cam lube goop on lifters Q

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Rapid Robert

Rapid Robert

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Watched a utube vid on cam/lifters & they heavilygooped up the sides of the lifters (in addition to the bottoms) with some thick paste before dropping them in. wouldn't this impede the lifter being free to rotate especially during breakin. is this an issue or just my OCD talkin? thank you for your time. RR
 
its ok //as the engine oil washes it down and the engine heats up changing the viscosity of the cam lube to a thinner state and by then the cam/ with keeping the RPM up/ will have enough SPLASH to take it from there//the goo is for that initial dry/ cross over period... I like to run soft springs (without the inner ) for break in... just me..
 
Robert, that cam paste, as you call it, has material in it, probably Moly, or something similar, to keep the lobe from being mushed into the lifter unprotected. Once you pre lube the engine, oil should be drab near instantly coming down lubing the lifter. If you don’t pre lube, it’ll take a few rotations. This is where the cam grinders give there warning. Not all oiling systems are delivering oil very quickly to the cam.

On e the oil makes it there, it will just (as said above) wash away the break in coating.
 
No benefit on the sides whatsoever. I keep it off the sides. Cam lobes and lifter faces only.
 
413 said:
No benefit on the sides whatsoever. I keep it off the sides. Cam lobes and lifter faces only.
Click to expand...
OK thats what I am going to keep (on) doing in addition to accurate preoiling: when the dampener is 90 deg (1/4 turn) BTDC #1 compression for the pass head & 20 deg ATDC #6 compression for the dr head. thanks guys! RR. EDIT my current & future ones will be magnums so there will be a different procedure, having some one preoil as I slowly turn the crank thru 2 revolutions.
 
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I like to use your preoiling instructions. It saves a lot of wasted motion. Get those rocker shafts oiled and start it.
 
I still have some of the Crane moly paste left.

I have also used the Driven assembly grease.

I prefer paste/grease type break in lubes as opposed to liquid.
However, I’m okay using the liquid if the engine will be fired up very soon after the cam install........ like a cam swap on the dyno.

If it’s going to sit much at all....... it gets something that won’t run/drip off.
 
Oil on the sides like many have said. You want them to spin from the start.
 
Nothing 'engine assembly lube wise' you put on the lifter sides is going to stop the cam lobe from spinning them.
Only wasted rusted, ovaled or burred lifter bores or dinged gouged lifters are going to impede that. Check them for easy moment up/down/smooth spin/turn...back flips whtevr.lol
Fwie People wipe most the lube off in 1 revolution at start up anyhow and only have a small wedge at the lifter contact till the it's made a couple times round...then it's just film and splash.
Even hand turning it while priming it... its wiped off to a little wedge under the lifter.
 
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