WOW Hooker Headers turn bright red ?!?!?!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,045
Likes: 4
From: Yorktown VA
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 115
Likes: 6
From: Carlyle IL
Typically dont brand new engines run a bit hotter, not been broken in. I've seen ceramic headers advertise not for use on new engines. I assumed the reasoning was that the engine would be hotter based on the parts still working out their friction issues.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
Advance the timing. Mine did the same thing scared the hell out of me. I had it set at 8 degrees, but with my engine setup it wanted more so I did it the Lars way and set to 36 degrees at about 3K RPM and didn't worry about the initial timing. I think it ended up at 16.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I changed pistons last winter and put Jet-Hot coated headers on at the same time. I suppose the biggest difference was that I KNEW, no question that the mixture was correct, the valves were adjusted properly, and I wasn't breaking in a new cam. All I did was go from 10.2 compression to 12.5. Put a little more bite in the bark, so to speak.
Last edited by TimAT; May 14, 2008 at 07:23 PM.
GM Cert Corvette Tech
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,559
Likes: 585
From: Anaheim Hills California
Don't loose sleep worrying about the Cam
Don't worry about the Cam. I think alot of people still remember the plauge of small block Chevy cam shafts that wore out prematurely in the Seventies and Eighties. The 20 to 25 minutes on the first run should have been sufficent. But someone did post a good point, and that would be the valve adjustment.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 368
Likes: 4
From: . New Zealand
Don't worry about the Cam. I think alot of people still remember the plauge of small block Chevy cam shafts that wore out prematurely in the Seventies and Eighties. The 20 to 25 minutes on the first run should have been sufficent. But someone did post a good point, and that would be the valve adjustment.
Choose your components wisely, I myself have decided that I have built my last modified engine with a flat tappet cam, I will be going to roller cams in future, no matter what. Ok if it's a restoration with stock cam's and valve train, but I have seen too many failures to have any confidence left to use any flat tappet cams from any of the cam grinders. A 350 that I fitted a Lunati Voodoo flat tappet hydraulic cam to recently which has only about 1500 miles on it, looks as though the cam has 150,000 miles on it so something is not right with the materials and the lubrication.
I build on average 5 engines per year, so I need to have quality assured so this is why I am going roller only.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,570
Likes: 1
From: Algonac Michigan
You should be ok.
I like to run mine 25 to 30 mins. at 2500 rpm's. If you didn't break it in properly it would show up in the running condition.
A oil change should follow break in.
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