Let's talk assembly lube

[stealth]

There are so many products out there its getting confusing. What works well?

Assembly lube and/or piston ring/bore lube.

[ChrisU]

I've just been using plain old 30 wt engine oil, mixed about 50/50 with that red Comp Cams lube... seems to work good.

[shawn]

I've been using Synergyn synthetic assembly lube on bearings and valve guides. Bore prep depends on the type of rings.
shawn

[n2omike]

Oil ONLY on valves and guides. Redline assembly lube on pretty much everything outside the pistons and cylinder walls. It's like a gel... thin enough for bearings, and stays in place really well. I usually use Moly grease on flat tappet cam lobes/lifter bottoms... I don't know if this is ideal, but I haven't lost a cam doing it yet.

On the pistons and cylinder walls, I use a liberal amount of 2-cycle oil, as it is designed to lube cylinder walls AND burn off completely without leaving any residue. I've used ATF when 2-cycle oil wasn't available. I've found that using TOO MUCH motor oil (as in dunking the piston) can cause carbon deposits in the ring grooves.

[RMHP]

E.O.S. or lucas for me

[jdeleon]

I've been using Clevite bearing assy lube now for quite a few years now, used oil and redline(and Problend) before, and now kinda really liking the Gibbs assy grease even more.

[MileHighMan]

This subject always makes me wonder. Everybody has a recipe on assembly lube. I use 20/50 vr-1. Before fireing a motor, we use a pre-lube device. My thoughts are, as long as everything is getting oil. What difference does it make? New cars sit for months at a time, then get lit at -30 to +120 degrees, never a problem. My thoughts are, as long as it's getting oil, you're good, and no need for a special blend. JMO. Good Luck. Dan.

[Ed-vancedEngines]

looks like we all are doing something different but, I guess still getting good results.

For many years I used a 50-50 mixture of 30 wt motor oil and STP for all pre-assembly and frankly never had any issues from it.

I used ATF for a piston and ring lube for too many years. Because of advice from my ring company I went to lightly coating my piston skirts with a WD-40 and wiping WD-40 on cylinder bores, lightly.

I have an expression; "If it ain't Broke, Don't Fix It" So seldom do I ever make a change away from something that works well for me, but I do still have an open mind.

Clevitte who makes bearings came out with a pre-lube called Bearing Guard. Hmm' I said. This might be a better deal if they are making this, after all they make the bearings. So I tried it and ended up loving it as a primary assembly lube for most things. It is like the Red-Line but is more of a thicker Gel until the temp starts climbing, then it becomes more liquid. Works great.

This will probably get arguments but This is what I now do and have for the past two years;

My current ring cylinder piston lube is not that much lube but enough. Again from suggestions from my ring company. Cylinder wall prep for cleaning and lube;

Clean with Lacquer Thinner using a lint free Blue Paper Shop Towel.

Lightly wipe with WD-40. I stress wipe lightly with WD-40.

Spread Total Seal Quick-Seat with my fingers all over the cylinder wall.

Watch the Quick-Seat for a color change.
If Quick-Seat changes to a black color, wipe cylinder and re-clean. It was not clean enough.

If Quick-Seat turns a greenish gray tint Great! Cylinder is ready. That is the only lube you will need.

Do not get oil on ring surface. You can install piston and rings dry or you can lightly wipe WD-40 only on piston skirts.

Oil on the rings or oil flooding the rings can prevent the ring surface from a complete seating to the cylinder wall.

Mr. Keith Jones at Total Seal has never steered me wrong so I adhere to what his research develops to help me with better ring to cylinderwall seal.

For all who come later to disagree, This is the last words I will speak about this. I will not argue.

Times are changed. Technology has changed.

For valvetrain I use a product I only began using last year from Manton Engineering called MSO-68. The MSO-68 does not wash off with oil pressure or oil flowing it still stays and lubricates springs and valvetrain parts it is used on. I have this informatin from a person whom I wholly trust as a friend and as a man that dedicated his entire life to improving valvetrains, Mr. Noel Manton, the fater of Mr. Terry Manton of Manton Pushrods.

Speaking of pushrods. Do not forget to pre-lube both ends of the pushrods too.

Ed

[EngineTech1]

I agree, no need to get carried away. I'll use an oil can with castrol 30wt or valvoline, whatever really, for all the main and rod bearings if it is going to be fired up after final assembly. If I think the engine may sit for a while, like a couple months or more I'll use something a little thicker like a lithium grease.
For guides and stems, I've always used sweet and sour sauce or regular oil. I always wipe the cylinders down with ATF. I also like to use CMD on washers and nuts for the mains and heads, and manufacturers recommended lube for rod bolts

[Joe Mendelis]

This subject always makes me wonder. Everybody has a recipe on assembly lube. I use 20/50 vr-1. Before fireing a motor, we use a pre-lube device. My thoughts are, as long as everything is getting oil. What difference does it make? New cars sit for months at a time, then get lit at -30 to +120 degrees, never a problem. My thoughts are, as long as it's getting oil, you're good, and no need for a special blend. JMO. Good Luck. Dan.

Dan, what you are saying makes good sense. The exception would be all out competition engines. There are certain things you can't use oil on or it will fail in breakin. Top ring is the number one exception.

[Keith Morganstein]

I have an expression; "If it ain't Broke, Don't Fix It" So seldom do I ever make a change away from something that works well for me, but I do still have an open mind.

For all who come later to disagree, This is the last words I will speak about this. I will not argue.

[cmw]

I supply lube to some of the top NASCAR, NHRA,IHRA engine builders. Everyone seems to want to know who I supply CMW Oil Products, will start with Wegner Automotive, Keith Dorton, DEI, KB Racing, Jon kasse, Total Seal, CHE Products and the list goes on. They use CMW OIL products because the products work. They test every product I manufacture. I custom blended these products for these Pro Engine Builders and manufactures. These company's demand the best protection against micro welding, dry starts and heat. CMW Oil Company ONLY manufactures for racing and off road use. You have to make sure all the additives you put in the engine will blend in the oil. This is why CMW does not use Moly in there products. So lets pick on Moly, ever think what that black stuff is on the bottom of the pan ???????????. And what caused this problem?????????? and people say moly does not cause wear ( Bull ----) and it does not like to be in the combustion chamber it does not burn very well.

[BLACK BART]

Not as experienced as many on this board, but I have had very good luck with the following:

Everything must be CLEAN or nothing will work properly.

Pistons, rings, and bores are lightly covered with clean engine oil of choice.

Cam and lifter bottoms are covered with moly paste and rotated as little as possible during assembly for flat tappets. Roller cams and lifters are covered in clean engine oil.

Everything else is covered in STP for assembly lube. I like this because it stays put for long periods of time and stays liquid, unlike pastes or greases, which tend to turn solid.

A bottle of EOS in the oil. Started this about a year ago for good measure.

Engine is prelubed right before starting and set to fire immediately, then kept at 2000-2500rpm for 20 minutes.

Oil and filter are changed immediately after 20 minute break in while engine is hot. I feel this gets most of the crap from break in out because it has not had time to settle and is still suspended in the oil.

Like I said, it works for me and I have had no problems, CJ.

[putztastics]

Dan, what you are saying makes good sense. The exception would be all out competition engines. There are certain things you can't use oil on or it will fail in breakin. Top ring is the number one exception.

Are you saying one must use oil on the top ring or it will fail during break-in?

[SilverFox]

I too am not as experienced as many here...small shop, small town....build only 7 or 8 engines a year....have yet to build anything making 900+HP. I have been using a generic "engine assembly lube" for many, many years with no bearing issues. For the cyls. I, like Ed, used a short psssstt of WD-40 on the cylinder walls only, nothing on the pistons or rings....Never had any issues doing it this way so I still DO it this way. I am however intrigued by Ed's mention of Total Seal Quick Seat....I may have to look into this......Just out of curiosity, not because of past problems.

Tony Naquin