Stroker2112

OK....it started up instantly...and sounds really nice!...however, both the oil pressure guage and temp gauge are stuck at 0!!! So, I can't tell if there's really no oil pressure or if the gauge just isn't working. Does the Mass Air sensor (IAT) have any effect on the gauges working or not?....I didn't hook up the air mass sensor or K&N intake tube before I started it. I hate to keep starting it if there really is an oil pressure issue....any advice?

Stroker2112

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

Mechanical oil pressure gauge, or simply peek under a valve cover with the motor running. Chances are you broke the oil sensor while putting the motor back in the car or putting the intake back on.

J-Rod

Beating on a fresh motor under the assumptions it will make more power is just pure and utter stupidity.

Why does a motor make more power if you beat on it early? The simple answer is you've artifically "aged" the motor by wearing out the clearances early on. There are certain reasons to break in things like flat tappet cams a certain way. Since I don't know anyone with an LS1 witha flat tappet, I'm going to skip that part of the discussion. I guess I'm going to have to write sticky on engine break in. Here are a couple of things.

First, most engine oils are missing ZDDP which is critical to a new motor. I can't begin to tell you how many rebuilt engines are failing or having a much shorter life just based on this.

Seating the rings is important. But, you can scuff the pistons and ruin a set of rings just as easily as you can by beating them to death.

If you are going to break in a motor, get some OTR truck oil. My recommendation is Rotella T. It still has plenty of ZDDP. Add a pint of GM EOS to the oil, and break in your motor in a sane manner.

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ar/eb90329.htm
http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ar/eb40250.htm
http://www.circletrack.com/techartic...ent/index.html


http://www.automotiverebuilder.com/pastissues.htm

The wrong oil in a motor can glaze the cylinder walls and cause no ring seat. Breaking in without good oil with ZDDP can lead to excessive scuffing and excessive wear on both the piston and the ring.

Slowhawk

iTrader: (12)

Here is what we do.

Start motor and idle for 10-15 minutes,shut off and dump oil.Replace oil and drive 10 miles while tuning in the fuel and timing with a few 1/2 throttle hit's.
After that we drive easy for 500 miles with a few 1/2-3/4 throttle pulls to load the motor good. After 500 miles we fully tune it and start driving hard.Synthetic at 1500 miles or so.

I've pulled apart motors that are driven hard since new.The bearings were screwed.This is why we break them in.

Our race cars get 15 minute breakin,then hammer down.Those only get 6-8 miles on them between rebuilds

02BlackBullet

iTrader: (60)

You're right. Beating the **** out if a motor and thinking it will make more power is stupid.

If you read my post, I was specific to what RPM's I would bring it up to and let it idle down while building pressure to help seat everything. I guess when I said to "beat the **** out of it" I should have just said Don't drive it like a bitch putting around town at 2k thinking you're going to hurt it if you do anything else...but at the same time not to be spinning it to 7k and throwing gears like a mad man. I figured if I included the RPM range and said beat the **** out of it, he would translate that to 4.5k rpm pulls at about 3/4 throttle but whatever. My method sounds remotley the same to Slowhawk's to tell the truth.

Reguardless, thanks for the "pure and utter stupidity" comment. (if that was indeed intended for me.) I appreciate that. :

1989GTA

J-Rod what weight of Shell Rotella-T do you recommend? Locally I have seen 15w40 and 10w40. On a web search I have also seen 10w30 but not in the stores locally. For me I live in Southern California so freezing temperatures are not in the cards. I normally run 5W30 Mobile One but I'm preparing to install a new motor and so the interest in this thread.

J-Rod

My comments were intended for anyone who is under that misconception, and shares that bit of engine lore with others as fact, when in fact it is not. I guess it is up to you to determine that.

I do agree with the idea of a variable load on the motor. You simply have to be careful on decelaration. Using the car to decelarate is like using the dyno to slow a motor. That is actually how you DON'T break a motor in on the dyno you let the motor decelarate on its own, and you don't use the dyno to stop it...

Stroker2112

Good stuff, thanks everyone. Here's an update...I replaced the oil pump and O-ring and now have 65-75psi. I've started it twice since getting the oil pressure fixed, and just let it idle for 10 minutes each time. Dumped the oil, and will probably add some GM EOS right before the dyno tune. The dyno tip on letting the engine decelerate makes sense...are there any other "gotchas" I should look out for?...This is my first DIY engine build and besides the oil pressure problem, most everything else has gone rather smooth. Back to the subject of "Break-it in Hard or Soft?"...The dyno shop is going to put "load" on the engine/rings and most likely go WOT to set an optimum tune ...right? So should I tell him to only do 1/2 and 3/4 pulls like stated above?...And then do my own breakin afterward?

Interested to hear how everyone else handled their initial dyno tune

Stroker2112

Mrs. Ronin

iTrader: (1)

How did your tune/break in go? I am getting ready to do mine and really would like to hear how others came out/
I also need to know where to find this Rotella engine oil. I have looked at Kragen and Napa and have no luck? Also recommended weight?
Thanks I am excited to start this beast up and see how it goes! Any suggestions would be great!