Can Motor Assembly Lube Clog Crankshft Oil Holes?

[1993_VG30E_GXE]

I have Lubriplate No. 105 white goop, and my overhaul book says to use it on:

MAIN BEARINGS - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105
CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105
BEARING JOURNALS - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105
ROCKER ARMS - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105
HYDRAULIC LIFTER BODY - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105

My only concern is, I put the white goop on the crankshaft journals while I'm storing it right now before I install it, and I was going to clean them off and stick the little gun brush into the oil holes, but if I put this goop ever so lightly on the main bearing or connecting rod bearings, couldn't even a light film CLOG the tiny oil holes when the grease starts squeezing or wiping?

Have engine builders stopped this practice on the bearing surfaces?

 

[Quest]

Nope. Once the oil starts circulating, the goop will dissolve into the oil and washed away.

Q.

 

[1993_VG30E_GXE]

Thanks Quest - that's what I was thinking.

I've been reading all sorts of things of guys having grease clog these passages and they said it ruined their overhaul - but my guess is they were using Moly grease or something. They never mentioned specifically Lubriplate 105 was used to cause the failure.

 

[1993_VG30E_GXE]

Oh and another guy said don't use ANY form of grease on the sides of the lifters because the tiny oil hole will be blocked and the lifter will never pump up properly in the first 20 minutes at 2000 RPMs.

 

[1993_VG30E_GXE]

MAIN BEARINGS - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105
CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105
CAMSHAFT BEARING JOURNALS - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105
ROCKER ARMS - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105
HYDRAULIC LIFTER BODY - LUBRIPLATE NO. 105
ROCKER ARM TIPS - MOLY LUBE
CAMSHAFT LOBES - MOLY LUBE
HYDRAULIC LIFTER TOP & BOTTOM - MOLY LUBE
VALVE STEMS - MOTOR OIL
VALVE GUIDES - MOTOR OIL

Here's my list so far, add anything anyone or correct if you think i'm wrong.

 

[tom slick]

are you planning on assembling it and letting it sit for awhile it assembling it and immediately putting it back into service? Motor oil is sufficient in most areas if you are going to put it back into service quickly.

 

[1993_VG30E_GXE]

As I go along with the assembly, it may sit for up to a week to 3 weeks, but it's getting cold at night here so I'm concerned about assembly - I better do it quick during the day maybe with some work lights on pointing at the stand? It's going to 10 C now at night. I'm running out of time in a way.

 

[Quest]

Nah! You are being such a worry wart. With proper assembly lube such as lubriplate, cam lube (I use Johnsens), etc. so long as you can keep your re-assembled engine in a cool, dry, low humidity place afterwards, I wouldn't be too worried about it even if it sits for 3months+.

Q.

 

[mechtech2]

Long term storage should use grease type assembly lubes.
A rebuilder, for instance, does not know if the engine will sit for a week or a year.
We have other options.
Don't forget the cam lobes!

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: 1993_VG30E_GXE
I've been reading all sorts of things of guys having grease clog these passages and they said it ruined their overhaul...

There's always the possibility that they are making up excuses for their shoddy work.

 

[XJ1100]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
are you planning on assembling it and letting it sit for awhile it assembling it and immediately putting it back into service? Motor oil is sufficient in most areas if you are going to put it back into service quickly.



Yamaha has recommended using motor oil as an assembly lube on thier engines for years.

 

[Kestas]

I've heard of engine builders using nothing more than motor oil for their rebuilds. But then they have a quick turnaround.

Some home builders, like myself, can wait months after putting the motor back together before firing it up. I suspect the motor oil would have run off the surfaces.

 

[BuickGN]

I've done tons of GN engines and have not have a failure, not even a cam failure yet.

I use moly assembly lube on the cam, lifters, and bearings and straight 30wt on the cylinders, pistons and rings. I also pour engine oil all over the valvetrain before the covers go on.

I'm not sure if this is possible on yours but I pump my lifters up with a pushrod in a glass of oil before installing them.

 

[ADFD1]

My dad taught me to prime the lifters with a pushrod in a coffee can filled with oil when we replaced cam and lifters. Then marinate the valve train with oil same as you do. He always used some kind of assembly lube whenever he did any kind of rebuild work. Never had a failure doing it that way.

 

[punisher]

I think in a previous thread we talked about assembly lubes and I pointed out the main thing about lubriplate is you can tell what you have already lubed. May not seem like a big deal until you get interrupted, sometimes constantly, while assembling an engine. With fresh oil it is hard to see what had been squirted and what hasn't. I know on factory engines straight motor oil is used on the assembly line. It is nice to have lubriplate to pack the oil pump with as it primes well.

 

[onion]

Volvo- you're really overthinking this assembly lube thing. If you put the engine together correctly, then it really won't matter what assembly lube you use... there will be NO noticeable or measurable difference from your POV.

The three most common assembly lubes are white lubriplate, engine oil, and lots of people use STP oil treatment. I've rebuilt probably hundreds of engines over the years- usually with engine oil as an assembly lube. Never had a single major failure in 14 years of doing this kind of work.

I prefer engine oil just because it's quick, easy, cheap, works well, doesn't make much mess. Lubriplate or STP oil treatment would work just as well. I've seen a few people use vaseline... and I see no reason why it wouldn't work fine. [censored], I've used ATF or hydraulic oil a few times just because that's what happened to be in my oil can at the time.


Originally Posted By: Kestas
Originally Posted By: 1993_VG30E_GXE
I've been reading all sorts of things of guys having grease clog these passages and they said it ruined their overhaul...

There's always the possibility that they are making up excuses for their shoddy work.


It's amusing just how much superstition and excuses that people come up with when it comes to engine work. There's no magic involved, though. It's just a machine. Put it together correctly (using the manual AND good sense as a guide), and it'll run correctly. If it doesn't run correctly, then you did something wrong.


In my opinion, Volvo, you need to focus on things like proper bearing clearance, bolt torque, cleanliness, and sound assembly practices. Assembly lube just isn't all that important so long as you use something slick.

 

[BuickGN]

I thought I was the only one that used Vaseline. I use it to pack the oil pump. It absolutely won't prime without it. The funny thing is, the vaseline stays in the filter. After the 30 minute cam break-in I dump the filter and the water thin vaseline pours out.

Of course, don't do what I did when you and a friend are both packing your oil pump on the same day. We both went in the drug store and bought a big tub of vaseline each. Didn't think about what it would look like until the girl behind the counter laughed.

 

[Shannow]

BuickGN, Holden sixes and 8s have a pump way above oil level too. I used to pack them with vaso, and my neighbour not. He reckoned that the pump would prime at 3,000RPM...he was right, but it usually took 30-40 horrifying seconds.

As to funny looks, I was ordering 20l pails of obstetrics lube one day, and got some really funny looks at the power station.

 

[onion]

Yeah, those Buick V6 engines have real issues with priming the oil pump... I guess because the oil has to be sucked up a long way? I use the stuff to prime oil pumps in diesel engines. It isn't really necessary most of the time- just plain engine oil would work fine. But I think it helps get oil to the pump quicker. I also always fill the filters on any engine that I overhaul. One place I worked at years ago had a setup that I could plug into the oil system and fill the engine via the oil galleries. So the engine was fully lubed at initial startup. Nothing that fancy at my current shop, though.

The transmission guys at my shop (they build Allisons) prefer petroleum jelly as an assembly lube- they have 5-gallon buckets of the stuff. Combine that with their preference for blue nitrile gloves, and the fun never stops in that department. Usually it's minor stuff like doorknobs, toolbox drawer pulls, tools, etc. But one time they heated a bucket of petroleum jelly just to the point that it would pour, and filled one drawer in a guy's toolbox level with it. An entire drawer of tools encased in a 4" deep block of vaseline. It was a sight to behold.

 

[andyd]

Once, just once, I forgot to lube the cam on a 1.6 Datsun. The squeaking was horrendous for a long 30 seconds. I just use STP as assembly lube and vaseline to pack the oil pumps. All you need to do is protect the engine for about a minute. If the oil hasnt reached everything in that time, you messed up. I use the Lucas oil thickener last time and it was nowhere near as sticky as the STP.