What were manufacturer's engine break-in procedures (pre-roller)?

[Caveman Tony]

So flat cam lobe paranoia is rampant...

Todays oils don't have the same additives that oils in the 70's and 80's had, but you can buy stuff that does have it.

The question is: Other than pouring that 70's/80's oil in it, what did OEM manufacturers do for break in during the 70's/80's, when flat tappets were the norm?

[skullbucket]

Single valve springs, Comp Cams break in oil, Shell Rotella 15W-40 oil, after 20 mins at various speeds adjust the engine timing and idle, change oil and drive.

[DanStokes]

First cam I ever put in was an Isky into a 318 Poly. They said NOT to let it idle or run at any constant speed for 20 mins. If you had an issue (overheating, ran out of gas, etc.) shut it down IMMEDIATELY, fix the issue, and restart following the above process. Change oil and filter following the 20 minute break-in. Do not cruise at a sustained engine speed for several hundred miles (don't remember how many) following the initial break-in.

LORD, that was a long time ago!

The Isky instructions are pretty much what Delta told me on my flat tappet cams for the 250s so I guess it's help up over time. Nowadays I do use Valvoline Racing Oil with ZDDP and add a can of GM EOS in addition for the first start-up - belt and suspenders, I suppose.

Dan

[Caveman Tony]

What about the OEMs?

How did Ford/Chevy/Dodge break stuff in rolling off the assembly line?

Or was loading the vehicle for transport considered 'break in' ?

[Huskinhano]

IMO, I don't it's fair to blame it totally on modern oil. Too many variables. I use to work at a Chevy dealer parts counter for the shop back in the mid 70's. There was one mechanic that would just start the car up and idle it on a fresh cam and never wiped one out. We would use 1 pint of GM's EOS with the oil.

Keep in mind when all the OEMs used flat tappets there was a huge market for them. When the OEMs went roller, the demand and market for flat tappet fell off the edge of the earth. What little demand was basically filled by off shore vendors and we all know about their high quality materials and workmanship!

Next, cam profiles on flat tappet cams became more agressive along with stiffer springs placed/greater loads on the flat tappets and oil with above mentioned chinese tappets. Don't forget lifter bores get sloppy and might be off angle from the factory. We over look these points and go straight for the oil.

I read an article a while back written by a guy who worked for a company that analysted motor oil and who also owned a small plane with a reciprocating engine. He said oils used in aircraft had to be ashless meaning when they burned, they left no residue in the combustion chamber. The oil lacks a lot of additives such as zinc. He said when he tested his oil, there was no material from the tappet which were flat.

Personally, I think there's too many other variables to lay blame on modern oils completely if at all.

[Barry Donovan]

being brand new..they could choose anything.

engines old, getting new stuff have molybdates, nitrile rubbers wating for friction to trigger a finale.

"cow shit and condoms"...it is the end of 90% of eveything engine with seals and burning fuels. Not even ethylene gylcol is a bad thing.

"poly" prefixed anything is a better bet. oils suddenly is not a subject to worry about.

even a carb gasket can set off chain rejecting lube. silicates..cork rubbers, tar balls.

today is as crazy as a chemist allowed to pretend uts all good.

[anotheridiot]

I always thought the old car break in procedure was dont beat on it for at least 500 miles. All better oils are doing is delaying the time you get broken in and rings seated to cylinders. I know a guy that would go flat out onto the highway for 200 miles right when he finished building an engine thinking higher rpm's is gonna do a more complete break in.

[Beagle]

I've wondered about this before, never really got an answer. Given the amount of really mild self flattening OEM cams that came in 305's and 350's of the 70's, I'm not sure they did anything at all. Maybe they dropped a can of EOS in them, but the first three miles getting on the truck and off at the dealer could have been their undoing.

All hail Beecam.

[STINEY]

Part of the reason that a cam swap is so very rewarding in a lot of cases (back in the 80's/90's) was the very poor condition of the factory cams, IMO.

I've seen a BUNCH of wiped lobes in drivers. They were always bad-mouthed for being gutless smoggers, not entirely fair when the motor was running on 5 cylinders though.

So don't believe for a minute it all started only recently. Flat cams have been a problem for many moons.....

[DanStokes]

Stiney's right, although we had very little issue with Buick cams. I'm guessing that Buick used better alloys and Buick drivers tended to drive like little old ladies and little old men - oh, wait - they WERE little old ladies and men!

Still, lack of ZDDP didn't help anything in the flat tappet department.

Anyhow, to answer the OEM recommendation question: Buick recommended not driving at any constant speed for 500 miles. We tried to get 'em back in for an oil change at 500-1000 miles although I recall Buick spec'd 1000. While we didn't do this, I've heard that some dealers would disconnect the cruise control before delivery. This accomplished two things - less chance of extended cruising and the owners would bring it back to be repaired so you could do the initial oil change. I don't know how well that tactic worked but we preferred to have a better relationship with our customers and most were pretty good about following the program.

Dan

[ss427]

Well the memory has never been that good, but I do remember a couple things I heard/read many
years ago. A Doug Marion (sp?) story about Chevy having a HUGE vacuum, would what, lower down
before intake was installed, moving a huge amount of air through the engine. Thus taking a lot of
particulate out. Don't remember if it was that story, or my old man, (who worked a few years at
AMC) they also "Cycled In" the motor, spinning it with oil, sans combustion for a period of time...