Has anyone ever used white lithium grease on the cam?

[usetaboost]

A friend of mine that used to build the buick motors back in the 80s says to use white lithium grease on the camshaft. Sounds kind of weird, thought I would check it out.

 

[Grandnat]

A friend of mine that used to build the buick motors back in the 80s says to use white lithium grease on the camshaft. Sounds kind of weird, thought I would check it out.

Yes I have.. and I have also used Lubriplate.

I actually love white lithium grease, it STAYS in place and I prefer it.

Find the synthetic stuff that comes in the small cardboard tubes. That is what I used. I never had a problem with is and have never lost a cam. I reused the same 212/212 hydraulic flat tapped cam on about 3 engine builds and always used the lithium grease and NEVER had a cam problem.

I would suggest that you change the oil and filter after the first warmup, but I do that anyways.

 

[VadersV6]

No. Use moly. You want chunks of lithium grease clogging your pickup tube, the oil feed passages to the cam/mains, etc? It doesnt liquefy into the oil that easily. Its common to use it on valve stems, but i think thats a bad idea as well if the motor is going to sit longer than a month. There is no reason to not use moly.

 

[Grandnat]

well, to each his own I suppose. I used it on bearings too.

never had a problem.

Car was fast as hell and it never had a engine failure. I was running 10s and kept the same cam for over 8 years...

what can I tell you?

but like I said I changed the oil and filter shortly after the first full warm up.

 

[chrisgarrett]

I helped someone install a cam, and they used lithium grease. Couple days down the road and he was having serious oil pressure problems. We dropped the pan, and the pickup tube screen was completely plugged up with grease. I don't think that lithium grease dissolves in hot oil the way that moly does. Most of the molys that you buy print it right on their package or tube that it dissolves quickly in hot oil. Lithium does not. It was never intended to be used as a cam breakin lube.

 

[Mad_Trbo]

to use it or not

I tend to think if you have the moly bases grease it is the recommended approach over the white lithium. The problem with the white lithium is just as described in the previous posts is the breakdown. Lithium does not break down as easily and could clog small oil orifices(sp) if used excessively.


At the end of the day i think it is best to either use the ARP stuff or O.E.M. recommended lubrication.