Just getting ready to start up motor after cam swap. I had a flat tappet cam now I have a hydraulic roller. Do I need to run any additive for break in or regular motor such as 10-40 fine? I have heard mixed reviews. Just wondering if I can get some real life experiences here. The more responses the better so I can figure out what the majority of people do. Thanks for the help guys.

 

No, for a roller there is no real "break-in" period. Regular motor oil will be fine.

 

For that ype of cam no, but id still use addtives.

As the EPA has been making them remove more and more of the good stuff from our oil. Use to be ya just used diesel oil [Rotella] to get them back but they have also lost it or much lower lvls.

Why the rash of "break in" oils, its a way around the EPA and still sell oil with all the goddies in it.

ebay search for ZDDP

 

If the motor is ready to fire and I dont have any additive around would you wait and order the additive or just fire the motor with regular oil and possibly add the additive when you get it? Thanks again.

 

Depends on if you plan to change it soon after.

[id say any break in id do a single run of good dino then a change soon after, along with cutting open the filter from first runs to look for stuff, better safe then sorry to catch anything early. ]

But when your ready to run the oil for a typicial 3000-3500 miles, id have some in there.

 

Comp cams reccomends running break in oil with any cast core cam flat or roller, though some say it isn't nessacary, it's cheap insurance.

 

I think one of the things that benifits the most from additives is not so much the roller cam, but the top end of the valve train (standard pivot rockers and pushrods). Ive seen pivots and pushrod ends wipe out on newer motor oils. On GM cars with OHV engines, everything is rollerized now to prevent that. I would say that if your running high spring pressures with regular style rocker arms, the ZDDP is a must (probably should have said that in my earlier post).