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Assembly lube recommendations

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by finnerty, Dec 4, 2014.

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  1. finnerty

    finnerty F1 World Champ

    May 18, 2004
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    #1 finnerty, Dec 4, 2014
    I'm looking for a good engine assembly lube / grease that is compatible with synthetic motor oil and is something "off the shelf" that I can pick up locally at an auto parts store (AutoZone, O'Reilly's, NAPA, etc.).

    I also do not need a lot of it --- so it would be nice to find something that is available in small package quantities, like just a few ounces in a tube.

    Anyone have experience with a quality product that they could recommend, please ? Thanks
     
  2. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
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    #2 2NA, Dec 4, 2014
    Type "assembly lube" into Google and you'll get many choices, probably most are good.

    I have a couple small bottles that I bought from the parts store when I built motors. One is Permatex "Ultra Slick", the other is Clevite. Both are red, viscous and slippery as hell.

    I've also used a mixture of Mobil 1 and STP.
     
  3. finnerty

    finnerty F1 World Champ

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    #3 finnerty, Dec 4, 2014
    Thanks Tim
     
  4. ago car nut

    ago car nut F1 Veteran
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    #4 ago car nut, Dec 4, 2014
    Some engine builders do not recommend synthetic motor oil in a new engine. They recommend break it in on Dino oil then switch to synthetic.


    Ago
     
  5. finnerty

    finnerty F1 World Champ

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    #5 finnerty, Dec 4, 2014
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2014
    Understood, but I'm just re-installing cam shafts and lifters into an already broken-in, and otherwise completely assembled, engine running on synthetic. It's a not a complete teardown & fresh, bare metal re-build situation.

    Maybe I'm being over cautious, but I was led to believe you never should mix synthetic and organic lubes ---- which is why I was looking for a synth compatible product..... since everything else in the engine is already slathered in synthetic.
     
  6. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
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    #6 2NA, Dec 4, 2014
    Squirting a little of the same oil that's already there is probably enough.
     
  7. finnerty

    finnerty F1 World Champ

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    #7 finnerty, Dec 4, 2014
    I think I've confused the situation a bit with my description.

    The cam shafts, lifter cavities, lifters, and bearing journals / caps are all fully cleaned down to bare metal --- but, the rest of the head is still oil slathered as it was not removed from the engine nor cleaned.

    So, I think it is prudent to coat all these parts well with assembly lube before installing them.
     
  8. Brian Harper

    Brian Harper F1 Rookie
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    #8 Brian Harper, Dec 5, 2014
    This was quite a few years ago, but I was using a tube of whatever assembly grease was for sale at Kragen (Sta-Lube or something) while rebuilding my old Scirocco engine and used up the tube. I bought a little tub of Red Line assembly lube and couldn't believe the difference. The Red Line was noticeably smoother and slicker. I removed the cam and re-lubed the caps with the new stuff just because it felt better. Does feeling better to my fingers mean it was better for the motor? I don't really know, but it is all I have to go on.
     
  9. kommons

    kommons Karting

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    #9 kommons, Dec 5, 2014
    Reputable indie mechanic I work with near me uses the redline. I recently ordered the royal purple Tuff lube. it honestly looks like a very viscous version of their regular motor oil. I believe the intent is to make sure it sticks and can dilute into the motor oil so I believe it would achieve both those purposes.
     
  10. waymar

    waymar Formula 3

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    #10 waymar, Dec 5, 2014
    I have used Lucas assy lube with good results.
     
  11. phrogs

    phrogs F1 Veteran
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    #11 phrogs, Dec 5, 2014
    For What you are doing I would just give it a good covering in the oil your going to use.

    Assembly lube wouldn't hurt it's all about giving lube to those parts that might not get oil until oil pressure is obtained.

    For Assembly lube the last tube I had was Clevite, the manufacture of the connecting rod and main journal bearings I was using. That was good for me.

    Like Tim said google it there are many choices.
     
  12. rmarchjr

    rmarchjr Formula Junior

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    #12 rmarchjr, Dec 5, 2014
    When changing cams I have always used the assembly stuff available from the large cam companies- it is EP grade lube. Usually contains high concentration of lithium &/or moly, does not squeeze out between the metal faces. It will get mucky so change the oil after about an hour of running. I've never wiped out a new cam shaft with that stuff. The faces of the cam and lifters need to mate, never use old lifters/cam followers with new cam or vise versa.
     
  13. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #13 Rifledriver, Dec 5, 2014
    Redline is great and all I use. My former location was right down the road from Redline so it was an off the shelf product anywhere you went.

    A big consideration for good assembly lube is that it be able to flow through the oil filter paper, some do not and with the quantities used can clog a substantial portion of the filter media. It was amazing how much of that we found cutting open oil filters when using some brands.
     
  14. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #14 Rifledriver, Dec 5, 2014
    Some engine builders are not very good at their job. No major auto manufacturer in the world follows that practice and none of them seem to have trouble with ring seating. What is required is good machining and a proper match of materials, not magic oil.
     
  15. finnerty

    finnerty F1 World Champ

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    #15 finnerty, Dec 5, 2014
    Yeah, that Red Line stuff looks like an excellent product --- I just don't want to wait a week to get it, as I have to mail order any Red Line stuff (I've used some of their other stuff before).

    Thanks for all the help guys.
     
  16. waymar

    waymar Formula 3

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    #16 waymar, Dec 5, 2014
    Lucas is available at chain stores for $5. Just saying.
     
  17. finnerty

    finnerty F1 World Champ

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    #17 finnerty, Dec 5, 2014
    I think that is what I'm going to use. I just got off the phone with the machine shop that did my cam work, to talk about another matter, but I happened to ask them what they use out of curiosity and coincidence ---- and they use the Lucas product as well.
     
  18. smg2

    smg2 F1 World Champ
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    #18 smg2, Dec 5, 2014
    I use either Redline or Gibbs, Gibbs reminds me of the NLA STP lube, but not as honey like as STP was.
     
  19. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
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    #19 tbakowsky, Dec 5, 2014
    I prefer astro glide, works wonders..
     
  20. REM9

    REM9 Karting

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    #20 REM9, Dec 6, 2014
    I have used STP as an assembly lube for decades. On a new build I use BradPenn Break-in oil which is non-synthetic. After break in period I use BradPenn semi-synthetic 15-50 and have never had a failure. This is in engines that live between 6-8000 rpm. They are not Ferrari engines.

    STP is in fact still available. It's major component is ZDDP which is what the oil companies removed in the last few years. Real important to flat tappet engines survival.
     
  21. ago car nut

    ago car nut F1 Veteran
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    #21 ago car nut, Dec 6, 2014
    STP is in fact still available. It's major component is ZDDP which is what the oil companies removed in the last few years. Real important to flat tappet engines survival.


    Is that in fact true?



    There is this big debate on flat tappet cams and ZDDP. How much is really needed on a broken-in engine?

    Rifledriver, I believe your answer. There is a lot of backyard info that is not always true.

    Ago
     
  22. saw1998

    saw1998 F1 Veteran

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    #22 saw1998, Dec 6, 2014
    +1. You beat me to it. :)
     
  23. finnerty

    finnerty F1 World Champ

    May 18, 2004
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    #23 finnerty, Dec 6, 2014
    Just picked a bottle of this up at O'Reillys.

    Weird stuff I gotta say. Translucent green color, viscosity (and appearance ;)) of snot from a bad head cold, slippery yet sticky at the same time --- kinda like a cross between grease and glue....

    sure hope it works :)
     

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