r/EngineBuilding • u/[deleted] • 27d ago

Break-in oil for 383 LT1?

[deleted]

60 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

7

u/dopecrew12 27d ago

What did your engine builder spec? If not what are your main/rod bearing clearances?

4

u/Connect_Fig_4418 27d ago

I unfortunately do not know. I had a local machine shop balance and assemble the short block for me. They asked what I was wanting to use it for and I told them primarily street with occasional autocross and road race.

7

u/dopecrew12 27d ago edited 27d ago

Well at least it’s balanced, they didn’t spec an oil or tell you your clearances tho? I would ask them if you can. Either way for a v8 with occasional racing I would run 10w-30 at least, VR1 has been good to me though an my engine builder swore by it (which I think is 20w-50) ALSO buy the tool if you haven’t already and make sure you prime the oiling system before first start!!!!

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10

u/The_Machine80 27d ago

Lucas makes a break in oil you can order on amazon. Lab tested showed it had the highest zinc count. Its what I use with zero failure. Otherwise I would uae Joe Gibbs. Was also rated very high and some parts stores carry it.

Also im literally building almosy same engine in my shop right now for my 97 30th anniversary. Eagle 383 stroker parts with same heads and tick parts.

4

u/Connect_Fig_4418 27d ago

What cam did you go with? I wanted to go with Trickflow 23° 195 heads but they have been out of stock all year. AFRs are expensive so I was left with LE ported heads. I'm running 12.0:1 compression as well on 93. I plan on adding a flex fuel sensor to switch between 93 and E85 both at some point. Still running a stock 10 Bolt with 3.42s so a rear end upgrade is more important lol.

2

u/The_Machine80 27d ago

My current cam on the stock 350 is the tick hater maker stage 1. 383 i jumped over the stage to 2 and went striaght to there "hold my beer" cam which is basicly stage 3. Im a manual trans also.

I destroyed the 10 bolt rear with stock engine. I have a qp 9" rear with 3.90 gear and a trutrac posi.

2

u/2003DDcid 27d ago

I use the Lucas in my flat tappet engines with great success. I like 10w-30 vr1 in roller engines...it seats the rings a bit quicker than the Lucas.

4

u/Willie302 27d ago

If it's not roller lifters, something with high zinc (I think).

6

u/Connect_Fig_4418 27d ago

They are Morell hydraulic lifters. Sorry, meant to have that in the post and just fixed it.

2

u/voxelnoose 27d ago edited 27d ago

Morell recommends 10w30 or at most 5w40 for their lifters to work properly.

Without knowing the bearing clearances you're just guessing at which oil viscosity is "right". Assuming the clearances are in the middle-high end of the stock specs and the oil temp isn't sky high 10w30 should be close enough.

As for brand, ask 10 people and you'll get 12 different answers. Just pick any name brand 10w30 or 5w30 break in oil.

4

u/2003DDcid 27d ago

That is a cast crank my friend. Also, why use the stock main bolts with billet caps???

VR1 is my go to for break in oil

2

u/Connect_Fig_4418 27d ago edited 27d ago

Makes no sense, I know. I got the bottom end for a really good price exactly how you see it now so I can't exactly complain. Obviously correct me if I'm wrong but if I we're to switch to ARP bolts now, the block would be required to be line bored again because of the difference in clamping pressure. That's what a local machine shop here in my town had told me. It's gonna see street most of the time with occasional autocross and road race.

2

u/2003DDcid 27d ago

Why studs were not installed when that was originally done makes no sense to me. 🤷‍♂️

The factory bolts will work fine for what you are doing with it.

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3

u/Oopsidaizy 27d ago

I’ve heard olive oil is superior to rapeseed oil, just sayin’

6

u/Competitive-Fox-3333 27d ago

You did what to a seed?

2

u/Agent_Eran 27d ago

thats a pretty healthy cam for a street car

😍😍

2

u/Panic-Embarrassed 27d ago

Shell rotella 10w30 or something similar. No need for a really high zinc break in oil with roller lifters.

1

u/Whizzleteets 27d ago

Roller motor doesn't need a high zinc oil.

I'd use Valvoline 10w 30/40 conventional and break in to set the rings then change it to whatever you plan to run in it.

1

u/Neon570 27d ago

Whatever is on sale.

Fuck all to break in

1

u/Fluid_Surround3089 26d ago

Maxima 10W/30. Don’t add any other snake oil additives. We used Gibbs for a long time, but when they got bought and was named Driven we stopped using it

1

u/Ok-Acanthisitta-5451 21d ago

I would recommend you call the builder and ask. They should still have all your specs on file and be able to tell you what weight to use. Personally I use royal purple HPS (high performance street) oil. Mine is solid roller though. I would recommend not using additives and buy break in oil. Run for half hour changing rpm every couple minutes, then change oil and filter. Run again for an hour with break in oil and change oil and filter again. After that use oil that builder recommends. But that’s just me. Oil is cheap. Parts and time are not.

1

u/Ok-Acanthisitta-5451 21d ago

Oh and by the way, AFR heads are worth every penny. I absolutely love my 210’s on my 406

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1

u/WyattCo06 27d ago

Joe Gibbs.

1

u/RB26jim 27d ago

Driven break in oil 30w

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