Ok, i dont know what to do.. im hearing so many different things from people, Initial startup.. breaking it in.. etc..

Build:

Original Itr block
bored 81.5mm
cp 12:5 pistons
eagle rods
oem headgasket
arp headstuds/rod bolts
skunk2 springs/retainers
skunk2 pro2 cams
stock mani and tb
Rmf narrow
rc310 injectors


How is the Correct way to break in the motor... how is the initial startup done to seat the rings, how long should drive to break it in.. how long til i get it tuned..

With those injectors and cams, cant use the stok ecu, so i got a program burned very simlilar to my setup.. just to break it in, and it still ran shitty..

I am ONLY looking for comments from people who knows exactly what they are talking about. not someone who just has an opinion as to what to do.. looking for a tuners instructions.. Only post if you absolutely know what you are talking about. i dont need any dumb comments as to how to start and break it in. TIA

 

http://www.itrspec.com/EngineBreakIn.html

 

I am not an engine builder or tuner but I have did have my current motor that is 2.0L just built in the biggening of this yeat. When my engine builder who is also my tuner finished my motor he told me be easy on it for at least 500 miles. No full throttle, do not go into vtec, do not blip and tip in on the throttle. Just drive it normal. I got the car tuned at about 1000 miles not by choice, only because I was busy and working all the time. When I got it tuned on the dyno it was the first time it saw full throttle .

 

proper way to break it in..is simple..idle to redline and call it a day..
you must have a WOT pressure to seat the rings proper..find a disclosed area, or close to your house so you dont have to drive very far and go threw 2nd / 3rd from idle to redline and your done.

 

i also suggest you put a wideband in that car and make a few runs before doing this, because if you go lean during this process its a waste, getting the car tuned is a friggen must, tune the idle then start driving, do not start the car up and let it idle out for like 10 mins, do NOT just start the car up to hear the mean lope it'll probably have, this is the worst thing u could do it, just wears the rings down..

start it, tune the idle start driving right away keep the pressure on the throttle and do not let up, tune as you, its best if you have someone tuning it for you while u drive..just to watch the band and the labtop to make sure ur not knocking or your not goin lean..this is the infact proper and CORRECT way to break in any engine..if you dont believe me search...beating it to death has done nothing but have great results..IF you do it the right way.

 

i would NOT go beat the car to death

proper break in is what im about to tell you, i could care less what everyone else is saying

the first 100 miles are crucial! You want to give the car WOT and vary your RPM's...!!BUT!! DO SO WHILE STAYING OUT OF VTEC!

give it wot, give it gas, but keep it below like 5k RPMS for the first 600 miles.

any new clutch should be gently broken in for about 500 miles, no hard shifts, no hard downshifts

same for trannies

but as for your engine, you need to seat the rings properly, and you can do that fine with WOT pulls while keeping it under 5-6k RPMS

also, dont rev the engine up too much in neutral until 600 miles.

do NOT just go beat on your car.

people believe all the bullshit they read online

what i told you above is the proper way, PM me if you have questions

EDIT*

tune the idle for now at least, just so its drivable, or whatever

wait until like 500-600 miles to do the full ballz out vtec tuning

 

I dont have a tuner local.. I was planning on taking it to king motorsports to get tuned, and thats out of state.. Also, i didnt get my engine management yet.. i was going to get the s200.. but open to sug. on a better management.. id like aem, but kinda pricey..

So do i not start the car until i get a tuner there ?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LUXXXX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

So do i not start the car until i get a tuner there ? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Correct.

It would kind of suck to have your freshly built engine ruined by impatience....

 

wow. 3 different people said 3 different things

 

if someone built the engine for you listen to what they tell you especially if they have other built motors under there belt. Now if you built it yourself turn to HT and google

 

I think tony1 or someone needs to chime in on this thread. cuz Tony1 builds some baddass honda motors. He will know the correct break in.

Ill PM him for you

EDIT: I just i/m'd tony1 about this thread. tony should be chiming in realllll soon.

and tony1 builds bad *** honda motors. i think his integra just ran a 9.49 or sometihng VERY close to that..

have a nice morning and day

b00sted

 

WHAT ARE WOT PULLS?

 

get that car on the dyno right away. with those cams its not likely that any base chip will get the car running decent enough. it needs to be leaned out @ idle and the timing advanced. get it to a dyno and immediatley begin dialing in the a/f. if you wash down the cylinder walls this engine will never be right

 

I didnt bother reading everything that the others posted. Ill just offer my .02 from my experience as far as starting the car the first time.

Since your car is not nearly stock, and the stock ECU wont run it properly or at all, you will need to have a tuner available.

First things first, make sure you have all fluids, timing belt tension, and valves adjusted properly. If you have a burned program that will allow you to start the car, or move it around (such as out of the garage and onto a trailer), go for it.

But DO NOT go sit in the driveway and rev to redline! Especially if you do not have any gauges to read or dont know what you are looking for.

If the program will allow the car to idle relatively smoothly, see if you can get it to idle long enough to warm the car up, and then adjust your base timing at the very least, check for oil/coolant leaks, etc.

I dont think those injectors are big enough to worry about washing out the rings, but I would still play it safe and NOT rev it to redline without someone there who can make adjustments to timing and fuel in small increments and work your way up to redline, preferrably on a dyno.

If your tuner makes it that far, Id say your rings are now seated (debateable depending who you speak to) and youll want to give it at least a few hundred miles and several oil changes before beating on it regularly to allow things like the clutch to break in some, and recheck your belt tension and valve lash. It would also be a good idea to have a magnetic drain bolt for the oil pan during this break in period if you dont already have one.


Modified by RTW DC2R at 8:40 AM 11/4/2006

 

if you do not have a wideband on the car, don;t even start it up.

get the car towed to who is going to tune it.

If you want get it street tuned to about 5000rpms. Drive it for about a bit (below 5000rpm) then do a final tune after a few hunder miles.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BoBo Racing &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">WHAT ARE WOT PULLS?</TD></TR></TABLE>


Wide Open Throttle

 

I have a very similar build to yours and I followed the break-in procedure my engine builder recommended on the dyno (it's a track only car).

With a wideband hooked up we ran the car many times up to higher and higher RPM's and under load while keeping a close eye on A/F. The runs were something like this:

- build up to 2,500 rpm under load and hold (actually vary the rpm by 1,000 for a few minutes
- same to 3,500 rpm
- 4,500
- 5,500
- 6,500
- 7,500

Used dino oil for the break-in so that the rings would seat properly. After this was done, I had the ecu custom mapped by a local tuner on the dyno which took another 4 hours. Then I hit the track for the first time with the build and laid a beating on the car, again with dino oil. I competed for a season of road racing and it doesn't burn any oil and produces good reliable power with even compression across the cylinders.

 

why does everyone say something different..

 

because its not written in stone. everyone does something different and can have the same amount of success. the point to remember is dont beat on it if its not tuned.

 

The rev limiter was set at 4k just incase. never floored it or did anything to abuse it.. i babied it, and i wound up having a cracked ring after 700 miles... out of nowhere... i had a program burned from suprdave for my setup before i started the car.. the idle was pretty bad, but it drove ok.. then just got worse n worse.. pulled it apart and cyl4 oil ring was cracked.. so i ordered new set of rings for all the cyl. they will be here wed.

Everything is going to be put back together, and wont be started until i have a tuner there.

Im looking for an excellent tuner in or willing to come to chicago area for a tune.. I was planning on taking it to king motorsports, but its in wi, and i didnt really wana flatbed the car there.. il post pics of the ring shortly

 

the point of a "basemap" isnt so you can drive the car, even if you are only babying it. the point of it is to be able to start the car, check things over so the tuner has something to work with, unless they intend on starting from scratch. sometimes people get lucky and are able to drive the car without much problem on a basemap. others arent so lucky and the car will barely idle. it also depends on what program is being used. My basemap was just enough where I could idle and get on a trailer. Im no expert, but having a bad tune or basemap doesnt sound like something that would cause a cracked oil ring. that sounds like installation error or mechanical problem. But I suppose if the rings were "washed out" then I assume high heat without lubrication could ruin a ring but then I would assume the cyl walls would be scored to hell. Again, Im no expert.

who is building your motor if you dont mind me asking? was there any other damage besides the broken ring??

 

The car didnt idle too well at all.. but it didnt drive bad.. I was told by few people to put some miles on the car to break it in.. obvoiusly that was wrong.. the cyl wall does have a very slight mark on it, nothing bad at all though.. hopefuly i caught it in time.. no other damage though besides the ring. il post pics in a few min.

 

The engine needs to be tuned the moment it starts up.

I never understood why people can't understand that and instead what to "break it in" before getting it tuned.

What exactly are you breaking in? A motor that's hitting off the wall AF's and timing that's causing damage to both the rings and freshly honed cylinder walls? Yeah a motor is just going to be peach after being broken in like that.

Edit: Nevermind. I see you learned the hard way.

 

Only did what i was told... obviously it was wrong.. But the motor wont be started until i have a tuner there this time..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LUXXXX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The car didnt idle too well at all.. but it didnt drive bad.. I was told by few people to put some miles on the car to break it in.. obvoiusly that was wrong.. the cyl wall does have a very slight mark on it, nothing bad at all though.. hopefuly i caught it in time.. no other damage though besides the ring. il post pics in a few min. </TD></TR></TABLE>

if it doesnt idle very well, you shouldnt even THINK of driving it. if there is scratches on the cyl walls, you will want to get it honed. who is doing the motor?