if you run a flat tappet cam I run BG MOA which has all the neccessary additives for flat tappet cam life........4000 miles on rebuild and still going strong...now as for break in with the type of rings used nowadays....= moly rings they seat relatively quick and the old school way is not as much needed anymore....face it....if it's goona come apart it'll do so in the first little bit...so I 'd rather find out while the warranty still exists...just had a 347 roller motor built and waited 90 miles = did first oil change at 50 miles..cut filter open looked good..made sure all valves were readjusted and no leaks squeaks or creeks and then promptly took it to the track with 90 miles on it and did two full passes.... ran great and if anyone doubts such methood on a roller block build give Jim a call at Fordstrokers.com

 

actually i've always been told moly rings take longer to seat.

also, my motors always look clean when tore down and again my entire family has yet to have a oil related failure of any kind so i'll stick with my yellow bottle.

 

a moly top ring with todays honing methods is broke in and seated in 20 miles or less. 10k miles lol Rings are pre lapped from the manufacturer nowadays, we use plateau honing methods, lots of things have changed in the way of honing and the processes we use.

 

Never baby your break in motor!

Drive it like you are going to drive the damn thing, and be sure to stand on it really hard every now and then....

Avoid driving at the same RPM for extended periods of time... bring the engine up (way up sometimes) and down.

Make sure you don't overheat the engine, (ok, duh),and avoid operating it constantly eitherhot or cold. Don't use a "too cold" thermostat during break in. (or ever for that matter!)

I am of the opinion that if something is wrong with the engine it is better to find out sooner rather than later, so dog it some(or a little more than some!)to make sure it will staytogether!

IMO all of the important break in will be done by the first 2 to 2.5K if you do it right....

 

I didn't say it takes 10k mi for the rings to seat, I said it takes about that long for the friction surfaces to microfinish to eachother, namely the bearings/journals and cam/lifters. I can't recall the report I read that listed that, but I believe it was one of the major oil companies.

You can beat on the engine well before 10k mi, and I agree with JMD's style of break in and did pretty much that with my 331. My point was that it's a good idea to let the friction surfaces completely wear into eachother before switching to synthetics, which lubricate so well that they don't allow proper break in.

 

I am with you here as well, I will say dino for 5K, dino/syn blend for the next 5K, and syn after....

(In a perfect world anyway! ... reality is that I really am notthat precise! )To my fault I am not even close to this precise..... ,,, and that fact reallystrikes me as funny....

 

I just got my engine back in and it hauls! Comp said to run the rotella for the initial oil. I am planning on staying with rotella until I switch to synthethic. Does anyone think this is a bad idea? Thanks (I plan to switch around 5000 miles)