So I am picking up my 350 L98 stuff from the machine shop tomorrow. Its a roller and I also bought new lifters. A couple of cylinders were out of round by .003 so it was decided it would be best to bore it. It's a pretty stock setup, .020 over with Mahle aluminum pistons and iron rings. Clevite bearings. What lubes do you guys like for assembly and break in on a stock setup? I've read 2-stroke oil is great for some parts.

 

I used the comp cams assembly lube. Cheap, worked fine. My thing didn't blow up.

Used the assembly lube where the cam interfaces with the cam bearings, but did NOT use it on the lobes. I used standard engine oil to lubricate the lobes. Soaked the lifters in oil, and used engine oil only on them as well. Apparently assembly lube being thick you dont want it getting in the lifters themselves. I squirted fresh oil on the cam lobes too prior to dropping the lifters in.

Ran the car with Driven BR40 break in oil for 3x 10 minute runs @ 2500rpm (with 10 min cooldown between) - drained oil and am running standard 10w30 for a few changes before moving to synth.

Apparently the break-in heat cycles are good for everything, even a roller cam (not just flat tappet)

 

Last sbc I built I used red line assembly line. Worked well.

 

You're supposed to use it on the lobes & lifter faces on flat-tappet cams. If yours is a roller, it's probably not necessary...

 

Yea, both he and I have rollers.

 

Motor oil on the bearings; white lithium grease on push rod ends, rocker *****, and similar; 2-stroke lube on the rings.

I've used COUNTLESS build lubes over the years. Sometimes just whatever was handy at the moment. ATF, STP, and so forth. Never really seemed to make much difference, beyond obvious things and just plain common sense. To some people it's almost a religion though; kinda humorous, if you ask me.

 

I've used engine oil on everything for some builds and high dollar stuff on others, no real difference to me.
Used Royal purple assembly lube a few times and it seemed to have huge breakaway tq and a bit higher rotating tq when turning over a new build. Almost a sticky like quality. No problems with the build though.

 

Oil or thinner assembly lubes are fine if you know your gonna fire it up shortly and are good at not cranking it forever before it fires. I myself constantly get side tracked or run into a part problem so I prefer sticky stuff that'll be fine when ever I get to it. Lucas has some sticky stuff good for cams or gears, wear gloves! I like the red runnier types for bearings. Soak over night any roller parts, oil needs time to seep in.

Some say not to use a assembly lube cause it just ends up as a sludge on the bottom of your pan but I've had that layer of sludge trap debris.

 

I've always used the cam manufacturers' provided break-in lube for cams and lifters and 30w engine oil for everything else.

It should go without saying that absolute cleanliness during final assembly as well as pre-lubing the engine before initial start-up are mandatory regardless of whatever assembly lubricants you decide to use.

 

I use Lubriplate (white lithium) on the bottom end because it doesn't drip out of the bearings when the engine inevitably sits for weeks or months awaiting installation, Amsoil assembly lube on the rolling and friction elements (lifter wheels, rockers, timing chains, etc), and Amsoil ATF on the rings. The 2-stroke oil sounds like a good idea for rings also - Sofa mentioned that. I've been using ATF successfully for a long time though. Engine oil is too thick - ATF or 2-stroke oil is thinner and promotes faster ring sealing. If a new camshaft is being used and the manufacturer provided lube I will use it for the cam.

Pre-lubing is a great idea.

As Sofa mentioned - with some people it's a religion and they are doing it for reasons they can't quite explain. I have reasons:

1. Lubriplate because it doesn't creep. So use it where you want it to STAY PUT. It's essentially grease - but it's very light and dissolves in oil.

2. Amsoil assembly lube because A. I'm an Amsoil dealer and it's like $6. And B. It's REALLY thick so it stays put but in a different way. It's almost like glue so it keeps things assembled that gravity wants to "help" you disassemble.

3. ATF (or 2-stroke oil - same idea) because it's thin (about an SAE 10) and that promotes ring sealing.

4. Manufacturer Cam lube. Because obviously they don't want a warranty claim.

Doing this all the time the way I do - I couldn't assemble an engine with just one type of lube. Different parts are subject to different requirements.

GD

 

Awesome.

Prelube
Cam manufacturers recommended assembly lube (mine is a roller- motor oil ok?)
ATF or 2 stroke oil on rings
Motor oil on bearings
Soak lifters overnight
white lithium on pushrod ends