So I'll be finishing my build soon and will be getting it tuned by a company who are 2hours drive away. This probably sounds like a noob question but I want to get people's opinions before I blow my motor (no this is not another 'how do I break in' thread!)

I have Hondata S300 on a P28, with a stock H22A basemap from phearable.net. However I have 11.5cr Mahle Gold Series pistons, eagle rods etc etc on a stock head (for now) JDM H22A. I have a new clutch and will be using mineral oil on the first few hundred miles as usual.

Now my question is, can I be confident in running a stock H22 basemap on my built bottom end - enough for me to fully run in the engine by varying the rpms, engine breaking etc. before I get it fully tuned? I guess I want to drive it approx 250-300 miles before I take it to my tuners to fully street and dyno tune.

I guess my other option is to tow the car direct to the tuners after it's built and get them to start it up and run in after checking the AFR's etc. but I don't think tuners would be willing to waste time driving around breaking in the engine&clutch etc. and its a lot of dyno time!

Am I being over cautious? What is the general story of events from the first turn of the key to getting it professionally dyno tuned?

Thanks!!

Chris

 

You would do better to tune while breaking it in.

 

strap it to the dyno have the tunner do the tuning and break her in ... then beat the **** out of it the whole way home with a smile on your face for all the hard work and money put out to build it

 

ok maybee dont beat the **** out of it

 

That's why he's got a Honda, right?

 

start it up and make sure there arent any leaks then tow it to the dyno. have your tuner break it in on the dyno.

 

Your best bet is going to be to buy a wideband gauge kit and monitor the air fuel ratios your self to ensure everything is good to go.

 

Thanks for the replies. My tuner won't break it in on the dyno. He's telling me to run it for at least 250miles on mineral oil on a stock H22A ECU and that will automatically adjust the map enough to make up for the extra compression - such that it won't cause any damage before its properly tuned...

I'm preferring the idea of monitoring the AFR's for myself but have no idea how to hook up a wideband

 

You should be fine but I'd add some fuel and retard timing slightly for the increase in compression.

 

If you're going to use a stock H22 ecu, just be sure you have all sensors hooked up. Every stock ecu equipped H22 I've monitored has run rich, specially at WOT(not severely, but enough). The timing is was I'd be worried about.

Buy a cheap(aem) wideband(or a wideband from 14point7.com) and install it. It's not hard. Monitor both the stock ecu and the chipped ecu and run whichever is safest.

I'm surprise your tuner won't break it in on the dyno.

 

To properly break in a motor, it needs to be beat on, to do this, it needs to be tuned correctly..

After each pull allow a coast down in gear. This will create crankcase pressure which will come up and expand the rings for a complete 360 ring seat.

 

Yep - my thoughts exactly. Hence why I'm concerned running it on an unknown basemap. Maybe the only way I can do this (without setting up wideband myself) is to get them to check everything out on first start up and make sure the map is good enough to break in, then go back for a full session after beating on it...

Now that I know most tuners break the motor in, I will ask why this isnt an option for me. I dont care about the cost if it means the motor will be safe

Thanks everyone, just needed reassurance that I wasnt doing things the wrong way

 

On mineral oil?

 

non-detergent

 

I'll piggyback on this thread; any issues breaking it in on the dyno (or street for that matter) with a new clutch (which the OP has)? I know you're usually supposed to break in the clutch somewhat gently for around 1k miles or so.

 

breaking in a clutch means driving without any hard launches (poping the clutch). As long as you don't do that or slip it a lot, it'll be fine. Breaking in a motor wont require any abnormal abuse on the new clutch.

 

I was always told break it in the way you intend to drive the car. For 99% of motor builds this means breaking it in on the dyno cause you built the motor for racing. Never had a problem following that simple rule. That is for the motor.