Engine break in
- Thread starter Cobain03
- Start date
jerry S
New Member
this topic came up here before and one of the contributors to the thread posted this link. At the time, my engine was still being assembled so I called the shop building it and repeated the key points of this article. The shop basically agreed. So the advice to "drive it like you stole it" for breaking in a new engine is also out there.
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
69Rcode_Mach1
Active Member
Yes I am in the same boat as well. If the clearances in the bearings are correct, run it hard. In fact I would recommend getting it on a dyno, it will put a sufficient load on it throughout the rpm range and seat those rings up nicely. Read that link Jerry posted it is full of good stuff. Ronstang also recommended I do it that way, he has been doing this forever so he knows his stuff. That is how the Mach1 is being broken in.
cobains_dad
New Member
- Jul 4, 2005
- 7
- 0
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hey guys i just talked to the garage and he said just break the cam at 2000 rpm for 20 min or so that should do the cam and get on the hwy and
start off at 30 and hard to 50 or 60 or so and then back down to 30 he said do that 4 or 5 times and that should seat the rings
start off at 30 and hard to 50 or 60 or so and then back down to 30 he said do that 4 or 5 times and that should seat the rings
iskwezm
10 Year Member
as the cam spins at a faster rpm the lifters rotate in the lifter bores, if it idles,they dont spin and get worn and get flat.Thats why lifter should ne numbered when removed and re used,they get a pattern to them.NasaGT said:
dennis112
15 Year Member
NasaGT said:
Non-roller require a break-in period for the cam lobe and the lifter face.
The high RPM is to needed to keep the cam lobes oiled, because the only way they get lube is from the splashing of the crank and the rods.
Comp Cams suggests 2000 for 30 minutes in their installation instructions, although most people seem to use a 15-20 minute timeframe.
69Rcode_Mach1
Active Member
cobains_dad said:
I would recommend doing it more than 4-5 times. The first 20 mile are the most important, but you want to run it hard for the first 200 miles. Get on the freeway and get on all the gears and run them through the whole rpm range, that is the most important. Now if you have overdrive don't worry about going 140mph, but atleast make a blast or two through your 1:1 ratio gear, 4th if its a manual, and 3rd if its an auto. Do not brake, rev it up there and let the rpms drop, let the engine get loaded down and slow on its own. This will ensure the rings get a maximum load put on them and you will be good to go.
12sec67
Active Member
67coupe351w said:
i installed my roller 347 drove it around the block a few times and have been getting on ever since...no problems here
i have approx 700 miles and 2 oil changes on it now (one after 100 miles then again at 300) and have drove it to the track on 2 different occasions and still tuning
ozstang65
Founding Member
NasaGT said:
It's a surface hardening process. Blatantly plagarised from somewhere I can't remember:
I think it's a very wise move to dyno run-in an engine, and it should be budgeted into an engine rebuild. On a dyno, everything can be analysed very accurately. One of the biggest killers in a new engine is incorrect a/f ratio. This can be picked up immediately on a dyno.
Speaking from my own personal experience, I was once of the misconception that it was best to take it easy on an engine run-in. I rebuilt the engine in my Falcon (6cyl) and babied it during run in. It uses oil and has a light fumy smell. I had the head off a few years ago and I could still see the hone-marks in the bore. Now we all know hone marks are there to help bed in the rings. Trouble is, they should dissapear during this process!
Mine will be run in on a dyno. (Hopefully very soon
)
I'd hold off on the dyno myself, not for a break in reason but because the engine will still be "tight" and will probably post lower numbers than it would with a thousand miles under it's belt.
I mean, the purpose of a dyno run is to see how much power you are making right? You can use other tools to determine A/F ratio, which I agree is very important.
I mean, the purpose of a dyno run is to see how much power you are making right? You can use other tools to determine A/F ratio, which I agree is very important.
ozstang65
Founding Member
Edbert said:
Why would anyone be worried about 'numbers' during a run-in, I just want to make sure my engine's running right and not doing itself any damage.A lot of people have a misconception about dynos. The truth is, they're just a tuning tool, used to compare your 'untuned numbers' with your 'tuned numbers', to make sure you are actually making improvements with you tinkerings. Unless you are comparing 2 cars on the same dyno at the same time dyno 'numbers' are meaningless, albeit giving you a ballpark figure. Even taking your own car to the same dyno under different atmospheric conditions will yield different 'numbers'.
Really, at the end of the day, is it dyno 'numbers' that are important, or how quickly you can make those 'numbers' get you from point A to point B.?
Agreed, that was my pointozstang65 said:
Tuning can be done without seeing any hp/tq numbers, so why use a dyno in the first place? I guess if you have carte blanch access to one then it is a great tool, but around here dyno time is expensive. They charge by the hour and by the pull. Why do that if you don't want to see the numbers and even the numbers you DO see are meaningless on a tight motor? If you intend on changing jets and advance springs while at the dyno to eek those last couple of ponies out then you can expect a bill in the hundreds. A great tool, I'm not arguing but not the best route for a simple break-in, at least in my opinion.
I plan on doing a 30 minute cam break-in, then maybe 5-10 miles of driving around the block and checking for fluid leaks etc., then hitting the freeway for some ring-seating under load.
351LX
Founding Member
There has been a lot of talk lately about how modern engine oils don't have the same amount of zinc in them that the old oils had and as a result there have been a lot more flat tappet cam failures on break in.You might consider using one of the off-highway motor oils that contain zinc or adding a can of General Motors Engine Oil Supplement during break-in.
do you think i should use our farms oil then? is 15w40 synthitic and is good up to 12k miles or so.
if not, what oil should i go with? i dont mind having to buy a "starter" oil then getting more onces its broken in.
if not, what oil should i go with? i dont mind having to buy a "starter" oil then getting more onces its broken in.
iskwezm
10 Year Member
I heard you NEVER use synthetic on break on, i used Castrol for break in because it was on sale and i changed the oil after the 20 minute break in, after 150 miles and after 500 miles.Its cheap enough and takes maybe 15 minutesCobain03 said:
69Rcode_Mach1
Active Member
Yes DO NOT use synthetic oil. Run regular oil, and don't switch to synthetic for a while. Atleast wait a couple thousand miles, otherwise you will cause the rings to glaze over.
65up2d8
Member
Yes, do not use synthetic during break in. It will not allow the rings to seat because it is so slick. I have always been told to use a straight 30 weight non-detergent oil during break in, but perhaps you should seek your engine buider's opinion.
