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With a flat tappet cam, change the oil after an hour or so of run time. The camshaft break in paste can clog the filter. Then, after about 500 miles, change it again. Cut the filter open to check for debris. After 500 miles, and a clean filter, you should be good.
Last edited by matt69olds; Nov 14, 2020 at 07:56 AM.
With a flat tappet cam, change the oil after an hour or so of run time. The camshaft breaking paste can clog the filter. Then, after about 500 miles, change it again. Cut the filter open to check for debris. After 500 miles, and a clean filter, you should be good.
The info I have says thick, Moly-based paste can clog an oil filter in twenty minutes. That leaves forty minutes of unfiltered oil. If you're using thick Moly-paste cam lube, you need to change the filter at twenty minutes, and top off the "break-in" oil. Most guys suggest first oil change either at that twenty-minute mark, or at 500 miles. I notice that when you buy a new car, they don't cry about oil changes that soon.
Yet another reason to NOT use a flat-tappet cam, which means no need for thick, Moly-based assembly lube.
When it's my engine, it gets an asswipe (bypass) oil filter in addition to the full-flow oil filter. I change the full-flow filter as needed, top off the oil, and don't worry about "changing" the break-in oil. The asswipe filter keeps the oil clean. At minimum, I "break-in" the camshaft with the bypass filter. If the vehicle has no room for it, the bypass filter may get removed when the engine is installed.
Bypass filters are available new from Amsoil, and from others.
But the ones I have are the old SKY-Frantz filters that use a roll of toilet paper as the filter medium. I get 'em used on eBay for a hundred dollars or less. I've got a bunch of 'em, one on my solvent tank, one on my boat, one on my K1500. My K2500 will get one next summer. Add a Tee to the oil pressure sending unit, put a return into the oil pan or valve cover or oil-fill tube. Mount the filter, add some hose to connect the supply and return fittings. I like -4 steel-braid-over-Teflon (PTFE) hose. As long as the filter housing stays hot, the bypass filter doesn't need to be changed. When it gets cool, the filter is plugged, and I need another roll of cheap, old-fashioned single-layer asswipe.
Last edited by Schurkey; Nov 14, 2020 at 02:13 PM.
"Moly" is a solid. It doesn't dissolve in oil. The Moly paste is a grease with Moly particles blended into it. The grease carrier probably dissolves; but that would require heat and time, two things that a camshaft break-in don't provide in large quantity. The grease carrier may migrate to the filter element, dissolving only after the oil temperature climbs. That would depend on the melting point of the grease, I suppose.
Standard procedure is run varying rpm between 1500- 3000 rpm for 20-30 minutes, drain oil, change filter, refill with new..Drive the car, after roughly 300 good break in miles, change it again. Good to go.
I'm yet to have a cam go flat. I don't use moly based paste. I use the green snot from lucas or slick red. Pre lube the system I use cheap 10w30 with the lucas zddp additive. ( Really good stuff) I run the engine @ 2000 rpm for about 10 then drop to 1800 for 5 then 1500 for 3 min then a high idle to finish it off.
I make sure to have the vac advance or as much timing as possible on break in. I stuff a garden hose in the radiator and open up the drain valve so the engine has no possibility to overheat during during the process.
