet ..... THIS LOOKS LIKE A GREAT OIL TO START a new engine on!

http://lnengineering.com/shop/cart.php?target=category&category_id=291