donnieR32 Don this has been an on going issue for the last 10 years when
Zinc and Phosphous was drop to smaller amount in motor
oil. Your top FE builders where losing motors on break-ins.
Here's my 2 ways, first I run a rolletta 15w-40 diesel
oil in the motor. I run it for half the races and change it. I also have 12 quarts of
oil for the motor with lines, cooler, oil pan and 3 quart accusump. 15 years same block and no failures of bottom end. 8 years with 452 and 7 years with 484 setup. I have done my own test and have found that adding a bottle of lucas oil suppliment will stop dry starts after motor has been sitting for a couple of days. I run this in all my cars and trucks. Before running lucas used to get rocker noise for 5-15 second if vechicle sat for couple of weeks. Added this and no noise after sitting for couple of months. This is a clinging oil. Does it cost HP, YES. Does it keep my motor quiet, yes. You must pour this in slow to get it to fix with the oil. Here's point #2
Point 2 Accusumps, every car should have one. The motors would last 300-500k miles if no dry starts happened. If for nothing else that startups. Here's why, turn this on and let the oil pressurize the motor and you have 20-40 psi of pressure, no dry starts. The other thing is the rockers and the last things to get oil pressure in the motor. IMO the other problem is the oiling system of some motors. I have seen over the years the farthest rods from the oil pump are the last to get pressure and it is not the same pressure until the system stablize. You read 50-100 psi pressure on the gauge but in truth you may be getting only 10-50 psi in the last section of the motor. There have been test done on SOHC and found that there was a 35-40 psi drop between block and heads. 85% of wear and tear is done on startups. An accusump cost about $400.00 and if protected will last 10-20 years as long as the tube is not damaged. Finding a good safe place on the car is the trick. As far as oil pressures in an FE motor and what they should be with an HV oil pump, that's another thread. Good oil in any brand for high milage and a bottle of lucas. I have and do use EOS from GM too when breakin a new motor. Good Luck Rick L.