Waynebaby Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Hi folks, I'm getting ready to refit my GT6 Mk3 cylinder head and rocker assembly, freshly back from Ivor Searle's ministrations. Does anybody have a view on whether I should bother using "assembly lube" on the rocker assembly or if it will be adequate just to drench the rockers/shaft with standard engine oil? The top end will be starved of oil the first time I start the engine and I don't want to undo the work of the engine remanufacturers in the first few seconds! Regards Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Just plenty of engine oil. If you want to get oil around the engine without starting it, you can take the dizzy and drive dig out, and use a metal rod with a flat in it (think big screwdriver with no handle) in a battery drill. In reverse. That will pump oil around the engine (actually not sure about the rockers as they are fed by tiny pulses off the cam) Double check the starting/running in procedure. New cams usually need 2000+rpm for the first few minutes of use (no idling) which can be scary on a brand new build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 How much is a tub of assembly lube? less than £10? How much did you spend on the engine work? Oops! Sorry! You only had head work? Chambers? Fancy rockers?? Extra strong springs??? And you will use the old followers that are already broken into the cams? No need really. You can't get assembly lube into the rocker bearings anyway. The point of assembly lube is to protect areas that's see VERY high contact pressures, mainly because of their small surface area, like the cam follower faces when they are new. But no harm in using it. Another product is "Graphogen", graphite suspended in a thick oil. I smear it on bearings on assembly, but still use a high zinc assembly lube on followers. You could use either on the rocker tips where they bear on the valve stems. John PS Clive, "use a metal rod with a flat in it (think big screwdriver with no handle)" Agree with your intention, but it's the drive shaft on the oil pump that looks like a screwdriver. To drive it with a drill, you need a tool that has a 'dog', a slot, a female end on the tool for it to take the 'blade' of the screwdriver end. J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Ah, perhaps my memory is playing tricks. I was sure I put a flat on a bit of round bar. But there you go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 A dissy drive from a PI car is very useful, minus the cam drive cog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Rather than post a picture of the oil pump drive shaft, and because this is a better picture, here's the dizzie drive shaft. It's shown upside down - the slotted end drives the oil pump: the other end the dizzie. Model your drill tool on the first. A 'screwdriver' end would probably work, but at risk of damaging the bore of the shaft drilling. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Wayne. May I suggest keeping the rocker cover off during your initial turning over and start up; contrary to incorrect belief oil does not get thrown everywhere with the cover missing unless you are revving at 8K - which I'm sure you are not !! You will be able to look at the rockers working correctly and you can also dribble oil up and down the rocker assembly as and when you feel it needs it. Once the engine is up & running and you are certain the oil pressure system is feeding your rocker assembly you can then replace the cover at the appropriate time. I have done the above on a number of rebuilds and all has been fine. Good luck. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 I'd use it. If it's not needed, then it's superfluous - belt and braces type of thing. If it's needed - then it's already there and helping avoid damage. As JohnD says, for the sake of the price of a tin compared to the price of potential engine damage or wear... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Bear in mind all these are made to buy aftermarket products cast a look back at the engine line at most manufactures of the day, a new build on the engine assy plant would have had a squirt with an oil can on assembly, followed by perhaps an hour or two on a test bed running on town gas , not petrol engines were often run back to back so one turned the other , without it actually running It would with luck be drained of test bed oil and refilled on the line , this would drown the rockes and run down the pushrod tubes to lube the rockers and cam without a testbed plan theres only conjecture on just what rpm the engine was run through or even if the oil was anything 'special' all this lack of whatever and they have lasted 40 years or more It was a common fault that the gas backfired and this collapsed the copper carb float to a flat pack just a perspective view on all these notions pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynebaby Posted January 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2016 Thanks for all the very useful feedback. I'll most probably be generous with the squirty oil can and take the approach suggested by Richard when I first start up.. Best Regards Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macandy Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 Graphogen paste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Glad you use it too, Macandy! Post3 John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynebaby Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 I've read good things about Graphogen paste but at ~£30 a tube I'm going to pass. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 A little goes a very long way! I've used less than half a tube on two engines, and as my post above, how much do you spenon the rebuild? John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynebaby Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Good point John! When I finally get a sound cylinder head back I may well give it a try. From what I've read, Graphogen was allegedly used during WW2 in the assembly of Junkers engines, so it's certainly stood the test of time. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 Just leave the whole assembly in a tub of oil overnight 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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