If someone asks nicely, I will give you the hard facts about proper engine break in.
Edit;
What's a valve bushing ?
Do you mean valve guide ?
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YACT: Proper break-in... floor that sucker...
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If someone asks nicely, I will give you the hard facts about proper engine break in.
Edit;
What's a valve bushing ?
Do you mean valve guide ?
Zenmervolt
Elite member
I second the Please.
ZV
Yes, I third it. I would like to see what you have to say on the subject. 🙂
I completely understand what the guy is saying... And I wouldn't really doubt that it's true... It just seems to go against the grain.
Someone want to donate money for a research project? 😀 Could probably do it for less than 1000$... lol
run it at idle for 15 min, change the oil, drive it for 20-30 min, change the oil, drive it for about 50 miles, change the oil, 100mi,250 mi, 500, 1000, 2000, you get the picture I change the oul in my blazer every 2000 mi other than that run it like you are going to drive it
Cav
btw this is for a just built motor
Cav
btw this is for a just built motor
Thegonagle
Diamond Member
You can skip the hard driving part of breaking in a brand new engine. Between the lot tech who drives it to the gas station, the mechanic who does the PDI, the salespeople, and the test drivers, it's already had plenty of full throttle runs.
Proper engine break in is absolutely critical to the longevity of your engine, modern engines are run and properly broken in at the engine assembly plant, this is how Chevy get's away with supplying the Vette engine with Synthetic motor oil in it.
(running a new or rebuilt engine with Synthetic oil will not allow the moving parts to seat together properly, besides using diamond tooling to machine the cylinder walls, that discussion will require another thread)
(1)Upon the first start up, the engine must be run for a minimum for 15 minutes between 2,000 rpm and 3,000 rpm, this allows the camshaft lobes to properly seat against the bottom of the lifters.
If the engine in question is has a roller camshaft, this critical step can be overlooked.
(2)Once you are satisfied that the engine has proper oil pressure and leaks no fluids, the engine should gingerly be driven for the first 25 miles, not exceeding 3,500 rpm and not lugging the engine in high gear.
(3)After the first 25 miles, the vehicle should be driven onto the highway never exceeding 55 mph, during this driving the vehicle should not be driven at steady speeds but should be accelerated and decelerated repeatedly to properly break in the piston rings.
(4)Once 100 miles has been reached, the oil should be changed to flush the metal particles, sealants and engine assembly lube from it's internals.
(5)For the first 500 miles, the engine should not be floored nor lugged, highway driving must be kept below 60 mph and you should vary road speed to finish breaking in the piston rings.
(6)Under no circumstances should oil additives be used during the break in period, any additive that reduces friction will not allow the moving parts to properly mate together, Synthetic oil should never be used during break in, only a good quality motor oil of the proper viscosity should be used.
This advice has come from 13 years experiance in rebuilding all makes and models of engines, these critical steps should not be taken lightly.
(running a new or rebuilt engine with Synthetic oil will not allow the moving parts to seat together properly, besides using diamond tooling to machine the cylinder walls, that discussion will require another thread)
(1)Upon the first start up, the engine must be run for a minimum for 15 minutes between 2,000 rpm and 3,000 rpm, this allows the camshaft lobes to properly seat against the bottom of the lifters.
If the engine in question is has a roller camshaft, this critical step can be overlooked.
(2)Once you are satisfied that the engine has proper oil pressure and leaks no fluids, the engine should gingerly be driven for the first 25 miles, not exceeding 3,500 rpm and not lugging the engine in high gear.
(3)After the first 25 miles, the vehicle should be driven onto the highway never exceeding 55 mph, during this driving the vehicle should not be driven at steady speeds but should be accelerated and decelerated repeatedly to properly break in the piston rings.
(4)Once 100 miles has been reached, the oil should be changed to flush the metal particles, sealants and engine assembly lube from it's internals.
(5)For the first 500 miles, the engine should not be floored nor lugged, highway driving must be kept below 60 mph and you should vary road speed to finish breaking in the piston rings.
(6)Under no circumstances should oil additives be used during the break in period, any additive that reduces friction will not allow the moving parts to properly mate together, Synthetic oil should never be used during break in, only a good quality motor oil of the proper viscosity should be used.
This advice has come from 13 years experiance in rebuilding all makes and models of engines, these critical steps should not be taken lightly.
Zenmervolt
Elite member
Much obliged Roger. I really appreciate it.
ZV
ZV
After eading this guy's website, I can see how it would be easy to fall into his logic, but there are several mistakes on his site.
The cross hatch pattern left on the cylinder walls from the honing process does not wear away, if it did, the wear rates would be absolutely throught he roof.
I have in the past taken apart engines with 130,000 miles on them with the cross hatch pattern perfectly visible.
He does have a few good points though, the engine should be fully warmed up before driving and loading the piston rings with heavy acceleration can and will break the piston rings in faster, but you are also loading the piston pins and bushings along with valve stems and guides exactly when they don't need it.
If driven as I have stated, the rings will properly break in in the first 500 miles.
The cross hatch pattern left on the cylinder walls from the honing process does not wear away, if it did, the wear rates would be absolutely throught he roof.
I have in the past taken apart engines with 130,000 miles on them with the cross hatch pattern perfectly visible.
He does have a few good points though, the engine should be fully warmed up before driving and loading the piston rings with heavy acceleration can and will break the piston rings in faster, but you are also loading the piston pins and bushings along with valve stems and guides exactly when they don't need it.
If driven as I have stated, the rings will properly break in in the first 500 miles.
Sounds like sound advise to me.
I still disagree with the synthetic part though.. Like I said, after lengthy discussion with AMSOil techs.. it was found to be another one of the old wives tales regarding synthetic. There's nothing wrong with breaking an engine in on synthetic; but no synthetic oil manufacturer recommends it simply because of the fact that you're going to be changing the oil very soon anyway. It kinda defeats the purpose of the extended oil drain.
I think I'll research this a little more.
I agree.
As for the cross hatch pattern wearing away.. It does indeed wear away.. I mean.. that's the whole purpose of it.. It lets the rings and cylinder come into wear-equalibrium. Don't know what was going on with the engine that had 130k, but I've never encountered an engine with any decent ammount of use that still had that freshly-honed look, lol...
Yeah.. he does have a few good points.. that's why it's hard to completely blow him off, lol. Like I said.. It looks to me like he got an idea in his head, and then ran.. way too far.. with it. My primary concern was the other things that seat in the engine, too. While the rings seating are very important, they aren't the only thing to look at when you think about "break-in".
Rotary engines are a slightly different beast, I am going to have to slide on this one because I have only taken a rotary apart twice in my career and I cannot give you accurate information on the subject.
Eli
Only a small percentage is worn away during the break in process, not all of it.
I should have made my self clear on this subject 😉
Cross hatch patterns will wear away after extended mileage Eli, I just stated that I have seen cross hatch patterns in high mileage engines to show my point.😉
Only a small percentage is worn away during the break in process, not all of it.
I should have made my self clear on this subject 😉
Cross hatch patterns will wear away after extended mileage Eli, I just stated that I have seen cross hatch patterns in high mileage engines to show my point.😉
Thanks for the info Roger.
Don't load the pistons too hard, let the motor warm/lube before driving, avoid constant speeds and hard loading.
That's what I read. Thanks again.
Any comment on any additives or other lubricants on "from the showroom" cars with 10 miles on the odometer?
-edit- yes, valve guides. I've re-built a few motors but am a complete novice. I'm looking at a new car and am quite hard on them, anything to help the rings/valves set well is great advice.
Don't load the pistons too hard, let the motor warm/lube before driving, avoid constant speeds and hard loading.
That's what I read. Thanks again.
Any comment on any additives or other lubricants on "from the showroom" cars with 10 miles on the odometer?
-edit- yes, valve guides. I've re-built a few motors but am a complete novice. I'm looking at a new car and am quite hard on them, anything to help the rings/valves set well is great advice.
No engine manufacturer uses or recommends the use of oil additives.
All engines are assembled with assembly lube, but I imagine it's just normal engine oil.
Just use normal engine oil for the first oil change(note: first oil change after breakin oil change.. ie: normal schedule change).. then use whatever you want..
Oh, and I still haven't recieved an email back from the guy. Probably never will....
Hey Roger, whats your opinion on the pictured Honda F3 pistons? I think that's a joke. Have you ever seen a piston come out of an engine that clean? lol.....
Modern motors do not always have the cross hatch pattern being discussed. Plasma coatings negate in a large part the need for a breakin period, but do not totally eliminate the lengthy breakin that in the past was neccessary.
Race motors have a VERY different in the wear and clearances set in a new motor from the same design that needs maximum protection from wear because the motor is expected to last many miles as in a normal car.
Motorcycle motors have even tighter clearances and are usually run few miles compared to a motor in a passenger car.
If this guy had any clue to what happens in a motor, well, let's just say...HE'S A LOON!
As a matter of fact I have, the engine was improperly assembled and lasted 5 minutes before it threw a connecting rod through the side of the block 😉
This is true, but very few production automobiles use Plasma coated cylinders, cermaic coated piston faces or ceramic coated combustion chambers, these coatings are widely used in large diesel engines though.
Assembly lube is not normal motor oil, the old standard used to be STP many years ago, but since molydisulfide has been marketed, the STP use has dropped off to nil.
The cylinders (before Plasma coating/chrome plating/Nikasil plating) still need to be honed to the final size before the cylinders are plated, this is done with an extremly fine hone, I think on the order of 500, the standard hone is either 240 or 280 grit.
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