[Greg Reid]

I mean like at NAPA, AZ, etc.
Also, would it be neccessary to remove the inner springs when breaking in the Crower 60242 cam?
Flat tappet, hydraulic, stock rocker ratio, 221/229 @ .050" 455/468 112 LSA
It's not that radical is it?

[stu72]

I had great luck with the Lucas break inn additive. I got it from Advance Auto. And as far as the inner spring goes I myself did not remove them.

[mechanickeith]

Still available from GM. Used to be called an oil additive, now its called assembly lube. Cant remember the number right off.

[gtome]

Glad you asked this question Greg! I am putting in my 60919 today and was wondering the same thing. It came with assembly lube, but I dont have any additive yet and I would like to get it done today. So im gunna have to get it at Advace or Auto Zone or wherever.

[aktattoo]

napa also has the lucas additive

[grivera]

As stated above, it's available at some retail auto parts stores. That being said, if you don't already have the oil, it may be more convenient to buy Brad Penn 30W break-in oil from Amazon.com. If your order is over $25, it ships free.

http://www.amazon.com/Brad-Penn-009-...3990261&sr=8-1

[Greg Reid]

Thanks, I found the Lucas at Advance. It's hard for me to get by the dealer because of my work schedule but I pass right by a dozen Advance, Pep Boys type places nearly every day.
I'm thinking I should be ok on the springs....I think the 60242 is just a shade higher than an 068 in the lift department.

[Held for Ransom]

Originally Posted by mechanickeith

Still available from GM. Used to be called an oil additive, now its called assembly lube. Cant remember the number right off.

GM EOS Assembly Lubricant, PN 88862586.

[Half-Inch Stud]

STP oil treatment

[abefromen]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

STP oil treatment

X2.

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

I mean like at NAPA, AZ, etc.
Also, would it be neccessary to remove the inner springs when breaking in the Crower 60242 cam?
Flat tappet, hydraulic, stock rocker ratio, 221/229 @ .050" 455/468 112 LSA
It's not that radical is it?

It's not the cam that matters, it's the valve springs.

You are likely to have real problems if there's more than 130 lbs of seat pressure. Remove the inner springs if needed to get below 130 lbs. Of course, you'll want appropriate oil as well. I assure that the lifters rotate in the bores by marking the lifter and the lifter bore with a Sharpie, then turning the cam. Spin the crank a few turns--or perhaps just the cam if the timing chain isn't installed yet--and you'll be able to tell if the lifters spin. They may not all spin the same amount, but they better all rotate some amount.

Lunati suggested to me to break my BBC cam in with a couple of thousandths of lash, so there's no valve spring pressure scraping the oil film off of the base circle. I guess that cools/lubricates the lifter foot.

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

STP oil treatment

I think that was once true; but may not be any more. I'm thinking STP lowered the level of high-pressure additive. At any rate, I prefer to not thicken the oil with high-viscosity additives.





I bought Federal-Mogul break-in lube at the local NAPA; about $5 a bottle, and it's thin enough not to screw up the viscosity of the oil.

[Ken K]

They sell some stuff now at the automotive chain stores that says zinc on the label. If you read it it says it does not contain zinc and won't harm cat converters. It cost about $15.00 per bottle.

[hiwaystar71]

call summit and have a few bottles sent to your door.

[salem1912]

X2 on STP. I've emailed them a few months ago about it they said STP has a good amount of ZDDP for cam break in and normal use.

[tooski]

www.camshield.com

[Sirrotica]

The guy that used to run the local speed shop in my home town 40 years ago used to laugh his a$$ off when I told him I used STP for assembly lube and cam break in. Of course he wanted to sell me some of the stuff he stocked. I told him I was going to continue using my STP, and he said that if I was dumb enough to try and race Pontiacs he wasn't surprised I'd use STP for break in lube. I never lost but one cam and lifter set in 40 years of wrenching and I still blame that on the butthead owner that I put the cam in for. I guess I was on the right track 40 years ago....LOL

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

The guy that used to run the local speed shop in my home town 40 years ago used to laugh his a$$ off when I told him I used STP for assembly lube and cam break in. Of course he wanted to sell me some of the stuff he stocked. I told him I was going to continue using my STP, and he said that if I was dumb enough to try and race Pontiacs he wasn't surprised I'd use STP for break in lube. I never lost but one cam and lifter set in 40 years of wrenching and I still blame that on the butthead owner that I put the cam in for. I guess I was on the right track 40 years ago....LOL

Put together 3 small block Chevies, a 351W Ford, 2 318 Chryslers, a 330 Olds from 18-25 years ago all with STP, (stock rebuilds) all ran for years after that.Built the 455 in my 66 wagon with STP on everything in the engine in 1987. Has 100,000 miles on it now and still runs good with good oil pressure. Putting it in another car (after I lower the compression a little with different heads) to make way for another 455 Mr P body is building for me. Dont seem to have time to do these things anymore, and I doubt on my best day I could do as good a job on getting the most out of the engine as he could. I think a lot of cams are burned up with excess valve spring pressure on break in as well as the junk oil they have nowadays. Lousy oil, lousy gas(e10) and lousy policy making by the govt. If I put an engine together today, I wouldnt hesitate to use STP or Lucas for assy lube. And talk with the cam manufacturer about the proper valve spring pressure to use with it.

[abefromen]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

At any rate, I prefer to not thicken the oil with high-viscosity additives.

STP is thick as molasses but I hardly think the amount added to 6 quarts of Rotella 15W40 for example would change it's viscosity much at all.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

It's not the cam that matters, it's the valve springs.

You are likely to have real problems if there's more than 130 lbs of seat pressure. Remove the inner springs if needed to get below 130 lbs. Of course, you'll want appropriate oil as well. I assure that the lifters rotate in the bores by marking the lifter and the lifter bore with a Sharpie, then turning the cam. Spin the crank a few turns--or perhaps just the cam if the timing chain isn't installed yet--and you'll be able to tell if the lifters spin. They may not all spin the same amount, but they better all rotate some amount.

Lunati suggested to me to break my BBC cam in with a couple of thousandths of lash, so there's no valve spring pressure scraping the oil film off of the base circle. I guess that cools/lubricates the lifter foot.


.

I bought the cam and matching springs as a set from Ace Brewer. I guess to be safe, I need to ask him and the builder how I need to treat the springs on break in. The builder is a member here who has a good record building Pontiac engines.
I never learned how to measure seat pressure.

[Half-Inch Stud]

I use the "keep it dumb as mud" principle (Kidem) and pour the STP into the valve cover, let the hot-head thin the STP down.

Initial cam install still used MdS on all lobes & liftem-bases.