Breaking in my new cam shaft

[Zwap]

Todays activity...
Running in my new flat tappet mild Lunati 213/220 @ .050 kit incl. lifters, new stamped steel rockers and new pushrods, about .055 preload.
Cam riched lubed with the Lunati lube that came with the cam.

10w/30w oil with a bottle of cam break in oil add.
Oil primed 2 turns crank cycle, set the timing about 12-14 deg BTC, primed the carb with enough petrol, water in the cooler with the cap off to get rid of air pockets and start it up, it took about 10 second cranking before it starts.

Up to a good 2.000-2.500 rpm and it runs quiet and solid with about 50 psi oil pressure, the temp rises but I didn't manage to put the cap on the cooler until it overheated, that was about 4-5 minutes from start. Stop the engine but as I've did adjust the idle too high it dieseled for about 5-10 seconds until I put a towel over the carb to stop the engine.

I let it cool down for about 30 minutes, filled the cooler up and put on the cap.
Cranked about another 10 sec before it starts.
Up to a good 2.000-2.500 rpm, now the temp was OK and I run it for another 10 minutes until the exhaust was so hot that it began to smoke and smell more than I like, safe things first, and I shut it off to let it cool down for another 30 minutes.

Start it up and run it another 10 minutes with ok cooling teperature but the exhaust was real hot and shut it off.

Lunati says 20 minutes total of breaking in this cam and lifters, and togheter I'm up to about 25 minutes, do you think the cam is breaked in and safe to run on idle after new oil and filter, or should I give it another 10 minutes to morrow to be shure?

I'm not that popular in the neighborhood after today

 

[thrashingcows]

Did you coat the manifolds with any type of high temperature paint/coating? Not sure why they would be "smoking" when really hot, unless it's just old oil from the leaky valve cover gaskets?

I'd say you are fine with the break in. I would change your oil, but still add a bottle of break in fluid...the higher zinc additive in the oil will not hurt anything. Or you could just leave the oil in there after changing out the oil filter.

 

[moper]

Some comments. I know you've posted elsewhere and are worried.
1. The cam you have is milder. The milder the cam the less the risk of problems.
2. Most engines will burp during a warm up after the coolant has bee drained. leave the level in the radiator low to allow for it, and have a bottle ready. Also - I use straight water in these situations. It's easier to clean up and not a problem if it has to be drained again.
3. The big deal is turning the engine over without it firing. The more you do that, the greater the chance of problems. Once it fires as long as the rpms are kept up, you should be fine. Always remember the cam is only oiled by splash up from the crank and rotating assembly. Hence the need for rpm - more oil flying atound, and more energy to make it fly...

 

[Zwap]

Thanks!
Yes, I've posted elesewhere and where worried but now I feel a little calmer, this was my first cam break in.

 

[65sporty]

By the sounds of it I think you got it, fresh oil change and enjoy

 

[70bigblockdodge]

I would check the oil filter, I usually break the sheet metal with a chisel then snip the rest of the way around with tin snips, look in the pleats for obvious problems but don't be scared by what you find unless crazy amounts.
I usually keep the oil in there and fill a new filter and install. I would keep running a zinc additive even though I'm not a fan of adding to off the shelf modern oil, my personal preference is to get a oil for flat tappet cam engine, harder to find in lighter viscosity.
Reason I say to keep adding it for some time is ZDDP coats the cam surface like a layered build up protecting the wear surfaces in low lube situations ( start up, long idle in hot weather). Your cam started with no buildup (new) so the high rpm as mentioned puts more lube oil on surfaces to protect and start the build up process. So keep putting additives or specific oil to keep building up protective layers and get out there and drive it to build up layers.

 

[Frank Odenthal]

Good afternoon, sorry for jumping on this Post with a question for my own Problem.
I want to replace lifters only using the current cam. Engine has about 130k Miles on it and one lifter is Bad. Unfortunately I could not get the right replacement lifter for the 66 383. All lifters I found are longer than my Originals. So I got a complete set including shorter push rods.
Question : does it need a break in Procedere as well when replacing lifters only ?
Thank you, Frank.

 

[moper]

They are not shorter, they have the later radius on the lifter end.

Any time you change the cam OR the lifters you need to go through the break in process.

 

[MEV]

You should always run a high zinc oil with a flat tappet cam.

 

[65sporty]

Good afternoon, sorry for jumping on this Post with a question for my own Problem.
I want to replace lifters only using the current cam. Engine has about 130k Miles on it and one lifter is Bad. Unfortunately I could not get the right replacement lifter for the 66 383. All lifters I found are longer than my Originals. So I got a complete set including shorter push rods.
Question : does it need a break in Procedere as well when replacing lifters only ?
Thank you, Frank.

What failed on the lifter? If the lifter is worn the cam lobe will be also and that will require a cam replacement

 

[MEV]

What failed on the lifter? If the lifter is worn the cam lobe will be also and that will require a cam replacement

+1
I missed this in the original post, if the lifter went, the cam is ruined as well.

 

[Frank Odenthal]

To be honest I'm not absolute sure on the root cause for my Exhaust Valve noise on cylinder no. 6.
While engine is in idle, I could reduce the noise by moving the rocker arm to the right angainst the side stop (not the spacer inbetween). My idea was to replace just the single one exhaust valve lifter to close out the lifter as the potential noise source.
I think noise could also be a valve guide issue due to this strange pitting on the top of the exhaust valve (it is just on this single valve).
Original 66 lifter is 2mm shorter than the once Mopar shop did offer to me ( sealed power HT812 and HT976).

As I'm going to replace the timing chain and gears anyhow, I will then pull the cam as well and check it.
I'm running classic car oil with high zinc ZDDP contend, but just for the past 5 years. the 15 years before this I wasn't aware about that and ran modern oils. Possibly that lesson was learned to late !?

Frank

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

To be honest I'm not absolute sure on the root cause for my Exhaust Valve noise on cylinder no. 6.
While engine is in idle, I could reduce the noise by moving the rocker arm to the right angainst the side stop (not the spacer inbetween). My idea was to replace just the single one exhaust valve lifter to close out the lifter as the potential noise source.
I think noise could also be a valve guide issue due to this strange pitting on the top of the exhaust valve (it is just on this single valve).
Original 66 lifter is 2mm shorter than the once Mopar shop did offer to me ( sealed power HT812 and HT976).

As I'm going to replace the timing chain and gears anyhow, I will then pull the cam as well and check it.
I'm running classic car oil with high zinc ZDDP contend, but just for the past 5 years. the 15 years before this I wasn't aware about that and ran modern oils. Possibly that lesson was learned to late !?

Frank

View attachment 378759

View attachment 378760

On the lifter, the critical dimension is not the end-to-end length of the lifter, but the face that contacts the cam lobe to the cup where the pushrod sits in. It is true that the earlier pushrods sit lower inside the lifter, so they are longer. They also have a smaller ball/cup on the lifter end than on the rocker end, unlike the newer style which have the same size ball on each end of the pushrod.

I suspect your problem is not a bad lifter, and with 130k miles on the engine it could be valve guides or a worn rocker arm. Have you inspected the rockers closely for wear? With that much mileage, you may be due to have the heads freshened-up. How's the compression? Changing the timing set is probably a good idea as well. The OEM timing gears had nylon-covered teeth which will break-down with age.

If you do decide to change the lifters and timing set, you're most of the way to installing a new cam.

 

[65sporty]

To be honest I'm not absolute sure on the root cause for my Exhaust Valve noise on cylinder no. 6.
While engine is in idle, I could reduce the noise by moving the rocker arm to the right angainst the side stop (not the spacer inbetween). My idea was to replace just the single one exhaust valve lifter to close out the lifter as the potential noise source.
I think noise could also be a valve guide issue due to this strange pitting on the top of the exhaust valve (it is just on this single valve).
Original 66 lifter is 2mm shorter than the once Mopar shop did offer to me ( sealed power HT812 and HT976).

As I'm going to replace the timing chain and gears anyhow, I will then pull the cam as well and check it.
I'm running classic car oil with high zinc ZDDP contend, but just for the past 5 years. the 15 years before this I wasn't aware about that and ran modern oils. Possibly that lesson was learned to late !?

Frank

View attachment 378759

View attachment 378760

What's the bottom of that lifter look like? When they wear it will cup and then the cam lobe will be worn also.

 

[Frank Odenthal]

What's the bottom of that lifter look like? When they wear it will cup and then the cam lobe will be worn also.

Yes, it is Cup. So I Need to check the cam... one comes to the other....

 

[Frank Odenthal]

On the lifter, the critical dimension is not the end-to-end length of the lifter, but the face that contacts the cam lobe to the cup where the pushrod sits in. It is true that the earlier pushrods sit lower inside the lifter, so they are longer. They also have a smaller ball/cup on the lifter end than on the rocker end, unlike the newer style which have the same size ball on each end of the pushrod.

I suspect your problem is not a bad lifter, and with 130k miles on the engine it could be valve guides or a worn rocker arm. Have you inspected the rockers closely for wear? With that much mileage, you may be due to have the heads freshened-up. How's the compression? Changing the timing set is probably a good idea as well. The OEM timing gears had nylon-covered teeth which will break-down with age.

If you do decide to change the lifters and timing set, you're most of the way to installing a new cam.

You are right....
But does it make sense to fresh up a the heads on a worn out engine .... I will probably end up with a complete engine Overhouling.
Rockers and rocker shaft were fine.

Made a compression test on cold engine last Weekend. Cylinder no. 6 was at 7.5 bar, the best was at 9.8 bar, the average at 8.8.
Measured no. 6 a second time with some oil in it to seal piston rings. Compression increased to 8.2.

Engine has lots of blow by. It always smells like oil and oil leaks from breather cup. PCV is not Capable to pull enough volume out of the engine.
Manifold vacuum is at 15HG at idle. So very low.


Thank you all for your helpfull thoughts !
Regards,
Frank

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

You are right....
But does it make sense to fresh up a the heads on a worn out engine .... I will probably end up with a complete engine Overhouling.
Rockers and rocker shaft were fine.

That's the dilemma. I had a 383 with burned valves and worn valve guides. There was zero compression in once cylinder because the exhaust valve was burned so badly, so it couldn't be put off. I removed the heads and sent them out for overhaul. Noticed at the time that there was a lot of taper in the cylinder walls and a noticeable ridge at the top of the bore. We just cut out the ridge with a hone and buttoned it all back up when the heads came back. Within a couple years it was puffing blue oil smoke because the bottom end needed overhaul as well.