1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

[DanStokes]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

On the Camaro I've been using oil from Auto Zone with ZDDO (Valvoline Racing oil) AND a can of GM EOS. The Chevy dealer here in town still carries it. After the first oil change I just use the ZDDP oil - and that's with a flat tappet cam. All has worked so far with a couple of different cam changes. With your roller cam I wouldn't expect much of a problem. On the 'Stang I just used regular oil and did a change at about 1000 miles - no issues. Good idea to watch for the health of the converters.

Dan

[revolutionary]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

Russel, per your signature, the stock 5.0's are amazingly durable. I had one that I threw together with some OEM replacement foged pistons, a 218 @ .050 cam and some pocket ported heads and sprayed it with 150-300 worth of nitrous until it burned the electrodes off the plugs and did it again. Lots of fun. What's left of the car is now a tube frame beast with all aluminum 555 BBC and 14-71 blower. Think he'll trade me back?

[Russell]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

Daryl,

I am sorry to hear about your shop, but glad to see you still have racing goals! This is my first engine so I don't have any personal experience with fresh engines should I use a special oil or additive, anything NOT to use? Is it worth changing the same day as first start up or wait 500-1000 miles? What about break in, I thought I would let it fast idle for 30 mins or so then drive it (go through the gears), easy at first then progressively harder until I get to WOT

Russell

[fahrenschnell]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

Russell,

Are you using the cam I sent? If so that is a roller and just use a good quality oil....If not and you are using a flat tappet....I recommend Joe Gibbs racing Oil....You need to let a hyd flat tappet cam break in for 20 minutes at 2000 rpm.....then change the oil and you are good to go.

Seth

[Monster]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

If you are using a flat tappet cam ... I have heard that little to no zinc (among other things) will wipe lobes .. today's normal oils will not work well with a performance cam and springs with flat tappets.
I saw the following article in my new Eastwood catalog and have never used this product, but the advetisement is below for your covenience.

Your oil has changed... don't risk camshaft damage too !
Recently the EPA mandated that all domestic oil producers remove Zinc Dialkyl Dithio Phosphate (ZDDP) from all conventional and synthetic motor oils. This change was done to protect the catalytic convertors from damage. As of 1989 the majority of auto engines utilize roller lifters, so the need for ZDDP in the oil was not needed due to the reduced friction in roller valve trains. If your engine is pre 1989 or your vehicle does not have a catalytic convertor and you do not have a roller cam and lifters - you need the ZDDP additive ! ZDDP Plus reduces the tendency of the lifters to gall the cam loves and decrease performance and valve train life. Add 1 bottle of ZDDP Plus at each oil change to protect the cam and lifters and add significant life to your engine, it's cheap insurance.

[Russell]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

Seth,

As of today it has a stock HO roller cam out of a 92 motor that a guy gave me, The plan is to put the cam you sent us in Dad's car before April

I normally run Castrol GTX. I cleaned the carbon off the stock Non Forged pistons (flat top with value reliefs said to raise compression 0.3 over HO pistons), put on new rings, bottle brush cylinders, STD rod and Main bearings I got a new oil pump, new double roller timing set ( I could adjust the cam timing? was going to put it in straight up.) new balancer.

My main concern is that the rings seal and the bearings have a happy life. ;D

[DanStokes]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

My Comp Extreme Energy is ground 4 degrees advanced - no clue on the stock cam. If it's ground straight up Come recommends 4 degrees. Just a thought.

Dan

[std]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

Don't let it run for 30 minutes. It has a roller cam so you don't need to run it in. Fresh motors don't like to Idle.Not enough oil flying aound to lube the cylinders.

If you can, degree the cam and make sure it's advanced a little. If it's 2-4 degrees advanced, leave it. Don't take the timing chain off after you degree it. I know everyone thinks they will put back in the right spot, but if you don't take it off, you know it's right. It's too easy to get it off a little.

Don't use synthetic oil to break in the rings. It doesn't work very well. I like Kendall or Pensoil.

Start the car, set the timing, make sure the water is full, then go beat on it. Put it in first and run it up to redline then back off and let the engine slow the car down. Do that 5-6 times. Watch the water temp, you don't want to get too hot.

You're ready for racing now. Change the oil in 500 miles and we'll see you at Maxton

[Russell]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

Dave,

When you say make sure the water is full, do you mean wait until the thermostat opens?

Russell

[std]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

I usually drill a hole in the thermostat so I can fill the motor all the way before I start it. Drive around until you get some oil temp the beat on it. Cold oil is bad.

[milner351]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

what Dave said.

Use NON SYNTHETIC oil for at least the first 1000 miles, and certainly for the initial fill and break in.

by doing the engine braking maneuver - you're getting the rings to rock in both directions in the ring lands of the pistons - this should break them in quickly and effectively.

[Russell]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

I was able to spend a lot of time on this project this past weekend, got the old engine out cleaned a lot of really dirty parts (I have to give my Dad a lot of credit he has been right there with me the whole time and did lot of the cleaning as well). And started put some parts back on the explorer motor. The question I have is when I was torquing the intake to the heads. I ran all the bolts in with a ratchet then torqued them. Once complete I went over them again and all of them need more, did this a few times is that normal? I don't want to over tighten them but I want it to seal!

[DanStokes]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

That's consistent with my experience.

Dan

[Russell]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

Is there a max time of torque cycles or keep at it until the wrench just clicks?

[milner351]

Re: 1989 Mustang, Driver / Drag / LSR

Did you use end gaskets or RTV front and back?

if RTV - I would wait a few hours or over night before doing the final torque - to give the sealer a chance to cure before you compress it completely - especially when it's cold out.

it's pretty common to make a few passes through the torque sequence to get an intake to seal - those gaskets compress quite a bit against the heads, and given all the surface area, it takes a few passes to get it to seat.

If you are using a big torque wrench and it's close to it's low limit - maybe a good idea not to trust it - try a beam type for lower torque ranges (as I recall intake bolts are about 20lb ft - my 1/2" click torque wrench low limit is 25lb ft)