What weight of oil to break in motor?

[lowandsleekDSM]

Now i know everyone is tired of the average engine break in questions, but i have an actual interesting question (atleast to me it is). When you guys break your motors in, what weight oil to you use? Currently im running non-synthetic Valvoline 5w-30 in my car and i just got done with my rebuild about a week ago but i have not driven the car after initially starting up the car (im fixing other small things on the car). So is this a good weight oil to run? Ive been reading on the Motoman methos of breaking in engines and it recommends 10w-40. Since i live in Florida, should run a tad bit thicker oil since it stays warm here Florida just about 365 days a year ? (we only have two seasons summer and hurricane season ). Now this is why i`m asking, because i have read that our cars have a rather low oil pressure already and ive been quite cautious about this since i install my after market oil pressure gauge and its not that high at all when im idling at a red light, but when i start the car and its going through its warm up stage, the oil pressure is at about 20-ish psi and im not even no where near pulling that when im at a stop light (so i dont know if im just freaking out) and on top of that ive read that people break their engines in with 20w-50! and i think thats kinda ridiculous since the thicker oil is for engines with a little bit more wear on them of course.

 

[giovanniv]

5w-30 should be just fine......

 

[1gDSM4g63]

Go with full synthetic Mobil, Royal Purple, Eneos, or AMSoil 10w-30.

 

[spydermanX98X]

Yea 10w 40 seems about right for your weather, most people use conventional for the break in process purely because you change it so often in the beginning than synthetic is far too expensive, but you can do that if you want, there's no downside other than cost.

 

[JayRolla]

Go with full synthetic Mobil, Royal Purple, Eneos, or AMSoil 10w-30.

You should never break a new motor in with synthetic. Regular mineral oil should be used. It can cause improper wear on the new parts. First 500 miles should be the conventional stuff than after that use what you want. I still stick with conventional, since it has less prone to causing leaks.

 

[slow420at]

get some Break-in Additive i used 10w40

 

[dmc]

I use 30w non-synthetic. I do the warm up breakin for 20 minutes, change the oil, use 30w for 500 miles change it and use 30w again for 1000 miles more. After the 1500 miles I then use Valvoline 20-50 synthetic from then on out.

 

[1gDSM4g63]

You should never break a new motor in with synthetic. Regular mineral oil should be used. It can cause improper wear on the new parts. First 500 miles should be the conventional stuff than after that use what you want. I still stick with conventional, since it has less prone to causing leaks.

Well, I guess people should change the oil before they drive an Evo, STi or most european cars before they drive it off the lot.

 

[pj91gsx]

I use 30w non-synthetic. I do the warm up breakin for 20 minutes, change the oil, use 30w for 500 miles change it and use 30w again for 1000 miles more. After the 1500 miles I then use Valvoline 20-50 synthetic from then on out.

thats the wierdest think I ever heard. I had 20w 50 and hated it. that was during the winter and I didnt understand oil wieghts. Now I know the heavy wieghts are for hot weather, the lower wieghts are for colder weather.

 

[Evil_speedracer]

I would have to agree with the posts here regarding synthetic oil - I'm sure it would keep things from seating properly... I would go 10w30 or 10w40 personally. For after the break-in, I suggest the Dura-Blend 10w30 from Valvoline. It has a high zinc content, which saves the bearings in the event of the viscosity breaking down. When I started using it, I had a bit of the dreaded lifter tick...it almost went completely away after a while of using this oil.

 

[Freerevving]

I use 30w non-synthetic. I do the warm up breakin for 20 minutes, change the oil, use 30w for 500 miles change it and use 30w again for 1000 miles more. After the 1500 miles I then use Valvoline 20-50 synthetic from then on out.

^this is the proper way to break in an engine...

Use SAE30 or any other non-detergent oil

Never use a synthetic or Castrol GTX for the break-in period... the rings won't seal right because they lubricate too well. This is a proven fact so don't fight it.

After break-in, the thickest oil (within reason) you can get away with will offer you the most protection.... i usually use 20w-50 or 15w-50... but I'll be using a 10w-50 after I get it ordered. Castrol also sells a 5w-50 but I don't use Castrol synthetic.

The second number is really what you look at. That is the "real" viscocity, but I find that the first number does affect the viscocity at 75 degrees F. At full operating temperatures, all the 50 weights are the same viscocity (supposedly).

--Mac

 

[untouchablecc]

I agree never use synthetic oil to break an engine in, also i have heard the type of oil viscosity determines how the engine will perform after break in. Im a strong believer in 10w 30

 

[JusMX141]

Well, I guess people should change the oil before they drive an Evo, STi or most european cars before they drive it off the lot.

If you think you're the first person to put a key into the ignition when you buy a new car, you're sadly mistaken.

Who knows what the manufacturer does on the assembly line. They might have a jig that sprays mineral oil over the entire coverless engine while another machine spins it at 6k RPMs for 10 minutes.

I recall taking a tour of the Louisville Ford Truck assembly line when I was much younger, and at the end of the line they fired up the trucks and held them WIDE F-ING OPEN for 2-3 minutes before taking them out into the yard. That had to be 10 or 15 years ago, but I'm sure a similar procedure is still practiced today.


I use regular Petroleum-based 10W30 to break in all of my rebuilt engines. I change the oil first at 500, then 1500, then 3000 miles...then I resume the normal service interval with Synthetic oil.

 

[DSM1G90]

It seems that running 20w-50, IMO, is like running honey where these motors needs the quick flow through every galley in the block and head along with this thicker oil is just adding more unneeded wear on the motor since it has to turn harder to push that thicker oil through everywhere.

I learned this lesson the hard way in another 4 cyl car thinking that heavier oil was more protective, yet it was reducing my output of the motor and creating more resistance...let alone trying to start the thing when the weather cooled down.

Thus, it was down to 5w30 for me since.

But, definitely dino oils for break-ins on new motors to get things seated easier.

 

[wont_luz]

I used the cheapest oil I could find during the first few oil changes, and I used the moto-man break in method of seating the rings, then changing the oil after 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 miles. I used havoline 5W-30 that I got on special for $0.97/quart, then I switched to a blend of 3.5 quarts Rotella-T 5W-40 synthetic and 1 quart of Rotella-T 15W-40.

I have 178psi compression on all 4 cylinders after 12k miles, so far so good.

 

[braceyoself777]

I switch between 10-30 for winter and 10-40 for summer. Use regular mineral for the first 4K and 5w-30 or 40 should be good for you since its a new engine.

 

[luv2rallye]

Just make sure GL-5 does NOT appear anywhere on the bottle. It's well known that it is corrosive to the brass syncros! Factory manual states to use GL-4.
More oil recommendation info from a very well known tranny shop: Recommended Transmission Oils- Team Rip Engineering

 

[JayRolla]

Just make sure GL-5 does NOT appear anywhere on the bottle. It's well known that it is corrosive to the brass syncros! Factory manual states to use GL-4.
More oil recommendation info from a very well known tranny shop: Recommended Transmission Oils- Team Rip Engineering

I think we are talking engine oil.

 

[JusMX141]

Wisemen......pffffft!

 

[Evil_speedracer]

z, I was mentioning the GL-5 deal on a couple of threads last night... He followed up on one of them, maybe he had the wrong thread pulled up when following up on the other one...

 

[Freerevving]

It seems that running 20w-50, IMO, is like running honey where these motors needs the quick flow through every galley in the block and head along with this thicker oil is just adding more unneeded wear on the motor since it has to turn harder to push that thicker oil through everywhere.

I learned this lesson the hard way in another 4 cyl car thinking that heavier oil was more protective, yet it was reducing my output of the motor and creating more resistance...let alone trying to start the thing when the weather cooled down.

Thus, it was down to 5w30 for me since.

But, definitely dino oils for break-ins on new motors to get things seated easier.

it's true that thinner oils give you more power... but with everything there is a sacrifice... if you're running big power, then you need more protection... This is why 1000hp drag racers are running SAE 60.

The additional tensile stress on the engine parts is minimal in comparison to the added protection to your bearings and friction surfaces. I'm willing to give up 5 horsepower for added protection.... then I can really turn up the boost.

BTW my 50 weight is thinner at full operating temperature, than your 30 weight is at room temperature.

 

[dsm-onster]

I use 30w non-synthetic. I do the warm up breakin for 20 minutes, change the oil, use 30w for 500 miles change it and use 30w again for 1000 miles more. After the 1500 miles I then use Valvoline 20-50 synthetic from then on out.

I break my motors in similar this, too. 30w non-detergent dino oil initially and change out to what ever weight I will use normally, still dino oil. I change every 500 miles up to 1500, then run the synthetic weight of the oil I take out. In fact, at initial start up, I insure that there's oil pressure and immediately take it on the road and run short bursts from 2K to 5K and let the engine brake. I was told this gets the rings to seat on the top half and the bottem of the wall contact surface. If you look at a properly seated set of rings, you can see two different tones on the outer surface. Most recent rebuild: 1g pistons at 160psi across the board.

I like using "truck oil", too. I've had great results with rotella T, dino and synthetic. I used to have the local lube shop change my oil. I requested 10-40 rotella and they laughed each time and said you have a v6 in that regal (GN), you have a 4 cylinder in that t-bird (turbo coup), and you have a sport compact (DSM). I said, "you have the word turbo written on that bottle of rotella T." Turbo motors need thicker weight oil because of the heat as mentioned. More heat in the oil the lower is viscosity. A turbo heats the oil to a much higher temp than typically found in an n/a. 50 weight oil leaving the turbo probably is as viscous as 30weight oil in a non-turbo 4 cylinder. A big oil pan can help get the oil cool again since it "waits" longer to be sucked up by the oil pump.

 

[Defiant]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...break-breaking-motor-break-merged-10-6-a.html
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/frequently-answered-dsm-questions/276642-how-do-i-break-motor.html
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/dead-end-threads/253896-motor-break-help.html