any experience with breaking in engines?

[krayton]

Just got done with rebuild. Seeing whats out there from first had experience.

Ive read it all, all over the web. Heard a few first hand with the run it hard after warm up.

Basically i was confused since its NA motors running WOT. We decided to run partial throttle with 0 working to a few pounds of psi.

needless to say with a quick thrown together tune, we ran for an hour on the street doing 3rd gear pulls. could only get some throttle because the boost was building quick.

We peaked to around 7psi. No smoke from the rear.

Anyways, seeing what people have done. I want to get it on a dyno and tuned by a local shop, but wondering if I should do anymore to break in the engine.

Anyone with some good experience?

[240z4u]

I would take it easy on that motor for a bit before going nuts tuning (provided your on a safe tune right now).

I typically waited 500 miles.

Good luck, so far so good?

Evan

[Coolwhip]

run it in on boost. Most guys break-in their motors on the dyno.

There are dozens of ways to do this, best safe bet is to follow the advise of your experienced engine builder.

[raremotive]

There's nothing to worry about a break in period, if anything was going to break... it would break regardless if you rode it hard or lightly.

Only thing in the engine that needs to be broken in is the ring and cylinders to get optimum seal.

Which driving slow or at idle will not help the process of sealing the piston rings or cylinder walls..

To break in, drive it like you are going to drive it. Up shift and down shifting are equal in importance to providing the loads to the rings against the cylinders.

Everything else in the system is protected by oil, which is a non-compressible fluid...so regardless how hard you run your motor.. as long it gets it's oil, it will be fine. Which is why starting up a engine while cold is most harmful. Because the tension in the mechanical system causes components within the system to shift resulting touching metal to metal. Which is also the advantage of a dry sump/external oil pump, which primes the oil before cranking.

[Cjmartz2k]

x2

[PorkChopExpress]

when i rebuild, let it warm up, make sure nothings leaking beat the crap out of it in low boost setting. change the oil. i do that a few times till the oil doesnt have a metalic sheen in it anymore. have always had good results. well, no one time i had a loose bolt that went through the water jacket, overheated badly. head was trashed warped like 1mm hehe good times tho