Engine assembly lube

[Otto57]

Which engine assembly lube is the preferred choice? there are so many out there how am I supposed to know which one is the best

 

[adsm08]

They are all pretty much the same. As long as they are petroleum based, and will dissolve in oil.

I usually just use petroleum jelly or red n tacky grease where actual assembly lube is needed. For the most part I just oil parts well and prime the system before starting.

 

[19Walt93]

I've always used lubriplate with good luck, a flat tappet cam would require something different. The only thing I use to lube the cylinder bores is motor oil.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I became a distributer for a company called Dynatex… I think that was the name... been awhile. They had their own assembly lube I used... but it was basically white lith/lubriplate in a tube. I also would assemble engines during the winter (slow time) that wouldn't sell til the following summer. It could sit and it wouldn't run off like some of the other assembly lubes.

 

[racsan]

I always used stp engine oil treatment, been years since Ive built a engine and Im not sure it would be a good choice with the tighter clearances on todays engines. With a 2-cycle I just use straight non-diluted 2-cycle oil.

 

[Dirtman]

I always just used gear oil and make sure to prime the system properly.

 

[Snoranger]

If I'm building a motor that's going to be started right away I don't use any assembly lube. Just oil everything as I'm assembling it.

Disclaimer... I haven't built a gas motor in 7-8 years. Everything I've done lately has been diesel in-frame rebuilds that get fired up and hit the road in a few days.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I use bar and chain oil for chainsaws since it's always on hand... I put it in a 2 stroke oil bottle (the little guys) with a gear oil bottle cap (same threads) and now you have an easy applicator... bar and chain oil is 30 weight with something to make it tacky so it sticks longer... at work we have lubriplate, which would be better but so far I haven't had any problems with bar and chain oil...

 

[bobbywalter]

lucas..... redline..... crc.....

lubriplate on ft/cams


mostly 2t oil on the bikes. with lube on the trans side... though i did crc the wrist pin on the 80 lil bob just did.


i was one brand when i was in my teens and 20's.....just depends on what i am working on.

 

[ExploreNW]

Just redneck it.
Grab some red axle grease. Works for thousands of miles when packed in axle bearings & dissolves in oil. Changing your oil promptly after your break in period is always recommended.

 

[tomw]

I have yet to buy any assembly lube in the last 40+ years. I have never used it. I have used motor oil for just about every engine I have meddled with. I drench the rings after installing them onto the piston, just before squeezing them in the ring compressor and installing. I squirt some lube on the piston skirt and the cylinder wall, and the rod insert before poking the piston into the bore. I lube the rod cap insert with oil, and place appropriately.
Cams always get lubed, as do lifters which I leave dry if hydraulic(I do not 'prefill' the lifters). The lifter and bore are lubed.
Timing chains and sprockets get a bath in oil before installing the timing cover. I use the crankshaft pulley to center the front seal, allowing natural pressure to position it properly.(don't let gravity cause the cover to sag as it may cause premature failure.)
Oil pumps get their gears lubed up well with vaseline so they can pull oil from the sump quickly as they will be well sealed by the lube until they get spinning, and the vaseline will dissolve in the oil.
Always set the distributor timing as best you can before trying to start. I do not run an engine at all without coolant in the system. Others may do so, but it does not seem a good idea to me.
tom

 

[ExploreNW]

An old school racers trick I thought about earlier today - if you are building an engine that (and most every engine I've ever built has had this setup from Lima 2.3s all the way up to big block Ford & GM) doesn't have the cam directly geared into the oil pump, you can rig up your distributor and a power drill. Pull the worm gear off an old distributor, push the shaft back into your block, then put the rotor end of that distributor in the chuck of the biggest drill you got. Pull the trigger and you'll pre-lube all your bearings in five minutes or less. Turn it over with a socket wrench a couple times while you do this to make sure all the bearings get the good stuff. Then put a distributor or blank shaft back in depending on your model and fire her up. Assembly lube not required. I do love me some $2.99 axle grease though.

 

[Dirtman]

An old school racers trick I thought about earlier today - if you are building an engine that (and most every engine I've ever built has had this setup from Lima 2.3s all the way up to big block Ford & GM) doesn't have the cam directly geared into the oil pump, you can rig up your distributor and a power drill. Pull the worm gear off an old distributor, push the shaft back into your block, then put the rotor end of that distributor in the chuck of the biggest drill you got. Pull the trigger and you'll pre-lube all your bearings in five minutes or less. Turn it over with a socket wrench a couple times while you do this to make sure all the bearings get the good stuff. Then put a distributor or blank shaft back in depending on your model and fire her up. Assembly lube not required. I do love me some $2.99 axle grease though.

Yup this is what I always do on older engines. Newer stuff without a distributor just dont hook up the fuel system or just use clear flood mode to crank it over without firing. Do it 5-6 times in short bursts and your oil system should be primed and ready for the engine to fire.

 

[4.0blue98]

Pull the ASD relay if you've got one.

Could you trip the inertia switch?

 

[Dirtman]

Could you trip the inertia switch?

Never touch the inertia switch! They only work (properly) once and need to be replaced. The only reason they can be reset is so the vehicle can be driven far enough to get somewhere for repairs.