Breaking in a fresh KA-T

[mys13240]

i am building a turbo charged dohc KA. I am new at the turbo stuff and was wondering how i should break the motor in. I know i should change the oil at the first 500, 1000, and 1500 miles but that is it. I have heard not to get the revs up high also until about 1-1.5k miles is one the motor. Should i run low boost for that period alos? please give me your opinions. thanks.

[bbandit]

I break mine in by bringing my ka-t to a drift event 2 days after i got it done lol

[C-Kwik]

Break-in time can be dependent on a lot of factors. Better control of tolerances will result in shorther break-in times. Take a look at SCC's Project 300 ZX. That motor was meticulaously spec'd and machined prior to being put together and was very carefully put together. According to the magazine there was very little metallic particles of any kind found after draining the oil after a 1,000 mile break-in.

As far as RPMs load plays an important factor on break-in as well. Try to keep loads light to moderate at most. Do take it to high RPM's occassionally, but not at WOT so you keep the loads between the piston walls and the rings light to moderate.

[Checkered-Member]

Like C-Kwik said, don’t go around flooring it, for at least 500 miles

This is what we did in a build B18 that now runs 1.0 bar daily.

Keep the boost setting as low as possible, drain the oil after 500 miles and run it threw a coffee filter, if there are metal shavings and what not, change it again after 1000 miles and do the same thing. If no shaving to be found or very little, your good to go.

[Nathan]

You could try my way...Changed the oil at 5, and 50 miles...will change again at 500. I'm beating on it...beating on it like a red headed stepchild. If it breaks, it wasn't built right anyway. I'm up to 350 miles and at last check (around 300 miles) compression was a solid 180 across the board, no variance over 5psi between cylinders. It makes great power too but its one noisy engine..as in: noisy as all hell, but no knocks or anything. I'll be dynoing within two weeks, we'll know better then how its doing. I'm running 7psi right now and its seen the 7k limiter several times now, and routinely see's full throttle 1st-3rd gear runs, including several full throttle 4th gear pulls out on the highway. Its a fun little car

[90lkn4swp]

wouldnt highway miles be the best for a break in? like plan a trip for after you rebuild drive like 500 miles and back

[TrunkMonkey]

I'm beating on it...beating on it like a red headed stepchild. If it breaks, it wasn't built right anyway.

we think alike.

the only way to break in an engine is to try and break it!

-demetrius

[candela]

I agree as well... everyone has their opinions on teh proper way to break in an engine.

I have driven lighty for the first 1000 miles, changed oil at 10, 100, 500 and 1500 (hen regularly) and even used a junk/used turbo so incase any crap was coming out of the engine it wouldnt damage my BB center that I love so much....

I have also started it, let it idle for about 10 minutes, then done like 4-5 2nd gear WOT 10-60mph pulls and BAM rings were seated. These were both the same engines aseembled by me (accept the head work) by me on teh same car.

Both yielded the same (within 4psi) compression results after 1500 miles...

BTW- highway driving is definetly NOT the best for breaking a motor in. You want some kind of load on the rings and "cruising" will not provide that

[Nathan]

Exactly, its important to seat the rings, and the only way they are going to seat is by putting sufficient pressure on them to wear them into the bores. Highway miles just wont cut it. Rings do not seat from their own tension, but rather from the force of combustion pushing them out against the cylinder walls. It makes sense that the harder you are on it, the quicker they will seat. I can tell you one thing...I took the car out for a few soft drives, being really easy on the engine and it still smoked like a mother after about 10 miles. I went for a less than 5 minute drive in which I beat on it...and presto, no more smoking. This thing idles CLEAN now, you cant see a hint of smoke at all. It just had to seat the rings a bit and everything is better

[mys13240]

candela and Nathan, how much boost did you run while breaking in your motors?

[WDRacing]

Just a word of advice, the oil filter is Extremely cheap. Change it out at 100-500-1000 miles. Change the oil at the same time as well.

I'll go with Ckwik on the motor break in theory. Keep the load down to a minimum and keep the oil system clean and you'll be fine. Also, run a non syntheitc oil for break in.

Brian