2phast

I have a LS/Vtec (Fully Built-8.5 CR) to put in my 4th gen OBD1 Civic with Hondata
I also have a Turbonetics T3-O4e 50 trim and everything to put 20lbs boost on it.
Is it best to go ahead and put the Motor in and try to get a tune on it, then drive it through a break in period and add the turbo after the break-in period?
Or put the whole build together at once and break it in as a unit.
Any advice will be appreciated.

BoOsTiN Dc2

w/out the turbo... u dont want metal shavings going into ur turbo

PrettyLude

you can do it either way, i've seen people just break in a brand new engine and turbo on the dyno

2phast

Point well taken Buster. Thanks for the response.
I just wonder how hard it will be to get a decent tune on a 8.5 CP motor.
I guess I better pull the 1000cc injectors off
Anyone have a good Break-in technique?

2phast

The metal shavings thing sounds pretty real while those rings are seating.
The Turbonetics has a screen filter though.
Any other opinions?

2phast

However when you buy a new factory built turbo car, you are breaking them in together.

BoOsTiN Dc2

either way its the preference of the owner. Either way should be fine but i prefer to break it in without the turbo. I would just break it in with stock injectors for like close to 1000 miles but then theres a lot of ways of breaking it in. Its the owner's preference

dimes_prelude

hold up
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
run it hard!!

ridewhencan

There seem to be two general theories of break in. I recently broke a motor in by going 400 miles up to 4000 rpm and then adding 500 rpm for each additional 100 miles up to 1000 miles, but that's old school. At the time, hondata told me the following:

"I'd reconsider your break in method - it is the old school way of looking at break in, which is not suitable for new engines. There is very little that needs to be broken in - really only the rings. Stock rings should lap in to 0.5% leakdown in about 30 minutes, as long as your bores are straight. After market rings take many times as long as stock rings and need more load, but can reach 0.5% leakdown after a few hours. Too little load is worse than too much - once the bore is worn smooth, lapping of the ring ceases so you'd better put the ring under enough load to lap it while the cross hatch is on the bore still.

I break in my engines with regular oil at about 80% load / 2000-5000 rpm for 10 minutes, then 100% load and 2000-6000 rpm for another 20 minutes, then dump the oil and replace with an ester based oil. Then onto the dyno and 8800 rpm. Normal leakdown is less than 0.5% and there is a substantial power gain from this break in method. Compare this with people who baby the engine so that the rings never seat and the engine uses oil - there have been a bunch of K20 Civic engines in the UK which have actually run out of oil in the first 1000 miles because the owners there are into the gentle break in approach."

This approach is also articulated here, in a somewhat goofy appearing but informative site. http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Good luck with it.

SOHCD16y8

I want to break my motor in hard too but what about the clutch? Will the clutch suffer from hard driving when it is recommended to go 500 easy miles first byt ACT?

vaporboy12

break it in the way your goin to drive the car

2phast

Great link Dimes, Thanks.
Ridewhencan thanks for the great writeup, others
will appreciate it later.
So maybe the way to do this is to put the LS/Vtec in it, fire it up with the current
Hondata tune and the B16a injectors and run it for 10 to 20 minutes.
Dump the oil, replace the oil, then add the Turbocharger, 1000cc Injectors,3 bar map, ect. Then have it towed to my local Hondata dealer for my boost option and a tune on the Dyno.
Does that sound like a plan?

Thanks again all
Ralph


Modified by 2phast at 6:02 AM 6/7/2005

2phast

SOHCD16y8
It would depend on which type of ACT clutch you have.
I have a 6 puck with a HD Pressure plt.
I have been slammin it from the getgo with no ill effects.

Here is a quote from ACT.

"For organic street discs "00 and SS" we recommend breaking in the clutch for 200-300 miles with mild engagement such as stop and go city driving prior to racing or spirited driving. ACT race discs usually only require a few hard slips to lap in the surfaces prior to normal driving or racing. Do not overheat the clutch during the break in period."

Hope this helps.
Ralph