A human hair is about 80 micron, and the smallest particle you can see with a naked eye is about 40 micron. That seems pretty small. Can something so small, you can't even see, really cause problems? To put that in perspective, .0015 is equal to 32 micron. These invisible particles are small enough to get in between the roller and the axle on a roller lifter. Even worse, hard particles can score the bore of the piston in hydraulic lifters, and this can cause hydraulic lifters to bleed down, which leads to lifter "rattle". Consequently, proper cleaning and lubrication during assembly and break-in is critical to the life of flat tappet cams, roller cams and piston rings. Here are a few practical steps can you take during the assembly and initial breakin of an engine to rid yourself of these unseen assassins.
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