Breaking in rebuilt engine and transmission

[beejaytx225]

Hello everyone, its been a while. I finally was able to get my 360 and my c6 rebuilt. Now ive got a bit of an issue. Both the engine and trans are still out of the truck but both need broken in. The engine requires the normal flat tappet cam break-in at 2k rpm for 20 mins and the trans needs much slower rpm (idle) to get the fluids everywhere they need to be. Basically, "Idling the engine while you run through the gears in the trans is not conducive to camshaft longevity the first time you fire a brand new motor, and running 2000 RPM for 20 min to break in the cam is not conducive to longevity the first time you spin a brand new trans." Any ideas or suggestions? Thank you

[cep62]

Put it together enough to start the engine without the torque converter . then after break in put the converter in and run the tranny. ?
Or maybe you could rig up a way to spin the converter on the trans before you bolt it in to circulate the fluid. ?
It seems I had to do this once years ago and didn't know any better and just put them in and ran it , with no ill affects.

[beejaytx225]

Very good ideas. I'll have to ponder on the manual priming of the transmission. My concern with installing it without the torque converter is that the trans won't come out without pulling the engine back out (not really wanting to do that). Can the c6 be pulled without engine removal? Ive read the middle riveted crossmember gets in the way when pulling it back away from the motor.

[beejaytx225]

I think I solved my own problem. The middle crossmember is indeed bolted in. The grease was so thick on the bolts that they appeared to be round rivets

[Fraser]

Talk to the rebuilder(s), and do what they say, They're the ones who hold the warranty. I would not run an engine without a flywheel, and I don't think the auto trans flexplate offers enough counterweight.
If nothing else, put a pump in the cooler lines and circulate the fluid as you are starting the engine, but that's just a guess.