96Formula6spd

iTrader: (7)

Hey guys I should be getting my engine back from the machine shop. Anyways what would be the best way to break in the engine.

94Aquaformula

iTrader: (28)

just got mine back today, New engine and tranny. Colin91z on here. A really smart guy about lt1s. Told me to beat on it to seat the rings and make sure everything was built right. Havent got on it yet. Some people say be easy on it and then other people say drive it like you stole it. Good luck

96Formula6spd

iTrader: (7)

hrm should be fun with a new clutch also

fleetmgr

Ask the guys that say that if they'll pay to fix it when you break it by doing that.

I didn't think so.

Just because they got away with it doesn't make it smart. If they've got the deep pockets for that sort of thing, more power to 'em. I expect mine to last for awhile.

No full throttle for the first 500 miles or so.
Vary your engine speed as much as possible while driving for the first couple hundred. By that I mean with load on, not just blipping the throttle.

Take it easy between 500 and 1000 miles...no max RPM runs. 4000 - 5000 tops is ok.

Change the oil at 50 miles, and again at 500, and again at 1000. NO SYNTHETIC OIL DURING BREAK IN!!!!

After 1000, you're good to go.

NEVER, EVER PUT ANY SORT OF OIL ADDITIVE IN YOUR OIL!!!

96Formula6spd

iTrader: (7)

sounds good

94Aquaformula

iTrader: (28)

then whats up with company "Patterson racing" Next to where i work. Good guys that build some serious horsepower engines all across the world. They build it and put it right on the engine dyno and rev to the sky. Heard so many different ways. Don't know who to listen to.

Marc3.4V6

iTrader: (1)

I think it's safe to say that taking it easy for 1,000 miles is your best bet, what do you have to lose from not driving the snot out of it?

ninjai_ruken

I 100% concur, even though I was told at first start up to let the engine run for about 15-30 min then change the oil for the first time to make sure any metals and other particles are out of the oil. The break in you described is almost exactly how my dad told me to break a motor in. And he has ben building engines and racing since the late 70's

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

Very good procedure.. pretty much how I do mine. Having a standard helps vary the RPM ranges..Auto's want to shift too much.

LS1 SPEED

iTrader: (22)

There is not a motor we do that doesn;t see the dyno and max RPM with 20 miles.

-first start we heat cycle, change oil and filter

-take for a short drive and verify the car seems well and check for leaks ( 2nd heat cycle )

We then move to the dyno for another round of heat cycling and different loads to seat the rings. ( 3rd heat cycle )

good cool down

We then start tuning and see max rpm...motors vary from NA 400+ to FI 1000+ rwhp motors.

The car is then checked over again and another oil/filter change is done.

no synthetics

We then recommend oil/filter changes every 500-1000 miles until 3K miles. I change mine every couple times to the track, but that's just me.

fleetmgr

No disrespect intended, but what's your engine warranty?

I fully realize that you racing engine builders march to a different drummer. That's because you're building to and for a different standard than Joe Lunchbucket does in his garage, nor are you necessarily expecting that it will go for 100k miles before it comes back. One of the commonalities I've seen since I've been posting here is there are lots of kids (apologies to all...my 53 year old perspective), which means limited incomes. They only get to do it once since the deep pockets aren't there yet.

ThreeHonks

iTrader: (10)

My motor has not seen max RPM yet and has had 3 oil changes so far. I have 503 miles on it since the rebuild. I vary the RPM a lot and give it about 50000-5500 rpm NOT under WOT to seat the rings. For the first 30 miles/30 min of driving I would not drive in the same gear for more than about 30 sec. The first 20-30 miles are when it is most crucial to seat the rings

RamAir95TA

iTrader: (2)

I've also been told by my engine builder (who has won Engine Builder of the Year at Atco Raceway 8 years in a row) to run it fairly hard.

I took my motor to the track with 150 miles on it.

meissenation

iTrader: (2)

I told my engine builder that I heard to go wot a few times to seat the rings and he started laughing. He told me the rings would surely be seated but every other break in surface isn't going to like it. That's just what I was told. Personally, I took it easy on mine - I want it to last, not fix stuff all the time.

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

Yea..some of them other parts are the Bearings. Taking it too high in RPM's too fast will kill them.

Z28reggie

Not tryin to thread jump but why no synthetic oil or additives ?

AChotrod

iTrader: (17)

Ok Im gonna run it per Larry's post. WTF do you think every racecar engine in the world does??????????? None of them will ever see 1 street mile, just a short break in then to the dyno or race track.

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

Yea.. but is yours a race car? Alot of them guys tear them things down after a while and re-build..if it doesn't blow up.

meissenation

iTrader: (2)

Those guys also rebuild their engines every 2-3 runs...

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

^^Exactly.