Proper Engine Break in.

[thorne]

I'm curious what peoples takes on proper engine break in? My new motor is about to go in the car (/me crosses fingers) this weekend. It's be reringed and rebearinged. New cross hatching and all that jazz. I was curious the best way to break it in. I'm going to be on wastegate pressure on the new turbo which i think its 8lbs.

 

I've heard so many people say different things I'm just not sure what the best methods are.

[Guest 614Streets]

I always just kept and eye on temps and oil pressure , then let the rings seat , meanwhile changing oil at 300 miles or 5-6 hours run time. Fresh engines like to run hot. After the rings seat and theres fresh oil , hammer it.

[Fubar231]

Pulling a few things off of supra mania for you

 

The earliest I would switch to a syn oil is the 1500 mile point on the motor...the rings should be seated by then. Going longer before the switch will not hurt a thing.

 

After the initial break-in (500 miles) using a straight 30W, use nothing heavier than a 10W-30 dino oil. When you switch to a syn oil, go for a 0W or 5W-30 to maximize flow through the motor.

 

After the initial run should the oil and filters be changed and then refilled with 30w again until the 500+ mi point?

Yep...that's what I would do.

 

What is the recommended brand, weight, and type of oil one should use to break in a fresh rebuild with forged internals?

Run any good quality API rated oil...Valvoline, Shell, and Wal-Mart Super Tech are fine. For the initial run use a Super Tech filter...I'm a believer in the "Hard & Fast" break-in method. You want to make several hard runs to ~4000 rpm...you want to get to that rpm as quickly as possible then let the car coast back down to 10 mph or so (at idle, in gear) to create a good vacuum on the engine. Then do the same thing again...3-4 times should be enough. Take the car home and change the oil/filter before running it again using the same 30W...a Super Tech filter is fine for this too. Run to the 100-200 mile point or so and change the oil again...use the same 30W or a 10W-30 dino oil and a PureOne or Wix filter. Run to the 1500 mile point and switch to a good syn oil...stick with the Wix or PureOne filters from then on.

 

Well said John http://www.supramania.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif. What do you think is the most crucial part? Waiting until the oil is up to operating temps before getting down on it? I've heard the first 20 miles is the most crucial part in determining that the piston rings are properly seated. Granted, it shouldn't take 20 miles to do the hard passes. Does 5-10 hard passes soud ok? With varying cruise speeds/RPM between the first 5 passes and the last set? What gear do you recommend doing this in? Do you recommend downshifting to keep the RPM's up high when decelerating from the hard pull?

Yep, the 1st 20 miles is critical...you will not be able to get the oil up to ops temp in time to make this. Just so long you have good pressure, you should be fine. You can do additional passes if you want to make "absolutely sure"...3-4 runs to ~4000 rpm through all the gears should be adequate though. You do want to downshift during the deceleration to keep the vacuum up on the motor...that's a good point http://www.supramania.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif After your runs and you change the oil/filter, that's when you want to keep the rpm/speed varied up through the 500 mile point...after then, you can drive normally, but I would avoid WOT runs till 1500 miles.

 

But WOT from 4-4.5K RPM's, then start down shifting... What RPM would be best to put it in once you down shift? 5-5.5K? Again, 3rd gear good enough? or 4th?

Yep...take it hard up to 4000+ rpm with agressive up shifts. Then let off throttle to idle and down shift to keep rpm at 2500-3000 rpm and let it coast down mph wise through 2nd gear. Repeat as necessary http://www.supramania.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Well, I'm not going to try and convince you of anything...I will tell you my opinion, and then you can do whatever you like http://www.supramania.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

1) Straight 30W motor oil does not contain the amount of additives a multi-grade does, notability anti-wear and film thickness modifiers. This actually provides more base oil by volume in a bottle.

 

2) Everything I have read says to use a straight 30W on older era motors (like the 7M). It allows wear to take place to properly seat the rings. Newer (especially high performance) motors come from the factory with a syn oil fill...these engines have closer tolerances than those of the past. You have to decide what you want to go with.

 

3) Straight 30W is very good at dissolving assembly lube.

 

4) It's cheap...you're going to do a couple oil changes in the 1st 1,500 miles. Why use anything else. While your at it, grab a couple SuperTech filters at WalMart...pretty good filter, especially for as long as they will be on the car.

 

Castrol 30 HD is an API SM service oil...it well exceeds the oils originally spec'ed for the 7M. It will be fine.

 

This is the information in the "Preoper Engine Break-in Oil and When to Switch to Synthetic Oil" sticky on supramania

 

Hope it helps thorne

[Smokey]

for an interesting read/theory on break in go to http://www.mototuneusa.com and read up a bit.

 

That's the basic theory that I follow. With some minor tweaks.

 

-Run Dino oil.

 

-First I would let the car/bike come completely up to temperature just idling while I look for leaks/issues. Once completely up to temp, turn it off and change the oil (still with dino). Then let the vehicle completely cool down before touching it again.

 

-Do initial driving around getting the car up to temp and making sure again that nothing seems out of place. Make sure to vary the RPMs and do a good amount of engine braking. Put on about 20-50 miles this way.

 

-begin doing more agressive pulls with the car. Find some space to do 2nd or 3rd gear pulls. At first use light throttle and slowly build up the RPMs and let it engine brake all the way back down to 2K rpm or so (so first go to 3K, then 3500, then 4K so on). After doing those with light throttle begin to do them with half throttle, then full throttle.

 

-take car home and change oil (still dino), let cool all the way down.

 

-Change oil to whatever your preferred oil is again in 500 miles.

[Richard Cranium]

+1 on dyno oil. I've heard the rings will not seat if you use synthetic.

 

Start the engine the first time and run for no more than 5 minutes, then change the oil filter only. Depending on how much assembly grease was used you could clog the filter (at least that was recommended to me on my motor, can't hurt).

 

The builder said to run it at 2k RPM for 20 minutes while one person monitors the guages, and another looks for leaks or anything out of place. Pull the plugs and check for color (you want a light tan color on the spark plugs, anything else could be a problem). He said if all that was fine, then run it for 2000 miles before switching to Synthetic. Fine to drive it spirited, but keep it off the rev limiter. After 2000, do whatever you want.

 

Seemed to work out okay for me. I have no complaints about the builder or the motor.

I'm just thinking through the whole process I was told.

[boosted98gst]

Everyone is going to have their own opinion or what worked for them. The people you do not want to listen to is the people who has never done this in person, advice from the internet is not aalways right lol. Everyone does it different easy break ins hard break ins ect. Personally id go with one from who you trust and can maybe call up. Every engine is different from oem rings to cromoly rings , bearings, engine tollerences . Depending on oil you want to make sure you have a high level of zinc in the oil , they have additives for engine break in or you can use diesel oil which has a ton of zinc levels in it, which dino oil lacks with out the additive. Personally when I broke my engine in I used diesel oil from amsoil and used a dyno to break the first part of the motor in, after the second oilchange I drove the car on the street.

[Nickey4271647545519]

Everyone is going to have their own opinion or what worked for them. The people you do not want to listen to is the people who has never done this in person, advice from the internet is not aalways right lol. Everyone does it different easy break ins hard break ins ect. Personally id go with one from who you trust and can maybe call up. Every engine is different from oem rings to cromoly rings , bearings, engine tollerences . Depending on oil you want to make sure you have a high level of zinc in the oil , they have additives for engine break in or you can use diesel oil which has a ton of zinc levels in it, which dino oil lacks with out the additive. Personally when I broke my engine in I used diesel oil from amsoil and used a dyno to break the first part of the motor in, after the second oilchange I drove the car on the street.

 

diesel oil no longer has the high zinc levels it once had.

 

In my dads 468 bbc we used lubriplate oil which has lots of zinc already and added a pint of GM eos for more zinc. but i would reccomend just running lubriplate oil, and if you do end up driving it around to break it in, dont be afraid to get on it a little bit and never keep the rpms moving up and down even when going down the road.

 

nickey

[Guest Removed]

for an interesting read/theory on break in go to www.mototuneusa.com and read up a bit.

this...

[boosted98gst]

diesel oil no longer has the high zinc levels it once had.

 

In my dads 468 bbc we used lubriplate oil which has lots of zinc already and added a pint of GM eos for more zinc. but i would reccomend just running lubriplate oil, and if you do end up driving it around to break it in, dont be afraid to get on it a little bit and never keep the rpms moving up and down even when going down the road.

 

nickey

 

Thats not always the case or 100% , true the oils today are not loaded like the past but does not always mean thats a good thing. AMSOIL list what Phosphorus levels and zinc level ppm per type of oil. Today oil is more hightech then anything from the past todays zinc based diesel/gas oils are at the top of the game. Enos is another good oil but pricey with high levels of zinc great for break in .

[AJ]

hold it on the rev limiter for 10 min right offthe start.

[Richard Cranium]

Royal Purple break-in oil. That is what I used.

[Stimmel1647545512]

hold it on the rev limiter for 10 min right offthe start.

 

best post on cr for months now +rep

[Guest Hal]

Grab it with vise grips and then rub it on concrete.

[Guest Removed]

Grab it with vise grips and then rub it on concrete.