I will be assembling my new Y Block engine soon.  I have a few questions about assembly lube.  In the past I have used Red Line Assembly lube on the bearings and black molly paste on the cam and lifters.   I use ZDDP additive for solid lifter engines and 30 weight oil for break in. I see special break in oils advertised on the web.  What are the best lubes and oils to use on assembly and break in?

Phil;
You will probably get a lot of different answers on this one. I think the cam manufacturer will recommend the type of break-in oil to use. The last motor I built had a Comp Cam so I used Comp Cam break in oil (30 wt). I don't remember the brand of assembly lube I used other than it was red.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

So far, I've only used regular motor oil for pistons, bearings, wrist pins, etc and moly lube from one of the cam manufacturers for the lobes and lifter faces.  Break in has been fine.  I change the oil and filter after 100 miles and then again 500 miles after that, then regular intervals, no objective reasoning behind that, it just seems like a good idea.



Lawrenceville, GA

I used a mixture of 30W break-in oil & Lucas viscosity expander to assemble the valve gear on my rebuilt heads (anticipated long-term storage). THAT motor is still ‘waiting-in-the-wings’, so consequences remain to be seen. However, I used the same mixture when installing new pushrods/rockers/shafts in the original engine, and extended clearance stability over time would tend to indicate success.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Regardless of what assembly lube you use I think the most important thing is spinning the pump and filling the oil filter and galleries before starting the engine. I do this even before I put the heads on so that I'm sure oil is coming up through the block to the heads.

RancheroJim.  Checking the oil flow to the block deck before installing the cylinder heads is something I never thought of doing.  Thanks!  


NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

It works fine with a grooved cam or grooved bearing, not sure if it's a cross drilled cam, unless someone turns the crank?

i use 10/30  for assembly lube with cam lube(moley) on all lobes and lifters. in my opinion the most crucial is the pre lube using the oil pump. i leave the oil in for at least 500 miles,thinking the money in the cam lube is a positive.
1 comment re shell rotela t is scary as it is designed for modern diesel engines with roller cams. when i worked for finning( cat dealer) they sold shell products, and rotela t we where warned do not use on flat tappet cams in gas engines the 5 gal. pails had warnings on the container in regard to flat tappet cams

My Erson cam came with these instructions.   Oil and Additives      It is highly recommended that you use a conventional SF or SE grade SAE 20 or SAE30 weight   NON-DETERGENT motor oil with break in additive   (Erson E911000) or Joe Gibb's Racing Oil  Break in oil.
Due to the high ratio of detergents to zinc in new generation diesel oils, it is no longer recommended for flat tappet camshafts.  
I wrote this ver-batim directly off the cam paper.   I would've took a pic,  but I couldn't get it all in the pic in 1 shot.     
Now,  I know Ted Eaton pretty much says he uses Valvoline 10w-40 in his car.    Valvoline also sells racing oil which says directly on the bottle that is has the correct amount of zinc for a flat tappet cam.   But if your going to buy a bottle of break in additive,  why not just buy a 5 quart jug of Wal-Mart oil?
If you follow what my camshaft paper says,   bar and chain 30weight is non-detergent,  and only $9 a gallon.

I seriously doubt bar and chain oil is designed to be used in an automotive engine.  Do you know what additives are in that type of oil?


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ