Wanna share your recipe?

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Ironmike

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Got my pistons and rods NASA clean for install tomorrow. I've always used the same sort of "recipe" since I was a kid. Far as I know I've always had a good ring seal.

So of course after pistons and rods are clean, I use lacquer thinner on paper towel in the cylinders until they come out darn near white. Then I switch to a lint free white towel, rag, t shirt...whatever I know is lint free.
Last 15 years it's been these real nice white OR towels. Once they come out pure white and clean I'm done cleaning.
Next I coat the cyls lightly with WD40. Very lightly oil ring grooves before the rings go on then a couple drops on the skirts. That's it for me. It's worked out.

I know everyone has different ideas and thought it might be interesting to see what else we do. I knew a guy years ago that smeared the old STP all over everything. Swore by it. Guess it worked for him.

So what do you do?
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Pretty close to how I do it. I just skip the WD-40 part.

I use nothing on the rings and just use a quality assembly lube on the skirts. Just a light coat.

After you roll the thing over all the times you need to install the Pistons, set the lash etc. you will find that the lube on the skirts has migrated to the rings and everywhere else.

I always say if your stuff smokes on start up, it's probably worn out.

Also, if I don't see the power stablize if 3, maybe 4 pulls then I know the rings didn't seat and I've got an issue.

The rings should be 99% seated before the engine ever starts.

I never slather the piston and rings in oil.
 
yellow rose said:
BTW, I'm liking your rods a bit too much. Pretty nice stuff.
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I was going to go H beam, but would have needed a couple slugs of Mallory. Scat calls these their Pro Series. Fairly light. I have them in my current motor. Have held up extremely well over the years. I did upgrade to the ARP 2000 bolts this time, so in my mind, I'm solid.

Pretty decent Bob weight, too. 1733. Nice split too at 886/847.
 
I liked the pre-dyno days best. Fire it up check for leaks set timing and go pound on it. I honestly can't ever remember "breaking in the cam", in the 70's, 80's. Maybe I didn't know any better. Or MAYBE oil was so good, break in wasn't such an issue.

There were a lot of solid lifter flat tappet cams through my hands back then. All Chevs, too. YIKES!
 
Sorry, Rose, but I've slathered on the oil on my break ins. I dunk the pistons and rings in oil before I pit them in the hole. Yea, the engine smokes like hell in the beginning, but I've always had good results in the end.
 
I totally agree with your theory on cleanliness, but I have always used more oil. I put oil on pistons and cylinder walls. Different strokes. I guess that's why they make more than one flavor of ice cream.
 
I've always been one to lay the oil on thick as well. But I don't think that is as important as being clean. I also check every clearance and torque at least 3 times. It usually takes me 2 days to assemble an engine the way I want and I don't trust anybody else to do it.

Jack
 
I don't use white towels but otherwise exactly the same as IronMike. When I was younger I used to slather with oil but that was when rings were iron face and bores were much rougher (the 80s). Times and techniques improve...
 
Wash & clean bores, ATF lightly dapped on a shop towel( think the blue shop towels...) , then go VHT assembly lube,(aerosol can), on rod & main bearings) .... Yes,I dip piston /rod assembled(ies?) in oil.... Yes ,it's overkill... It works, for me.
 
I start at: there is no such thing as "too" clean, I can make 100 other mistakes, but leaving dirt behind is not one of them. I wipe cylinder walls till I have no residue come out/off on the towel, I used Berryman carb cleaner, a very aggressive solvent (they've reformulated due to laws on VOC's, not sure what I'm gonna use now). A very light coat of WD-40 to prevent oxidation, spray it on, wipe it off.

Used to dunk pistons and rings till I read where you don't want too much oil on the cylinder wall as the rings will ride on the oil film instead of the cylinder wall itself, made sense to me and then I read about Udo Gietl of Butler and Smith fame. Built BMW's for Formula 750 and early Superbike with a 900SS, 2 drops of oil on the skirt for assembly. I was impressed with his results, and as a side note......his favorite engine was a 426 Hemi and he had one in his Ford van.

Everything else that moves gets a liberal coat of assembly lube. Hydraulic lifters get lube on the foot and outside, I do not soak them in a can of oil overnight, they pump up just fine at start up.

I'm with you Toolman, decades ago never went thru involved, ritual behavior for cam/engine break in; it was "break it in how you're gonna drive it" meaning go out and stand on it as hard as you can.
 
"Cleanliness is next to godliness"

When I get a block or head back from the machine shop I use a gun brush and power washer to clean the **** out of it, every water and oil port, going from as many directions as possible to purge any shavings or crud left inside after machining. Then blow out with air. Squirt a little wd40 in the oil ports, antifreeze in the water ports, blow out with air. Wipe cylinders and surfaces clean. Dunk the pistons. Wear gloves since the natural oil on your hands is corrosive.
 
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