Breaking in New Set-Up

[Red66GT]

Almost ready to fire up my new set-up which includes Performer RPM Heads, Magnum Roller Rocker Arms, Comp Cams XE256H, and Hooker Comp LT Headers. Needlees to say, I'm very excited.

As far as breaking in the set-up I'm aware that I'll have to break in the cam for about 30 minutes at 1500-2000 rpms. What about the heads? Do they need to be broken in a certain way.

Headers? They're not ceramic coated, so they don't need to be broken in, right?

If anyone has one of those Desktop Dyno's I'd be curious to see what kind of numbers this set-up will put out. I'm hoping for over 300 hp at the flywheel.

Cam specs are 256/268 advertised duration (212/218 @50)
Lift is .477/.484 Lobe Separation 110 degrees.

On top of those parts I'm running the Edelbrock Performer intake (would eventually like to get the Performer RPM, ran out of funds), Edelbrock 600 cfm carb, and paltry 2 inch pipes after the headers (will eventually upgrade to 2 1/2 inchers).

 

[Red66GT]

for dyno desktop estimates, I almost forgot, the Block is a 289 bored 60 over (making it a 297 I believe)

 

[302 coupe]

I'd say 340ish, with more cam and a better intake you'd be real close to 400 hp. Why did you choose such a mild cam?

if the headers are new and you haven't painted them with some hi-temp paint, whatever is on them will burn off rather quickly. Be prepared to remove and re-paint them. No special break in procedure for them. If you break the cam in at night, you might see a few tubes glowing red hot though!

The heads should be good to go, you may want to double check valve lash once you break the cam in.

 

[Red66GT]

Went with the somewhat mild cam b/c the car is a daily driver.

I heard the black paint on the headers burn off pretty quick, Would repainting them be necessary, or does it really matter?

 

[mustang70]

If you don't repaint them they will start to rust and look horrible. I would repaint them myself.

 

[Great68]

Went with the somewhat mild cam b/c the car is a daily driver.

I run the XE262H and it runs mild enough that my car could be a daily driver.

 

[Red66GT]

Hypothetically, if I don't repaint the headers do you think they'd last at least 3-5 years?

I got the non-ceramic coated ones right now due to budget constraints and also to test 'em out, if I like 'em I'll most likely invest in the ceramic coated ones in the future and get some 2 1/2 inch pipes to round out my exhaust down the road.

Great68, you're set-up sounds similiar to mine, are you impressed w/ the Power? How about the sound of the car? I can't wait to hear mine. I'm running Flowmaster mufflers also.

 

[Great68]

Great68, you're set-up sounds similiar to mine, are you impressed w/ the Power? How about the sound of the car? I can't wait to hear mine. I'm running Flowmaster mufflers also.

Sounds great, not as lumpy (pretty smooth actually) as my old cam but has much more useable bottom end power. It got a heck of a lot louder with the heads.