How long before the rings seat?
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
How long before the rings seat? After I got a little over 1K miles on my engine I put it on the dyno. The numbers were down, it made 490/500, but that was with peak power at 5500rpm (torque was good). Then it flattened out and dropped off at 6300. At that time, the engine was consuming some *serious* oil. On a friday night cruise it would go through a quart. Smoke while idling and a smoke screen at WOT that would cover the bumper in black soot and oil. Smoke puffed out the pipes between shifts. Since then I've put another 500 or so miles on it. I still get some smoke at WOT, but it's not bad, and I don't notice anything at idle. Been checking the dipstick everytime I take it out, and it looks like the oil consumption has about stopped. Was it possible that the rings were not yet seated before? Half of that initial 1K miles was a roadtrip from N.C. to N.J. I figured the rings would have been seated by then.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
From: Buffalo, N.Y.
What kind of rings are you using? What kind of oil (hope it wasn't synthetic) did you use while breaking 'er in?
I had a local speed shop build my Gen III stroker (forged rotating assembly), and the owner used Joe Gibbs engine break-in oil. It stopped puffing black smoke 5-10 minutes after initial start-up. He said once the "puffing" stopped, the rings were seated.....Diamond Pro-Race Custom forged pistons/total seal piston rings.
The break-in oil will get dumped in about another 50 miles, then, for the next 500 or so, we'll either use non-synthetic Valvoline 10/40, or straight 30 wt...haven't made up our minds yet.
I've traded e-mails with both Comp Cams, and Royal Purple....both said NOT to break in my engine with synthetic oil. I took their advice. The only thing that puzzles me, is that hi-performance, OEM oil fills are mostly synthetic (usually Mobil1 5W/30), and I never hear of ring-seating or engine break-in problems with new cars that are filled with synthetic from the factory. Go figure.....
I had a local speed shop build my Gen III stroker (forged rotating assembly), and the owner used Joe Gibbs engine break-in oil. It stopped puffing black smoke 5-10 minutes after initial start-up. He said once the "puffing" stopped, the rings were seated.....Diamond Pro-Race Custom forged pistons/total seal piston rings.
The break-in oil will get dumped in about another 50 miles, then, for the next 500 or so, we'll either use non-synthetic Valvoline 10/40, or straight 30 wt...haven't made up our minds yet.
I've traded e-mails with both Comp Cams, and Royal Purple....both said NOT to break in my engine with synthetic oil. I took their advice. The only thing that puzzles me, is that hi-performance, OEM oil fills are mostly synthetic (usually Mobil1 5W/30), and I never hear of ring-seating or engine break-in problems with new cars that are filled with synthetic from the factory. Go figure.....
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
Originally Posted by bichin95redta
What kind of rings are you using? What kind of oil (hope it wasn't synthetic) did you use while breaking 'er in?
I had a local speed shop build my Gen III stroker (forged rotating assembly), and the owner used Joe Gibbs engine break-in oil. It stopped puffing black smoke 5-10 minutes after initial start-up. He said once the "puffing" stopped, the rings were seated.....Diamond Pro-Race Custom forged pistons/total seal piston rings.
The break-in oil will get dumped in about another 50 miles, then, for the next 500 or so, we'll either use non-synthetic Valvoline 10/40, or straight 30 wt...haven't made up our minds yet.
I've traded e-mails with both Comp Cams, and Royal Purple....both said NOT to break in my engine with synthetic oil. I took their advice. The only thing that puzzles me, is that hi-performance, OEM oil fills are mostly synthetic (usually Mobil1 5W/30), and I never hear of ring-seating or engine break-in problems with new cars that are filled with synthetic from the factory. Go figure.....
I had a local speed shop build my Gen III stroker (forged rotating assembly), and the owner used Joe Gibbs engine break-in oil. It stopped puffing black smoke 5-10 minutes after initial start-up. He said once the "puffing" stopped, the rings were seated.....Diamond Pro-Race Custom forged pistons/total seal piston rings.
The break-in oil will get dumped in about another 50 miles, then, for the next 500 or so, we'll either use non-synthetic Valvoline 10/40, or straight 30 wt...haven't made up our minds yet.
I've traded e-mails with both Comp Cams, and Royal Purple....both said NOT to break in my engine with synthetic oil. I took their advice. The only thing that puzzles me, is that hi-performance, OEM oil fills are mostly synthetic (usually Mobil1 5W/30), and I never hear of ring-seating or engine break-in problems with new cars that are filled with synthetic from the factory. Go figure.....
Originally Posted by bichin95redta
I had a local speed shop build my Gen III stroker (forged rotating assembly), and the owner used Joe Gibbs engine break-in oil. .......
The break-in oil will get dumped in about another 50 miles, .....
The break-in oil will get dumped in about another 50 miles, .....
That stuff is expensive.
Last edited by mr2guru; Aug 25, 2006 at 03:37 PM.
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
Originally Posted by PREDATOR-Z
Rings will seat in the first 20 minutes of break in.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Gifts Neither Your Dad Nor Grad Will Shove Into the 'Trinket Drawer'
Brett Foote
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?
Pouria Savadkouei
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
ring seating Sounds to me like there was a honing issue on that block. Walls may have been glazed causing the rings not to seat. In that case it could take 3,000 or more miles to seat the rings if they do indeed seat at all. I'm glad that you are reporting the oil consumption seems to have abated.
I have data from Sunnen on honing for Darton Sleeves. All Darton sleeves are made of the same ductile iron including the top fuel sleeves. I'll be happy to e-mail the info to any shop interested. Use of proper stones will also greatly speed up the honing process.
Steve
I have data from Sunnen on honing for Darton Sleeves. All Darton sleeves are made of the same ductile iron including the top fuel sleeves. I'll be happy to e-mail the info to any shop interested. Use of proper stones will also greatly speed up the honing process.
Steve
__________________
Steve Demirjian
Race Engine Development
Oceanside, Ca.
760-630-0450
web: www.raceenginedevelopment.com/
e-mail: race-engine-development@***.net
Steve Demirjian
Race Engine Development
Oceanside, Ca.
760-630-0450
web: www.raceenginedevelopment.com/
e-mail: race-engine-development@***.net
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
Originally Posted by Steve - Race Eng
Sounds to me like there was a honing issue on that block. Walls may have been glazed causing the rings not to seat. In that case it could take 3,000 or more miles to seat the rings if they do indeed seat at all. I'm glad that you are reporting the oil consumption seems to have abated.
