Flat Tappet Cam Break-in Lube

RodgerH · #1 (**permalink**) 06-18-2009, 08:58 AM

Ran across this on CompetitionPlus.com "New Products" webpage.

Thought you flat tappet guys might be interested. (I'm running a hydraulic roller

)

http://www.competitionplus.com/index...=8434&Itemid=8

More at:
http://www.lunatipower.com/News.aspx?id=26

Rodger

elmariachi · #2 (**permalink**) 06-18-2009, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodgerH

(I'm running a hydraulic roller

)Rodger

Here, let me fix that for you:

(I'm running a hydraulic roller

)

RodgerH · #3 (**permalink**) 06-18-2009, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elmariachi

Here, let me fix that for you:

(I'm running a hydraulic roller

)

That's what I get for being a Smart A$$.

Rodger

elmariachi · #4 (**permalink**) 06-18-2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodgerH

That's what I get for being a Smart A$$.

Rodger

No, I am just learning how much fun it is to own an antique (solid lifter motor.)

ERA Chas · #5 (**permalink**) 06-18-2009, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodgerH

That's what I get for being a Smart A$$.

Rodger

No good deed goes unpunished here!

Thanks for posting even though you don't need this stuff.

Bob In Ct · #6 (**permalink**) 06-18-2009, 09:17 AM

Remember, just like Vitamin A, you can use too much of this stuff.

Bob

Michael C Henry · #7 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 07:17 PM

So how much does this stuff cost and how much oil is it supposed to treat? How does it compare to ZDDP? The ZDDP treated 5 quarts so I had to use two per oil change. I ordered a six pack of the ZDDP to defray the shipping cost But it's avaiable on ebay and still around $8+ per bottle. Someone said to just use the purple breakin oil.
I did notice that after I added the two bottlels of ZDDP that oil temps fell about 30° to 40°.

patrickt · #8 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael C Henry

So how much does this stuff cost and how much oil is it supposed to treat? How does it compare to ZDDP? The ZDDP treated 5 quarts so I had to use two per oil change. I ordered a six pack f the ZDDP to defray the shipping cost But it's avaiable on ebay and still around $*+ per bottle. Some one said to just use the purple racing oil.

Just click here: http://www.bradpennracing.com/Zinc.html

jwd · #9 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 08:40 PM

For break in, use a CI-4 or CJ-4 rated oil with 1 bottle of GM EOS. After that, just use CI-4 or CJ-4 oil. No need to use any of the snake oil additives.

Jim

bobcowan · #10 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwd

For break in, use a CI-4 or CJ-4 rated oil with 1 bottle of GM EOS. After that, just use CI-4 or CJ-4 oil. No need to use any of the snake oil additives.

Jim

That's not such good advice anymore, I think. CI-4 and CJ-4 are for diesels. They used to have a lot of Zinc and Magnesium for anti-wear. But, diesels now have cats. CJ-4 doesn't have the additives it used to. And you really have a tough time finding CI-4 on the shelf any more.

jwd · #11 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 09:31 PM

Bob,

My info. comes from not only the major oil makers but from Duke Williams who has written many articles in collector car mags. and happens to be an engineer who developed many HP motors for the "big 3". Do a search on him and you'll find the truth about motor oils and it won't be from someone who is trying to sell you something. His advice is followed by car collectors (myself included) that have cars worth 100's of thousands of dollars.

Jim

PS It's Zinc and phosphorus (not mag.) and even CJ-4 has 1200 PPM just like the old days.

Bob In Ct · #12 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 08:04 PM

I use Redline, 50% more (800 PPM vs 1200 PPM) ZDDP than Mobil1. I had them both tested.

Bob

bulletbrown · #13 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 07:39 AM

I had Camresearch Corp in Englewood Co. 80110 303-762-0022 pre-breakin my solid lifters and cam. It seems to work great and saves time and money in the break in process of adding the second set of spring in after break in. The charge was 60 dollars . A bargain and a time saver.

elmariachi · #14 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 08:41 AM

http://photos.imageevent.com/moparno...chAdditive.pdf

blykins · #15 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 09:51 AM

Camresearch doesn't always work. There have been several instances of people having their cams broken in there, then flattening them out when they got them in the car.

patrickt · #16 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 10:12 AM

Brent, how many times have I written that I don't understand why everybody doesn't use a solid flat tappet cam? Yes, you have to break it in, but once you're past that and you get a thousand miles on it then it's going to last longer than you are. With a high quality roller rocker set-up you lash it once a year... if that. Just use a good ZDDP oil. C'mon, how hard is that? And you get the benefit of that wonderful flat tappet sound and the hi-revs. Anybody that puts a hydraulic cam in an FE-equipped Cobra is just a big, fat puss_.

Snakebit · #17 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 10:18 AM

Flat tappet all the way! I just hate the thought of one of those roller lifters comming apart and needle bearings circulating all through the engine!

elmariachi · #18 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

Anybody that puts a hydraulic cam in an FE-equipped Cobra is just a big, fat puss_.

Yea, what he said.

patrickt · #19 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 12:54 PM

Anyone that has a fear of solid flat tappet cams should post that concern here: http://theonlythingtofearisfearitself.blogspot.com/

blykins · #20 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

Brent, how many times have I written that I don't understand why everybody doesn't use a solid flat tappet cam? Yes, you have to break it in, but once you're past that and you get a thousand miles on it then it's going to last longer than you are. With a high quality roller rocker set-up you lash it once a year... if that. Just use a good ZDDP oil. C'mon, how hard is that? And you get the benefit of that wonderful flat tappet sound and the hi-revs. Anybody that puts a hydraulic cam in an FE-equipped Cobra is just a big, fat puss_.

You may get lucky, but if you put out a number of engines a year, you stay away from those piece of crap cams.

Ask Keith Craft, Barry Rabotnick and some of the other professional builders why they dread it when someone wants a flat tappet.

You can write it until you're blue in the face, but one day you'll wipe one down too. Every builder I talk to steers away from them now....even with break in springs, Brad Penn or Gibbs break in oil, low ratio rocker arms, etc. You can't guarantee that you'll have a successful break-in every time.

For just a couple hundred dollars more, you can guarantee that you won't have any break in issues. A couple hundred now, with better lobes and more power, or a couple thousand later on when your cam lobes flatten and scatter metal shavings throughout your engine.

Hydraulic rollers will run 100000 miles without worry.

Solid rollers are a little more risky because of the lash, but if you have pressure fed lifters and keep the idle speed up, they'll last and last.

I've never put a flat tappet cam in a customer's engine, or any of mine for that matter....and I never will.