Engine Break In, breaking-in, motor break-in [Merged 10-6]

[BrokeTurbo]

As the following thread will illustrate, motor break-in is not the issue it was in the fifties and sixties.
For all intents and purposes, your method will not significantly matter, within reason.

Well, I am getting the laser back from the shop this weekend. Here's a List of whats new, and whats not.New Pistons, Bearings, Rods, Crankshaft, Rings, Oil pump, Belts, Pullys, Head, Valves, No balancer belt. The only real thing thats old, but freshened up is the block, and valve cover, and the FI system. (Fuel Injection)

I am going to run Mobil 1 10w-30 with a Puroilator PL101xx Filter. I have a new clutch with a resurfaced flywheel going on. I've also got new fluids in the transmission.

My question is how should I break it in? This is my first non 70's Chevy, and I was wondering if there are any tricks to it.

The way I was going to do it, was 15 min of idle, warm up. Make sure all fluids/hoses/electrical is plugged in. Then about 1 hour of normal driving. Might take out to the Highway, and cruise around 65-70 for a little bit.

This sound good? I was not going to get on it, or push it till ive got about 500 miles on the engine. Even then, I'll still be taking it easy. Anyone have any tips or help? Thanks

 

[TotalEclipse112]

I beleive if I rember correctly you should baby it the first 300 miles, then change the oil.Baby it till you get to 600 miles, then change to oil again.Then finally baby it till about 1200 miles chance the oil once again and you should be fine.Then just change the oil every 3000 miles from there out.The only reason that you do all that babying of the engine is to give the rings time to properly seat in the piston and get the to seal completly.Because initally there will be some blow by in the combustion chamber, but that will go away as the piston rings seat properly.And all the changing of the oil is to make sure that you have no chunks or metal in the oil and to keep track of the oil consumption as the motor breaks in.Hope that helps

 

[TiMMaH668]

Thanks alot, i guess ill just be doing as much driving as possible for a little while.

 

[TiMMaH668]

On my engine kit on the ring box it has instructions for breaking in the rings. They are:

Take the car out for a drive, do not put the motor under stress. Find a long strait road. at 35 mph in low rpms in a normal cruising gear accelerate to 55 at WOT. then let off the gas and slow back down to 35 mph. Repeat 10-12 times.

Drive like normal.



Hmmm This sounds too easy. What do you guys think?

 

[Defiant]

Originally posted by TiMMaH668
On my engine kit on the ring box it has instructions for breaking in the rings. They are:

Take the car out for a drive, do not put the motor under stress. Find a long strait road. at 35 mph in low rpms in a normal cruising gear accelerate to 55 at WOT. then let off the gas and slow back down to 35 mph. Repeat 10-12 times.

Interesting. They're flexing the rings about as much as you can with that, which will offer more "scraping" or seating. We've had a few threads about break-in lately, and the consensus seems to be there's no real consensus. Seems like every machinist and builder has his own ideas- Smokey Yunick used to assemble the rings onto the pistons, then soak them overnight submerged in motor oil before assembling; Ed Pink used to put the rings in _dry_.
I think the only rule everyone agreed on was to not run the engine at the same speed for any extended time (no freeway runs from SF to Sac), and to move the heat and stress loads around inside the motor with varied speeds and terrain for the first X-hundred miles. The X remained variable.
My conclusion is that it's really tough to screw up a modern engine if you give it even the smallest amount of consideration.

 

[TiMMaH668]

What would be the best way to start it for the first time???

 

[fastalon]

i have heard b4 that a good way is to start the motor up and let it run for about 30 min on idle....then after that beat the $hit out of it . That is just what i read b4, but i to am interested in knowing a great way to break in a motor since i will have mine soon.

 

[TiMMaH668]

Hmmmm That doesnt sound like to good of a good idea. Any more ideas??? I really would like to know from someone with experience. My dad has experiencee with small block chevys but im not sure how similar it will be.

 

[Defiant]

Motors are motors, until you get to that Wankel stuff.

 

[4g63tc]

Originally posted by Defiant
Motors are motors, until you get to that Wankel stuff.

mmmmmm.....rotaries, who knew a triangle would be so much fun!

 

[TotalEclipse112]

I know it sound tedious and like it takes a long time, but I have built 3 4g63 DSM here in Germany for people that I know and had them break it in the long way and none of them has had a problem with it since then.

 

[1990GSX]

What do you think of this guys method of breaking in an engine? Do you think it is good for an engine that has been rehoned?

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

[gritsak]

this webpage has been beaten to death on about every forum i know of...everyone has different opinions..i know of people that have broken a motor in the hard way, and others that have babied it and both have had good results.

theres a couple main things you want to do either way...wait for the car to warm up fully before you take it out on the road...change the oil OFTEN..ide do it right after the initial warmup..then again after the first drive...then in 100-200 miles intervals for the first 500-1000 miles...changing the oil is cheap insurance when breaking in a motor....another thing is for the first few hundred miles try not to drive very long at constant speeds...speed up then let the engine slow you down..speed up, let off again...ect....

the rings are basically the only thing you are "breaking in" when you have a new motor...and they seat relatively quickly...but if it was my motor, especially a turbo motor i at least wouldnt push it hard to redline with much boost for a few hundred miles.

 

[1990GSX]

I've heard different opinions on using synthetic or non-synthetic oil. What are your opinions?

 

[gritsak]

definitely dont use synthetic on a break in...after awhile (around 2k?) you can switch over but for the break in good ol regular oil is what you want to use

 

[BoostinAWD]

Take it easy first 100 miles.
After that take it for a good hard run through 3rd and 4th gears.
Rap out each gear then let it slow down while staying in 4th till you go down to around 3k rpms. Then do it again, shift into to 3rd go wot, shift into 4th. Repeat about 5-6 times.

After that just drive the car like a normal human being
and change your oil every 150miles or so for the first 1000.

At 800 miles I switched to synthetic. I just barely clocked over 1500miles on my rebuild and its running great.

Thats the method I used.
Also worked very well for candela and hes used this method with 4 different motors.

 

[Defiant]

Please search. Same title, same answers just last spring.

Bottom line: it doesn't matter. Engines live, and engines die, and you can find both had exactly the same break-in "method". Shit happens. So does sugar.

 

[NDgsx]

That's pretty much how I break in my engines. The last one I built for somebody, a 6bolt with 2G pistons, had 190psi across the board after 500 miles. It works great for me.

Use a non-synthetic oil without zinc for break in.

 

[HIGHPSI4]

I just installed the upgraded lifters in my '90 AWD. The lifters will not stop ticking. I have started the car 3 different times and let it idle for 15 min. each time. My oil pressure is about 70psi.
As I installed the injectors I followed the VFAQ procedure. Pumped each lifter, filled with oil and then pumped out the excess. Most people have stated that their lifters were quite after installation. Will they 'break in' or have I missed something? Thanks.

 

[nine5raptor]

I drove mine a week before they quieted and my daily commute is over 60 miles round trip.

 

[Kingdom]

Originally posted by nine5raptor
I drove mine a week before they quieted and my daily commute is over 60 miles round trip.

thats a lot of time. I thought 20min of regular driving should cut it.

 

[91talonawd]

Yep took mine about a week also.

 

[TwoLiterV8Eater]

Hmm...I didnt do any sort of procedure except taking the old lifters out, and putting the new lifters in. I didnt prime them or anything. From the first time I started the car they were very quiet. I had an oil leak and ran the car about a half a quart low and they started to tick. now they tick most of the time but after some driving they quiet some. It sounds like I have one bad one or something, but not all the time. After I installed them I carefully turned the motor by hand and watched them all compress like normal. Perhaps I did it the "wrong" way but it worked for me, and I didnt bend any valves or anything like some people seemed to think I would.

 

[wolfman099]

Originally posted by HIGHPSI4
I just installed the upgraded lifters in my '90 AWD. The lifters will not stop ticking. I have started the car 3 different times and let it idle for 15 min. each time. My oil pressure is about 70psi.
As I installed the injectors I followed the VFAQ procedure. Pumped each lifter, filled with oil and then pumped out the excess. Most people have stated that their lifters were quite after installation. Will they 'break in' or have I missed something? Thanks.

I did it the same way, except after i started the car i revved it up to 3grand for 26 minutes exactly, then the next thing i knew.... IT WAS QUIET!!!!! its been quiet ever since. it was the best thing i ever did to the car.

 

[BoostedLoser]

I just had my crank machined and got new bearings... Also got an ACT 2600 clutch added to the mix! What is the proper driving procedure for the crank work? I am assuming its not such a monitored break in as if i did rings... What should i do?

Thanks

 

[a351must2]

pre-oil everything by cranking it with the coil pack disconnected, then start it up and let it fly. No break-in necessary or wanted for crank bearings.