Soaking lifters in oil

I'm swapping out the cam in my 73. I've read the instructions that came with the cam and lifter kit (non roller), and nowhere does it say that the lifters should be soaked in oil before there installed..I've checked their site (lunati), along with Comp Cams, and Crane Cams, it seems to be something that isn't done anymore. Some of the "oldtimers" say they'd never install new lifters without soaking them, some say soak them and prime them.....So, whats the consensus?

 

ive always soaked them, that way they dont have to work harder to build up upon engine start-up

 

I shoot oil into the little oil hole until it is full or soak them in a coffee can for a bit before I put them in. Also if this is a new engine I add some break in additive to the oil, so it has the zincs and phosfates that aren't in the oil anymore. Royal Purple and a few others make a break in oil now also.

 

Thanks Don, I have some additive waiting

 

Yeah, I'm gonna soak them anyways, I just found it strange, that it doesn't mention it.

 

I always soak them.

 

They will pump up if you prime the oil pump. Soaking will not hurt anything but I am not sure how much you are really accomplishing.

 

I have done em both ways.They are much quieter on start up when primed/soaked in oil.Dry they make a bit of a racket till they pump up.Soak/prime em right before install or prime the engine before start up.Its much better for the new cam/lifters this way.

 

If you prime the oil system before starting then the lifters are already pumped up when you start the engine. The reason they don't say to soak them is that the shop manual has a dry ajustment (lifters collapsed) clearance. If you pump them up before running the engine then you have to rely on the zero lash + 1/2 turn for your adjustment. Adjust the clearance dry and then run the pump with an oiler before you drop the distributor in and start the engine. That way they are quiet on start-up and the adjustment is always correct.
Once started the engine should be run at the recommended rpm and for the recommended time period to break in the cam. If you have ceramic coated headers that need to be cured you should not run the engine in with them installed. If you do the ceramic coating will be burnt off.

 

Huh, I didn't know that, it was a fresh engine last year, and the coating still looks fine.

 

"If you have ceramic coated headers that need to be cured you should not run the engine in with them installed."

...
my coating Guy suggested running the motor in with an...old set of headers...then run my...new headers in...

...:Handshake...

 

Just wondering...if you soak them in oil, then install them, and don't start it immediately, won't the oil just seep out?

I don't know about you, but I don't think I could drop them in and have the engine started in the 3 or 4 minutes it would take for them to leak empty.

 

If you soak them, I wipe bottom of lifter dry, coat with cam lube along with lubing the stick up well. As Don said,, need the zinc additive for sure!

Scooper, lifters will stay primed. When turning engine over by hand sometimes they will pump partially dry. Biggest thing is to use cam lube on lobes an lifters, also don't break in with double springs!

 

Once the lifters are pumped up they won't bleed down quickly. Think about what happens when the car sits for a week - the lifters aren't noisy, so it takes a while for the lifters to bleed down if they are in good condition and the oil is clean.