engine break in

[jacobrjett]

Well, I have just spent the last few hours reading about hard break in vs soft break in procedures on the internet. Every thread turns into one of those debates that make you feel dumber and dumber as you read each post.

Ive read stuff like people claiming their engine runs harder, uses less oil with a hard break in. Also that every car manufacturer recommends soft break in and they are the real engineers etc.

I just want to know weather you guys have babied it or driven it hard to break it in, and some opinions.

I think I will be doing on full throttle in 2nd/3rd from 2000 ish to 6000 ish and decelerating a lot on the big long straight near our house. Pity I live next to the police college.

[Shrike]

For an engine ive rebuilt/new car/bike I've brought I run up the rev range and stay off redline for the first 1000km and use full mineral oil, (between 100-500km id check the oil for metal and change as required) then I drop the oil out and go to full synthetic do another 1000km of the same then do another service before I start taking it up to redline also if youve reset the ecu (which you should have) it lets the ecu work out the engine better (im half awake ill explain better later)

Main reason you run an engine in is to let the rings bed in with the new bores etc

In saying that Barry would be a good person to ask as when my next engine gets built for the money i SPEND on it im fully getting him to run it in so theres no risk haha

Also its a matter of personal preference the guys at RIPS "say*" an engine is run in after 3 dyno runs

Also a good link
http://stmtune.wordpress.com/2011/09/19 ... ilt-motor/

My personal preference is penrite running in mineral oil
http://www.penriteoil.com.au/products/v ... _in_oil%29

and then for the blacktop id go for a 10w40 synthetic or maybe look at a 5w40/50

though I have run as low as a 0w40 with no issues a new engine shouldnt use oil due to valve seals or rings so you can run lighter oil

*(please dont take that as gosbel and what I say may not be the offical policy of RIPS please talk to them rather then take 2nd hand info)

[Flannelman]

From what I know, ring bed is what is to be broken in.

A bore that has been honed has peaks and troughs, designed this way so oil remains on the walls giving the rings lubrication as they slide up and down. A freshly rebuilt engine will have very high, sharp peaks. Break-in breaks these peaks off, also scratching the rings. Excessive RPM in this time causes excess heat, melting these peaks and damaging the rings as well. This is to my understanding, glazing the bore. It is only fixed by a set of new rings and hone.

To do an effective break-in, operate the engine no more than half the red line. Operate up to 3/4 throttle as more may lead to bore wash. Find some hills to climb to work the rings at a slow speed into the bores. Also, dont maintane a cosntant speed. Always vary the revs as it helps with loading of all the engine components.

[Bling]

I have been thrashing the pants off my motor, as that's what the mech said to do. Has seen red line briefly a few times.

He said the first 50km he usually does and he gives them absolute shit. I doubt he'd do that if he didn't believe it worked. He said the only thing not to do is take it to the track as it's not ready for constant high revs. Part of the running in is also giving it heaps on the down stroke, so engine braking rather than using brakes.

[jacobrjett]

ah yep

well both times ive run in my motor, ive redlined it several times within the first 50kms, and done at least two or three pulls from second or third to redline every week since i rebuilt it and it seems happy

it ran a bearing again which is why ive run it in twice, however this was due to user error (:lol:) not from anything that could be to do with break in procedure and has been fine since.

me mechanic didnt tell me to push it though - i just decided to do it after reading on the internet about it. He kept saying "just drive it like a normal human being" however he mostly works with big diesel engines and hes a bit old school

[Lloyd]

it ran a bearing again which is why ive run it in twice, however this was due to user error

me mechanic didnt tell me to push it though - i just decided to do it after reading on the internet about it.

I'll just leave those there.

[Mr Revhead]

Lol

Load is what you need. Not nessicarily thrash the tits off it, but drive it under load so cylinder pressure forces the rings out against the bore.
Redline is fine. Just don't wanna be bouncing it off the limiter for an hour

[Bling]

How about towing a trailer then, good / bad idea?

Guy I got tyres off said when they did diesels back in the day they'd load up a trailer and go for a hoon.

[Mr Revhead]

Guess that would work if you don't have a few hills handy

[Lloyd]

There is a difference between stressing it, labouring it and loading it though.

[Dell'Orto]

Have heard of a F100 that had a fresh 460 built that they towed a trailer around with...the truck itself wasn't enough to load up that big mofo

[Bling]

Makes sense I guess, need the weight to even make it get a sweat on.

[Dell'Orto]

Yeah given how much torque something big would make, you'd certainly have to put some weight on it.
I plan on doing my run in on the dyno, will be good to be able to keep an eye on things and not break speed limits

[d1 mule]

best place to run in an engine is on a dyno... max load and experienced guys on the knock gear etc

[rollaholic]

how much would a crowd like that charge to do a break in, out of (purely academic) interest?

[Dell'Orto]

Speedtech charge $450+gst I think from memory.

[Shrike]

Speedtech charge $450+gst I think from memory.

Last quote I got including tuning it and a full run in was $1500 that included a full service as well

[85AW20v]

Ran the motor I've got in the AW on the old Taupo 1.4km race track. Was at full race pace after 15 laps - or was it 10? - so 20km was it. Still running the same motor doesn't use any oil and seems to go pretty well for a standard silvertop. That was about 4-5 years ago.

[dnalunchie]

Ran the motor I've got in the AW on the old Taupo 1.4km race track. Was at full race pace after 15 laps - or was it 10? - so 20km was it. Still running the same motor doesn't use any oil and seems to go pretty well for a standard silvertop. That was about 4-5 years ago.

bet it would be a different story with a blacktop

[RomanV]

I had all sorts of dramas getting my motor running at the start, so lots of idling and no load for maybe an hour or two worth of running.

Then, it got some beatdowns on the racetrack.

Seems fine enough.