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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
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Did I apply enough cam lube?

  • Thread starter Thread starter 1990LXDropTop
  • Start date Start date Dec 29, 2004
1

1990LXDropTop

New Member
Dec 4, 2003
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Western Massachusetts
Dec 29, 2004
#1
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #1
I installed my cam tonight. When I lubed it, I simply squirted some lube all the way around each lobe of the cam and used my finger to spead it around on each lobe. I then installed the cam, which went right in. But afterwards, I was reading the back of the cam lube container and it says that one 4oz container will lube one camshaft and its lifters. The thing is... When I open up the top of the container and look, there is still plenty of lube left. It is almost full, but I still need to lube the lifters. Should I have applied more lube? It looked pretty lubed to me. It wasn't smoothered with the stuff, but I could clearly see it was lubed around each lobe of the cam.
 

Kevin R.

New Member
Jun 3, 2004
473
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Ohio
Dec 29, 2004
#2
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #2
This thread makes me laugh.

Sorry I can't help though.
 

sheff2720

New Member
Nov 30, 2003
182
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Horsham, PA
Dec 29, 2004
#3
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #3
you sould be ok as long as you covered the surface on all of the lobes.. just make sure you prime the engine untill oil comes out of the lifters before you put the valve covers on and start it up.. when i did my h/c/i i didnt use nearly as much as was supplied with the assembly lube and everything was fine
 

281pony

Active Member
Aug 31, 2003
2,681
2
46
Oly, WA
Dec 29, 2004
#4
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #4
your fine.

i did that and it went in good, i just soaked the lifters in oil also.
 
1

1990LXDropTop

New Member
Dec 4, 2003
430
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0
Western Massachusetts
Dec 29, 2004
#5
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #5
So should I lube the lifters as well, or just soak them in oil? Also, do I change my oil first, THEN prime the engine, or prime the engine with the oil that is currently in it?
 

sheff2720

New Member
Nov 30, 2003
182
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0
Horsham, PA
Dec 29, 2004
#6
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #6
1990LXDropTop said:
So should I lube the lifters as well, or just soak them in oil? Also, do I change my oil first, THEN prime the engine, or prime the engine with the oil that is currently in it?
Click to expand...
im not possative but im pretty sure that the lifters need to be soaked in oil before they are put in, so that they arn't fully compressed when installed.. you could lube them too, just to be safe, but i didn't.. and make sure you change the oil before you prime the engine, and then change it again after about another 500 miles.. this way you flush out anything that fell into the pan when doing the install
 
1

1990LXDropTop

New Member
Dec 4, 2003
430
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0
Western Massachusetts
Dec 29, 2004
#7
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #7
sheff2720 said:
im not possative but im pretty sure that the lifters need to be soaked in oil before they are put in, so that they arn't fully compressed when installed.. you could lube them too, just to be safe, but i didn't.. and make sure you change the oil before you prime the engine, and then change it again after about another 500 miles.. this way you flush out anything that fell into the pan when doing the install
Click to expand...

Hmmm, so I will need to put the passenger side valve cover on to change the oil, or is there a way to add oil with the valve covers off?
 

281pony

Active Member
Aug 31, 2003
2,681
2
46
Oly, WA
Dec 29, 2004
#8
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #8
just throw a valve cover on, it only takes what. 2-3 minutes?
 

Rick 91GT

Mustang Master
Nov 29, 1999
9,692
95
99
PA
Dec 29, 2004
#9
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #9
You don't need the valve cover on to prime the motor, just make sure you have oil coming out of every rocker before you put the valve covers on for good.

Since this is not a fresh motor build CHANGE THE OIL BEFORE you prime it. You can dump the oil in the drain at the rear of the head, the dist hole, the intake valley, etc...

I like to soak the lifters in oil for a day or so before I install them. I put a little oil in each lifter bore then slide the lifters in. I put the assembly lube on the cam generously, put some of the gear as well. Put a little on the dist gear before you drop it in, put it on the valve tip before you assemble the rocker and put some on the rocker at the pushrod cup..

Once you get the motor started, and you get it up to temp, make sure nothing is wrong, etc... CHANGE THE OIL AND FILTER AGAIN. This will get the assemble lube and and stray debris out of the motor. I like to break cams in when they are new although with a roller cam and old bearings it really isn't needed, I use the time while it is running to check everything out, follow the directions that came with your cam.
 

giddyup306

Founding Member
Oct 22, 2002
3,041
2
59
Dec 29, 2004
#10
  • Dec 29, 2004
  • #10
sheff2720 said:
im not possative but im pretty sure that the lifters need to be soaked in oil before they are put in, so that they arn't fully compressed when installed..
Click to expand...
AERA does not recomend "pumping up" lifters although a lot of people do.
 
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