How long will cam lube stay in place?

[bugnut68]

Just wondering how long a freshly-assembled engine can sit with cam lube on the lifters and cam before it oozes away or slides off the surfaces.  I'm not sure when my 2.0 liter will fire for the first time, so I'm debating whether to do final assemble now or wait until I know I will have everything to fire it off.  It could be several months, as once the weather turns cold I won't be out in the garage much.

[Udo]

Hallo

I would use STP oil treatment for lubing cam and lifters . It stays longer on the cam .

Udo

[Harry/FDK]

I make my snakelube out of STP mixed with RedLine break-in stuff.

[Brandon Sinclair]

I have been using the Joe Gibbs assembly grease lately for cams and lifters-that stuff sticks and does not run off.

http://www.joegibbsracingoil.com/products/breakin/ag.html

[Diederick/DVK]

hope you don't mind me saying, but that's not quite the answer to the question, right?

[Udo]

I would wait until you can fire it up the first time soon as you assembled it

Udo

[Fasterbrit]

One tip that helps keep cam lube in place is to turn the engine over on the starter motor to pull up oil pressure with the rocker gear and pushrods out of the motor. Once you have oil pressure, you can then reinstall your rockers and pushrods and then fire the motor up properly. You won't have wiped all the cam lube off cranking for oil pressure 

[RFbuilt]

im not sure if this is relevant  (but i believe engines and lube act the same... when on the stand haha)

and ive not much experience with aircooled compare to most here,

when we/i build my honda engines,  if i know it wont start til a week (max 1week)  i use Torco HP lube..  it is thicker than their regular assembly lube,   it is also their cam lube, 

for engines that gets started right away.. regular 30w oil is fine.. 

for anything longer than 1 week, i try not to assemble it yet.. hehehe

hopefully this reflects the question asked, i think the engine is assembled hence the question right?

[bugnut68]

Engine's not assembled yet, but in theory could be done this week if I put the time in... unfortunately, there are still a number of parts I've yet to acquire that mean it won't fire for some time.  Don't have oil filter lines yet, not valve covers (paid a guy on the Samba, just waiting for them to arrive), no muffler, etc, etc.  I just didn't want to put the thing together, have it sit all through the winter and end up with all the cam lube washed away from the lobes and lifters.

[deano]

One tip that helps keep cam lube in place is to turn the engine over on the starter motor to pull up oil pressure with the rocker gear and pushrods out of the motor. Once you have oil pressure, you can then reinstall your rockers and pushrods and then fire the motor up properly. You won't have wiped all the cam lube off cranking for oil pressure 

X2!

[RFbuilt]

Engine's not assembled yet, but in theory could be done this week if I put the time in... unfortunately, there are still a number of parts I've yet to acquire that mean it won't fire for some time.  Don't have oil filter lines yet, not valve covers (paid a guy on the Samba, just waiting for them to arrive), no muffler, etc, etc.  I just didn't want to put the thing together, have it sit all through the winter and end up with all the cam lube washed away from the lobes and lifters.

 nice , do what i did.. unpack ur parts.. talk to them  say hi hello    after that, oil them with sumthing like, even 3in1 would be fine, then wrap them in cling wrap  and stash into the box   


til when u need to assemble it.. when all the parts arrive or are complete 

[Jim Ratto]

Don't build your motor in stages.

Wait until you have everything and the car receiving the motor is ready.

I watch guys build bottom end and THEN starting playing with geometry/spring height/travel etc. Bad move.

I go as far as pre adjust valve lash (with extra .001-.002) and then bolt rockers on with motor 90 deg between BDC and TDC ( I never run valves lash @ 0)

As mentioned above, do not bolt up your rockers until after you have primed the engine for pressure. Fill your pushrods with oil, slide them in, orient engine to 90 deg out, then bolt on rockers (pre adjust lash if you want). I add a mix of STP and MOS2 to ends of pushrods/cups of adjusters and a dab on each lash cap. Then screw in plugs. Fire it off immediaely. Don't monkey around getting it fired.

I use STP and mos2 for cam lube.

[bugnut68]

Well, my instincts to stave off assembly until the thing can fire up within a reasonably short amount of time proved to be on the mark, apparently.  Lol.  If I can acqurie starter jetting, oil lines, an oil pump cover and a muffler in time, then it looks like I may have it ready to fire before winter.  If Lakeview, Oregon, has a drastic change in weather in the next six weeks or so, I may have to forego plans for a Dynomax muffler and break in the cam with a baffled stinger on the end of the header.... my neighbors will probably lobby for my eviction.