This might be a stupid question but here I go.

I just put a new camshaft in my camaro and you have to break it in. Do new cars need their camshafts broken in? Are they broken in at the factory before we get them?

I've just been wondering that for a while now. Thanks for any answers in advance

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Tony
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1979 Z-28, 350- Edelbrock Performer RPM Package- TH350
<LI>2000 Gmc Sonoma - 5-speed 4.10 rear
[/list]

well if its a non roller cam, you should take the engine to about 1000 rpm then 1500 then 2000 then 1700 then 2300..... something like that, doesnt have to be exactley like that. but you should do it RIGHT WHEN you lite the motor. if you haven't done this, and have allready driven the car, you should be ok so long as you dont get it much above 3grand for the first 500 miles. if its a roller cam, you dont really need that much break in, really all you need to do is break in the rest of the engine

As BadCam said Roller cams dont require break in however all others do.I disagree with what he said a little, When i first fire a motor with a new bumpstick I imeditly (sp) run the motor up past 2000 rpms and will vary the rpm from 2000- 4000 for at least 20 mins.What ever you do, DO NOT let the engine idle untill the break in time is over or you will flatten the cam.
I hope this helps,
Nick

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69 Z/28 X77 D80 83000 original miles,DZ 302, M-21, BU 373 Rear End, ZL-2 Ducted Hood, Daytona Yellow, Black Deluxe, Tilt, Factory AM/FM, Console Gauges.

The question was about a brand new car not a new cam...

New cars engines require nothing more than following the directions perscribed by the manufacture. Usually no extended steady speeds and no excessive revs for the first 500-1000 miles. Read the owners manual for exact recomendations. I believe most automakers bench fire every engine prior to it being driven off the assembly line...

As for breaking in a new cam after a swap or rebuild, follow the cam manufacture's recomendations. If you had a shop do the work follow their recomendations. The bottom line is you want to keep the warrantee in effect if something goes wrong.



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...Dennis
"The '69 (http://chevelles.com/showroom/fine69_03.jpg), the '96 (http://chevelles.com/showroom/fine69_02.jpg) & the club (http://camaroslimited.com/)"

Thanks Dennis you knew what I was asking.

Guys Thank you for the info. Like dennis said I was wondering about a new car. I broke The one in the camaro in already. I had just been wondering about it since I just bought a new truck a few months ago.

HI

due to fuel supply problems, I couldnt break in the cam on my car, I would fire it up, it would run for about 20sec, then quit. after this happend for the 50th time, I finally fixed the problem(rewired the electric pump)

and I figured, I guess its to late to break the cam in.

I have about 4700miles on the car with no problems at all....do you guys think I have severly shortened the life of my cam?

Just what does breaking in a cam do?

The cam is lubed by oil splash off the crank and other internal parts.
Without proper lube splash, the lifters and cam will scuff due to improper lubrication and cooling.
If the engine quit with little running it seems to me there would be very little heat generated and maybe little scuffing.
Hopefully you lubed the lobes with extreme pressure lube provided with the cam?
Here is a typical cam installation instruction sheet. http://www.mrgasket.com/ersninst.htm
David

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Check my web page for First Gen Camaro suspension info:
David's Motorsports page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/)
First Gen Suspension Page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/first_gen_suspension.htm)
67 RS 327
69 Camaro Vintage Racer
65 Lola T-70 Chev 350 Can-Am Vintage Racer

I usually let it run at about1500-2000rpm for about 15 minutes, have a hose handy to cool the radiator down...it properly seats the lifters and gets breakes them into their lift pattern, changing oil is another good thing shortly after cam break in .

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Chris's 67 RS 327,can be seen at http://www.67rs.com
check out another site once in a while! http://www.fbodyconnection.com

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joshua Leslie:
HI

due to fuel supply problems, I couldnt break in the cam on my car, I would fire it up, it would run for about 20sec, then quit. after this happend for the 50th time, I finally fixed the problem(rewired the electric pump)

and I figured, I guess its to late to break the cam in.

I have about 4700miles on the car with no problems at all....do you guys think I have severly shortened the life of my cam?

Just what does breaking in a cam do?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think the key is you have put 4700 miles on it without a problem. Most damage to a new cam will occure in the first few hundred miles or less if it's gonna happen. When I was a teen back in the early 70's we swapped cams and fired the engine up and went for a 30 min test drive... Never had any problems back then. Not sure if we ignored break in instructions or if cam makers came up with them since then...

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...Dennis
"The '69 (http://chevelles.com/showroom/fine69_03.jpg), the '96 (http://chevelles.com/showroom/fine69_02.jpg) & the club (http://camaroslimited.com/)"

Most new-car engines are hot-fired for the first time at the end of the Final Assembly line in the car assembly plant. Modern engine plants only use a computerized "cold-test" where the crank is turned by a computer-operated electric motor at very low rpm (like 20-40 rpm) and sensors check for how much torque is required to turn the crank, pressure/vacuum pulses in the intake and exhaust, integrity of coolant and oil systems, etc. Modern casting, machining, and assembly process controls have all but eliminated the need to "hot-test" engines, except for audit checks.

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JohnZ
'69 Z28 Fathom Green