i am current building my b16 i got my block bored and sleeved, 84mm wiseco pistons, eagle h beam rods, skunk2 pro1 cams, rc 1000cc injectors,....etc but the question i really need to know is how should i break in the fresh build?? i heard that you should run 30w oil non detergent or non synthetic then drive it but not highway miles and NO BOOST and dont go over 4000 rpm's then after 100 miles change coolant? idk why that would be need but thats why i am on here asking.. then after 250-300 miles change oil and filter then once again after 1000-1500 miles then once you break it in take it to get tuned....Then i have heard take it straight from getting built and get it tuned which sounds safe in a way but kinda not it sounds safe because you could have the tuner there keeping an eye on your air/fuel etc... but jumpin right on the dyno after a frsh build??? that doesnt sound too safe so if someone could please help me out here im trying to learn how to break in the build cause this is my first one! if you need to know anything else let me know. THANK YOU

 

This has been covered a lot and you will get conflicting stories. Have to choose one and go with it.

I break a motor on conventional 10w30. make sure no leaks or over heating. Then i proceed to drive it for 10-15 miles and i vary the engine rpm and load but not to exceed 4k rpm or any more than 2/3 throttle. After that the rings should be seated properly and the mtor is ready to rock and roll. i would change motor oil after that break in period before cranking on it and after 1000 miles change it again and run good oil. I run rotella T5.


Others will tell you that it should be driving for 1000 miles and baby it. the only break in item is the rings. everything else will either hold or break IMO. so why wait 1000 miles?

You ever hear break it in how you want it to run, I've found this to be true. Any new car if you baby it, ends up running weaker than a car thats driven hard from day one. partially because thecomputer learns this off the bat but also because the motor is broken in hard and they just run better. once rings are seated really there isnt anything else to worry about IMO.

you will get other to come in and gie their opinions and then you have to choose which one you like and go with it. good luck

 

Turbo LS is right - also here is an interesting thread I used the "Brad Penn" method and it worked out just great. I also don't believe that 1000 mile bs...

 

I wouldn't suggest trying to break in the engine without a wideband gauge kit when using 1000cc injectors & pro1 cams.

 

I did the break in turbo-ls suggested let it warm up, no overheating, check leaks, drive it varying engine speeds/rpms for 10 - 15 minutes then bam while watching the wideband.

 

You can do the brad penn motor oil, just cant be synthetic. the zinc addative helkps protect bearings so its good to use. Synthetic on the other hand wont allow the rings to properly seat then you will have an oil burner.

Agreed on the big cams and no wideband MTBER. I guess i should have gone on to explain more in depth, being its hondatech and we still have people that dont run widebands hell still use fmu's or boost for a year on a BASE MAP lololol

Glad that worked out fo you 94GSRMR.

 

I personally knew two people who ran a FMU cos they did not want to pay for tuning - both cars are "non-existant" in less than a year - go figure. Oh and btw neither had widebands too lol. Its funny how people blame the parts for their poorly designed / put together setup lol.

 

YAHTZEE !! lol

 

Start it on the dyno tune part throttle. By then its ready to change oil and give it some wot. But that's just me. Everyone does it different.

 

Hell, I still don't run a wideband on mine. Haven't for 10 years. that's what the tuner is for. BUt that's simply my opinion from what I've done. I know i'm stirring up **** for it, but today, I'm just in that kind of mood.

 

this is what i do. it works and has never failed me. done it at least 10 times.


if you can tune yourself...

get the car started with the OEM PCV system installed. you can have the turbo installed just dont make boost.

let the car warm up with the RPM varrying between 2000-1500rpm. bleed coolant check for leaks. once the fan kicks on cap the rad and shut it down.

oil change

drive for at least 20 miles with the PCV system connected. stay out of boost. vary the RPM as much as u can, with as much vacuum as u can put on the motor in deceleration. keep bursting the motor with RPM and load and then vacuum over and over.

after 20 to 100 miles u should be good. take the RPM as high as u can without making boost. and watch oil pressure.


do an oil change.


take PCV **** off. rip the **** out of it. beat the ever living crap out of the motor and enjoy.

do another oil change at 500 miles and thats that.


if u cant tune yourself, trailer it to the tuner and let him break it in on the dyno

 

I heat-cycle my engines. Very easy...

1. Start up the engine, let it warm up (bleed coolant, check for leaks, etc).
2. Turn off engine, then change oil.
3. Drive to tuner.

 

Start it, run for 15 mins until engine is hot, check for leaks. Turn off and change oil.

Take to tuner to tune and beat the **** out of it. Then drive it and enjoy beating the **** out of it.

Like said above, no reason to baby it.

 

I did almost the same this as you but I ran it for 30 mins with Brad Penn break-in oil and then drained the oil out, replaced with Castrol GTX 10w30, changed oil filter, changed antifreeze drove it a few miles to make sure everything was ok and watched my wideband. No she's in the garage waiting to be on a trailer to go get re-tuned

 

When breaking in a motor, you're only doing "1" thing. Seating the rings, they'll seat within the first 10 miles or so of the motor actually running so you need to make sure there's enough heat to do this.

The break-in method i use is the following.

10w-30 cheap oil, valveoline is a very good oil that i use on customer cars and my own to break motors in on..i also use cheap oil filters for the first two oil changes.

-unplug the ecu fuse, and prime the car over 2 times at approx 30 secs a piece. Leave the valvecover off while doing this so you can make sure oil is getting to the top of the head.
Replaced the ECU fuse.

-Start the car, and while the car is running, check for leaks.. allow the car to warm up to operating temp and the fans to come on and off.

-Drain the oil of the intitnal start up, replaced oil filter and oil and then drive.

-Drive the car, if its tuned, at various rpms, after the car is back to operating temp, get on it..2-5 2-7, allowing for a coast down in gear. When you're coasting down in gear, its building up crankcase pressure under the piston that will expand the rings a full 360 degrees to seat against the wall correctly.

I've broken in cars on a dyno, and on the street, while i'm tuning.. if you get your fuel multipler right, and injector off set correctly your partial throttle maps should be fairly close for you to drive on and get to a tuner.

You should have a local tuner or builder that has a good map for you to break a car in on, and drive.

 

Wow this guy is gonna be just as confused as me with the break in - soooo many methods that have been tried and work lol - guess he will have to flip a coin on which one he wants to use

Everyone likes a short break-in I assume

 

LOL Shodan, you don't NEED a wideband per say if its tuned properly your absolutly correct, BUT if its like the norm with hondatech a wideband is preferable

 

Sounds good apart from using cheap oil filters. Wouldnt you want to use a decent filter at this stage ?

 

The initial start up is going to take the majority of the first coat off the bearings. After allowing the car to fully warm up and you shut it down, you're going to change the oil filter about 2 different times before you actually start putting alot of miles on the car. I use a mobil1 oil filter on the 3rd change, with regular oil.

I use this method on my car as well as others that we have built, and/or tuned. On the 2nd oil change, there shouldn't be anymore bronze in the oil really.. i'm on my "last" oil change before syn time, about 1000miles but i did what i recommend above.

mobil 1 filters are like almost 12 bucks down here, if you wanna buy 3 of them thats fine. I find a microguard or STP oil filter do just fine.

I would also like to mention, try not to boost on break-in..

 

i followed earls method of a hard break in and went straight to the dyno and thank my lucky stars since....oh wait, i think i might have a rod knock at idle after about 1 month.

 

i am using a wideband setup... and you guys are right i guess there are alot of ways to break in a new build.. i guess i migh just choose one and go with it but as **ALL MOTOR said (get on it..2-5 2-7, allowing for a coast down in gear. When you're coasting down in gear, its building up crankcase pressure under the piston that will expand the rings a full 360 degrees to seat against the wall correctly)....does that mean go from 2k rpm-5k rpms?? or what im a little lost but coast down in gear is that basically goin up in higher rpms in a lower gear then lettin the motor slow you down without shiting??

 

ALL MOTOR- when you say prime the car will i have to pull the plugs so i have no spark or will i get no spark with the ecu fuse unplugged? or could i just take plugs out to be safe??

 

lol. rod knock has nothing to do with the way you broke it in.

talk to your engine builder...

EDIT: why give the wrong info on breaking a motor in when you never even checked clearances??????!!!
https://honda-tech.com/forums/forced-induction-16/experiencing-slight-rod-knock-%40-idle-help-2942864/
thanks for all your help.

 

no ecu=no spark, no fuel.

 

There both still decent filters. I think there was a misunderstanding on the word "cheap". You wouldnt even look at a cheap filter over here as they are total crap. The only place for them is the bin (i believe you call it trash ?) You guys get all the good stuff for cheap lol.