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New Solid Lifter Flat Tappet Break in Confusion ?

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70rcode

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My new Lunati solid lifter flat tappet break in Plan was to use the supplied black Moly Lube paste + Valvoline Conventional VR1 10W30 Racing Oil that's Highly rated on 540Rat's Oil Wear Protection Test that stimulates thin oil film performance protection Without any hi ZDDP oil Additives that Reduce the oil's scuff rating....Of course, all of Lunati's warranty Required J Gibbs hi ZDDP "Driven" Conventional Break In oils & additive suppliments test very Low to Lowest on 540Rat's Oil Wear Protection Test !! ....The Cam company Requires the Highest ZDDP ppm content & Rat's Oil Test shows 1200--1500 ppm ZDDP is optimum (VR1=1500 ppm) with > 1800 ppm Dangerous bad ! ....I just want a good, non-eventful Cam break in ! Both cam oil wear "experts" impossibly opposite & incompatible !! How do you guys work this cam break in successfully ?
 
Also,...running outers only weak springs is a given..
 
Use the outer springs only.
Use good break in oil. Gibbs or Brad penn will be fine.

that 540Rat oil deal has a contentious history to it. I’d go with what the cam manufacturer says.
 
Just broke in a 72 340 stock valve springs, with Valvoline VR 1 10W30 with no other additives other than the cam Installation lube. Cranked brought to 2500 rpms and adjusted timing. Ran for 30 minutes after reaching operating temperature, while checking for oil leaks, especially at the rear main seal. Final assembly is proceeding now, for future road tests. We have removed the oil filter, cut open and examined to check for anything unusual.
 
So Lunati recommends Gibbs BR oil for break in? I would use what the manufacturer recommends.
 
Jerry H illustrates the Lunati warranty issue....the Valvoline Conventional VR1 10W30 without Additives Is the Highest rated 540Rat Oil Wear Protection rated oil same as I Planned to use....Lunati requires Gibbs "Driven" brand Break in oil or Other + Lunati additives all which test rate dead last on Rat's Oil Wear Protection Rating test results..So per Lunati warrantee instructions-rules, I'm forced to use the Worst camshaft sliding simulated rated oil & additive instead of the Highest Conventional oil brand performing oil without warrantee....What an impossible conflict.,...
 
IMHO You may missing the point of "break in". You don't want the highest wear resistance. That comes after break in, during "normal" use.
 
Stop listening to the 540 guy and listen to the folks who made the parts you are breaking in.
 
Lefty71 said:
You are thinking too hard!
Click to expand...
Geez what spring rate are you running? If you don't have a big thumping cam and high seat pressure then you are thinking wayyyy too much. Pre lubing before you fire it up is always a great idea.. I agree with threewood, use what the manufacturer suggests.
 
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Do yourself a favor and use a dedicated break in oil....The process is about more than just getting zinc on the cam lobes. You really don't want all the detergents that are in regular-use oil and a good break-in oil will have specific additive packages in to aid ring sealing as well..
 
beanhead said:
Do yourself a favor and use a dedicated break in oil....The process is about more than just getting zinc on the cam lobes. You really don't want all the detergents that are in regular-use oil and a good break-in oil will have specific additive packages in to aid ring sealing as well..
Click to expand...

That makes waaay too much sense.
 
I don't know what 540Rat's Oil Wear Protection Test is?
I have used Valvoline VR1 with a can of engine oil supplement (EOS) and didn't have any problems.
From my understanding, the break-in oils have little to no detergents in the additive package?
 
70rcode said:
My new Lunati solid lifter flat tappet break in Plan was to use the supplied black Moly Lube paste + Valvoline Conventional VR1 10W30 Racing Oil that's Highly rated on 540Rat's Oil Wear Protection Test that stimulates thin oil film performance protection Without any hi ZDDP oil Additives that Reduce the oil's scuff rating....Of course, all of Lunati's warranty Required J Gibbs hi ZDDP "Driven" Conventional Break In oils & additive suppliments test very Low to Lowest on 540Rat's Oil Wear Protection Test !! ....The Cam company Requires the Highest ZDDP ppm content & Rat's Oil Test shows 1200--1500 ppm ZDDP is optimum (VR1=1500 ppm) with > 1800 ppm Dangerous bad ! ....I just want a good, non-eventful Cam break in ! Both cam oil wear "experts" impossibly opposite & incompatible !! How do you guys work this cam break in successfully ?
Click to expand...
Your choice is simple: use what the manufacturer recommends or use what someone on the internet says. If something goes wrong, which do you think has a higher probability to reimburse you? The manufacturer or Mr. Rat540?
 
Your always going to get differing opinions on this, I have always used a dedicated break in oil and cam manufactures lube, either with a new build or cam swap and run sub 100lb seats on the springs, spring load is most important IMO.
I have read a lot of Rat540's blog in the past and I think it is good info, however, as far as I know he was pretty secretive about how he did his tests, from what I understand - not the industry standard 4 ball test but a wear test with a weighted lever against spinning metal in an oil bath. The guy does not seem to be an idiot and I have used his info in part as to the oil I use.
 
When I broke in my 340 recently, I used Brad Penn break in oil and didn't remove inner valve springs. My springs had about 350 lb seat pressure at full lift. My engine builder -- who has been doing this for a long time -- told me unless you are up around 400 lb or higher pressure, it's not necessary at all. I understand why some people remove springs just to be safe (and I'm NOT telling you not to remove them). But in my case, I trusted him and he said it's almost never needed unless it's a .650-700 high lift and high seat pressure race engine. He said he never removes them on "street" builds and has never had an issue. So I left them on (which saved a lot of extra work) with Brad Penn, and the break in went perfectly. No issues then or since. By far the most important part is manually pre-oiling and getting the engine to fire right away, getting it to 2500 rpm and keeping it running.
 
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Surprising to some that "Break-in" oil is intentionally formulated Without normal motor oil Friction Modifier ad-pacs, & designed to Aggressively Increase Cylinder wall honing finish Peaks to P-Ring sliding, rubbing Wear or what's called Desirable ring "seating",... "Intelligent Controlled Wear" ? ......Is it surprising that same "Break-in" oils test so Badly Low on "Rat's" Wear Test rating results ? ..And then the same Wear Accelerating inducing "Break-in" oil is Expected to "coddle" your cam lobe/Lifter's sliding, rub point with super protective wear Magical lubricant coating ??.....Rat's oil wear tester seems to consistently identify "Liquid sand in a can" from the known real synthetic slick stuff !! ..
 
It's not suppose to "coddle" your lobe/lifters sliding. It's supposed to hone/polish them to mate. Why you never mix up where a lifter came from in a used engine...
 
It's nonsensical to think that a cam manufacturer would recommend a break-in oil that gives you a better chance of wiping a lobe off a cam that they have to warranty. My current street engine was broken-in on Comp Cam's break-in oil. Isky dual springs with 145 lbs. closed and 345 lbs. open. The cam is a custom grind 235*duration @.050" and .540" lift. For me the most important details are to pre-oil with a drill, have the cooling system (including a floor fan) sorted, have the timing set very close and the fuel system operational so that when you turn the key it fires immediately and doesn't go through a lot of starts and stops before the parts have had time to introduce themselves... I then switched to Comp's 10-30 synthetic blend for about 500 miles and finally switched to Mobil 1 10-30 full synthetic.
 
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