Originally Posted by cknight49090
Those oils do look pretty good.The point was you don't have to use expensive break in oils as long as you follow the proper break in procedure.I have used PYB VWB whatever and added redline to bring the zinc and phos up.I think its more important to use the correct lube on the cam like the comp cams for flat tappet.I think the most important besides coating the cam and lifters is making sure the engine is ready to run for 25-30 mins on initial firing to break In the cam. Stopping and shutting it off is really not the thing to do.
I think you'll find a couple of things in this thread that many are saying:
1. Too much ZDDP is a bad thing(somewhere around 1800-2000ppm is a figure I've heard where it starts to be corrosive)
2. Playing backyard chemist with oil additiives can be counter-productive(I am a chemist, although not an oil/lubricant chemist or tribologist)
3. My thoughts-you reference what I assume is assembly lube multiple times, but my understand has always been that assembly lube is mostly there to to last for a couple of revolutions until the engines lube system gets oil to the cam, so while it's important its effect lasts for a couple of seconds at most
4. The significance of break-in oils is as much in what's NOT there as in what is there.
6. My point-you have a fair bit of money tied up in a new cam, lifters, and all other other associated parts plus the time to fit them. You'll probably spend $30-40 on 5 quarts of PYB plus all the additives you're talking about adding in. 5 quarts of proper break-in oil should run you no more than about $60. You should still be dumping both after the initial half-hour run in. Is it worth saving $20-30 to gamble with wiping a brand new cam, or setting it up to do that in a few thousand miles, to avoid buying a proper break-in oil?
The cam I have sitting here ready to be put in was a shade under $300, plus I have another $50 in lifters and about another $150 in assorted parts(timing set, seals, etc). When it goes in, probably in the next 1-2 weeks, I'm going to use a proper break in oil. I'm dealing with a dinky 4 cylinder with little 80lb valve springs and a 6500 rpm red line. I'd probably be fine breaking it in with VR-1 or even an 800ppm ZDDP oil, but I'm not going go chance it, especially since I'd like to never have to put another cam in this engine(and I'm 32 with no plans on selling this car while I'm alive
).
