Proper Break-in technique..

[DvS_DSM]

Hey, I was talking with Alan Jones and he was really helpful about giving me advice on properly breaking in a rebuilt engine. But I just wanted to get some advice from everyone here.

I had the MachV engine rebuild kit, ARP head studs, all new belts/plugs and etc done.
What would be the best way to break this in?

It's a 1991 Eagle Talon TSI AWD AT.

Thanks.

Matt

[Iwishiwascool]

oh boy.

This is going to be a barn buster.

[DvS_DSM]

huh?
wtf

[Mike C]

I'm not even going to start. You first Ken :D

[WikdTSi]

oh boy.

This is going to be a barn buster.


:p

Stays tuned!

[dsmarc]

huh?
wtf
i think basicially what they are saying is its harder than just how it seems

i was kind of hoping to read how to though go search around youll find something

[BlackEclipse]

Hey, I was talking with Alan Jones and he was really helpful about giving me advice on properly breaking in a rebuilt engine. But I just wanted to get some advice from everyone here.

I had the MachV engine rebuild kit, ARP head studs, all new belts/plugs and etc done.
What would be the best way to break this in?

It's a 1991 Eagle Talon TSI AWD AT.

Thanks.

Matt

Before we even get to this....Did you prime the oil system? Did you smack the crank before you completely tightened down the mains? Do you have a battery charger and did you make sure the battery is fully charged? Did you prime the fuel system?

There are 2 different schools of thought on "breaking in" a motor. Either way will work. You have the virtually the same chance of something going wrong no matter which way you do it.

I chose the "easy does it" method where I let it sit and idle up to room temperature then I took it out on the road and was real easy on it and gradually day by day I pushed it a little harder each day. At 500 miles, I started pushing it hard. After 8,000 miles my compression is at 170, 160, 160, 170

Ken O'Connell chose the hard method. He can explain that to you better. What is your compression at now Ken?

[Mike C]

Revving the car harder will allow the rings to seat more quickly and is the technique I would recommend as long as your clutch and tranny were previously broken in.

[Iwishiwascool]

The new school method:

What break in period?

Theorum:
-95% of ring break in happens in the first 20 minutes
-High cylinder pressures cause the greatest lateral force on the top ring pushing it into the cylinder wall to force it to seat against the hash marks.
=The first 20 minutes (After warm up) must be a counter intuitive method using boost and high rpms and lots engine breaking aka downshifting.

[Iwishiwascool]

busted...
185 in the cylinders that dont have a bad ring or valve mr mike.

[GSXLR8]

so as a side note, if avoidable, don't put in a new clutch the same time you are doing a new engine?

[Iwishiwascool]

you can use a new clutch, you just cant bang gears or launch. Its fine to pull through the gear after its engaged.

[GSXLR8]

just wonderin....OT: I'm a firm supporter of the "drive it like you stole it" breakin of a clutch to get it to hold better...doesnt last as long but it lets ya get into the low 1.7 / high 1.6 60' s

[Iwishiwascool]

Counter point: this is what it says in How to Blueprint & Build a 4-Cylinder Short Block For High-Performance by Des Hammil

Of course use conventional oil and with all the fluids topped off (an extra 6mm of oil on the dipstick for the filter), remove the spark plugs and unplug the coil wire on the distributor (coil pack on our cars). Turn the motor over on the starter for approx 15-25 seconds until your aftermarket oil pressure gauge reads at least 25psi. Install the plugs and wires and plug in the coil pack. Start the engine and watch the oil pressure gauge carefully. If you removed the balance shafts its not uncommon to see 100+psi.

Let it warm up to operating temperature (180F) assuming there arent any LARGE oil leaks. Shut it off and let it cool down . Check for any leaks and top off the fluids. The next time you start it you want to time it with a timing light. Start it up, time it and get ready to take it on the road. Get it on some back roads or the highway and bring some tools. Get it up to fourth or fifth gear and accelerate to 3000rpm and let it come down to 2000rpm. Continue to accelerate to 3000 and let it decelerate down to 2000. This might seem monotonous but it is very important in order to seat the rings properly. Continue this process for 10 minutes and bring it back to the garage. Let it cool down completely . This needs to be done 10 times before you take it out for regular city driving. In the text he mentioned to let it cool down completely in bold text and mentioned something about it will take around an hour?

Change the oil and filter at 500 miles and leave a little oil in the pan. He suggests to drop the oil pan to see if there are any metal shavings or such. For this 10 step procedure I have the wastegate arm unhooked so the flapper door will open freely so the engine will not see boost. When accelerating to 3000rpm he says a good 1/2 to 3/4 throttle is needed.

Then drive it easy for the next 500 miles keeping it under 3000k and avoiding long trips on the highway.

Really it just depends if you want reliability or optimal compression

[drew93tsi]

id go with reliability...thats just me...more boost will compinsate for lessor compression.

[BlackEclipse]

I couldn't do the Ken method on my car because I was all by myself starting my car for the first time. Somebody has to get out of the car and look over things as it is warming up to make sure nothing is going wrong and somebody needs to unplug the battery charger from the battery and close the hood.

I didn't take it out on the road to romp it because I didn't want to be stranded anywhere if things went wrong.

I will do the Ken method next time though as long as I am not alone.

[DvS_DSM]

Ok, well this car is an automatic and this is what I was told to do.

It basically goes along with what was said but I just don't want to screw up and I am going for reliability over anything.

I was told to put it in 2nd and go up to 4500rpms, and let it slow to 15ish mph, then do this over and over for about 30 min. Then stop and let it cool. Then put it in drive and do this all over again never going over 5000 rpms.
I was also told not to go over 60 for like 200ish miles. And to change the oil/filter after about 100 miles and check everything. Then change the oil again around 500 miles.

Does this all sound good? I am going to print out this thread and keep it for reference as I am breaking in my car.

Please excuse my redundance, I just don't know anything about breaking in a car.

I know stupid questions are pointless but anything is better than what I got now.

Thanks again for all your helps guys.

Matt

[BlackEclipse]

It was Mike Luong's story about how Honda breaks in their engines that has convinced me that taking it out and romping it from the beginning is the better way to break it in. If it is good enough for brand new Honda engines then it must be a good thing.

[BlackEclipse]

busted...
185 in the cylinders that dont have a bad ring or valve mr mike.

That sounds like 8.8:1 compression.

I though that setup was 8.3:1?

[Iwishiwascool]

Question: How do buschur and those who are much faster than us break in a motor?

Answer: Roll it of the trailer through the staging lanes.

[Mike C]

My motor has .25 miles on it. Its going straight on the dyno :eek

[dsmarc]

so as a side note, if avoidable, don't put in a new clutch the same time you are doing a new engine?
YES! i thought about that i have aboutoh....40 feet on my clutch and im going to have to break both my clutch and engine in at the same time

[M 4 L k i 3 R]

From what I hear, Buscher builds it, puts it in and rolls it over to the dyno.

[TRAIN73_TSI]

gret topic i needed this infor because im oardering my rebuild kit from slowboy on monday and i needed this info saves me from posting so thanx

[Iwishiwascool]

you should talk to mark huml aka the owner of slowboy and see what he says.... then report back.

Its best to get lots of opinions.

[DSM614]

Well.. he didnt get the block done, so however long it takes for the ring's to seat, they will be seating next to an uncleaned, unhoned block.