breaking in on used engine oil ?

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old wives tale ?

or good idea for a rebuilt "ol skool" donk

no quips about extra dirt from changing oil or "why spoil a brand new engine" coz with my drains, oil is low mileage and drain equipment/tools spotless
 
Wait a minute, guys. This fellow changes oil in his machines when they still have about 75% of their life left. Kinda like people in this country change their oil at 3,000 miles in their cars. I see no legitimate downside to running a newly rebuilt engine on his used oil for the 5 hours of break-in.
 
Originally Posted By: 1999nick
Wait a minute, guys. This fellow changes oil in his machines when they still have about 75% of their life left. Kinda like people in this country change their oil at 3,000 miles in their cars. I see no legitimate downside to running a newly rebuilt engine on his used oil for the 5 hours of break-in.


Well, he's asking if it's a good idea, not if he COULD do it.

I can't see an upside to it, can you?
 
Heck no! There is enough contanimation in a rebuilt engine as it is. It doesn't need any more.

I just run whatever oil I can get cheap for break in and add any addatived it may need for cam break in.
 
this is NOT a cost saving stunt, nor is it about a "new super premium syn"

this is about using a slightly "worn" oil which may (or may not) assist in breaking in. think "not so slippery", lower additive pack (because of previous use) etc etc instead of using a low spec running in oil

think outside the sarcasm square, i didn't post this lightly, unlike some of the replies

btw, prolly 1/2 - 1 hour on lst fill, 20w60 HDEO used for about 2,000 kms in my gently driven fatboy. i'll be using it to break-in my BSA ROCKET 3 on the stand and a couple of times around the block

ah, and lets not forget the number of race engines that used to blow when given free sponser oil. the beezer IS an ol skool race engine 3 cylinders, alloy block and rods, hi comp. pistons ( 9:1, then 9.5:1 in 1970 ), twin cams, triple carbs, individually adjustable points and timing settings for each cylinder, factory fitted oil cooler, internal paper oil filter, dry single plate diaphram clutch, triplex primary chain, DUNLOP TRIGONIC tires developed ESPECIALLY FOR IT - TT100's blah blah blah ...

and all this in 1968-69
 
There's been some stuff on BITOG over the years about how the additives work or not in the first small part of an OCI, and more than a couple of times, this issue has been raised.

IMO, if there was a way of "teleporting" or transfusing the used oil into the rebuilt engine, then I'd think seriously about doing it.

If it's got to drain into a drain pan, and be handled, I'd not risk a new engine to it.
 
I heard of it way back when but since the guys mentioning it failed to where proper masks and suits when spraying paint I ignored it!I figured their brains had been damaged from over exposure to solvents and left it at that. No one else has ever mentioned it until you know.

It is a very bad idea! WHat is suppossedto have happened to used oil to make it a better canadate then new oil for break in use? No offense but stop and think about this we change old oil to protect our engines so why would we take something that is bad for a good engine and put it into a new engine an expect better results from it then the new oil we put into the engine it came from???? IF used oil had some magical propeties we would not be draining it out to replace now would we????

I know I offend some but I do expect more from grown men then I do children. IF I told you guys that all you had to do to cure warts is rub your body down with a fresh potato under the light of a full moon then bury that potatoe in the ground you would not believe it would you????

Do you know one reason aids is spreading so fast in Africa????One of the common myth treatments for aids in Africa spread by ignorant medicine men is for the infected man to pro-create with a pure under age female ie virgin.........This used oil for break in is just as illogical,counter intuitive and all around ignorant to be in the same category.

When people offer up stupid stuff lie this ask them to explain exactly how this is supposed to work? If they can not tell you the science behind it then they are probably parroting something silly that they heard also with no support.

I mean really????We had to even go here?Just like the cure above will not get rid of warts or cure aids likewise used motor oil is not going to do anything to help with a good fast and solid break in!
 
I vaguely reading some where that some study maybe by Ford showed used oil at about 3K miles gave less friction. I think that is the opposite of what you were aiming for, right?

But putting that aside, I would never put used oil in an engine. There's too much chance for contamination from prior use, fuel dilution, coolant, wear metals, silicon etc, plus being contaminated from handling. I don't see any reason why an engine wouldn't need all the additives of a new oil like ZDDP and then some.
 
This might seem odd but when I did rings on my saturn I left the old oil filter in place (and the crank & main bearings... new rod bearings though of course). Figured it would spend less time pumping up with oil (side mounted filter), even though I cranked w/o fuel or spark to build up pressure.

I actually kind of like the idea... drained oil isn't 100% "used up" and we all know the urban legend of running non-detergent for break-in. The abuse of the somewhat used oil in a new motor will be complimentary to the abuse it previously suffered under normal duty.

And leaks will be easier to spot with some color in the oil.
thumbsup2.gif
 
At first, of course we will all say to use new oil.

But on closer examination, 'slightly' used oil in decent shape for a quick first oil fill on a rebuild may be OK. Especially for costs .
The problem is with additives. We should have as much break in additives as possible, and used oil is diminished in this respect
And the higher the performance of the engine, the more important this is.
 
I don't think breaking in a $10,000 motor with used engine oil is a good idea.
Most people don't think twice about running their oil to the 5k mile spec,and most engines last to 200,000 k easily today.
I really don't see a need to run anything with used oil.
 
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