Collective: How to break-in your engine thread

i'd like everyone to give their 2 cents on the best way to break in a motor. i've heard many different things and i'd like to know from engine specific people what really works and what is bulls---.

if you would give your formula to break in your engine from start to finish, and that would be awesome.

thank you.

Well, when my spyder got the 6-bolt, we did the following:

oil changed at the following intervals with cheap 20-50 stuff:

50 miles.
100 miles
200 miles
300 miles
400 miles
500 miles
1000 miles
2000 miles

During this time, only OEM oil filters were used, and magnets placed around/and on the oil-pan and filter area so as to help facilitate the separation of any metallic "dust" from the oil that one would expect from a new motor breaking in. An AGP filter would actually have been better. Rebuilt/new motors are notorious for blowing turbos during the break-in, or shortly after the brea-in period. The magnets and filter help reduce the dust that would cause this.

During the entire break-in period, I never revved it past 4 RPM...just enough to build boost, hit a quick peak at around 12 psi, and release. From some researchI did, I've seen that turbo cars need the seals to settle in, so some frequent "soft" boosting is a good idea. SBR also recommended this.


So, that's my story.

USE THE SUBFORUMS!

Kevin has a pretty good writeup somewhere, have you searched? IIRC, the break in procedure is something like as follows:

Changing oil:
Let it come up to normal operating temp idling
After like 5 miles
50 miles,
100,
200,
500,
1000,
2000,
then every 2500-3000 after that.

Also, IIRC you are supposed to take it easy for the first like 200 miles or so, then you are supposed to run it on normal boost and drive it like you stole it for the rest of the break in. Magnets are a good idea too I think, just you should drop the oil pan to clean off the metal so that incase the magnet gets off sometime else you wont have a bunch of metal shavings floating around everywhere.

I don't take it easy at all, I just don't wind it all the way out right away. But I build boost as soon as possible to seat the rings. I've posted extensively about this in the past, and always end up searching for it to add to all these break-in method threads. :)

I see this question come up a lot, so I figure I post what I have seen with my motors over the years as far as break in goes.

3rd factory motor went in the car (first three all eventually crankwalked). I got lazy and didnt change the oil until 3k miles. It looked as silver as the anti-sieze compound you put on your turbo bolts. When I tore it down at 50k miles, the main bearings all had grooves worn into them connecting the oiling holes from large particle contamination. I doubt the rod bearings looked much better. Rule number 1, change the oil frequently.

Next was a 100k mile used 6 bolt block. No breakin required. Jsut changed the oil at ~20 miles and again at 300-500. Went to 3k intervals after that. Motor went another 30k running low 12s and was fine when I pulled it. 155-160 comrpession.

Next was a SBR stage 2 block. I changed the oil soon after running it just long enough to check for leaks, at 100 miles, 500 miles, 1k miles, and 3k miles. Then went to normal change interval of 3k miles. Mike had told me to break the motor in hard. And I had heard this theory before then. I was reluctant, but figured I would give it a try. Unfortunately the turbo died very soon after starting to run that motor (In my epxerience breaking in a new motor kills the turbo every single time, even with frequent oil changes). So I couldnt break it in very hard. At 1000 miles, compression was still poor. And in fact, one cylinder lagged behind for some time. At 10k miles compression was finally getting up to where it should be, 170 or so. At 20k miles the number 2 spark plug lost the ceramic insulator, and that ruined the piston, ring, and wall. Sent it out to be rebuilt again.

SBR rebuilt that motor, a little higher compression and some other changes. I changed the oil as I decribed above. But this time I was able to break it in hard. I let it run for about 20 miles jsut to be sure there are no leaks, and then started to boost. I cant go below 20 psi, so thats the boost I used. I didnt rev it high, but boosted for short periods of time, letting off at say 5k rpm. Did that until 100 miles or so (the ride from my garage to my condo). Still no leaks or other problems so I gradually raised the RPM over the next hundred miles or so, still boost set to 20 psi. I checked the compression at less than 1000 miles, maybe 700 or so, and all 4 cylinders were at 195 psi. I can honestly say the hard breakin made a world of difference. I've never had a motor come to full compression so soon.

So the cliff notes version is this. Change the oil OFTEN after initial start up to remove the particles created in the "machining process" that we call break in. Dont be afraid to boost it, but watch the rpms until its got a couple hundred miles on it. The boost actually drives the rings into the cross hatch on the cylinder wall, seating them. Driving like a pussy for too long will allow the crosshatch to be worn off the cylinder wall before the ring is ground to the same shape! So dont be a pussy, drive it on!

NT cars, I cant comment on. There is no boost to help seat the rings, but cylinder pressure should serve the same purpose. I would suggest the same oil change intervals, and drive the car hard, but gradually increase the rpms as the mileage goes up. Watch compression to see when it is broken in. Bearings break in quickly. Its the rings that we're worried about.

Hope that helps.


This was posted two and half years ago. I still use the same general procedure.

if i plan on using synthetic oil, should i use synthetic oil from the beginning? that could get pricey!! and also, what are the benefits to using 20-50w oil or using "race 50" like my manager told me at work??

sorry about the whole sub-forum thing, i didn't see it as a "performance" oriented thing, just an off-topic thing.

also note that practically the only new thing in the engine is the pistons / rings everything else was in great condition from the last build almost 1k miles before.

I like Kevins method... Everybody has told me to break in my motor easy and pussyfoot it for the first 500 miles. Of course, I know I won't be able to resist boosting it and I've done plenty of research on break-ins. Semi-hard break-ins are the way to go with these motors... And of course very frequent oil changes. lol

I would use regular oil in the beginning just because of the price, and the fact that it won't be in there very long. There are many "fast" guys that swear by the heavier oils. I'm still working up the motivation to switch over.

Anyone heard of running without a turbo for the break in? I was told to run a n/t manifold on the car during the first 300kms on the motor that way i dont blow the turbo with metal shavings. Has anyone ever heard of this or have any opinions? Im rebuilding my motor now and want to know if i should run the turbo?
Tony

I wouldnt do it that way. Not boosting wont seat the rings as well as it should. Just run a filter in the oil feed line. You should be fine.

There are poeple that do it that way. I also like boost for break in, so I don't bother. People have welded up dummy turbos, etc. But for the most part, people just use a known bad crappy old 14b that's too risky to sell or otherwise use.

What about running without a turbo even for just the first 10-20 min, then popping the turbo on? I dont have an extra turbo right now, and really cannot afford to have the turbo go right after i get the car running again?

Just put a good inline filter for the turbo feed.

Thats a good idea and I think you mentioned that before. What type of filter would you use?

I used the turbo feed filter AGP used to offer. Most poeple agree that any AN style 10 micron filter will suffice. I believe the one most people use is made by Golan or similar.