Part 1. Preparation and safety
Objective
- Conduct camshaft break in procedure.
Personal safety
Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:
- Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
- Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
- Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
- Hand protection - such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
- Respiratory equipment - such as face masks and valved respirators
If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.
Safety check
- Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.
Points to note
- When running the engine vary the engine running speed a little form 1500 to 2500 RPM to assist with engine run in.
- Check for any oil or water leaks while running the engine.
Part 2: Step-by-step instruction
- Start the engine
If you have a new camshaft, the break-in procedure is critical. If not done properly, there is a high risk of a cam lobe going flat and ruining the internals of the new engine.
Have someone crank the engine for you but keep your face out of the way in case just sputtered, loosen the hold down clamp and advance the distributor a little at a time until the engine will fire up.
If it still won't start, check the fuel and electrical supplies. When everything is correct and the advance is set right, the engine should fire up. Once it does, if you have a new cam, you must follow this camshaft break-in procedure.
- Run the engine for 20 minutes
Run the engine for twenty minutes at two thousand revs per minute. The rule is that the engine must be running above fifteen hundred rpm. Do not let it idle, even for or few seconds. If you notice a leak or any other problem shut the engine off and fix the problem but once it starts running again, you have to keep the engine speed above fifteen hundred rpm.
Every few minutes change the running speed a little to any where in the range of fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred rpm. The variations will help to properly break in the lobes of the cam and to keep enough oil circulating inside the engine during the break-in.
- Top up radiator
After five or ten minutes you should see a little steam coming from the open radiator. Carefully top it up with some water now that the air pockets have been worked out of the system. Then close the radiator cap before the cooling system becomes too hot to touch.
- Check for leaks
For the rest of the break-in period keep a close watch for leaks, and for wires touching the exhaust and melting as everything gets hotter. After a good solid twenty minute workout, bring the motor back to a lower rpm.
