Need help for 1st Cam break in :

furrystump said
I always check to make sure the lifters spin while turning the motor over by hand. Hard to do at this point, but if it were mine, I would pull a cover and shine a light down the oil drain backs. They watch closely as someone turns it over by hand. If they spin, all of the above is good advice. A wire with a dab of grease to mark the lifter could help with reference.

The spinning lifters is critical. Before installing the lifters insure there’s a crown at the bottom of each lifter. The crown is what causes the lifter to spin when modulating the RPMs during breakin. You can check for the crown by butting two lifters together at the base. They shouldn’t be flat. If you have one that’s flat get another lifter. You should be able to see daylight between the lifters.

my engine builder preaches that heat will kill an engine breakin. His breakin procedure for the cam is after the initial fire and the engine running bring the rpm’s up. His cam breakins last no more that 10 minutes. Modulate the RPMS If a lobe gets wiped it will happen within the first 5 minutes of breakin. if you have a lobe going away you don’t want all that trash running through the motor for 20 minutes.

Once you’ve completed the cam breakin shut the motor off and let it cool. while letting it cool check for leaks. I’ve know guys to take off the oil filter and check for metal shavings. Once cooled, fire the motor, check the timing one more time, set the idle RPM to a little on the high side and take the car out to seat the rings. Try to avoid stop and go traffic where you have to idle excessively. Hit the nearest hwy and seat the rings.

This is one man’s process and it’s surely not the gospel. He’s been building engines since the mid 60s. Every engine builder has a different take on cam breakin.