proper stroker engine break in?

[xuv-this]

hey how do you all break in your strokers? what oil /additives do you run? what oil change intervals? i've seen a lot of posts about camshaft failures, but not much about breaking them (in) properly. let's get technical!:guitar:

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

I ran rotella 15-40 for 500 miles, no addetive, changed the oil to castrol 10-30 with the STP Oil Treatment(lots of Zinc in it) and ran that for another 1000miles. Then went to regular intervals of 3k miles with castrol and the stp addative. When it got to 8k I switched to mobil one synthetic 10-30 with the same zinc addetive. I am at 12k now. I have had no problems and have great oil pressure.

As far as breaking in the motor. After I started it the first time I let it run for an hour before shutting it off. Then I broke it in by driving it around town 30 min at a time for a week, capped off with a 2 hr road trip at the end of the week.

the camshaft failures are coming from people with a bad cam in one part, but not running a good oil at first is the biggest part. I think there are a few people out there with busted cams that are not admitting that they didnt get higher lift springs too...

 

[JJacobs]

With all the cam failures of late, I'd go get some Brad Penn 30 wt break-in oil for the first fire up. Bring the engine to at least 1500 rpm and vary between 1500-2000 rpm for at least 20 minutes, then immediately change the oil. The break-in oil is designed to be run for only the first half hour or so and suspend particles to prevent damage.

After that, drive it as you would after it's broken in, just don't hold the same rpm for very long, i.e. vary the load so the rings seat. An engine that never has full throttle until 1000 or more miles is going to have its work cut out getting the rings to seat. That's what works for me.

 

[Talyn]

Also, put a cam shaft lube on the cam lobes and lifters when being assembled. Its different from assembly lube. Also, if you can't find or get the Brad pen get somethign like Crane's cam break in fluid or GM EOS (sold my ACDelco now).

But as JJacobs said, get the engine immediately started. If it won't start immediately, find out why and correct the issue. Don't sit there and crank it. Also, prime the oil system prior to start and purge the fuel rail. Vary rpm between 1500-2000 RPM for 20-30 minutes. Shut off, replace oil and filter. Don't drive gently, but don't drive it hard.

I can't stress this enough, but upon first firing do not let the motor idle, warm up, ect before starting the cam break in.

 

[alex22]

Here is something I read on Camcraft's website.
"An excellent additive with high zinc content is General Motors EOS. I haven’t seen a new bottle yet but I have heard that the label has been changed from engine oil supplement to engine assembly lubricant so it won’t be used as an oil additive regularly. I have heard on good authority that EOS is not compatible with Mobile 1 synthetic oil. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything as to compatibility with other synthetic oils. Other companies such as Prolong, have similar additives."

I'm going to break my engine on either Brad Penn's break in or Joe Gibbs BR oil. After that I will run the Brad Penn 10w30. I'll probly put Joe Gibbs Hotrod oil in when I dyno it, Its the ONLY oil we have seen HP gains with, it will probably make 2 more HP thatn it would have with anything else. I wouldnt worry about the ecesesive spring pressure being an issue with the cam break in, because the jeep springs are weak. Only the monster dual/tripple springs are a threat, the ones with 275lbs or more, most of the monster springs have 350lbs plus on the seat can wipe a cam out without thinking twice.

~Alex

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

forgot to mention that I did the random revving thing for a while too

 

[xuv-this]

so pretty much i need to do initial start up with the additive, immediately start varying the speed between 1500-2000rpm for about 20 min, shut it down, change the oil, preferably with more additive and let it cool. then drive it for a few hundred miles in short trips, running 'er wide open every once in a while, and not letting it cruise at the same rpm for too long. then change the oil again. did i miss any thing? also, the more i hear about synthetic and regular oil needing additives to keep the motor healthy, the more i'm leaning toward rotella 1540. i've heard of people here running it, but on a new engine wouldn't it give too much oil pressure or be kinda hard on the pump?

 

[XgeekstarX]

i've always used sae30 for the first 500 miles. always been somewhat firm with engine break in. if you take it too easy, the rings wont seat, and if you're too rough god know's what will happen. vary rpms and never let it just stay at a continuous rpm for too long. one little extra kicker to make sure the rings are seating is to do what i call vacuum pulls. get up a good little speed and just let off the gas all the way and let it coast for a second letting the engine be an exhaust brake. hasn't failed me yet.

 

[alex22]

The ZDDP is the most important when breaking the cam in, that is why many people can get away with runing synthetic oil in a flat tappet cam, its already well broken in. Just remember that an engine oil meant for diesel trucks will not have the same properties as one meant for a gasoline engine. Detergents, sheer strengths. Remember, stock diesels don't rev past 4K before very bad things begin to happen.
Primeing the oil passages is also very important.


~Alex

 

[alex22]

This might be too late for you, but not for many of the others who are building an engine. Make sure the top two rings (fire rings/combustion sealing rings) only go .005 to .015 deep into the ring grooves in the piston. Many piston manufacturers are not increacing the inner diameter of the ring grooves. they will make the OD .020 or .040 larger, but not the ring groove. If you don't have .005 to .015 ring depth in the piston then call the manufacturer (they will probably just try to blow smoke up your A$$) if they don't help talk to your machinists, they will have a way to fix the problem.

~Alex

 

[JJacobs]

Now, I'm not necessarily saying beat the snot out of the engine, but a little load is good to get the rings seated. I have however hit 6200 rpm with less than an hour on a fresh engine with no ill effects. Consider that if everything is working properly, there is virtually no metal to metal contact save for the rings to walls at BDC and TDC. If you get on it and it blows up, guess what, it was doomed anyway. Might as well find out earlier than later.

My post was mostly in reference to those that won't go over 3000 rpm, or 55 mph, or half throttle etc for a 1000 miles. I'll leave their names out as they are still having engine troubles.

 

[BlueCuda]

Just make sure to have the proper cam additives. I didn't when I broke mine in but I feel lucky with all the failures lately lol. I have run Rotella 15/40 since the 2nd or 3rd oil change IIRC.

If its got moly rings they are seated as soon as it fires up, not much to worry about there. I do the cam break in, then just go out and drive it, wrings its neck a little. Change the oil and then proceed as normal. Mine has about 25K on it now.

 

[XgeekstarX]

The ZDDP is the most important when breaking the cam in, that is why many people can get away with runing synthetic oil in a flat tappet cam, its already well broken in. Just remember that an engine oil meant for diesel trucks will not have the same properties as one meant for a gasoline engine. Detergents, sheer strengths. Remember, stock diesels don't rev past 4K before very bad things begin to happen.
Primeing the oil passages is also very important.


~Alex

diesel engines take incredible rod loads that a gasoline engine doesn't see. also diesel engines are a hell of a lot dirtier, and most diesel rated oils are higher in detergents/dispersants. if it can handle that i think it can handle my little straight-6. amsoil 15w40 all day long.

 

[BlueCuda]

Lots and Lots of drag racers use Rotella 15/40.

I agree with the above post. Everything a diesel does is 10x as hard as what a gas motor does. 17:1 compresion with 30lbs of boost, nasty dirty fuel that turns the oil to tar lol. I think the diesel oil can handle the baby 4.0 parts.

 

[alex22]

The bearing surfaces are much larger on diesels to deal with the larger forces exerted on them. Just because alot of people do it, doesnt make it right.
Personally, I would, and do use an oil that is designed for use in a gasoline engine

~Alex

 

[XgeekstarX]

The bearing surfaces are much larger on diesels to deal with the larger forces exerted on them. Just because alot of people do it, doesnt make it right.
Personally, I would, and do use an oil that is designed for use in a gasoline engine

~Alex

that just so happens to meet the same specifications / api certifications that diesel oils do.

 

[alex22]

that just so happens to meet the same specifications / api certifications that diesel oils do.

Ok, you got me on that one. But for those using the diesel stuff, make sure it has ZDDP since they are begining to take it out of the diesel oils too. I use the Brad Penn because we have it in stock where I work and its cheap (4.50 a quart or something like that).

Back to the break in procedure. I asked the guy who runs the dyno where I work about what he does to break in the flat tappet cams. He said to start it and make sure the timeing is close when it is idleing, then bring it up to 1000 to 2500 rpm for 10 minuts while loading it down slightly and easing off, to let the rings seat and the cam to start to break in. Then check to make sure the oil and coolent is up to temp, check timeing again then he starts makeing pulls on the dyno. He told me not to worry about waiting till I put 1000 miles on it before romping on it.

~Alex

 

[gradon]

I'm breaking my stroker in tomorrow(today) with the brad penn sae-30wt break-in oil. I'll make sure everything's good in the first few seconds and if so, immediately take it up to 2-2.5K for 20min(blow a quick $30 in oil and filter, but hey if it makes it last longer. . ). I'll probaly end up using their 10w30 after the case is used up. Oh yeah I got a magnetic drain plug too. My brother said there's a magnetic sleeve you can put on your filter to also collect metal.

 

[Talyn]

I have the magnetic drain plug and the magnetic sleeve. Got the sleeve from Jegs.