Engine break in...
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FormerVendor
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Engine break in... Hey, I'm getting my engine in a 98 LS1 rebuilt. I'm wondering what the best break in would be. I searched the site but couldn't come up with anything. From what I have heard is start it up and make sure everything is good looking/sounding. Take it easy around 3500rpm and not to stay at anyone rpm for too long. Change with cheep oil at 300mi, 500mi, 1000mi, 1500mi, and then at 2500mi with synthetic. What have others done? Thanks for the help, Steve.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: BFE
Just put non synthetic oil for the first 500 miles. Drive normally without going over 4K rpm.
Basically the motor needs about 10-15 heat cycles to seat the springs and bearings.
After 500, just change to your favorite synth and you are good to go after a thorough check for leaks and stuff.
I just broke my 370 in and all is well.
Basically the motor needs about 10-15 heat cycles to seat the springs and bearings.
After 500, just change to your favorite synth and you are good to go after a thorough check for leaks and stuff.
I just broke my 370 in and all is well.
The very first time you fire it up, make sure the oil pump is primed (oil in all the passages, heads, bearings, etc..), let it warm up, idle / high speed idle for about 20 minutes, then shut it down and check / change the oil and filter to make sure there aren't any metal shavings in it.
After that, replace the oil with regular (non-synthetic) and take it to the dyno / on the highway for some full throttle pulls to redline to seat those rings.
Some feel the motor needs a few heat cycles first, but as long as the engine was built properly, there is nothing that needs to 'break in' except for seating the rings.
Owners manuals don't tell you this because they don't want people going out and redlining their brand new fast cars and end up killing themselves.
If you do some research, a little reading, many engine builders / tuners have done away with the 'easy break in' idea altogether and dyno tune brand new engines for max power. Good luck
ps www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm here's an article on the technique
After that, replace the oil with regular (non-synthetic) and take it to the dyno / on the highway for some full throttle pulls to redline to seat those rings.
Some feel the motor needs a few heat cycles first, but as long as the engine was built properly, there is nothing that needs to 'break in' except for seating the rings.
Owners manuals don't tell you this because they don't want people going out and redlining their brand new fast cars and end up killing themselves.
If you do some research, a little reading, many engine builders / tuners have done away with the 'easy break in' idea altogether and dyno tune brand new engines for max power. Good luck
ps www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm here's an article on the technique
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 14,620
Likes: 17
From: BFE
"After that, replace the oil with regular (non-synthetic) and take it to the dyno / on the highway for some full throttle pulls to redline to seat those rings."
Read a little more and learn before jumping in and saying nonsense like this.
It is simple (500 miles easy driving) with non synth, change oil and filter, check everything and THEN go for your dyno pulls and fine tune.
Alot of peeps I know just cycle it a couple of times. Maybe put about 200 to 300 miles on it and hit the dyno. I did what pred-z did. My motor still didnt live long but I would still go by that. And if your running a boosted car run it with the blower to seat the rings. And there is nothing wrong with changing your filter after a intial heat cycle. I dont do that but you can if you dont trust how clean you are about putting your motor together.
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With my new 402 motor, on first start up I put in Motorcraft 10W40 oil, bleed the coolant, changed oil and filter. Motorcraft 10W40 again and another PF46. Drove around 50 easy miles, went on the dyno did some 6000rpm pulls. Put in another PF46 and Royal Purple 5W30 , which is actually a mineral based oil btw, and is ready to go, valvetrain is very quiet.
Ready for some RP racing 41 or GC 0W30.
Ready for some RP racing 41 or GC 0W30.
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Originally Posted by burnrubber
After that, replace the oil with regular (non-synthetic) and take it to the dyno / on the highway for some full throttle pulls to redline to seat those rings.
Seriously...You would do full throttle pulls right off the bat like that?
I'm a "Nancy" when it comes to breaking in motors...
As said above, run a regular non-synthetic motor oil. I make sure everything is running correctly, no leaks, etc. I then put about 20 miles on the motor, come back and change the oil/filter, checking for metal shavings. I then run regular non-synthetic for 500 miles, making sure to do all stop-and-go city driving.
After that I exclusively run synthetic and change the oil again, this time with another 500 mile interval, and lastly change it again and run for a 1000 mile interval.
At this point, the motor has 2000 miles of mostly city driving on it, and then I go romp on it...
Have fun
As said above, run a regular non-synthetic motor oil. I make sure everything is running correctly, no leaks, etc. I then put about 20 miles on the motor, come back and change the oil/filter, checking for metal shavings. I then run regular non-synthetic for 500 miles, making sure to do all stop-and-go city driving.
After that I exclusively run synthetic and change the oil again, this time with another 500 mile interval, and lastly change it again and run for a 1000 mile interval.
At this point, the motor has 2000 miles of mostly city driving on it, and then I go romp on it...
Have fun
I put 150 miles on mine, revving slowly from 1500-rpm to 4500rpm in gears 2-5 on the highway (yes, people loved driving next to me that evening on the highway). Came home, changed the dino oil with more dino oil.
Then ripped it 1-4, on the dyno by 400 miles or so. Went to synthetic at 2500 or so, GC 0-30.
Car runs strong! Uses zero oil and does not smoke.
Then ripped it 1-4, on the dyno by 400 miles or so. Went to synthetic at 2500 or so, GC 0-30.
Car runs strong! Uses zero oil and does not smoke.
Here's a web page suggested to me when I had asked this question. It's a good reference. http://www.crateenginedepot.com/suinst.html
Originally Posted by PREDATOR-Z
That is not LS1 procedure
There is no need to run ours at 200>2500 since we have hydraulic cam/lifters and we do not have a distributor.
There is no need to run ours at 200>2500 since we have hydraulic cam/lifters and we do not have a distributor.
That's why the thread states that it's a reference. Figured that could go unsaid. Poor assumption on my part I guess.
Originally Posted by PREDATOR-Z
Please refrain from giving seriously bad advice unless you are sure of what you are talking about.
Read a little more and learn before jumping in and saying nonsense like this.
It is simple (500 miles easy driving) with non synth, change oil and filter, check everything and THEN go for your dyno pulls and fine tune.
Read a little more and learn before jumping in and saying nonsense like this.
It is simple (500 miles easy driving) with non synth, change oil and filter, check everything and THEN go for your dyno pulls and fine tune.
. They broke the motors in on the dyno at high rpm's to seat the rings properly. They also verify the horsepower rating of the motor. If you are building a street/strip motor and want the most performance, you had better seat those rings within the first 50 miles with some higher rpm's. Every car I have had has always been a strong runner. I always make sure everything is good with the motor then I hammer it pretty good to make sure the rings are properly seated. Chage the oil at 20 miles since most of the seating of the rings will happen in this time period, then change it again at 200 then 1000 miles. Use the oil of your choice after that. If you want to baby your car during break in, that is your choice but don't complain of low dyno or track numbers... TECH Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: BFE
I can see what you're saying, but as per my 27 years experience with motors, heat cycles (10>15), have always been my way of doing it.
Reason being that the metals in the parts used (especialy if new), needed to contract and expand a few time to strengthen their tolerances via molecular interaction.
Different strokes for different folks I guess.
Reason being that the metals in the parts used (especialy if new), needed to contract and expand a few time to strengthen their tolerances via molecular interaction.
Different strokes for different folks I guess.
Race car= startup ,fully warm up,dump oil, then start with new oil and dyno to 8500rpm.
Street car -start,warm up dump oil,new oil and street drive pretty easy while fine tuning drivability.Get on it every once in awhile to load the rings.Change oil at 500 miles and 1k miles.Ussually dyno at 200-300miles for a base tune at WOT (rich side). Final tune at 1k miles.
The engines we've broken in like this have lasted a long time with no oil problems.I have seen 2 motors broken in the fast way that suck down a ton of oil from bad ring seal.
Street car -start,warm up dump oil,new oil and street drive pretty easy while fine tuning drivability.Get on it every once in awhile to load the rings.Change oil at 500 miles and 1k miles.Ussually dyno at 200-300miles for a base tune at WOT (rich side). Final tune at 1k miles.
The engines we've broken in like this have lasted a long time with no oil problems.I have seen 2 motors broken in the fast way that suck down a ton of oil from bad ring seal.
Thread Starter
FormerVendor
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Thanks for the info guys! I think I'm gonna play it safe and do what PREDATOR-Z said and go from there.
Would it be bad on the engine to wait till 1000-1500mi to get a dyno tune? I'm adding a tr224 112 cam, LT headers, Z06 manifold, ported/polished heads.
Would it be bad on the engine to wait till 1000-1500mi to get a dyno tune? I'm adding a tr224 112 cam, LT headers, Z06 manifold, ported/polished heads.