How do you break-in a flat?
How do you break-in a flat?
Turn your hairdryer on a low heat and aim it on the target points. Apply the heat for a few seconds at a time and then move on to the next spot. Another tip is to apply the heat to the inside of your flats, then slip them on and apply heat to the outside while wiggling your toes.
What kind of oil do you use on a flat tappet cam?
Amsoil, the inventor of true synthetic oils, is aware of the flat-tappet cam problems and offers several oils with high phosphorus levels (over 1,250 ppm) and zinc levels (over 1,350 ppm). AMO 10W-40 and ARO 20W-50 Synthetic Premium Protection oils are recommended for flat-tappet and late-model high-performance motors.
Do you have to break-in a flat tappet cam?
Breaking in an engine with a flat tappet camshaft is critical to its performance and long life. This mates the lifters to the cam lobes. Most camshafts will come with specific break-in procedures.
What should I use to break in a flat tappet Cam?
J.C.’s break-in procedure was good–he pressure lubed the engine before starting and used a high-zinc oil, a Valvoline VR1 10W30 racing oil. I think that the culprit for the lifter failure might be the valve springs. J.C. used COMP Cams’ CCA-26120 beehive spring, It would normally be a great choice, but not during break-in with a flat tappet cam.
What should the spring pressure be on a flat tappet?
The generally accepted maximum spring pressure for a flat tappet cam used in competition is 130 pounds. That’s still much less than the 300+ pounds of seat pressure typically used with roller lifters in racing engines.
What causes a flat tappet camshaft to fail?
Premature flat tappet camshaft failure has been on the rise recently and not just with one brand or type of camshaft. In almost every case, the hardness or taper of the cam lobe is suspected, yet most of the time that is not the problem.
Can a flat tappet be replaced with a new lifter?
But dropping in a replacement lifter is better than allowing lash to destroy your engine, so consider it as a band-aid fix. Roller-tappet lifters and cams are the exception here, since far less wear occurs when using a roller tappet. Generally, you can get away with replacing a single collapsed roller lifter without replacing the cam.
J.C.’s break-in procedure was good–he pressure lubed the engine before starting and used a high-zinc oil, a Valvoline VR1 10W30 racing oil. I think that the culprit for the lifter failure might be the valve springs. J.C. used COMP Cams’ CCA-26120 beehive spring, It would normally be a great choice, but not during break-in with a flat tappet cam.
Why are my flat tappets not working properly?
Failure to follow the proper break-in procedures is a recipe for…well, failure. Since flat tappets are metal cylinders that ride directly on the cam lobe, a properly-formulated break-in oil is essential. Even today’s “high zinc” oils lack the right additives to withstand the abuse.
What makes a flat tappet camshaft failure?
An unforgiving nature and high spring pressures make flat tappet camshafts the star of cam failures. Failure to follow the proper break-in procedures is a recipe for…well, failure. Since flat tappets are metal cylinders that ride directly on the cam lobe, a properly-formulated break-in oil is essential.
What kind of oil to use for a flat tappet?
The Driven Break-in Oil has very low detergent levels with high ZDDP, a good combination. Note that we included an API SN category oil just for comparison. Any oil with high calcium and low ZDDP numbers would be a disastrous choice as a break-in oil for a flat tappet performance engine.
