[PunchT37]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

If you use assembly lube, you may want to consider the oil change after break-in.

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I actually use a moly paste. It turns the oil dark but, I still leave it in for a while. I like to have my breakin "package" work for a while after my 30 min "breakin" time. Especially for all the idle time the cam will see after the 30 minutes and the pu$$y 1`st ride that most take.

Iv`e assembled many engines since 1985 or so. Always have used a straight 30w oil. This method has not failed me yet. It might, but it hasn`t yet.

[fasterfiero]

I would think spring pressure and or high lift would be tough on the lobes.... also read an article on all the cheap lifters....... Has anybody used the lifter bore grooving tools ??

[PONTIAC-ONE]

Originally Posted by 67GTO4SPEED

This would actually be a good idea.

Originally Posted by jonmachota78

So has anyone ever lost a RAIV (or clone) cam? Maybe we need a poll. Like have you flattened:
1) raiv
2) 068
3) 067
4) voodoo
5) xe
6) ... ... ... ... etc

6) Summit 2800
7) Summit 2801
8) Summit 2802

[gtofreek]

Here's my take on this.

#1, I agree with P-Dude. I feel most failures come from too much cranking before engine starts. I be sure timing is right on and the carb has fuel before I try to start. It should fire within 1-2 seconds. If not, I re-check everything.

I have been working here at Koerner Racing Engines for 9 years now. Because of the low wage environment we live in here, most people can't afford to go roller, so we build a lot of engines with flat tappet cams. Most all Pontiac's we build for street are flat tappet hydraulic cams. We use mostly Lunati VooDoo and other Harold Brookshire design cams. In that 9 years, we have only had 1 customer have a cam failure on break-in. We use a moly break-in paste, NOT the oily stuff, exclusively for cam break-in lube. I agree with P-Dude, and never use the oily stuff that comes with a lot of cams. We also use Brad-Penn 30 weight break-in oil for cam break-in. Out of the 500+ engines I have built in my life, I can only remember 2 cams ever going flat. 1 of them, the customer admitted to cranking the engine over for a couple minutes to get oil pressure before he hooked up the coil and fired it.

The factory ran 110 lbs. on the seat for valve springs in the performance heads, not 80. 80 lbs. were on the low performance heads and heads with 45° seats. I set up heads for these cams at 120-130 lbs. on the seat and as much as 350 lbs. open with no failures, so I don't feel it's the spring pressure. Have never pulled the inner spring out for break-in.

I'm going to have to side with P-Dude on this one. I believe most failures are from improper break-in procedures, improper lube, or too much cranking. Or a combo of all three. I see too many people cranking the engine while turning the distributor back and forth, trying to get it to fire. VERY,VERY BAD IDEA!. There is such a thing called static timing the distributor. I suggest to those who don't know what this is, to look it up and learn how to do it. It insures an instant fire-up. Just cranking the engine over 3 revolutions can wipe all the assembly lube off the cam. Then, subsequent revolutions just have the cam turning with no lube just scuffing material off the cam. Then the cam is to blame. This is how I see it.

[PunchT37]

The 30w oil also has a better film/sheer strength than a 10w30 and flows faster than a 20w50 for breakin purposes. One also has to check for lifter fit in the bores and side lube, so they spin. Of course, all goes out the window if one doesn`t have his valvetrain geometry correct. Pushrod length, coil bind, retainer clearence, etc. are problems that a beginner will fall into when he strays too far from stock and doesn`t know to check these things. The best lube in the world isn`t gonna save that cam.