If you have a rebuilt engine for boost, pulling double duty track/street use, which engine break-in method do you use? I have mainly heard two different methods, an "easy" break-in and a faster break-in which brings rpm up much sooner. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

 

honestly bro, what do you think? New internals- abuse immediately or getting some oil in the metal??

 

I've seen theories thrown around suggesting a faster break-in, not abusing mind you, but still more spirited than the traditional method. I understand the conventional thinking, but the unconventional method does not sound entirely crazy either. Race engines are not broken in lightly and gradually are they?

 

race engines also dont last long.

just think about that.

 

find a stretch of road that goes on about 5-10 miles each way with plenty of lights and run up and down the street a few times for about a week. Not hauling *** to each light but driving easy to each light. Stay in the right lane so that you can easily pull off to the shoulder if anything happens. From what I understand the method of pumping the rpms up and down like you do during city driving, helps the rings seal. Another thing that I think is a good idea is to use conventional oil during the break-in period. Conventional oil is stickier and holds viscosity for a longer period of time than synthetic. Anybody have anything they disagree on about this?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kamin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">race engines also dont last long.

just think about that.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

But is that due to the break-in procedure itself, or the abuse that it endures from repeated racing?

If you have an engine rebuilt with stronger internals to withstand boost, is it not in essence a race engine you are using on the street? That being said, is a race engine's break-in hurried along because it is more effective, or because it is not expected to last long anyway?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Redlineracer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">find a stretch of road that goes on about 5-10 miles each way with plenty of lights and run up and down the street a few times for about a week. Not hauling *** to each light but driving easy to each light. Stay in the right lane so that you can easily pull off to the shoulder if anything happens. From what I understand the method of pumping the rpms up and down like you do during city driving, helps the rings seal. Another thing that I think is a good idea is to use conventional oil during the break-in period. Conventional oil is stickier and holds viscosity for a longer period of time than synthetic. Anybody have anything they disagree on about this?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for the input, this is basically the easy break-in method that I most see suggested.

 

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

But is that due to the break-in procedure itself, or the abuse that it endures from repeated racing?

If you have an engine rebuilt with stronger internals to withstand boost, is it not in essence a race engine you are using on the street? That being said, is a race engine's break-in hurried along because it is more effective, or because it is not expected to last long anyway?</TD></TR></TABLE>
its impossible to do a full break in on a race engine. most REAL race engines go in cars that arent street legal so there would be no way to do a full 500mile break in.

ive talked to people who have built engines for years and everyone has their own opinion. some swear by the short break in saying it will work just fine, others say its a joke and will not produce the same results are a 'real' break in.

for myself, street engine gets a street break in. race engine can deal with the fast break in because you will rebuild it after you beat on it anyway.

 

honestly, if you want the motor to last do what you are calling an easy break in. Race engines don't last long because they are repeatedly pushed to the limit of every race. At some point it is going to fail whether it is because of human error on teh track or in the pit or because it was pushed beyond its capability. 99%of the time people on a forum such as this that want a street/race engine build it and RARELY push their motor to the limit, even at the track and that is why people that swear by the fast break-in method because their might actually be 2 or 3 people that come to their shop that actually REALLY race their cars. I know the method I described to you is the method I was told by my shop and they know that I intend to only race my car and what class I intend to race it in not to mention the budget I am working with. I'm sure if I had an unlimited budget they would have just told me to throw it in and start racing.

 

break it in like how you're gonna drive it.

If you're gonna granny your car forever, then give it a nice easy break in.

If you want to romp on it safely....set the rings, take it easy for awhile, change the oil again, and go all out

 

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by igyloo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm</TD></TR></TABLE>
Ive read this before. I find it interesting.

However Ive read before gentle break in procedures yielding good power results such as with Sport Compact Car's Project Focus.
http://www.sportcompactcarweb.....html

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Sport Compact Car &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Before wrenching on it or even driving it hard, our Focus was treated to a 53-mile factory test drive (a card in the car informed us that ours was one of a handful randomly selected each day for a thorough quality-control inspection) and a 2,200- mile road trip. This relatively gentle break in apparently prepared it for our abuse. We have dyno tested quite a few stock Foci and found power output to be highly variable. Anything from 101 hp to 111 hp is fairly normal. Ours made an unusually strong 115 hp. Moral of the story? Be nice to your Focus when it's new.</TD></TR></TABLE>

So im fairly torn myself.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Muckman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Ive read this before. I find it interesting.

However Ive read before gentle break in procedures yielding good power results such as with Sport Compact Car's Project Focus.
http://www.sportcompactcarweb.....html

So im fairly torn myself.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I have also read both of those articles, and I feel the same way. Naturally I am leaning toward the easy break-in, as I would guess most people would, playing the safe bet. I just wanted to get a discussion going, to see if I could get some new facts or insights. Thanks for the input everyone, keep it coming.

BTW, did I understand incorrectly, or is the mototune article in regard to motorcycle engines? If this is the case, how applicable is it to an automobile engine?

 

After thinking about this for a little while I have come to the conclusion that break-in procedure is a lot like baseball superstition. If a guy hits a homerun whenever he wears a certain type of underwear then he's going to keep on wearing that underwear. I guess what I am saying is that you should go with your gut feeling. I've done basically the same break-in procedure with 3 of the domestic V8's I've built and never had a problem with them. Actually I was pretty suprised to find out that the procedure was about the same that I have always done with a forced induction 4 banger as with a naturally aspirated chevy v8.

 

In the Motoman article he mentions that oldschool motors where a different metal composite and that more modern motors have a different hone. Would the use of aluminum in a block differ the method of break in from say a iron block motor?? That article sort of makes ya think.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kamin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">race engines also dont last long.

just think about that.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

you both brought up excellent points, but I think Kamin definately made the icing for your cake.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 95GS-Racin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">In the Motoman article he mentions that oldschool motors where a different metal composite and that more modern motors have a different hone. Would the use of aluminum in a block differ the method of break in from say a iron block motor?? That article sort of makes ya think. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah but if you go to have your built 4 cylinder honed, they are going to use the same tool that they use to hone the built V8 a 1/2 an hour before(maybe a smaller version but you get the point) so what difference does it make exactly? I think that dude had a point in saying that race engines don't last long but I don't believe it comes from a different or no break-in period. I just feel this way: Its all superstition. You built the motor. how do you think it should be broken in?

 

Could you break an engine in this way...

Put your car on a dyno, and rund it constantly until it has gone 500 miles? Like 10 hours @ 50mph?

 

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

I think that dude had a point in saying that race engines don't last long but I don't believe it comes from a different or no break-in period. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Exactly what I was thinking. Also, if the whole break-in period is about properly seating the piston rings, is that less important in a race engine?

There has to be more to this than superstition, can that really be all it is?

 

Aluminum and Iron both have different densititys and different thermal dynamics.. Iron is way more dense therefore requireing more heat for expansion. There is a difference.. Id would still go with Aluminum.. ****.. make that titanium..

 

honestly i think when u say race motors dont last it depends on a lot of things...a lot of full drag racing motors dont last because of the way their built..alot of reliabilty (longevity wise) is sacrificed for power (looser piston to wall clearences ..looser bearing clearences ...etc.)..different fuels like methonal which tends to like to wash the oil clean off the =cyl walls causing excessive wear and required rebuilds....but ive herd of guys using 1 motor for a whole season of roadracing...also look at nascar and F1..the abuse those motors take in 1 event is probabley more than any of our motors will take in a life time.........look at the way rings seal...they seal (in simple terms) by basically breaking off sharp edges created by honing in the walls and retaing a shape created by load (from cyl pressure (gasses)) on the rings on the walls..(basically the rings and walls retaine the same shape creating a seal)...more load on the rings in my opinion is better for break in...i say fast break in...just my opinion

 

dood get the best oils you can buy..fill it past max and take it ez for atleast a little while..then you should be good to go

 

This is what I tell everyone I have built engines for. I usually use strait 40w non-synthetic oil for break in. Start off by letting your engine stay at a steady 2000rpm for about 20 minutes in neutral, then Check to make sure everything is working the way it should. Change the oil, if the engine was machined, this will allow any contamination to be removed before you get ahead of yourself. Then Take it out on to the highway And drive keeping the rpms under the power range for a few miles keeping it at a steady RPM. After maybe 4 or 5 miles i read someone say stop light to stop light is good, but even better if you can find a hill, put the car under a pretty good load to help the rings seat. After about 500 miles I would change the oil again, but you can now put synthetic oil in.

You know I have talked to tons of engine builders about this and everyone has their own Idea's, this is pretty close to being in the middle of what they have all said, but I would ask the builder if someone different from yourself.

Good Luck...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 92 civic VX B18c &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Could you break an engine in this way...

Put your car on a dyno, and rund it constantly until it has gone 500 miles? Like 10 hours @ 50mph?</TD></TR></TABLE>

or put it on jack stands and rig the throttle at a desired speed and rpm?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by coos &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">After maybe 4 or 5 miles i read someone say stop light to stop light is good, but even better if you can find a hill, put the car under a pretty good load to help the rings seat. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats what I said but using a hill to put a load on the motor is a pretty good idea, I like it