I did the high RPM thing on the new engine, breaking in the new camshaft. I took the a cam manufacturing guidelines, called two mechanics and asked Nate through this webpage. I hope, but think I did it right. Amazing how much more power there is on this engine, than before. I have a questions though. The engine is a 1960 235, but milled to a 261 equilavent, 261 cam and 261 sized pistons. The oil pressure goes up to 30 and stays there at an idle. Should I be pleased? I am guessing it is higher than 30, but that is all the guage reads. Kentc
Good boy ! . I hope you installed a magnet _somewhere_ in this new engine.... There's going to be lots of SWARF floating around and it'll settle into the babbit in the cam and crankshaft bearings if you don't have a magnet , this will reduce thier service life greatly and cause low oil pressure . A cow magnet inside the rockerbox is good , or in the oil filter cannister although I'd rather it inside the engine proper.... Time for a HOT oil change ! . Remember : 1st. couple thousand miles keep the revs varied all over the place and NO LUGGING AT ALL , if it gets hot enough to stink , _STOP_ and chill for a couple hours . Yes , this is plenty of oil pressure , it'll be fine with any oil pressure at all @ idle and the needle should come right up as you rev. off idle . look in the oil filler cap @ idle hot and cold to see how much oil is weeping out of the weep holes in top of each rocker , won't be alot but it _MUST_ weep . Go DRIVE boy ! what the heck are you in here for ?
Yes, I changed the oil immediately after the 24 minutes of cam breakin. As it was being broken in, I had the valve cover off, watching the oil, making sure all was pumping as expected. Wife watched the inside guages. I did another thing different than your suggestion, primed the engine by pulling the distributor and putting an attachment down into the oil pump and putting a drill to it. You know what I mean. I had a hard time getting the distribution back in, took be about 5 minutes of trial, trial, and trial. It was my 1st time to do all this, so I was getting worried, not being able to get it to fit right, but finally it did. The used oil had lots of shiney metalic particles in the oil (at the change) as I looked at it in the sunlight in the drain pan. They were very tiny, but visible in the sunlight. It definitely needed changing after this short run time. I was surprised. Yes I have a small magnet on the end of the oil plug drain. The oil pressure is so high that it does more than seep out the rocker arms, it comes out excellent, a good stream in center section, but seeps toward the ends. I do not have an oil filter, a local mechanic told me it needs one. But I remember the viewpoints pro and con on this webpage. Upon startup, the needle goes to 30psi and stays there, even at an idle. Eventhing is new in the engine except the crank, it was reground, and the block was milled. I think I will try the cow magnet thing inside the valve and rocker arm cover.
Very good ~ that is how I pre-oil the engfine too , I usw a hand drill and a bent up coaqt hanger to turn thge oil pump . I don't think you'll need more than one magnet but there is NO ' pro or con ' to an oil filter ~ every engine needs one , even if a by-pass typ . I don't know if I should risk an oil thread by mentioning it neither needs nor wants , think oil .
Oil filter On the oil filter, what about one (a filter frame) that screws on, like a modern one, since I do not have the canister type. O'Rielly's has one that is considerably less costly than the old cannister type. Also, when I hook it up, I have a copper tubing going from an outlet on the drivers side of the motor, engine block, going to the passenger side of the engine head. What is the flow, from block to head? And if so, is that how I would hook up the filter flow? KentC
Flow is from block to head but I'd use the factory connections from block pressure port to the main oil gallery as it'll flow a bit more thata way and get you slightly more oil passing through the filter . Try to find some steel lines as copper will get brittle and crack over the years , vibration & heat cycles . I see no reason wy not to use a modern spin oin filter if that's what you want ~ it'll be cheaper in the long run .
