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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Cam Lube

Posted by: ThinAir914 Mar 12 2005, 06:11 PM

I seem to have lost (or never got) the little tube of lubricant that you are supposed to use on the cam lobes and lifters to help them break in properly. Before I go to my local NAPA, what am I looking for?

Posted by: mattillac Mar 12 2005, 06:34 PM

why not use regular old oil? thats whats gonna be on it when the car is running.

Posted by: ThinAir914 Mar 12 2005, 06:45 PM

This is one of those cases where as soon as you ask the question "out loud" you know the answer (insert hand slapping forehead). I got my Elgin cam through HPH and Rich emailed me to tell me to use Assembly Lube with Moly in it for this. As soon as I posted, I remembered to go through my old emails and find it. I knew there was a reason I had that tube of AL with the parts!

Nope, regular oil doesn't cut it for this. Jake makes a big deal in his video about using what comes with the cam (he just doesn't name it). I don't know the details, but I've heard it over and over that you need to treat the cam special. That's why you lube it with AL and why you run the engine for 20 minutes the first time - to seat the cam followers properly with the cam.

Posted by: TimT Mar 12 2005, 06:58 PM

Lots of cams come with DFL ( Dry Film Lubricant or Moly) applied to the lobes.. its that gray stuff on the cam lobes... coat your cam with motor oil.. kill the ignition, and crank the engine to get oil pressure. After you have oil pressure.. activate the ignition.. fire up the engine.. and run at a high idle for about 20 mins

Posted by: ThinAir914 Mar 12 2005, 07:45 PM

I'm sorta wondering if I should be building an engine today - the brain doesn't seem to be working. After I went back out to the carport and rewatched the tape I discovered that Jake had indeed named Assembly Lube and had even said that if you don't get any with the cam, just go get some. Duh!

I'm being very slow, and deliberate about this. Since I'm rusty at this, I've got the tape on a small TV on the workbench and I check everything about three times. I think as long as I continue to be this careful, I'll be fine.

The great news is that the right side of the engine is now together. After supper I'll see if I can get the left side together. If it goes quickly enough I'll have a short-block before the end of the evening! That would be very nice.