Okay me and a buddie of mine got into this topic and so I'm deciding to bring it up to you H-T guru's. Quite simple actually. I know there are alot of ways but what is the proper way to break in a new motar? Done it once "dealer's preference"...any suggestions?? I've done a few searches but didn't find anything so if its already here please add the link in here.

 

Everybody has their own methods. Here is mine:

Fill engine with a NON SYNTHETIC oil.
Prime engine. Remove spark plugs, and crank engine over to build oil pressure.
Insert spark plugs and fire up.
Drive it easy for about 200-300 miles, keep the revs under 4K
Drain the oil into a clean pan, observe metal shavings in oil, shouldn't be much metal in there, but should look a little pearly.
Fill will with oil. Drive for another 200-300 miles, keep the revs under 6k
Drain the oil. Oil should look clean, if it is... Fill with a good synthetic... its broken in, you can get on it.
If there still is some metal in there, do another 200-300 miles until its gone.

I only had to go about 400 miles on my new bearings. If you take it out and beat on it with new bearings you risk spinning a bearing, not fun... happened to my car the first time.

 

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

here's an unconventional way of breaking in your motor. i've heard that this method should only be used for race engines, though.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MugenDude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

here's an unconventional way of breaking in your motor. i've heard that this method should only be used for race engines, though.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Is that mainly for Bikes??? Whoa?!! I've heard of this method before but iono just sounds soo risky. The article seems sorta convincing, does anyone have any personal experience good/bad with breaking in a motar hard???? THANKS FOR BOTH YOUR HELP SO FAR....NEED TO SEE MORE SUGGESTIONS

 

i break it in like i stole it, like mototune says.
and bearings dont need to be broken in....only rings need to seat

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mmuller &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i break it in like i stole it, like mototune says.
and bearings dont need to be broken in....only rings need to seat</TD></TR></TABLE>

The bearings are still too tight when the engine is fresh... you risk spinning them. Unless you have a race engine with aftermarket bearings and looser clearances.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LSVTEC 91 Civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

The bearings are still too tight when the engine is fresh... you risk spinning them.</TD></TR></TABLE>

lol, bearings ride on oil...they are not supposed to contact the crank. have you ever played with a bearing? the ''top coat'' cant remember exactly what it is called; will come right off if you scratch it with anything.
If they would have to be broken it, you would already have to change them...

 

Iono i'm really still contemplating if I should break this motar in Hard or Easy.....

 

2 hard engine break in stories:

My friend rebuilt his crx on the stock motor, started it, warmed it up, and redlined it. Runs great to this day, 3 years later.

The other week, a honda engineer came to the dealership. He has been involved every aspect of honda, from design to testing to quality control. I cornered him for as long as I could and bombarded him with questions. One of the first was "How does Honda break in their cars?" The answer: A test course with hills and bumps and curves designed to shake out any flaws in the car as part of their Zero Defects policy. "How do they treat the engine?" I asked, "Do they baby it or get on it hard to seal the rings?" His response? "They are driven hard, as thats the only way to get them broken in." I confirmed the "break it in the same way you are going to drive it" logic with him, to be sure. I believed it before, and I have proof now. The only thing to avoid, he stressed, is constant rpms. Don't go out and set the cruise at 70 and expect anything to work out well. Vary the rpms constantly for the first 1000 miles or so.

As a side note, which may not apply to this engine, is when to change the oil on a new car. Some people seem to think it's a good idea to rush right back and change it at 1000 miles. Bad idea. There are additives in the oil from the factory to help break-in, and removing these early is detrimental to the break-in procedure. You must wait until AT LEAST 3750 miles, it's better to go to 7500.

This is my .02. I have read the Mototune site and agree with everything he has to say. Think about it for a minute and you'll see. Rings need cylinder pressure to seat, and the only say to achieve that is through high engine load. And for that article being for bikes or race motors, ask yourself what makes those motors any different than car motors. Especially since honda motors share many traits with bike engines...

There are several threads on people breaking in motors hard and getting very good compression numbers.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by drdisco69 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
There are several threads on people breaking in motors hard and getting very good compression numbers.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Can you post the threads for me?

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1023599

Thats one I saw recently, I'm sure there's more.

 

Extremely reputable piston ring manfuactuer (Good rings from exp. too)

http://www.Hastingsmfg.com

http://www.hastingsmfg.com/Ser...e.htm

That does work, If done correctly!! No constant RPM's and you need wideband to do properly to make sure your AF's are kosher.

-s

 

one of the best write up's so far from Earl https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=878397

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DEVIOUS_EF* &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">one of the best write up's so far from Earl https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=878397 </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks, i think i might try Earl's break-in....see how that turns out.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DEVIOUS_EF* &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">one of the best write up's so far from Earl https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=878397 </TD></TR></TABLE>

After reading that i almost started crying.......he was so mean

 

Good information... When my engine was built the first time, It spun a rod bearing because it was beat on after the rebuild. Ever since then I like to take it easy on new bearings, and get some clean oil in there before I beat on it.

I don't think its necessary to take the engine to redline after build either... Just me. I wouldn't do it on a street engine.

 

Okay, here's my question. Say you have a freshly built motor, and a new clutch. You want to use Mototune's method to seat the rings, but you also want your new clutch to seat properly. Mototune's method is to drive it hard, but the opposite is true when you're dealing with a new clutch.

What DO you DO? Cut the green wire, or the blue one?

 

Engage the clutch gently, press throttle firmly

You don't have to drag race it to follow mototune, it's the throttle application thats important.

 

Oh, okay. So you can run the engine hard, just as long as you don't do any Vin Diesel shifting, right?

 

Lol, I don't think Vin Diesel shifting should be done under any circumstances.

Related to that, my friend blew his tranny on his B16 apart from shifting fast. "I can make any car like 3 tenths faster, just from the way I shift. I just stomp the clutch in and jerk in into gear real fast!"

 

oooh! not good! "nah. it's cool man. i do the same thing with the pedal next to it"

 

I do believe that an un-tuned motor will not last long. However, I also believe that the best way to break in a motor is to build oil pressure before its fired up. That is accomplished as mentioned before. Spin the motor with the starter with the plugs out and fuel/ign not hooked up. Then run the motor for 15-20 minutes at 1000rpm. Shut it off, change the oil, and run it easy for 200-500 miles before redline running. Bearings need to be broken in to an extent, but its the rings that need to be broken in the most. After that, tune it right away! I have only had one motor blow, but the guy was never out of VTEC, and only tuned with a AFC. BTW,B20 stock block with 12.5:1 Cp's, Eagle H-beams, and B16 head w/ Jun 3's. Stock sleeve cracked down the center of cyl. 2 & 3. DETONATION!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MugenDude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Okay, here's my question. Say you have a freshly built motor, and a new clutch. You want to use Mototune's method to seat the rings, but you also want your new clutch to seat properly. Mototune's method is to drive it hard, but the opposite is true when you're dealing with a new clutch.

What DO you DO? Cut the green wire, or the blue one? </TD></TR></TABLE>

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH YOU PUNK A**! YOUR JACKING MY THREAD!! HAHA JUST KIDDING Its koo...I already got the info i wanted to know. Hey guys so i guess i'm going to go with Earl's way to break in a motor...er go with breaking in on the dyno... but yeah i'd like to know MugenDude's question too...so props to you for bringing it up.....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tekracer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I do believe that an un-tuned motor will not last long. However, I also believe that the best way to break in a motor is to build oil pressure before its fired up. That is accomplished as mentioned before. Spin the motor with the starter with the plugs out and fuel/ign not hooked up. Then run the motor for 15-20 minutes at 1000rpm. Shut it off, change the oil, and run it easy for 200-500 miles before redline running. Bearings need to be broken in to an extent, but its the rings that need to be broken in the most. After that, tune it right away! I have only had one motor blow, but the guy was never out of VTEC, and only tuned with a AFC. BTW,B20 stock block with 12.5:1 Cp's, Eagle H-beams, and B16 head w/ Jun 3's. Stock sleeve cracked down the center of cyl. 2 & 3. DETONATION!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats some good info...can anyone else confirm that this is a good way to break in a new motor??? Thanks for the post!

 

Bearings don't break in. Bearings never touch each other. They ride with a small film of oil in between them. If they ever touch, they are ruined, as they are very soft and are meant to sacrafice themselves before more expensive parts. The first few miles of an engines life are the most important. The rings need cylinder pressure to seat, and this has to happen soon. It is true that you need to build oil pressure, and it is true that you must tune it as soon as possible. Use the dyno and tuning to break it in.