Blair's advice is spot on (IMO). The non synthetics will help the rings seat more quickly. The synthetics are more slippery and while the compression rings may seat well the oil rails will have a bit of a struggle. Eventually they will all seat but why go through the pain when it is not necessary. The old Dino based oils and the newer commercially available break-in oils in particular will do a very nice job for you during break-in.

The other thing not to use is any type of friction modifier. Same problem — oil ring seating and potentially a longer seating effort for the compression rings also. Once everything is seated, most any friction modifier you want to use will not only be good but also protect the engine during cold starts while the oil galleys need to get repressurized. Those few moments before the various bearing surfaces see pressurized lubrication is when the majority of engine component wear occurs.


Ed

You win! :LOL:
What method do you use to get all the old oil out of the cooler and lines when you change your oil?

Thanks, Ed. I appreciate all the info you've sent along the way on both this and the quick disconnect hub as well. What method do you use to get all the old oil out of the cooler and lines when you change your oil?

Doug

I didn't... I suppose you could disconnect the fittings on the cooler.

oil and FE
 

this may be of interest

oil

The lines are easier than the cooler, Doug. For lines it is just a disconnect and drain routine without any special washing. So far (knock on wood) I haven't had an engine bearing failure so I haven't had any particulate matter to clean out.

I have thought about the problem however. My current thinking is I would probably just buy another SetRab cooler if that happened. Brand new they are about $130 +/- so the price is less than the aggravation to clean.

The other real issue is even when the fluid coming out looks clean there could still be particulate matter lodged in the cooler somewhere that would naturally (for me) loosen up when I am farthest from home and summarily kill an otherwise pristine engine. That's usually my kind of luck so I go towards the conservative solutions. Other guys can play egg toss with a live grenade all day long and nothing happens. :)

The lines are a little easier. If I suspect particulate matter a good washout in the small parts washer I think would clean everything up with modest effort.

Just for changing from synthetic to Dino grade break-in oil, in an 8 or 10 quart system, after draining the lines I suspect the small amount of residual synthetic oil on the hose liner wall may well not be a significant issue in the break-in / ring seating process.

The compression rings like the repeated loading and unloading that a stop and go sort of operation provides for a good seating. It is worthwhile remembering that a brand new off the show room floor car gets a very good ring seating just from an uninformed owner driving it around town in a very proletariate fashion — without any coaching from the dealer other than maybe no faster than XX mph for the first XX miles.

A good Dino oil, a flushed out oil cooler and lines, and some proletariate around town occasional highway driving like you might do for a new car out of a dealership will probably do an excellent job of seating the rings. Worthwhile commenting on is the fact you may use a little more than a quart per thousand miles for the first month or so even after a successful compression ring(s) break-in and then later when the oil rings finally come in, the oil consumption dries right up.

The hard chrome (I think) facing on the oil rails make them more difficult but far from impossible to seat in a reasonably short period of time.


Ed

There's been no issue with the engine, no debris or anything like that. I would just like to get as much synthetic out as I can before the refill with the VR1. I was thinking I'd disconnect the oil cooler lines at the engine, place one end in a large container, and blow some low pressure air into the other line end, hopefully forcing out as much of the synthetic oil sitting in the cooler and lines as I can. Has anyone done that, does that sound reasonable, and has anyone got any better ideas?

No. First, you don't need to do anything, just change the oil. If you feel you must do something, run a surgical tube through a line and use a vacuum pump to suck it out. But really, you don't need to do anything. Don't make life hard on yourself. Just change the oil.:cool:

When I picked my 482 up from Blair , it already had a bunch of dyno runs at WOT on it with VR1 in the sump . All I did was put about 500 to 600 miles on it and really not very gently .... just never ran it at a steady rpm for any period of time . Vary your rpm and load . I figured since it already had a bunch of WOT dyno runs , I wouldn`t have to baby it .

When I changed to Amsoil synthetic , no flushing . Just changed the filter and oil . If you really want to "drain " the oil cooler, undo the inlet and outlet hoses and use about 20 psi air pressure . Any higher makes a mess ..... ask me how I know . IMO , it`s not needed if you changed the filter . Cooler capacity compared to the rest of the system isn`t that much and shouldn`t effect break in ..... but Blair is the man to listen to . I still bug him every now and then .

So , go out there and have fun !

Thanks, guys. After 14 years in progress and going through lifes hills and valleys with this car unfinished but with me the whole way, I can't tell you how eager I am to have it finished and start actually driving it. It's finally been released from interior shop prison, and the interior looks great. Now just 3 or 4 minor items to complete and it'll be done. Finally.

I greatly appreciate all your input.