Just did compression test pissssed!!!!!

[2GFWDbeast]

Had a shop do my engine build for me. They told me not to do any hard driving for at least 500 miles. So far i only have 199 miles on it, and its been about a month. I decided to do a compression test and it was 160 128 130 160 cause i noticed my vacuum at idle was little on the low side.

I have Je pistons 9.5:1. My vacuum is at 8 in/hg at idle. I do have hks 272 cams. Could it be that piston 2 and 3 haven't seated yet or do i need to goto the shop and bi*** at them, cause they messed something up.

 

[3kgt2nv]

Ok but how is it any different with brand-new car with just a few miles on it vs a motor that has been cleaned hot tanked brand-new internals and what not. With the oil changing process?

Most motors are test run prior to being put in a car at a production facility to make sure that they run right before rolling off the line. When they do this test they can put simulated load on the engine to seat the rings.

 

[2GFWDbeast]

It has nothing to do with me being cheap. I just spent almost 5000 not including the car or tuning. Now if you feel like funding me money go right ahead otherwise shut your mouth.

 

[Tyeler18]

Most motors are test run prior to being put in a car at a production facility to make sure that they run right before rolling off the line. When they do this test they can put simulated load on the engine to seat the rings.

This.

You're "8 mile engine" really doesn't have 8 miles on it. They don't just drop the motor in and hope everything runs right, it is tested prior to being put in.

 

[LiquidX]

It has nothing to do with me being cheap. I just spent almost 5000 not including the car or tuning. Now if you feel like funding me money go right ahead otherwise shut your mouth.

All we are getting at is you need to change your oil at set intervals when the break-in is performed regardless if you visably see foreign material or not.

 

[standard235]

#### it, I used MotoMan's method for the past couple 2L's I've built. 1 was a stock 6 bolt with new rings and ACL bearings, the other was a built motor (Wiseco HD's, Eagle H Beams, ACL bearings).

Both have excellent compression and considerably better performance than a few other "fresh" motors I've experienced..

 

[Boomdeeze]

I find it funny how people ask for help or an opinion and when they get an answer they don't like, they throw a fit. If you what you think is correct, then just end this argument now and if your motor runs top notch doing it your way, then congratulations.

 

[donniekak]

That's exactly what I would do... Listen to the shop which apparently told you to break it in wrong.

I have 2500 miles on my engine now and have just done around the 6th oil change.


I recently built an engine for a friend and we did the motoman method changed the oil at 22 miles. There were no big shavings in the oil but it had a metallic color from the rings seating. It will be changed again at 250 then at 1000 then at 2000 with Brad Penn.

I change the oil 3 times in the first 100 miles. Initial startup, let it come up to temp and check for leaks, then change the oil. Break in, takes about 5-10 miles of boost/vacuum on a country road, oil change. 100 miles oil change, this oil stays in until 500-750 miles, then i run synthetic. You can tell when the rings are seating because of the "rainbow" of small ring/cylinder wall particles in the oil. At the 100 mile change it should look normal.

 

[2GFWDbeast]

I'm not the one that built my motor. A local machine shop that builds n/a race motors, and that has been in business for 60 years did it. They have a dyno but not an Awd one. I'm getting both sides of the story is all I'm doing. The machine shop is tell me one thing and you guys are telling me another. So I'm trying to hear both, and the reasons why. Since I never built a motor on my own before, and didn't know there was a certain procedure on how to break-in a car the "RIGHT" way. I'm trying to aruge or start a fight. I appreciate everything everyone is telling me.

 

[crazyquik22023]

Drain whatever oil is in your engine now and put in 5 quarts of brad penn oil. Then drive your car like normal ,boosting and just cruising, keep checking the oil on a regular basis to make sure its at an adequate level and then change the brad penn in 3000 miles or so. That is the break in process Buschur told me when they built my motor and they know what they are doing...

 

[dwsjr15]

Varying your rpms is what helps the rings seat not speed and its really important in the first 20 miles to get the rings seated but there are cases where like yours that it wasnt known to get them to seat in the first 20. Just check compression after 500.

 

[donniekak]

i don't see the reason to change the oil so many times. The motor was cleaned and what not. And if there was metal shavings in the oil i be able to see it on the dip stick. Iv seen it on previous cars. My oil is as clean and clear as water rite now at almost 230 miles. Rite now i have joe gibbs break-in oil which is high in zinc. After the 500 mile mark and then going to use valvoline vr1 race oil.

In no way shape or form should there be visible "shavings" in the oil. What the ring material looks like is a very small amount of oil in water. The oil you drain out of a new engine has what looks like a rainbow sheen to it, when the sun hits it.

 

[16g DSM]

so i should just keep driving it???

YES!! Continue to drive the car hard! 3rd and 4th gear pulls are the best for long hard pulls. If you baby the motor during break-in you don't create enough pressure to compress the rings against the cylinder wall and seat them properly. If you get on it with 3rd and 4th gear pulls (at least 3/4 throttle) then the large amount of pressure will push the rings against the cylinder wall...HARD!! A lot harder than it does when you baby it. That causes them to break-in evenly all around!! So why is it important to do this hard driving early within the 500 miles?? Well when the motor was built the cylinder walls were re-surfaced with some sort of honing tool. the crosshatch pattern is put there to wear away some of the piston rings kinda like a micro file. The piston rings aren't the exact same dimensions as the cylinder so the process of breaking-in shapes them to the exact shape of the cylinder. After the 500 mile period the crosshatch pattern that was put there has now rubbed smooth and cannot wear the rings anymore so if you took it easy during that time your rings were never fully seated and that leads to blow-by which is bad!! Also make sure your using a mineral based oil and not a synthetic. those synthetics are to slippery to break-in the rings properly and are only good once the motor has been broken-in. Hope this helps and good-luck!

First time I started mine, I let it idle while I set A/F and then started to drive it down the road. It was stumbling because of the tune but as soon as I get the tune good enough to get going, I let that thing hit 10 psi all the way through 3 and into 4th. Then let it suck the vacuum back down to 10. After diving it semi hard for 100 miles, the boost went up to 15. Then after 500 miles, boost went up to 20 and after 1000 it has been at 22 psi.

And have you had any compression issues? What do the numbers look like?

 

[2GFWDbeast]

BR-30 Break-In Oil
The same high zinc and phosphorus formula as our original break-in oil, now in a SAE 5W-30 viscosity for tight clearance and/or low temperature break-in. Good for restrictor plate engines, drag race engines, and OEM rebuilds. Provides excellent ring sealing. Requires no additional additives. Good for full power pulls on the dyno, one night of racing or up to 400 miles on the street. Thats what the machine shop used. Its 70 bucks for 5 quarts. I haven't heard once of anyone using this yet on this thread, or say anything about it. Cause iv mentioned it like 7 times.

 

[richard33]

It was a while ago, but when I first got my motor together I let it idle and drove around the block maybe with the break in oil, then changed it for some cheap oil. Beat on the car for a while and changed it again. At about 100 miles I was running 30+lbs and done with the break in. I have about 3500 miles on the motor now and 185 across the board.

I figure I spent so much money on the motor I'm not gonna let a 30$ oil change ruin it. I probably change my oil every 500 miles though just cause I don't drive the car much.

 

[Talonious]

To the OP, I would take N/A engine builders method's of break-in with a grain of salt.

They are used to having to drive conservative as most of the engines they build probably have flat tappet's.

We don't, so break your car in as it's been proven.

Fill oil - 50 miles - Oil change - 250 more miles - Oil change - 1000 more miles - Brad Penn/Rotella syn.

Simple, only the first 3 oil changes with crappy dino oil will add up to $60...If you can afford $5000 in modifications, I'd hope you can afford that.

Within the first 50 miles your engine will encounter blow-by, and wear shavings which catches in the oil filter. Oil filters don't always catch everything. Moreover, with blowby your oil will contaminate quicker.

Both of these ^^^ are bad for your engine, and turbocharger.

That is why it is worth the extra $60 in oil changes that will save your $5000 motor.

Listen to me. Don't listen to me...Prestige World Wide.

 

[16g DSM]

To the OP, I would take N/A engine builders method's of break-in with a grain of salt.

They are used to having to drive conservative as most of the engines they build probably have flat tappet's.

We don't, so break your car in as it's been proven.

Fill oil - 50 miles - Oil change - 250 more miles - Oil change - 1000 more miles - Brad Penn/Rotella syn.

Simple, only the first 3 oil changes with crappy dino oil will add up to $60...If you can afford $5000 in modifications, I'd hope you can afford that.

Within the first 50 miles your engine will encounter blow-by, and wear shavings which catches in the oil filter. Oil filters don't always catch everything. Moreover, with blowby your oil will contaminate quicker.

Both of these ^^^ are bad for your engine, and turbocharger.

That is why it is worth the extra $60 in oil changes that will save your $5000 motor.

Listen to me. Don't listen to me...Prestige World Wide.

Boats and Hoes!

 

[Talonious]

Boats and Hoes!

Lol.

 

[2GFWDbeast]

Simple, only the first 3 oil changes with crappy dino oil will add up to $60...If you can afford $5000 in modifications, I'd hope you can afford that.

i was able to afford 5000 because of my Christmas bonus from work. I have a child on a way so im also saving for that. Im a little bit spent for cash.

 

[gst96spyderman]

Also that car was not being rebuilt (The new Cobaly)... Straight from the factory/ Not sure how they approach the breakin theories. but my confidence is completely in the engineers who developed the car...

I agree that there are many suggestions for what seems to be "too frequent oil changes," but it is needed. This is my 3rd rebuild, always followed the 500 break in oil - to full synthetic with no problems. I started like you did when first turning key over and babied her. Luckily, I never had an issue with the rings seating properly. I'm a couple of days away from putting miles on her, but I'm going to follow the 3/4 WOT and boost/vaccum brake as much as possible...

The comment about using Diesel oil for break in purposes isn't entirely incorrect... I use Rotela T6 full synthetic, well just started because of the high zinc levels... I know there are other members on here that do as well. But for the 1st 500 miles, I'm just using some quaker state w/ cheapass oil filter...

 

[2GFWDbeast]

Also that car was not being rebuilt (The new Cobaly)... Straight from the factory/ Not sure how they approach the breakin theories. but my confidence is completely in the engineers who developed the car...

I agree that there are many suggestions for what seems to be "too frequent oil changes," but it is needed. This is my 3rd rebuild, always followed the 500 break in oil - to full synthetic with no problems. I started like you did when first turning key over and babied her. Luckily, I never had an issue with the rings seating properly. I'm a couple of days away from putting miles on her, but I'm going to follow the 3/4 WOT and boost/vaccum brake as much as possible...

The comment about using Diesel oil for break in purposes isn't entirely incorrect... I use Rotela T6 full synthetic, well just started because of the high zinc levels... I know there are other members on here that do as well. But for the 1st 500 miles, I'm just using some quaker state w/ cheapass oil filter...

So basically your saying you didnt change yours till the first 500miles??

 

[gst96spyderman]

All these builds were done in the winter and didn't drive the car much. 2 of the 3 builds were for a cruiser to drive at the beach. 500 - 1500 quaker state or some decent non synthetic, then full synthetic. I also did not use the drive it like you stole it method. (not convinced that the rings actually seat)

All these theories have been discussed and debated... But they are still opinion based methods... I have no evidence that my method works better than other's mentioned, b/c I have never tried. But the two builds I have already done have worked great using my method. What I learned about all this, is that the break-in process should be based on what your build was meant to be for. If you drive the shit out of it, I'd suggest to change @ 150... But I'll drive 500miles in two days then change oil and let her sit until the spring and then change after 1500 miles then full synthetic.

 

[DSMTyson]

baby first 500 miles,1/2 of max boost till 1000 miles,full boost till 1500 miles should have good compression. with regular oil changes. I recommend diesel oil for brake in

WTF are you smoking dude?

 

[2GFWDbeast]

did another compression test and it is now 168-150-150-168. I went to the shop today also, and they told me that as long as they are all 15 to 18% of each other. The guy told me that 155 is stock and seeing that my motor has little over 100,000 on it the numbers above are nice. Also my head has already been cut 3 times over 6 year period. 1st time .005 second .005 and third .010. Also told me that im lucky that i still have valve clearance. the compression numbers above are based off Je srb 8.5:1 pistons that i have in the car now

 

[DSMTyson]

did another compression test and it is now 168-150-150-168. I went to the shop today also, and they told me that as long as they are all 15 to 18% of each other. The guy told me that 155 is stock and seeing that my motor has little over 100,000 on it the numbers above are nice. Also my head has already been cut 3 times over 6 year period. 1st time .005 second .005 and third .010. Also told me that im lucky that i still have valve clearance. the compression numbers above are based off Je srb 8.5:1 pistons that i have in the car now

Tur up the boost a bit and do some 3-4 gear pulls and see if that will help cylinders 2 and 3. 18psi is too much of a difference for a freshly built engine IMO.

P.S. 155 is the stock cylinder pressure for our stock 7.8:1 pistons. The fact that you have 8.5:1, you should be reading 165-175 across the board.

 

[2GFWDbeast]

Iv been driving It harder now. 75miles ago it started at 150-130-130-150 now that iv been driving it harder it's at 168-150-150-168. I'm at 260miles now on the rebuild. I'm going to recheck it after 500 miles when I change the oil out.