If you are unaware of the importance of breaking in your flat tappet cam and doing so with right oil, please hand in your BangShift card at the door on the way out. The reality is that oils have changed so much over the last few years that performance engine owners need to know exactly what they are dumping into their valve covers to make sure that the components inside the engine will be happy with it. Guys that think all oils are the same are 100% wrong and their advice will do far more damage than good.

Thankfully, Crane Cams has introduced break-in oil of their own and we can tell you for sure that it is a good sauce to use when you first fire up your engine with that new flat tappet cam. The break in process is vitally important to the life of your flat tappet cam (it is also important to roller cams, despite what people think) because you are developing the “relationship” between the cam and the lifter, conditioning the metals to work together, and preventing excess wear. Failure to break in properly can result in an instant cam failure or one that takes a little while but drastically shortens the life of the cam. You don’t want your hard work and money to be flushed down the tubes so do it right and use the right oil.

HERE’S THE FULL RELEASE FROM CRANE – BREAK IN OIL IS IMPORTANT STUFF SO READ UP BELOW –

Crane Cams now offers a specially formulated 10W-40 conventional engine oil to cope with the stresses created with flat-faced follower camshafts. This is to ensure that the critical first hour of your camshaft’s life will lead to long term reliability. A formula of advanced petroleum base, combined with an additive package used in Crane Cams Super Lube, using a proportioned zinc (ZDDP) component (such as contained in Crane Cams Super Lube), this oil is intended for use with all conventional fuel types, with no additional oil additives required.

Once your flat-faced lifter camshaft is properly broken in, you should continue to use a performance type ZDDP content oil for the remainder of the engine’s life, to ensure longevity. It’s more important than ever to use the properly formulated oil for the initial break-in of your flat-faced follower camshaft and lifters, either hydraulic or mechanical. Oils specified for todays hydraulic roller engines no longer contain the additives necessary to provide the optimum environment for sliding surfaces, especially for cam lobe and lifter interface of a flat face follower design. Fresh rebuilds also need load carrying protection in lifter bores, distributor gears and valve guides. Even in roller lifter equipped engines, this break-in oil is highly recommended and this oil’s additive package is mandatory for flat-faced follower designs.

Crane Cams Break-In Engine Oil (99300-1) or Crane Cams Super Lube (99003-1) must be used when installing a new Flat Tappet Camshaft and Lifters.