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Sun Oct 30, 2011 6:42 am

Hey folks, been a long time. Going to FINALLY start my 2056 build. Problem I have is I can get the bottom end together then it my be a month, or two before I have time to finish it. What's a good mixture to use for assembly lube? I was thinking of some STP thinned with 20w oil. he white lit grease seems to break down when it sets.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 6:53 am

Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:11 am

I use red line assembly lube (its what comes with engle and slr cams) I think it would last a year or more in a shelved engine.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Red-Line-Assembly-Lube-4-Oz,5622.html

Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:13 am

For long term storage/fresh builds, I use amsoil engine assembly lube, it's a tacky synthetic lube that clings like syrup, and won't dry out.
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/eal.aspx

For the cam use the grease supplied by the cam manufacturer, redline grease is very good, but starts to dry up after about a year or so, just be aware of this.

For the rings I really like the akerley and childs xtreme ring oil, the proofs in the pudding as they say, this stuff is the pudding, it works!
http://pitstopusa.com/i-5081441-akerly-childs-xtreme-assembly-oil-16-oz.html

What I look for in an assembly lube is a product that won't dry out, stay's put, has a good shear strength, and has the ability to flow out as soon as oil hits the bearing surface.
Most assembly greases don't wash out well, some dry up, and some are just plain junk for this type of application.
For a local store bought (flaps) solution, go down to your local GM dealer and purchase a bottle of "EOS" engine assembly lube from them. That stuff is excellent also, and the remaining amount in the bottle can be used as the needed oil additive to break in your cam. That is unless your already using a formulated break in oil.

When it comes time, and if your engine is set up for a full flow system, read my post here regarding priming, it may be helpfull to you. See page #1
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=486386

Good luck with your build
SRP1

Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:47 am

I can tell youre old school Dave. Old timer who taught me originally showed me to use half and half stp red with oil. I assembled and dialed in a 1776 shortblock last night and used Brad Penn assembly lube as nd the red engle cam lube I had extra of. I really like the Brad Penn lube. Very very tacky and sticky. Now just waiting for Tims stg 1s to compkete rocker atm geometry and long block it.[/img]

Sun Oct 30, 2011 1:06 pm

Used to use 50/50 STP oil treatment and 50wt race oil but tried the Lucas assembly oil and it's awesome so now that's it.

RC

Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:35 pm

Torco MPZ is really good stuff as well. Sticks like glue. Same stuff that comes with web-cam camshafts.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:48 pm

Don't think you can go wrong with any quality (brand name) assembly lube on market...

This is what I use....

Dale

Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:51 pm

Don't think you can go wrong with any quality (brand name) assembly lube on market...

This is what I use....

The real key to all this is to spin up new assembly with starter till you have VALID OIL PRESSURE --->>>> BEFORE you put the fire to it....

Dale

Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:53 pm

Dale M. wrote:
The real key to all this is to spin up new assembly with starter till you have VALID OIL PRESSURE --->>>> BEFORE you put the fire to it....

Dale

Without the rocker assemblys or spark plugs in place. :wink:

Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:49 pm

Dale M. wrote: Don't think you can go wrong with any quality (brand name) assembly lube on market...

This is what I use....

The real key to all this is to spin up new assembly with starter till you have VALID OIL PRESSURE --->>>> BEFORE you put the fire to it....

Dale

The bearings in the engines I have pulled down that used this lube looked horrible.
It is a high pressure grease, and does not wash out very good once the oil
flows in. Nothing lubes a bearing like oil

Also see my posts in this linked thread regarding priming, no need to ever touch the key,
remove the plugs, rockers, etc, just to prime the system.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=486386

Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:31 pm

I use 80-90 gear oil for short term, clevite lube for long term

And of course the "snot" 50/50 mix of moly grease and oil, for oil pumps and stuff

Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:01 pm

I build and ship all over the place, including overseas, so the engines can be fully assembled for weeks, even months, before being run. I use Royal Purple assembly lube on all bearings and rocker shafts, the stuff is thicker than gear oil and really hangs on. CamShield or proprietary cam prelube on lobes and lifter faces. Plain 30w in lifter bores, crank shims and seals, valve stems and spring seats. A touch of moly on valve stem and pushrod tips. Lithium grease (the red soap kind) on cam gear, and some on oil pump gears to assure a fast prime.

TotalSeal dry cylinder lube on the cylinder walls, rings otherwise dry. It's funny stuff, I dunno whether it's any better than some other special ring stuff but it beats dousing the rings with engine oil. The main thing about it is in order to work the cyl walls have to be cleaner than clean, so having to go to such lengths in cleaning them is probably as responsible for the good results as the drylube is.

Installers are instructed to leave spark plugs out, disable fuel injection, prefil oil filter, and crank to develop oil pressure, then proceed to set it up to run. It would be swell to have everyone use a pressurised pre-oiler but the installers are anyone from top-end shops to shadetree owners, so I gotta be realistic with my recommendations.

Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:40 pm

Mon Oct 31, 2011 5:31 pm

I've always just used clean 30wt engine oil, if it's not gonna be fired don't build it. The parts will still be on the shelf, right where you left them. :wink:

Mon Oct 31, 2011 5:50 pm

if you want to go long, i recommend 50/50 blend of vaseline and astroglide.

Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:54 pm

torsionbar wrote: if you want to go long, i recommend 50/50 blend of vaseline and astroglide. :shock:

Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:38 pm

HAHAHAHAHAHA.... water based is your friend.

Mon Oct 31, 2011 10:44 pm

torsionbar wrote: if you want to go long, i recommend 50/50 blend of vaseline and astroglide.
What you do with your engine is YOUR business! :lol: :lol:

Paul

Mon Oct 31, 2011 10:57 pm

SRP1 wrote:
The bearings in the engines I have pulled down that used this lube looked horrible.
It is a high pressure grease, and does not wash out very good once the oil
flows in. Nothing lubes a bearing like oil

I used assembly lube on the rod and main bearings and it just did not feel right, so I pulled it apart and found the lube had clogged the crankshaft oil holes. I deep cleaned everything, then put it back together using just oil. Only exception was the cam lobes and tappet faces, and I used assembly lube that dissolves in oil. I had not yet read your tip on no-crank-priming, but I did fill the oil pump, filter, main galley, and pushrods with oil. Oil pressure came right up and the break-in this last Saturday night went very well. Only been alive a couple days, but the new engine is running sweet.

Paul