How do YOU break in your freshly built engine?

Well I just finished my Poormans ITR Engine build and I am as happy as a squirrel with a fat nut! The only thing I am wondering is the break in period.
I have always used Castrol GTX 10/30 and a Fram filter for the first 500 miles while driving very cautious then switch to Royal Purple 10/30 and driving.

Now After talking to a few local builders (old V8 guys) they are saying I am all wrong.. "Okay Then", correct me right?

It seems they say to use straight 30WT Valvoline detergent engine oil, Let idle till at operating temp. Turn off and let cool. Then turn on let it reach Operating temp and drive it kind of tuff, Reaching higher RPM (6-7k) then letting off the gas and letting it coast down to 2000 rpm and do this in 3 linear bursts then let cool down again drain oil and replace with more straight 30WT Valvoline detergent engine oil and filter and drive for 1000 miles before switching to Royal Purple???

I am confused and need more input on Break-in. As it appears that I have been wrong for some years.

 

squeeze out the bean juice from a burrito inside your oil cap and run it for 500 miles

 

Dont use Royal Purple, they are a joke. Please do some research. I was fooled for a while and used it too, untll I learned more.

But yes, trust the procedure you were told but just stick with Mobil1 or another trusted synthetic.

 

I have broken in many Honda/Nissan engine.
Recently a Turbo VQ35DE on an 06 G35

Simply run it under 3500-4500 rpms, until you hit 3000 miles. During this time, do not drive hard on it, or excessive stop & go trips.

Change the oil in 1500 increments, until you hit 3000 miles. This is just an extra pre-caution.

Just my $.02,,others my have different methods.

 

Thanks guys! And B.C. I am on a Diet Vato. No manteca bean grease right now! LOL

 

refried beans made with olive oil is a great alternative to manteca

 

ill try it!

 

Hey BeansandRice, congrats on finishing the build.
I thought people we using tarco: http://www.torco-oil.com/torco_product/tbo.html vs. regular oil while breakin in the engine.

I know here we, well Porsche recommends to break in a new engine
1)don't exceed 4k rpms for first 2k miles
2)no full throttle starts
3)vary your speed on the highway and avoid using cruise control
4)1000miles check/top off oil if necessary

I know for me on 4 i'd be replacing the oil at 500miles, but thats just me.

 

Well I kept searching and found this.

http://www.nmradigital.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=48590
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
Thanks honda-tech!

 

this is the basic method, the important thing is you allow the engine to run at varing rpm's at operating temps (over 170) to allow the rings to seat to the cylinder walls properly. i do the same way with 2 strokes only i go by minutes instead of miles, like idle for 10 minutes,shut off and cool for 30, start and run 1/4 throttle for 15 min, let cool 30,and so on

 

lol..yea..when i was at wyotech my instructor always said "break the engine in how you're going to use it". hearing that didnt sit right with me. kinda wrote him off cause he seemed a little off.

 

I start it up, check for leaks, take it out for a drive and street tune the cruise/mid-range. lots of vacuum decel, than start doing full pulls. After a bit of that, change the oil, and go out and finish tuning. No easy "break in", some vacuum decels, and then full pulls, no babying.

 

After reading I know what you mean with the Vacuum Deceleration. Stab the gas up to 6k then let off right away to create negative vacuum right? It is suposed to expand the rings and help them seat??

 

Yea I just read the BITGO post on the RP.

Seems that Motul is much better.

 

Yea, you don't even have to rev super high, just work your way up to 5th gear, then just keep downshifting each gear and let the engine slow you.

 

oh and dont forget on cold starts
let the car warm up before driving

let the little guy wake up and get ready to run ^_-

 

I'm on my 3rd rebuild in 12 months so don't ask my opinion.

 

I know a guy who bought his s2k brand new and he said the dealer told him that he had to drive it for 2000 miles and not exceed 3,500 rpms before he could ever hit vtec.

 

I start it up with cheap oil, let it warm up, then change the oil and filter.

Then run it for a few hundred miles and try not to cruise. Basically you want to accellerate then engine brake. Then change the oil and filter.

Then run it normally.

 

the old man was a very wise man! haha also 30w "rotella" is a very good break in oil!

 

Piston Rings don't need much "break-in" anymore as the rings do the majority of their "seating" in the first 30 seconds the engine is running. Some people say break it in like your gonna use it but if you're not rebuilding your engine every season then I would heavily recommend you consider the more gradual approach, even if it's a street engine that you plan to run hard.

All you're doing is seating rings, essentially setting compression. No need to risk an expensive kaboom.

 

https://honda-tech.com/forums/showth...2679300&page=9

the last comment is what you should read

 

i think of it this way. when a dragster's engine is rebuilt, how do they break it in? with a 4 second pass, lol. i know, totally different engine build. but, if the rings don't seat within the first 20 seconds of running, chances are, you messed something up. same with a clutch, people change them at the track all the time, they have no break in period. its ***** to the wall as soon as the tires hit the ground. know what i mean? i'm not comparing your 4 cyl, to a 3,000 hp v8, i'm just trying to say that there are several different ideas on breaking in an engine, and none are wrong. don't beat the **** out of it, and chances are that you won't have any problems. ya know. be sensible, not an *** clown, and have fun with you new setup op!

 

The mototune fast break in ftw... The bore finish Ra in our stuff is much finer today than the the "old v8 guys" had back in the day. Our rings are softer than theirs were. They seat rather quickly in our motors...

You have to expose the rings to the type combustion pressures and negative load that they will see through out their life in the first heat cycle to get the rings to flex and wear to match the bore surface, because the finish will glaze during the first few cycles...

Our motors are machined to a much closer tolerances than the old v8's were. So bearings aren't as thick as back in the day, less wear to fit type stuff... So if your clearances are correct doing rippers out of the hole won't hurt anything.

I broke in my vitara slugged a6 this way and it runs pretty darn well...

http://vimeo.com/2033458

 

-started, let warm up

-changed oil

-took to tuner, made 280 hp