[All] [Generic] Running in a new engine ? this will change your thoughts....

[Dangerous]

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm



Hmm I always thought you had to take it easy for 1000miles of so..... Very interseting theory.......

[karammander]

ur not supposed to be easy on the engine u need to get load on the rings and get some compression in there to seat the rings.

for example the best the thing the sales person does at a garage is to drive the car a little hard from factory, and they last hundreds of thousands of miles.

not sayin to redline it but plenty of engine braking and a little boost is good.

cheers karam

[MR!! wren]

that article refers to new engines, does the mr2 block count as new?

[C50]

repost but still good info

MR!! wren - what if you get your blocks sleeved? that'll be new.

[3sgte]

i always put load on new engines , In fact my engine was revved at a constant 2000 rpm the second it was firat started for 20 mins to be the cams in ,Then a short 5 mile journey to get some fuel, and then some boost to see how it loved it

Really there is nothing to run in, The bearings should be floating in oil if clearnaces are correct ,and the rings as stated should be exposed to load//boost to aid the bedding in process, although if they arent bed in within 50 miles then they aren't gonna
I have had to strip down probably over 10 recently rebuilt engines due to excessive oil consuption issues .This was caused by over cautious running in and led the bores to be glazed .they needed a hone and new rings and then a good few hours of moderate load and they have been fine since

Of course this is my opinion ,and others have different opinions

[Century Motorsport]

i always put load on new engines , In fact my engine was revved at a constant 2000 rpm the second it was firat started for 20 mins to be the cams in ,Then a short 5 mile journey to get some fuel, and then some boost to see how it loved it

Really there is nothing to run in, The bearings should be floating in oil if clearnaces are correct ,and the rings as stated should be exposed to load//boost to aid the bedding in process, although if they arent bed in within 50 miles then they aren't gonna
I have had to strip down probably over 10 recently rebuilt engines due to excessive oil consuption issues .This was caused by over cautious running in and led the bores to be glazed .they needed a hone and new rings and then a good few hours of moderate load and they have been fine since

Of course this is my opinion ,and others have different opinions

Atlast!!!! A man with the same views as me.

I run in um teen amounts of motors a year, be it a 100cc 2 stroke to a full on race engine to my own 3s motor - once the initial startup has been gone through and a high idle for around 15-20 mins checking for no leaks the next thing is get it on the road and drive it.

Load it up in 1st and 2nd but not too high revs. Dont put prolonged load on it though - ie 4th gear flat out at 3000rpm for 2 miles.

Just short bursts of power in the early gears to get the rings seated.

If you 'baby' and engine for 1000miles your not going to get the best from it and you could well end up needing a re hone and new rings.

Nathan

[dawolf]

I think older engines needed to be bedded in gently but it doesn't really apply to modern engines. I've always heard it's best to vary the load and keep changing gears for the first 200 miles or so.

[3sgte]

I think older engines needed to be bedded in gently but it doesn't really apply to modern engines. I've always heard it's best to vary the load and keep changing gears for the first 200 miles or so.

I think the whole bedding in thing is a draw back from when machining tolerances and oil quality wasn't as good as it is today

[Century Motorsport]

I think older engines needed to be bedded in gently but it doesn't really apply to modern engines. I've always heard it's best to vary the load and keep changing gears for the first 200 miles or so.

I agree with the second part - but not so with the first.... a couple of the formula ford race engines are 45years old in design, when they are built fresh we give em death.

I'd be more gentle with a road car due to tollerances but dont be affraid to load it a bit, just as long as the load isnt prolonged you will be fine.

Nathan

[JohnnyC]

From the MR2 owners manual (3S-GE)...

Break-in period
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate break-in. But following a few simple tips for the first 2000 km (1200 miles) can add to the future economy and long life of your vehicle.
* Do not drive over 100 km/h (62 mph).
* Run the engine at moderate speed between 2000 and 4000 rpm.
* Avoid full-throttle starts.
* Try to avoid hard stops during the first 300 km (200 miles).
* Do not drive slowly with the manual transmission in a high gear.
* Do not drive for a long time at any single speed, either fast or slow.
* Do not tow a trailer during the first 800 km (500 miles).

[steve b]

i always put load on new engines , In fact my engine was revved at a constant 2000 rpm the second it was firat started for 20 mins to be the cams in ,Then a short 5 mile journey to get some fuel, and then some boost to see how it loved it

Really there is nothing to run in, The bearings should be floating in oil if clearnaces are correct ,and the rings as stated should be exposed to load//boost to aid the bedding in process, although if they arent bed in within 50 miles then they aren't gonna
I have had to strip down probably over 10 recently rebuilt engines due to excessive oil consuption issues .This was caused by over cautious running in and led the bores to be glazed .they needed a hone and new rings and then a good few hours of moderate load and they have been fine since

Of course this is my opinion ,and others have different opinions

Atlast!!!! A man with the same views as me.

I run in um teen amounts of motors a year, be it a 100cc 2 stroke to a full on race engine to my own 3s motor - once the initial startup has been gone through and a high idle for around 15-20 mins checking for no leaks the next thing is get it on the road and drive it.

Load it up in 1st and 2nd but not too high revs. Dont put prolonged load on it though - ie 4th gear flat out at 3000rpm for 2 miles.

Just short bursts of power in the early gears to get the rings seated.

If you 'baby' and engine for 1000miles your not going to get the best from it and you could well end up needing a re hone and new rings.

Nathan

I was talking to an american builder about this he said turn it on moment oil pressure has been hit stamp on the throttle. Only way to ensure the rings will seal to their best ability. He said the main issue is not to go lifting off suddenly i.e going load to no load thats what breaks them. Babying engines produces oil burners that don't hold compression.

[MR!! wren]

well this is all good to read, as after finally finding my idling problem today, took the car for a quick spin, and can hear what can only be described as "a pronounced knocking from the engine when under load"

[lostsouljah]

I just finished up a complete fresh rebuild on friends MR2. He's going no higher than 4000rpm, no higher than 55mph, and he is doing lots of load braking on the engine. Today it was his first oil change at the 100mile mark. Runs great now.

[Driftlimits Performance]

Companies can say 'Yes you need to run the engine in for 1000 miles, drive like a nancy'.

And it just so happends the warranty is for 1000 miles.

So when you do eventually load is up for the first time, she bellows out oil, and the bits that haven't been done probably rear their ugly heads.

And oh, guess what, it's out of warranty!

I'm with 3sgte and Nath on this one

[Timsmr2]

This is what TRD reckon...

This is a TRD issues procedure which will help you guys with thoughts on running in your fresh engines.

To ensure long life and reliability you must properly break in your freshly assembled engine.

For a high performance street motor fill the engine with a good grade 20W-50 Mineral based oil. Fill the oil filter with oil before installing it. Remove the spark plugs and crank the engine until the oil pressure comes up on the gauge.

Re-install the spark plugs. Now you are ready to start her up. Start the engine and bring it immediately to 2,000 rpm. Vary the engine speed between 2,000 – 3,000 rpm for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes stop the engine, check the valve lash and re-torque the head bolts. Drain the oil and change the filter. Re-fill the engine with 20W-50 Mineral based oil.

Drive the car slowly for about 500 miles keeping the rpm under 4,000. Don’t lug the engine either because that’s worse for the motor than over revving it. After 500 miles change the oil and filter again. You can now use a synthetic oil if you want to. Use a 20W-50 oil and change it every 3,000 miles. Your engine is now broken in.

[RyanRs]

i 100% agree with nath and 3sgte... the plan with mine once the engine is back in is to turn key, if all starts well then 2k rpm for 20 mins... (like 3sgte said)... then change the oil / filter, then take it out for a 25-50 mile drive around town, givin small amount of beans... then oil change&filter change, then in with the normal non mineral oil. progressively upping boost over 300-350 miles.. then off to get mapped

does that sound about right???

Obv dont get too much boost, oil in the CC's will increase chances of det... and det is the last thing you want on a fresh build!!! same goes for labouring the engine!

[Driftlimits Performance]

personally when priming a car as well as removing the spark plugs I remove the EFI fuse, as Bore wash is a pain!

[steve b]

personally when priming a car as well as removing the spark plugs I remove the EFI fuse, as Bore wash is a pain!

but for ring bedding in at first start you don't want much oil on the bores, could a bit of petrol be a good thing?

[lower]

Funny thing is, new cars built today with 5 year 100,000 miles warranties still tell you to take it easy for the first 1000 miles.

Honda for example tell you not to vtec for the first 600 miles and then increase the revs 1000 rpm per 100 miles.

They fill the engine with mineral oil for the first 9k miles and then go to fully synthetic.

Yet how many new honda engines do you hear of burning loads of oil and needing the bores honing?

I personally think normal driving is about right for an engine break in ie not babying and not thrashing it.

I'm sure that the manufacturers recommend reasonably gentle break in instructions so that if there is a minor fault it can be fixed rather than blowing up the engine.

Companies can say 'Yes you need to run the engine in for 1000 miles, drive like a nancy'.

And it just so happends the warranty is for 1000 miles.

So when you do eventually load is up for the first time, she bellows out oil, and the bits that haven't been done probably rear their ugly heads.

And oh, guess what, it's out of warranty!

I'm with 3sgte and Nath on this one

[Leakie Tbar]

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/Mot ... Myths.aspx