Technical Initial Flathead Run with no water?

The Instructions I received with the new Offenhauser heads from "Speedway" says to briefly start the engine the first time with no water, then let engine cool and retorque heads. Sounds crazy to me. This procedure would also not allow the engine to run long enough for cam break in. So a second cam break in (with water in engine) would have to be done after the initial head seating start-up. What do you guys know about this?

Speedway Instuctions can be found here:
http://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/910-15890.pdf

 

Cam break in doesn't have to be continuous 20-25 minutes, but it does have to be at higher rpm. So if you fire the engine and bring the rpm's up for a minute or so, it wont harm the cam. Then you can retorque the heads and fill fluids so you can finish the cam break in procedure.
Just don't fire it and let it idle!

 

Yep, plan to run at 2000 rpm per ISKY directions.

Just running with no water in the block seems strange,...... thoughts on that?

 

ive heard that before. I think it helps keep it from leaking water

 

Running it without water for a minute or so isn't going to hurt anything. It would take longer than that for it to get to a temp that would hurt something. So start it up and let it run for a minute and retorque the head like recommended. As stated above don't let it idle.

 

Thanks all, just figured I'd check first rather than bust a new engine.

 

drop the belt off the waterpumps, otherwise running them dry will eat the shaft seals

 

Ok I need skooling on this cam break in BS on a flat motor. Now other than coating my cams with****embly lube I have never done a break in run up on a flat motor cam and never had a failure. This lawn mower engine doesnt have enough spring pressure to squeege a windshield let alone run a cam dry and round a lobe. I can see where you might be concerned with a race engine with a high lift, high spring pressure valve train overhead but for a flat motor its like a waste of cash for some snake oil supplement. So I need to know why you guys are all worried about this issue.

As for running up an egine to get a little heat all you need is a minute or so to warm stuff up and then just shut down to cool. After cooling and retorquing you should restart and heat the engine up to operating temp , cool and retorque again. The new heads seem to move quite abit and require a couple torque checks.

 

Im with you Mr Spadaro, good coat of moly****embly lube, maybe belts off to let it heat up a bit quicker first fire, and dont listen to the old wives. retorque , then twice or thrice over the first week driving, then step on it. a lot of people on here overthink the***** out of some very basic stuff.

 

You could break the cam in with the iron heads first then drain it dry and in stall the offy heads....if you have some usable iron heads......

 

I would adhere to*****s advice. HRP

 

Thanks again***** Spadaro for adding some good info and logic to these discussions. As I was reading the comments, I couldn't help but laugh as I remembered this week's edition of Fast and Loud. They ruined a cam and lifters on initial break-in ?? and had to have the motor re-done. They kept repeating over and over that they had to use special oil and additives........and "run the engine at 2000rpm to HARDEN the cam !!!

 

just don't run it long without water.

 

I never break in cams on a flathead , also always run them with water from begining.
I try the "no water" first run on my next build