Secrets on How to Break an Engine In for MORE HORSES

breakin

Do like Mavman said. When I worked at a Ford dealership, you'd be surprised how we beat on new cars and trucks fresh off the transport. Any warranty replacement engines got the same treatment. If it's right you have nothing to worry about. If it's wrong, it won't make any difference. The right oil and filter is the biggest issue. Mineral 30wt and NAPA gold filter.

 

What did you do at the dealership? Technician?

I would be surprised how you beat on the cars off of the transport/after an engine replacement. Not surprised but dissapointed that someone would do things to further tarnish the image of proffesional technicians, some of use have worked long and hard to develop good reputations and trusting relationships with our customers, "beating" on a vehicle that someone else owns is unacceptable. If you own it, treat it any way you want!
Just because you did it at a dealership does not make it right!!

 

I put that page into the "don't believe everything you read" catagory.

You aren't supposed to break in an engine "easy", nor are you supposed to "hammer it".
The key is to constantly vary your break in.
Don't run at any constant load or speed.
Continually increase and decrease the load and rpm as you drive.
Taking it out and putting the cruise control on is the worst thing to do.
Vary things constantly for the first few miles, change oil, and then continue to mindfully vary your driving for 500 miles. Of course the more miles you get in that 500, you can start to gradually level off the load/rpm conditions. By the end of the 500, you resume your regular method of driving and change the oil again to a good brand. Generally I use non-detergent for the initial start, then cheap detergent 30w for the "500 mile" period.
Never use additives or "good" oil during the break in. You need friction to break in. Also, the engine will run hot while it is in a state of 'friction'.

 

well said dave.

 

What's wrong with detergent?? Why would your cam lobes, lifters, and crank & rod bearings care if there's detergent in the oil or not?...

 

Non-detergent oil is cheap.
If you are only going to have it in there for a day, and going to be replacing it with cheap detergent oil, why would you not want to save a few bux?
The detergent takes time to work, so going for a day or so without, won't hurt a thing.

 

I suppose that would work for a street engine. What do you do on a race-only applications?

 

same basic principal. just run time, not street time. 200 equivelant run miles is enough to hammer a close tolerance engine. depending on your base specs. a .05 tolerance will change due to expansion/contraction and so on. all rests on the setup. depends alot on the composition of head/block and so forth as well. but if you change the oil and its not milky, or contaminated, i say go for the gold. and it works. flame away, my brethren flame away.

 

So what do you guys recommend for cheap oil (brands)? I've been watching this thread closely because I will be breaking-in my engine in April or May...

 

Wagesofsin,
Are you a tech?

 

i have built many many motors in my time. my pop was a master engine builder, and taught me the ins and outs of race engine tolerances. i have also been fortunate enough to be closely associated with many gentleman of various degrees of knowledge in motor fabrication and design. i wouldnt consider myself a "tech" more like what pop used to call me... a mobile guinee pig.

 

ref quote:

Thanks, but I was asking Dave. But now that you mention the "200 equivalent run miles", what do you mean by that?

 

The varying degrees of experts on this subject is simply astounding.

 

I'm no "expert" on this subject, but I know what all the major automotive magazines have said (Car Craft, Hot Rod, Popular Hot Rodding, etc.) over the years, and none of them say to "hammer it". They basically say to break-in the cam for 20 minutes by running the engine at 2000 to 2500 RPM, change the oil & filter, then drive for the next 1000 or so miles while varying speed & load throughout the RPM range, before running it really hard. Some articles have even suggested letting the engine cool down completely after the cam break-in so that the valve springs can achieve the proper temper, before driving the car for the first time...

 

What's your take?
You build engines, don't you?
What do you recommend?

I think that there is probably no perfect way. The internal combustion engine is exceptionally imperfect and fairly ineffiecient.

Honestly, I never built an engine for "race only" usage.
If this thread was "race only", I didn't catch that part and probably shouldn't have even commented.

Now that has been said:
I would tend to think a few things...
1)True race engines are torn down frequently. Often between rounds.
2)Rollerized components are pretty much norm.
3)They are built very loose, rings included.

These things would suggest that little, if any, break in would be needed or even be helpful. The only reason I could think to break a pure race engine in would be to reduce friction.

To me, if your engine is primarily race, HOWEVER, gets driven to-from the track, and does not get torn down regularly... Then you should treat it as a street engine.

I am no expert.
I am just injecting my opinion.
Means about as much as the guy with the web page in question, which is not much.