Do you grease or oil your engine?

Afternoon chaps. I'm going to finally get my engine lower half back together after fitting new super blends etc.
Now its going to be stood for a while before the barrels go on (holiday in wales has taken priority),so my question is this,
Do I grease the journals,cam, and timing bits whilst the'yr stood? The reason I ask is I'm worried about it creating a sludge
When the engine is finally run and it blocking an oil way...



Any suggestions would be great..

I always apply a thin smear of Graphogen assembly paste to all bearing surfaces, cams and followers etc. (personally, I do not use it on cylinders & pistons-but that's my preference).
As it doesn't drain away so won't leave sufaces unprotected during initial start-up, no matter how long it's left before the engine is eventually started, and it does not cause blockages.

http://www.bighealey.co.uk/content/125g ... mbly-paste

It's excellent stuff to use on Commando exhaust nut threads (or in fact, any exhaust fittings).

Yes, some sort of assembly lube should be used on all bearing/cam/lifter, etc surfaces during assembly. Rings/cylinders? ...dry is the current thought in the engine building world. But it's your engine...

jimmytwin said:

Afternoon chaps. I'm going to finally get my engine lower half back together after fitting new super blends etc.
Now its going to be stood for a while before the barrels go on (holiday in wales has taken priority),so my question is this,
Do I grease the journals,cam, and timing bits whilst the'yr stood? The reason I ask is I'm worried about it creating a sludge
When the engine is finally run and it blocking an oil way...Any suggestions would be great..

Click to expand...

I have used Redline assembly lube on several rebuilds now and it seems to work great. Not sure if it is available in the UK. I find it nice because it is bright red and colors the oil red right after startup. Seems to dissolve readily in the oil and doesn't clog oilways. I generally change the oil after a few minutes of running in and then again after 50 miles or so to get rid of the assembly lube and any stray bits of metal etc. from the rebuild.

Assembly lube - not grease - on the cam and tappets, engine oil on bearings. I use Marvel Mystery Oil on pistons and cylinders but that's a personal preference.

Regular bearing type grease will not dissolve in oil nor heat very well so can pile up where ya don't want it and no way to get it clear by solvent of heat in normal life time. I know as I've tried clean grease on stuff by Actylene/ox torch and mostly is just carbonized a cake still in place.
Every atuo parts and machine shop has assembly lube, ALL of it OIL, Non of it grease, even if the oil grade is so viscous it won't drip off a knife blade in 12 hr.
I got chewed out by hi end machinist when I called the stuff he gave me in a packet,
Grease.

hobot

Moly assembly lube.