Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
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From: El Paso
Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
Well after over a year my car is finally running, I've been told a lot of different things about how to break in the engine the right way, but I'd like to know if anybody here knows exactly how to do it. CPR is about 11:5.1, Crower stage 2 cams if this info helps since compression is kind of high, I was wondering if the process would be any different.
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From: Tehachapi, ca
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
I have been told if you have a built motor drive it hard if thats how you plan to drive it if not then dont....if its stock stay off the gas dont drive it to hard
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From: Kitty Hawk, NC, 27949
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
if i was you. I would get a base map from your tuner just to turn the car on and make sure everything is fine.
Then i would get it towed to the dyno and break it in on the dyno.
Then i would get it towed to the dyno and break it in on the dyno.
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From: port orchard, washington, usa
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
go on along drive and baby it for 500 miles or so the go on a drive round 2 and drive it alittle harder then you should be good do not beat on it for at least 800-1000 miles
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From: Cantonment, FL
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
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From: El Paso
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
Lol, everybody's got their own ways of breaking in an engine, thanks though!!
What about oil changes? I plan to go full synthetic afterwards.
What about oil changes? I plan to go full synthetic afterwards.
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From: El Paso
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
Seriously? Does the Helms have anything related to it?
Ok, this is what I was told: do not rev past 3500 for the first 500 miles, change the oil, then rev up to 4500 for the next 500 miles, done.
I just wanted to know if anyone would have this information and is not just bullshit.
Ok, this is what I was told: do not rev past 3500 for the first 500 miles, change the oil, then rev up to 4500 for the next 500 miles, done.
I just wanted to know if anyone would have this information and is not just bullshit.
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
Yes, everyone has their opinion. So I'd listen to the one's with more credit behind them, no offense to any one..
^^
What I've read from people whom I'd credit with reliable knowledge and experience is: Break it in like you plan on driving it.
Here's some good reads:
1) Engine Break-In (Specifically relating to Bikes, but still an engine) - http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
2) Cam Break-In - http://www.pumaracing.co.uk/cam1.htm
3) Another Engine Break-In - http://www.pumaracing.co.uk/runin.htm
That should at least give you a start or idea of how you want to go about it. Enjoy
^^
What I've read from people whom I'd credit with reliable knowledge and experience is: Break it in like you plan on driving it.
Here's some good reads:
1) Engine Break-In (Specifically relating to Bikes, but still an engine) - http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
2) Cam Break-In - http://www.pumaracing.co.uk/cam1.htm
3) Another Engine Break-In - http://www.pumaracing.co.uk/runin.htm
That should at least give you a start or idea of how you want to go about it. Enjoy
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From: barrie, canada
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
rings will not seat untill the upper rpm range... its also important to let the engine break it self after high load pulls. (decelerate)
on fresh builds i do the following:
start up check for leaks, cycle t-stat, set timing ect
change oil
start up bring to temp
drive very easy through the rpm range for around 20-30 km
starting at like 2k in second do a pull from 2-4000 (let the enging slow down itself)
do another pull 2k-5000 let the engine slow down it self
do another pull 2k-6000 let the engine slow down it self
you get the picture? i go through all the gears like this (2-5th) then i change the oil and filter about 125km
i change the oil and filter about 500km
i change the oil and filter about 1000km
i change the oil and filter about 1500km
on fresh builds i do the following:
start up check for leaks, cycle t-stat, set timing ect
change oil
start up bring to temp
drive very easy through the rpm range for around 20-30 km
starting at like 2k in second do a pull from 2-4000 (let the enging slow down itself)
do another pull 2k-5000 let the engine slow down it self
do another pull 2k-6000 let the engine slow down it self
you get the picture? i go through all the gears like this (2-5th) then i change the oil and filter about 125km
i change the oil and filter about 500km
i change the oil and filter about 1000km
i change the oil and filter about 1500km
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From: Preventing rust on the East Coast!!11!
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
this is basically what i did...
Originally Posted by TI
Make sure the fluid levels are where they should be. Start it up and keep the engine at 2500 -3000 rpm for about 20 minutes. Make sure there are no leaks, or mechanical problems. The only idling will be for setting the timing.
Before doing the schedule, remember that running the engine at steady rpm (like cruising on the freeway) is not good for break-in.
METHOD 1: Endyn Way
0-200 miles ( 0-325 km ) : Try to keep the highest rpm under 3000 rpm. Every 15-20 miles, zing the engine to 4500 rpm in first and occasionally in second gear.
201-400 miles ( 326-650 km ): Try to keep the revs limited to 3500 rpm. Raise the "zing" rpm to 5500 with the same frequency as above.
401-600 miles ( 651-970 km ) : Go to 4000 rpm for driving limit. Raise the "zing" to 6000 - 6500 rpm and include 3rd gear pulls, same frequency.
600-800 miles ( 971-1290 km ): 4500 rpm driving limit. "Zing" it to 7000+ rpm and include partial 4th gear pulls.
800-1K miles ( 1291-1615 km ) : 5000 rpm limit with "zing" to 7500+ rpm with some pulls all the way through 4th and partial fifth gear pulls.
Now, don't misunderstand me on the zings. You don't HAVE to scream the engine religeously at the prescribed intervals. If you don't have the space to run the engine up in the selected gears, don't do it. Just know that you can, and IF the opportunity comes around lay into it. Don't over-do the procedure.
I recommend that the oil be changed at the 1K mile marker.
Before doing the schedule, remember that running the engine at steady rpm (like cruising on the freeway) is not good for break-in.
METHOD 1: Endyn Way
0-200 miles ( 0-325 km ) : Try to keep the highest rpm under 3000 rpm. Every 15-20 miles, zing the engine to 4500 rpm in first and occasionally in second gear.
201-400 miles ( 326-650 km ): Try to keep the revs limited to 3500 rpm. Raise the "zing" rpm to 5500 with the same frequency as above.
401-600 miles ( 651-970 km ) : Go to 4000 rpm for driving limit. Raise the "zing" to 6000 - 6500 rpm and include 3rd gear pulls, same frequency.
600-800 miles ( 971-1290 km ): 4500 rpm driving limit. "Zing" it to 7000+ rpm and include partial 4th gear pulls.
800-1K miles ( 1291-1615 km ) : 5000 rpm limit with "zing" to 7500+ rpm with some pulls all the way through 4th and partial fifth gear pulls.
Now, don't misunderstand me on the zings. You don't HAVE to scream the engine religeously at the prescribed intervals. If you don't have the space to run the engine up in the selected gears, don't do it. Just know that you can, and IF the opportunity comes around lay into it. Don't over-do the procedure.
I recommend that the oil be changed at the 1K mile marker.
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From: El Paso
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
Damn, everything seems to say to drive it hard right away. I just put 150 miles today reving up to 3000 to 3500 on each gear, I hope I'm not screwed.
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From: Preventing rust on the East Coast!!11!
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
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From: El Paso
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
Lol, yeah, it's cuz I was reading the links they gave me, endyn's a pretty reputable guy, but the bad thing is that most of those miles were on the freeway, I'd say more than half of them, and I let the engine idle for like 40 minutes twice before I drove the car just to make sure it wouldn't over head or nothing would leak.
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From: Cantonment, FL
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
for the first 50-100 miles try not to keep the engine at a constant RPM. Vary the load and use the engine as the brake as much as possible. You dont need to beat the **** out of the engine but putting some good load on it will help seat the rings.
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From: DFW Area, TX
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
I started mine up, let it run between 3k and 4k RPMs for around 3 or 4 minutes. Basically long enough to get a little heat into the engine and to ensure that there were no leaks. I changed the oil (I used regular Castrol GTX) and the plugs. I had also rebuilt the trans, so while the engine was running at 3k to 4k RPMs, I tried the trans in all gears to ensure that it worked fine.
I then trailered it to Tony Palo for tuning (the car wasn't street legal). He put it on the dyno and ran it up to the upper RPM range and let the engine rev back down. He probably did this for a few minutes before he did the first run up to 8k RPMs. So by the time he did the tuning, the odometer showed that the engine had like 5 miles on it, IIRC.
I don't exactly remember how many passes he made on the dyno, but it took a couple of hours to tune the ECU. I made 204WHP (I can't remember the WTQ), and went to a track event a few weeks after it was tuned. The engine ran GREAT. I never babied it at all on the track.
After a few track events, I measured leak down and it was 1%, 2%, 1%, 4%. Not too shabby!
I then trailered it to Tony Palo for tuning (the car wasn't street legal). He put it on the dyno and ran it up to the upper RPM range and let the engine rev back down. He probably did this for a few minutes before he did the first run up to 8k RPMs. So by the time he did the tuning, the odometer showed that the engine had like 5 miles on it, IIRC.
I don't exactly remember how many passes he made on the dyno, but it took a couple of hours to tune the ECU. I made 204WHP (I can't remember the WTQ), and went to a track event a few weeks after it was tuned. The engine ran GREAT. I never babied it at all on the track.
After a few track events, I measured leak down and it was 1%, 2%, 1%, 4%. Not too shabby!
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From: DFW Area, TX
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
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From: DFW Area, TX
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
I'm really curious about something. A couple of articles I read said it's best to run up into the upper RPM ranges in 2nd or 3rd, then just let off of the gas and let the car (via engine braking) bring the engine back down to 1k RPMs or so. The idea is that modern cars with PCV systems will pull vacuum on the crank case when the engine is in the upper RPM ranges and the throttle butterfly is shut. Since most cars cut fuel when decelerating, the engine will continue to pull vacuum all the way down to 1k RPMs. The vacuum helps seat the rings, just like combustion pressure helps seat the rings.
So, what do you do when you don't have a PCV system to pull vacuum? I was thinking you could put a vacuum regulator on the valve cover and hook up a sorce of vacuum to the crank case. I wonder if that would aid break in...
So, what do you do when you don't have a PCV system to pull vacuum? I was thinking you could put a vacuum regulator on the valve cover and hook up a sorce of vacuum to the crank case. I wonder if that would aid break in...
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Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
Basically what i did. i didnt vtec at all until the 250 mile mark. But let the engine brake itself. Alot lol. But in the first 250 miles i would do a pull at wot till about 3700rpm. Where my ecu cut off, bad tune or tps. After that i Switched to a stock ecu and try to do a pull to around 6000 or 7000 at least once or twice every 50 miles. I got about 350 miles or so on it and it doesnt smoke or burn oil at all. Right now anyways. So it seemed to work pretty good. its a Freshly rebuilt b18c1 with built head. Not a prelude but should still be the same guideline.
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From: Nor Cal, HillSide
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
Although I agree with heavy loads during breakin... ^^^ what that guy said is the FIRST thing you should do. 11.5:1...
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From: land of the sheep, home of the hypocrite
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
I think these kinds of suggestions imply a good tune. If you street tune using a wide band O2 sensor right away, that will pretty much cover the break-in IMO. You will have covered nearly all possible load/RPM combinations and you won't be at any high load/RPM settings for very long. If you give it medium to high manifold pressure, you're going to be seating the rings and loading the bearings, then when you let up to coast or slow back down, any hot spots will get a chance to cool down and flush out wear particles. If you took a completely virgin engine to a race track and ran lap after lap, you could get some hot spots that wouldn't get a chance to cool down as they are wearing together for the first time. $0.02
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From: land of the sheep, home of the hypocrite
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
I don't know how that would affect break in, because it seems like the manifold pressure on a closed throttle coast down would still be far less than the crankcase. The PCV will be sucking air out of the crankcase, but the vent is still just going to the intake tube ahead of the throttle at atmospheric pressure. So how much vacuum could you really get in there with a vent to the atmosphere? If you wanted to have pressure on the rings even while coasting down, you could rig up a switch on the injector harness to simply turn off the injectors. You could also just turn off the ignition (ECU power) but if you're data logging that might kill the data. But, doing this you could leave the throttle wide open and just turn off the fuel and thus keep positive pressure on top of the rings at all times. I've played around with that a little bit while coasting down mountains. If you leave it in gear and turn off the ignition you can open and close the throttle to change the manifold pressure. Again, I'm not sure what this has to do with anything, but it's interesting to think about.
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From: El Paso
Re: Breaking in engine after build, suggestions please!
well after putting 150 miles on a day reving up to 3500 (mostly highway miles) I plan to rev it up to 6000 on my way to work right now, I'm gonna do it on second and third gear and let the engine brake itself, then I'm gonna change the oil tomorrow and do the same for the next two day, I think I still have a change to let the rings seal.
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Mar 4, 2002 02:47 AM
