• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Who gets nervous about breaking in a new cam?

1. Does any cam manufacturer offer pre-broke in cams?
2. That video is 8 years old. One would be fair in assuming that service has been offered
to all manner of cam makers, engine rebuilders, etc. - but yet, nobody seems to have heard
of it?
 
I rebuilt the 383 in my Satellite myself in 1989 using the FSM and a how-to book. It's a near-stock build with a Comp Cams 268H-10 cam and matching lifters. I was too young and naive to be nervous about the break-in, but after reading these posts I should have been.

After the rebuild, the engine sat in the corner for almost 2 yrs while I worked on the rest of the car. I had put oil in it and I would turn it over by hand from time to time while spinning the oil pump with a priming tool. I had a mechanical oil gauge connected and always made sure I had good pressure before turning the crank. I don't recall pulling the intake and re-lubing the cam before firing it up the first time. I think I used Castrol racing oil for the break-in. Guess I got lucky cause it's been running great since and I've put over 30k miles on it.

Does make me wonder about the difference in part quality now vs then.
 
Hmm. How did Mopar ( or any car co.) break them in in the 60's? Guessing they just lubed them up, fired them off and rolled them out the door. Don't know if production vehicles got any special treatment.
 
copper67sat said:
I rebuilt the 383 in my Satellite myself in 1989 using the FSM and a how-to book. It's a near-stock build with a Comp Cams 268H-10 cam and matching lifters. I was too young and naive to be nervous about the break-in, but after reading these posts I should have been.

After the rebuild, the engine sat in the corner for almost 2 yrs while I worked on the rest of the car. I had put oil in it and I would turn it over by hand from time to time while spinning the oil pump with a priming tool. I had a mechanical oil gauge connected and always made sure I had good pressure before turning the crank. I don't recall pulling the intake and re-lubing the cam before firing it up the first time. I think I used Castrol racing oil for the break-in. Guess I got lucky cause it's been running great since and I've put over 30k miles on it.

Does make me wonder about the difference in part quality now vs then.
Click to expand...
Those were definitely the better quality days for that company...
 
I think the oil changed.
A stock engine with stock valvesprings didn't push so hard to scrape the oil off of the lobes either.
Add in stiffer valvesprings and oil with less zinc.....and here we are.
 
When doing my 440 they recommended a 911 comp spring with the cam I purchased. (Sum 6401) Researching what was stock spring pressure and doing a little math, this spring was really overkill. Looked on a couple of spring charts and found something lighter. The installed height that I had would have made the spring pressure greater yet if I had used the 911. This is another thing the manufacturer isn't taking into consideration when recommending springs.

This made me curious about some cam lobes wiping if manufacturers are recommending springs that might be too much for the application. Doing your own homework on this might save your cam.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Jesse Hunt
Cam Dynamics Small Block Cam Question
Replies
5
Views
437
33 IMP
33 IMP
F
Found my answer.....thanks very much...........Need HELP on 383 cam install hydraulic flat tappet....END PLAY?
2
Replies
22
Views
752
zyzzyx
zyzzyx
F
Will a 10.5 inch flywheel fit in a 727 bell housing?
Replies
6
Views
651
WileERobby
WileERobby
S
Cam shaft.
2 3
Replies
43
Views
2K
T Brashears
T
Cranky
Any one ever ran hydraulic lifters on a solid flat tappet cam?
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
Geoff 2
G
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top