worship79

Since I installed my cam (first time ever, sweat is still on my forehead) the lube supplied by CompCams just dripped off.

Though I have a nitrated cam I'm not willing to lightly take a risk. However I'm also not really looking forward to pulling the cam and perhaps scuffing the lobes.

This guy had the same problem and a few solutions were provided:
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=253787

What do you guys think? Is there a way to properly lube the cam with the moly stuff (if needed) without pulling it? The intake and heads aren't on yet, so I was thinking of using a long brush through the lifter holes.

540 RAT

Sure you can lube the lobes through the lifter bores. And then just before firing her up, be sure to prime it real well by spinning the oil pump with an electric drill motor. And make sure you have decent oil pressure, as well as having oil coming out of the rockers. In fact, it would be a good idea to be priming it even now as you roll it over.

billla

Goober the heel of the lifters with cam lube and pour EOS or another break-lube down the lifter bores and you're fine.

As noted - preoiling is critical...

MotorHead

You are correct the stuff drips off and there is nothing left left less than 24 hours later. It simply drips off onto the parts under the cam. It's not just the red Comp Cams stuff either, there are others. I don't know how they get away with it.

I was shocked enough to post it with pictures. No one seemed to really give a crap about it at the time. We put it on, button the motor up and may not start it for a day, week or months later thinking this stuff is still on the cam protecting it

Here's a pic of Jeg's Assembly Lube on the right journal which I found to be the about the same consistency as Comps red lube only cheaper but I wasn't building a cheap motor at the time, it was my 427ci small block.

I was always suspicious of that Comp red lube so I did the test. On the Jeg's bottle " as a proven pre-lubricant...it's tacky film forms a protective coating during assembly and critical break in period..."

On the left journal is RedLine-Assembly Lube, on the right journal is the Jegs stuff, they were both put on at 8pm one night.


The next morning less than 12 hours later there is not a trace of the Jegs stuff right journal, and on the left journal the RedLine hadn't moved at all.

Needless to say I assembled my motor with the RedLine product. Don't get confused, Redline sell break in oil and additives, you want the pasty stuff they refer to a Assembly Lube, comes in a tub

worship79

Thanks guys! What do you think of the moly paste stuff? Or Clevite assembly lube perhaps? That's pretty easy to come by over here. The RedLine stuff would have to be shipped bij air/boat.

billla

I use Lubriplate #105 for all my assembly lube - but for cam lobes you need a high-pressure lube, not a general assembly lube. If you're using the CompCams Cam and Lifter lube you're fine...if you're using their assembly lube on the lobes...wrong stuff.

worship79

It's their cam and lifter lube, but it won't stay put

babbah

Thats exactly what I used (Moly paste) 2 decades ago and my solid cam still looks and performs like new!

billla

It doesn't have to do more than coat.
I've used this stuff for years on many engines.

Clearly your call

pauldana

Just a fyi..... my boys and I just built an AMC 360 less than a month ago now... comp cams, nitrated, used the co,p cams lube also... it was about 5 days between installing the cam and starting the engine... we primed the oil pump by stuffing it with petroleum jelly, started the jeep, took it to 2500 for 20 min... been running great for a month or so now...

there should stay a thin film of pre lube on the contact parts, we also pored about a qt of oil all over the lifters before putting on the intake manifold.

DRIVESHAFT

I thought that I was the only guy left that still used that stuff.

billla

Yeah, it's kinda old skool - but it has never, ever failed me and I just stick with it.

johnt365

Where is over here? Just curious.

I started building a motor about 12 years ago. The kit came with the Clevite moly lube which I applied to the cam. The motor then got shelved for a decade or so and when I pulled the cam to inspect it, the lube was still on it. I asked some local speed shop guys about the comp lube and they said the moly stuff was discontinued or at least hard to attain here in USA. I don't know about the logistics aspect but can tell you that my break in went well with the Clevite product.

worship79

Here is The Netherlands Where we do have several USA parts shops, but they usually only sell the standard oem and aftermarket stuff.

Clevite moly shouldn't be too hard to obtain, as it's one of the major brands. Seen the other reactions I could continue, but there's wrong withh going the paranoid route either

MotorHead

The stuff I showed I don't use on the cam lobes, ARP makes some pretty good stuff for the cam itself. I use the Redline red on bearings and other parts. Thing that saves motors is the fact the oil get to the important parts pretty fast once it's started up.

cardo0

Yeh, i used the Comp Cams red lube when i installed Comps rocker arms. I had to believe it was for lube and start-up without delay because it ran right down the rocker studs as i put it on. But that cam was a Crane and it wiped a lobe as soon as it broke in - the very first 20 min. But the Comp red oil was just used on the rockers - not the cam. At least i didn't wipe any rockers - heh, heh.
Well, what i'm saying is the red oil is more for apply and go - not apply now and then start the engine next month. To be honest i don't don't have anything to recommend to use for breakin. I used the waxy grease that cam with my Schnieder cam along with a bottle of Lucas break-in oil. So good so far but very few miles. I can't say Lucas break-in doesn't work and time will tell if it did the job. A lot of NAPA and franchise auto parts stores here sell Lucas products now.
Really for flat tappet cam break-in u need to use low pressure valve springs if possible and raise the rpm above 2,000 without delay on startup. Don't let the engine idle at all. I think what really killed my Crane cam was a ignition problem with the MSD box not firing and i continuously cranked the engine on the starter while trouble shooting the ignition. That and my hi-ratio rockers added significant spring pressure.
This is why i feel engine startup is not the place to experiment - don't change carbs or ignitions that well delay breaking in the camshaft. Change the carb and ignition later once the cam is broken in - use what was working before changing cams.

Hope this helps ya,
cardo0

worship79

Good info guys, thanks! I'm using mineral high-zinc diesel oil for the engine, but I'll throw in a bottle of this break-in stuff as well. I'll also try to time my engine install so that I can limit the time between re-greasing the cam and start-up to a minimum.

Will be hard though, the intake silicone has to settle for 24 hours, no?