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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:38 am 
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Sounds good on cam break in. 7 qts in the trans sounds good for the initial running. Engine priming w/plugs out sounds fine too. I never bother with this kind of thing, but many others do. I might let the engine cool while you check everything over for leaks after cam break in. Initial break in oil for 50-100 miles, then change it and filter, is my normal way. I just use regular oil.

Lou

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 8:28 am 
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Yeah, you'll get a million different answers on engine break-in, but that all sounds fine to me. I agree with putting fluid in the trans before you even start spinning it, but I imagine the engine will need to be running to get the fluid everywhere it needs to be (especially if the TC is dry). I also like to see the engine oil light go out before I fire it up the first time.

For everything else, the following post from DD stuck with me when I first read it a while back on this thread. (Granted this was over 10 years ago.)

Doctor Dodge wrote:
kesteb wrote:
Yes, most initial cam breakin advice is "run engine at 2500 rpms for 20 minutes".


This is V8 cam break-in thinking, where the cam is up high and gets limited oil splash, the high RPMs helps to keep oil on it.
With the SL6, we don't have to worry as far as getting oil on the cam, it's right next to the carnk so it gets lots of splash.

The key to a successful cam break-in is to be sure that you maintain a "hydro-dynamic wedge", a fancy name for keeping things spinning fast enough so the valve springs don't have time to squeeze the oil film out of the lobe to lifter contact zone.
With reasonable valve spring pressures, this does not take a lot of RPMs, I tend to keep the start-up idle on a new engine in the 1000-1500 RPM zone for the first few minutes and quickly check the engine for oil pressure, leaks and to be sure that all the pushrods are spinning. Shut-off the engine and correct if anything does not look right.

If all is well, I let the engine warm so it runs with-out the choke, then bring the idle down under 1000 to "listen" for any signs of trouble. I give the engine some throttle "blips" during that step, not real high on RPM, may-be up to 2000 or so just to hear how it responds to throttle opening.

By now, 5- 10 minutes has gone by and the engine is hot, I idle it down and go into a final valve adjustment. Button it up and go for a test drive, using the "run it up and then let the engine decellerate" method needed to suck lots of oil up into the ring packs.

After a few miles of that, I drive it like normal. ( and that is not "baby in the car" driving, closer to "got to get to distination now" driving style)
Do the first oil change in 300-500 miles then "put the hammer down" on the thing.

This has always worked for me, I have never had a cam lobe fail and I have lot's of "data points".
DD

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 8:51 am 
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Thanks for the repost, Frank. Nice stuff from Doug. I agree anything over 2000 RPM is probably not needed, and 10 min is probably fine. If you have a monster cam with high spring pressures, maybe you go further/higher than this... Oh yeah, I now look for pushrods spinning, which means the cam broke in properly. If one or more is not, you might have a problem. I have not seen any with problems, though.

Lou

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 11:49 am 
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Thanks for the words from the Doc. and other input.

My cam is Oregon Grind #346: 15* overlap, and lift @ .050" = 234"I & 228"E for a total lift at valve of .476"I & .479"E

Spring close to 340 spring rate.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 5:36 pm 
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Ultimately it will also come down to the cam grinder and their instructions... you can do what you want, but if something goes wrong and you say
it's the cams fault but didn't follow the grinder's break in instructions they don't have to warranty it... I have yet to have one go south doing any
variation on the cam grinders instructions of 2000-2500 rpm+ and using a bottle of Comp Cam secret sauce or recommended additive during break in
(check with your cam grinder if they want a lube additive to cover their warranty for break in...)...

CYA.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 9:01 am 
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Now that the left coast is at work, I called Oregon Cam Grinders, and asked about brake-in.

Brad Penn oil my builder filled engine with is what OCG uses, no need for any special brake-in sauce to be added; check that one off. He said to run engine at 1800 rpm for 20 minuets, and it's good to go.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:01 pm 
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Amen.

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:42 am 
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So last night all was bolted on, shimmed up, filled up, 340 tail pipe tips nice and horizontal, engine turned over until oil pressure light went out, all things ready to go for light-off, it's after 5, time to get suppah ready....

Mrs wjajr arrives home from work early, announces we are to be oldest grandson's 8th grade matriculation @7. CRIPE! Shower, grab grub at Micey-Dee's on the way, and beat feet over to the ceremony. Another road block.

Today it's raining, hopefully I can catch a half hour between showers, and get this thing broken in. Car is tail end into the basement so I can't run fresh engine build belching fumes into house. Hood is still off, top is down, car is covered in dust & over spray, engine compartment & all it contains are freshly painted, and I don't want to compound the spring clean-up with rain induced mud pies if ya catch my drift.

Stay tuned, the 50 year maintenance continues.

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 12:30 pm 
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Rain held off after mid morning, tried to start engine, it fired off ran like it's timing was off, and or, a few cylinders were not firing, for about 5 seconds then coughed up through the carb hard enough to jamb the choke closed, and quit. I took this indicate timing was retarded, but close to the ball park.

Turned distributor counter clock-ways about 1/8 turn. Tried starting again, it turned over, but not one cylinder fired off.

Then doubled checked that #1 was on compression stroke, piston was very close to TDC feeling with a small screwdriver, and timing mark lined up with 10*BTDC. Reset distributor one tooth advanced (counter clock ways, correct?) so rotor pointing at 4 o'clock, still no start. Attached timing light, and #1 lights gun when timing mark hits 10* BTDC. So I think timing is close enough.

I have nice blue spark from plug set on engine, 13.8 v at coil, all rockers are moving, no bent push rods, lash @ .012 per cam card.

One thing; fuel smells a little old, but I would think it would try to fire. Accelerator pump provides a nice shot, choke closes tightly.

When I removed the carburetor for this project, no changes were made to its settings, same for the distributor cap its wires numbered during removal. Doubled checked firing order, and is correct.

What am I missing?

This thing just keeps kicking my lily rear end.

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:31 am 
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Will it fire off a shot of starting fluid?

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 6:01 am 
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Quote:
lash @ .012 per cam card.


FYI that's a bit tight for that cam.. I would cold set to .015-.016 then see if it starts.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:37 am 
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This morning I did a compression test, 1-6: 120; 110; 115; 105; 110; 95 psi. low, so called builder, he said about right for engine not broken in.

Calculated static compression ratio to be 9.6:1
Dynamic compression ratio 8.7:1 a bit higher than planed. I was shooting for 8 to 8.1 . That said, cam card lists lobe separation at 108*. Builder said cam is installed retarded I think he said @ 104* so that would that knock down dynamic compression?

I'll slack off lash, dump fuel from carburetor, check once again for #1 TDC and timing mark alignment.

stay tuned.

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:40 pm 
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A few hours ago engine started. Had to move distributor gear back one notch in clock-ways direction, and rotate vacuum can to about 2 o'clock. I guess there was some old gas still in carburetor from sitting on bench since February, smelled like old varnish. What little fuel left in tank was OK.

Haven't dialed in timing, or idle mixture, I have run out of patience with this heap for today. It kept presenting a new hoop to jump through at every turn; float level problems, smoking battery terminal connections, smoking cable tie I had forgot was holding exhaust when connecting back up to header flange, crap like that. I must say the little crap is a lot easier to put up with after engine runs...

After a few stall-outs, and idle speed adjustment the thing ran at 1800 +/- rpm for 20 to 30 minutes. There is an occasional little pop at tail pipe, say every five seconds or so. Much fewer than the first few minutes of running. I can here a metallic tick from valve cover, that could be source of pop or not, tomorrow I'll play with lash. There is oil getting to top end, could see it on rockers with oil fill cap removed.

I drove it around the driveway to see how PS pump was acting, and transmission felt. Trans seems much smother going into gear particularly into reverse. I used to pound into R, maybe fluid level is not quite right yet.

Now to go mow the lawn.

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82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp

07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC



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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:58 pm 
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Quote:
Builder said cam is installed retarded I think he said @ 104* so that would that knock down dynamic compression?


Retarded would help, but if the centerline is better than 108 it is advanced... if it was retarded 4 degrees the centerline would be 112... if the cam
was ground 4 degrees advanced then the cam would be straight up if it was centerlined at 104...

Glad it fired off... valve lash, timing, and 10 gallons of good octane would help...

You might have to run the DCR calc again (typically these use advertised duration not duration @ .050), that cam set up 4 degrees advanced
on sub 10:1 SCR should not be that high unless the cam was really advanced... typically with OCG grinds this far up the cam card you add about 30 or
so degrees over the @ 050 duration to get the advertised number...


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