running in a new engine

[JDMBenji]

Hey ,

I just rebuilt a smallport for my 86 all new parts =) and it's almost ignition time.

I was wondering if anyone has any tips on the run in? Because I don't have much of an idea on how to runb in an engine aprt from load it up and don't thrash it....
=)

Benjamin

[trikzlane]

use mineral oils for the first few services, and disconnect plugs/injectors and crank a few times to build oil pressure and lubricate the motor for start up.

also take it for a good highway run at steady revs (80 - 3rd gear) for a couple of k's, if you let it sit there and idle to long it may glaze the rings and bores

first service at 1000km

[trikzlane]

but everyone has a different way of doing it, im a mechanic and thats how i was tought

[70XIN]

highway is good. you want to be putting the motor under load, but not revving the hell out of it. you also don't want to leave it at the same revs for any amount of time, or let it idle for any amount of time.

and i'd suggest changing the oil and filter basically straight after you start thing the thing and make sure it's got no leaks etc etc, there'll be a fair bit of metal in the oil (not filings, just noticeably metallic oil)

[Sam-Q]

as above, low revs various loads from idle to 3/4 around town, put your foot down but keep the revs down

[H8CHIR6KU]

i was always taught for revvy motors to bed it in with decent revs, not over the top but not low, and for not so revvy motors to keep the revs low to medium.

the reasoning behind it is that you want to be the motor in to how you are going to use the motor the majority of the time.

also id reccomend a proper run in oil because it is missing a couple of detergents that may make it harder to bed in.

but like trikzlane said everyone has a different way.

[Sam-Q]

that reasoning doesn't make any logical sense to me

[ke_70]

+1 ^

i guy i know whos built quite a few thick drag motors. swares by the old "break it in hard"

[Gunner]

But those drag guys, usually don't have the luxury of running in an engine properly.When I was at TRP doing my apprenticeship, everytime we put a new engine in the drag car, we'd run it on the dyno for about an hour, and that was run in. Also those drag engines will probably do 50-100 passes before they are pulled down to be inspected, it is nothing like a street driven engine.

Mineral oil, high idle (2000rpm+) and 75% throttle for the first 500km, as someone has already said, change oil after initial start up. After the first 500, I change to what oil I will be using for the life of the engine, and then open the throttle up to 100%, no sudden blips if it can be helped just a nice steady increase in revs. Also I do believe that a good warm up and warm down procedure should be used.

[Panda BVB700]

well i just finished building a motor the other week used a light weight running in oil as said above no detergents helps with bedding in also crank over with lead disconnected build oil pressure as said above on initial start up if new cams etc have been installed would recommend you hold engine rpm at roughly 2k-2.5k rpm for 5 to 10 minutes helps with wearing the cam in once done with the cam run in dump oil and change the filter to get rid of any possible moli grease from the build out of the engine and i drive the car hard but mainly just to load it all up and bed the rings, bearings etc change oil at roughly 500 ks then preferably once again after that about 1000ks later but as just about everyone has said most people have there own way of doing it

[H8CHIR6KU]

that reasoning doesn't make any logical sense to me

it makes perfect sense to me. bed the motor in to how you want to use it. its not hard or complicated

but then again it doesnt have to make sense to you i spose. like i said lots of people have different ways of doing this and in the right hands they all work. i have seen this done many a time and havent seen any issues from it. some of those cars a stock everyday cars and some are drift only cars.

alot of drag guys just run the engines in hard cause they gonna thrash it, they bed it in quick and it still works for them. then you get the everyday cars that nancy the engine in, and that works for them. the theory i was taught is exact same as those 2 examples.

[Javal]

it makes perfect sense to me. bed the motor in to how you want to use it. its not hard or complicated

but then again it doesnt have to make sense to you i spose. like i said lots of people have different ways of doing this and in the right hands they all work. i have seen this done many a time and havent seen any issues from it. some of those cars a stock everyday cars and some are drift only cars.

alot of drag guys just run the engines in hard cause they gonna thrash it, they bed it in quick and it still works for them. then you get the everyday cars that nancy the engine in, and that works for them. the theory i was taught is exact same as those 2 examples.

If it works for you, great, but it sounds like an absolute crock. That's like stretching a baby for the first 10 minutes of its life because 'that will make it grow up to be tall'.

The rings bed in properly or they don't.

How I've been taught -

First fill.
If you have access to the oil pump drive, spin it up with a keybit / drill (easy to do with an 18R-G / 350 chev)
Alternatively, disconnect the injectors and crank it over to build up oil pressure. (as mentioned before)
Start up.
Run for 3-5 minutes, ensuring correct operation / final pre-checks before first drive.
Drop oil, change filter.
This is purely to get rid of all the crap out of the engine, especially shit like assembly lube but also swarf from machining if you didn't clean everything properly. Also dirt and dust if you have been a grub and haven't stored / covered everything properly.

Second fill,
First drive -'Bed your rings in'
Don't let it idle for extended periods. Long distance up-hill. Varied load up to 75%, no full revs. Switch between 3rd/4th/5th every few minutes. Adelaide freeway is perfect for this. I try to avoid high vacuum situations (engine braking) but that's just me. I can't justify / rationalize that for you. Pootle on back to the workshop, using a higher gear than you normally would.
Total about 100km for your first drive.
Drop oil, change filter

Third fill,
Second drive and beyond 'Run-in period'
Still don't let it idle for long periods. Be nice to it. No full revs, Full load if you want, but be nice. Make the engine work but don't rev it out. Not much to it.
Total distance 900-1000km, your traditional running in period.
Drop oil, change filter

As a rule i'll never fit an aftermarket cam / set of cams to a rebuilt engine straight away, i'll do it after it's been run in. This way you're not stressing a fresh engine with the sustained high revs necessary to heat cycle and bed in a cam. While it's much less of an issue nowadays, i've still seen cam surface hardening de-laminated...

Oil - There's so much hearsay and speculation that you can make your own decision. High grade mineral oil seems to be the consensus. With engines done through my work, they get whatever is on tap.

Do with this what you will.

[pen15]

from what i have been told be engine builders LW parry the owner who builds some pretty serious engines (eg his 20v 7age 2.0ltr with 250hp atrw NA) has instructed me to bed it in up to 75% throttle use a dirt shit oil for the 1st tank of fuel after that new oil and go for your life apparently the hones are rough and the first run in knocks off the all the roughness off the hones that's why you dont want a very good oil for the first run but meh thats what ill do when my engine is in

[FAST EDDIE]

we put some quality valvoline xld or something crappy in, quick run to check nothing leaking, do around 10ks on dyno, drop oil, put in redline oil + 18psi boost always done it like that! dont listen to the dreamers about doing 1000ks load it up for a few ks then drive it hard

[ke_70]

was that how all of your 4agtes were broken in eddie?

[lolwat]

hahaha good call ke_70

[assassin10000]

This is what I did, worked awesome.
http://forums.club4ag.com/zerothread?id=68003&postid=636580#636580

Should have run the crap oil for the 1st thousand miles after the initial break-in (as listed in link). But instead I put sythetic in after finishing bedding the rings at 11:30pm and the next day thrashed it on the track (which worked just as well). See here:
http://forums.club4ag.com/zerothread?id=45024

Then I sold my motor :) and it's now running in someone else's car.

Andrew

[FAST EDDIE]

yep every engine ive had built, about 10 ks then full boost, lewis engines r33 same boat, caseys ke30, steves built rb20 the other week! Thats how its always done, i see so many tossers blowing the piece of shit up before its done some magic 1000ks why the fuck do people bother!!