Another break-in question

Status
Not open for further replies.
JHZR2

JHZR2

Staff member
Joined
Dec 14, 2002
Messages
55,111
Location
New Jersey
Hi,

This isnt the typical drive it hard vs, baby it break-in question, Ill follow the manual to the t for break-in.

My question is, during the break-in period, do you want more vacuum or more throttle to help seat the rings and work everything out?

More throttle should seat the rings, and more vacuum would pull oil into different places, for better or for worse.

So do you want to avoid high engine vacuum (I know you want to avoid full throttle) during break-in, or use it as much as one can?

Thanks!
 
Read this site if you're interested,


Motoman Break In

I'm pretty sceptical and I'll have to admit his ideas are quite persuasive. I did this break in on my K1200S and FWIW I'm using no oil at all and my bike is a little faster (it seems through a number of fairly unscientific but repeatable top gear roll-on tests) than two other guys I know with the same bike.
 
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
you want both. periods of more throttle, and periods of vacuum.


Agree,

Apparently (according to motoman) mating the rings to the cylinder bores is equally important under load and under vacuum. His procedure does this and is not inconsistent with many mfgr. recommendations for break in.
 
I tend to go with lots of throttle with a new or rebuilt engine. When I put the engine I rebuilt back into my pickup I ran it 30 minutes @ high rpm to break the cam in, set the timing, idle then took it for a blast around the block.

So far it's been ok.
 
If it is a new car it has been already dyno'ed at the factory and the rings are set in.
To break-in the rings I would select the third gear (moderate speed) so there is wind drag on the car. with up to about 50~60% throttle bring up the speed up moderately fast and let off the gas once you reached the 50~60% rpm to let rings cool down. I wouldn't keep it long at the desired rpm. Repeat! You only can do this when have little miles on the engine. If you have more 50 miles it is almost too late. Only a few times going thru the procedure would be all you need.
 
Last edited:
Great posts by all. Motoman is right.

The secret is use the throttle! Lots of it.

Just stay out of first, sometimes second if it is very short.

But drive it HARD if you want the best life and performance with lowest oil consumption.
 
Work it, but don't SHOCK it.

What do I mean?

You can dip into the throttle, but gradually open it up. Don't floor it because that puts shock on the entire drive line. Instead, squeeze the throttle until it's nearly wide open so you are feeding more air once the vehicle gets moving.

Then, do the opposite, gradually get out of the throttle while holding it in gear so it will coast down under vacuum.

So I say work it, but don't be HARD on it as in shocking the components with sudden throttle position changes.
 
And never keep a new vehicle at one speed for a long period of time as this will cause the ring and pinion (if you have RWD) to develop a set at that speed and whine for the life of the car. Not really a problem with FWD.
 
Originally Posted By: hate2work

Regarding Motoman, it's hard to believe someone who says synthetics are more slippery than dinos.


Couldn't agree more. I'm sure some variant of this method works fine on dirt bikes but it's awfully silly for street cars. Everybody knows that rolling into the throttle deeply and keeping away from steady RPMs is good for a motor, new or old.

Synthetics 'too slippery' indeed.
56.gif
 
The process has been well accepted for ..well, just about forever. I saw some 60's Perfect Circle piston ring clinic film as part of their Dr. of Motors program.

You basically cycle the engine through alternating states of high cylinder pressure and high vacuum. You don't have to flog the engine, just a healthy trip up to some upper rpm level followed by closed throttle.

The good ol' boy term for it was "shine 'em up and oil 'em down".

Most of it appears unnecessary anymore, but I still go through the motions.

The problem with the drive it like you stole it school of thought is that there are other drive train components that specifically recommend against such usage until they're run in for a specified amount of miles. The break in process doesn't have to be anything severe. It only needs to compress certain normal ranges of usage into a high frequency with some protracted duration. There's nothing wrong with going up one side of a hill in 3rd (5speed) with a healthy throttle and then coasting in 3rd all the way back down. You just simulate that scenario with gears and throttle.
 
Originally Posted By: javacontour
Work it, but don't SHOCK it.

What do I mean?

You can dip into the throttle, but gradually open it up. Don't floor it because that puts shock on the entire drive line. Instead, squeeze the throttle until it's nearly wide open so you are feeding more air once the vehicle gets moving.

Then, do the opposite, gradually get out of the throttle while holding it in gear so it will coast down under vacuum.

So I say work it, but don't be HARD on it as in shocking the components with sudden throttle position changes.

Java has got 100% right in my opinion. When you break an engine in 'hard', it's not just the engine that's being used....it's the entire vehicle. You want to be firm....yet not abusive. For me I always find a fairly long suitable hill to drive up (under fairly aggressive throttle). Upon reaching the top I find a place to turn around and then go downhill to create reverse pressure on the rings. I'll shift it down to use the engine to slow the car. I do this about twenty times (the hill being about a half mile long and no stops). After that I'll drive it home and let it completely cool. Then I pretty much just take back roads for about the next 500 miles (letting engine cool between drives). It's important to vary the engine loads and not stay any constant speed, rpm, or load.
 
Last edited:
Just driving it normally should suffice.

All of my new cars have been broken in, to the extent a modern engine (say 1990 or later) even requires breaking in, by just driving normally and not a one has ever had any measurable oil consumption, including the LS1 in my GTO, and all of them ran like a scalded cat.

Heck, my LS1 did not even piston slap until I put Amsoil in it.

Just drive it normally, enjoy your nice new car (give us a review on it - I may go for a BMW myself (actually for my wife) now that Ford no longer owns Jaguar) and don't worry about it.
 
Originally Posted By: javacontour
Work it, but don't SHOCK it.

What do I mean?

You can dip into the throttle, but gradually open it up. Don't floor it because that puts shock on the entire drive line. Instead, squeeze the throttle until it's nearly wide open so you are feeding more air once the vehicle gets moving.

Then, do the opposite, gradually get out of the throttle while holding it in gear so it will coast down under vacuum.

So I say work it, but don't be HARD on it as in shocking the components with sudden throttle position changes.


Right.

Remember, you are also breaking in the ring and pinion at this time. I have read that a significant part of the drive gently recommendation is around the mating of the ring-pinion that is happening at this time.
 
Just to be clear, if you read motoman's break in procedure, it's not a "drive it like you stole it" at all.

It's more like what Gary Allan describes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Z
Preferred Break-In Method for new vehicle
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
zeroptzero
B
'24 BMW R12 NineT Break-In
Replies
18
Views
364
02SE
M
Potential dumb question: change oil before medium term storage?
Replies
6
Views
509
eljefino
S
Weird "bucking" issue with my 2001 Grand Marquis
2
Replies
27
Views
955
SwampSurvivor
Z
Vacuum bleeding cooling system…..is it wise? Is it safe? What about older cars?
Replies
18
Views
563
Zack1978
Back
Top Bottom