Engine break in....Engine dyno vs. just drive it

Blakewilder

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Any opinions on thw right way to break in a freshly built motor? Dan Cragin recommended an engine dyno for about a grand.....Ive only really heard of just driving it easy for a while to seat the rings.....any input?
 
there is a procedure for a viper break in on dyno...i need to look through my archives to find the exact procedure.
 
I was told to go easy for the first 500-1000 miles while the rings seat....screw spendin a Grand for a engine dyno!!!
 
i say drive it like a old lady for 600+ miles, then slowy from there get on it,

1k on a dyno to just break in your motor ? dang what kinda cash flow is around here lol

I sell you some stainless steel lug nuts for 400 a pop :D they were once owned by Elvis!
 
Drive it like you stole it... There has been a whole study on this... It doesn't matter how you drive it... you can hammer on it as much as you want.

Right after the motor is built and the truck is assembled, they run the trucks full throttle on a dyno in the factory.

There is nothing wrong with getting nasty early on :)

I will find the link for you that did this study... modern engines don't need break in procedures.
 
I about shit when he told me that....I said hey man I have broken in a few motors and I always just drove em easy for a week or two then hammered it....Can they be highway miles?? Ill just go on a road trip.
 
You have gone this far...break it in on the dyno... no load on her....and you can see where "everything" is at during the session. Just an opinion.

We just yousta drive em with good old Valvoline iner. :rofl:
Now comes the dillema what oil you gonna break her in on... I assume dyno oil... then comes the debate about ring seat with synthetics vs dyno oil.... Kind of fun isn't it?

Hope she turn's out to be better than expected Blake. :D
 
Blake just get the engine installed, then call me and I will put 1000 miles on it for you, then you run it like you want.:D NO...NO, don't thank me, anything for a forum member.:p

Bill.
 
I've always thought that it's best to brake it in too much than not enough.... so on my cars I've gone easy (under 3000rpms) through 2000miles, then gradually worked my way into full throttle by 3000miles. Right now I have 41,000 on the vette and 26,000 on the truck with no problems what so ever.
 
You know Blake, I would just turn the key get on the road and get on the throttle after about 50 miles. You know you are just going to break it anyway, it doesn't matter how you break it in!
 
Lol blake this is where those projects become nightmares, dont stress the small stuff man, splitting hairs will just drive you crazy.

One if you were running a indy car race, and everything had to be precise , ok i could see dyno action,

but for a street car, sounds absured, just driving it slow till everything crank,cam, pisions get a wear pattern, and then your golden for many of miles.

Allso the frist build on any project is the hardest, if your motor blew right now, you have it down pat what to do and what to improve, therefore your downtime would be cut in half, and money you spent is allready there, most of your parts you can reuse on a new build.

Inless you go hog wild and your rod snaps, driving a hole in the block, and a piston flys out the vaule cover, causing total binding and lock up, the pressure pops out a few sparkplugs which shoot out like bullets , refelection off the fender wells, and hitting fuel injectors cracking them fuel now sqiuriting all over SPARK it, cacthes fire, and your truck goes up in a ball of burning love :D

relax bro, go have a margarita and enjoy the sunshine
 
All joking aside, you don't want to run at a constant speed for very long while breaking it in.You want to accelerate, and decelerate (foot off of gas pedal, not braking) as much as possible. This loads, and unloads the rings which seats them to the cylinder wall better.

Bill.
 
Blake this is my take from building bikes
use reg oil no synthetic during break in. that is at controversy, but syn is real slick and may prolong breakin , especially when I needed the motor the nest morn.
After you get it cranked and running , jsut let it idle for an hour or two.

Take it out run it for a few miles like begood said accelerate moderatley deccelerate ,never a constant speed.

Tune it ,,,,,,hammer it!

What you are basically doing is matching rotating mechanical parts to each other, as soon as the engine is turning over this process starts. and actually during the first 30 minutes your good.

Now doing it this way it will make it a loose engine, or basically it will rev free.

doingthe 600-100 mile thing will make it a tight motor.

I have done this for years and never had a problem
Actually on Joannes bikes more than once we have changed a piston , warmed it up to operating temp , cooled it down and repeated, then raced. badabing no problems.

Just remember you are mating (sorta like what you did in Cali?;) )rotating mechanical hard parts. the pistons mate the cylinders, rods to bearings, so on. and at idle they are doin this 750 times a minute, how long do you think it will take?:D
 

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