Engine rebuild break-in procedure?, What's best? Options

[96740]

Just had my 1973 2 liter (1971cc) rebuilt and bumped up to a 2056. What should the break-in period/procedure be like?

What oil?
What weight oil?
Duration of break-in?
Limitations on RPM?

I know i should not go any long cross country drives, but other than that Id like to hear specifically from 914 owners.

Thanks,
Roy.

Pics:

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[96740]

I hear Crickets. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

The reason I'm asking is I saw that Brad Penn had special oil for the "Break in" period. Just 30w. Is there a reason for this? What is the consensus on how to break in a newly re-built engine?

[Racer]

What break in proceedure did the engine builder share with you?

When mine was done they wanted about 500 miles on it before doing an oil change and likely checking valves... Varied RPM. Kept under 4K for the first few hundred miles.. I should note this is all from memory from about 13 years ago.

Of note, for me, I got the engine installed on a Sunday and needed the break in miles to go to a DE at LimeRock by that Friday. It was a frantic week getting those miles on the car! Made the event.. engine lasted another 6 years (about 30K miles, mostly used for DE and AX events.)

[r_towle]

brad penn break in oil.
Buy enough for two oil changes.

Start motor...run at 2500 rpm for 20-30 minutes with no variation.
Change oil.
More break in oil.

Run motor for 100 miles, push it to seat the rings.
Change oil, adjust valves.

You are done with break in oil.
New filter, new oil.
I run 20w50.

Run hard till 500 miles.
Change oil, set valves.

Run 3k miles per oil change...have fun.

Take note of the valves during break in.
smell the oil for signs of fuel at each oil change.
Rings get seated by torque...dont be nice and dont sit on the highway for long high revving rides till after 500 miles.

Rich

[Elliot Cannon]

My engine spent some time on the dyno. When I asked about break-in procedures, they said "drive it the way you want it to run". I said "okee dokee". (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[96740]

Thanks.

The shop that rebuilt the motor said to take it somewhat easy for the first couple hundred miles. Don't go on any long drives where the engine sits steady at a high rpm. Come back in 1,000 miles and adjust the valves and change the oil.


I changed the oil myself after a couple hundred. How important is the use of the 30w oil for break in? I have Castrol 20w-50 in now.

[McMark]

Once the inital cam break in is done. Drive it hard, but I agree about staying away from sustained RPMs. Vary it as much as possible.

[ConeDodger]

I hear Crickets. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

The reason I'm asking is I saw that Brad Penn had special oil for the "Break in" period. Just 30w. Is there a reason for this? What is the consensus on how to break in a newly re-built engine?

It isn't that we don't know or have an opinion. I for one have a hard time imagining an engine builder who doesn't have a very strong opinion about how they want the engine they built broken in... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Otherwise, the advice you have gotten here is good...

[96740]

It isn't that we don't know or have an opinion. I for one have a hard time imagining an engine builder who doesn't have a very strong opinion about how they want the engine they built broken in...

Really had nothing to do with what my engine builder said. I've heard hundreds of versions of how and what to do when breaking in an engine from new cars to old ones with a rebuild.

Just wanted a perspective from some 914 people. If you feel it's beneath you just pass it by. I asked YOUR opinion. Not whether or not my mechanic had one.

[Solo914]

It isn't that we don't know or have an opinion. I for one have a hard time imagining an engine builder who doesn't have a very strong opinion about how they want the engine they built broken in...

Really had nothing to do with what my engine builder said. I've heard hundreds of versions of how and what to do when breaking in an engine from new cars to old ones with a rebuild.

Just wanted a perspective from some 914 people. If you feel it's beneath you just pass it by. I asked YOUR opinion. Not whether or not my mechanic had one.

Easy easy... I totally agree with conedogger. Every machinist, engine builder and brother in law has an opinion on how to break in an engine.

I could give my opinion but I am no pro so I will let you take a bunch of opinions and formulate your own plan.

Here is what my engine builder told me and this what he has put together 35 years experience and most recently from a oil engineer that works directly with high end nascar engine engineers/builders.

Its all about heat cycles during break in.

First start the car and rev to 2-2.5k
Run for 1 min... let the engine completely cool... cool to the touch
Run for 2 min, let the engine cool
Run for 2 min, let the engine cool
Run for 5 min, let the engine cool
Drive the the car for 10 mins, varying rpms, never rev above 4k, let the engine cool
Drive the car for 10 mins, varying rpms, up your revs by 500 rpms, let engine cool
Repeat until engine reaches redline.

Honestly, this seems super tedious to me but I am going to follow it on my engine. The oil engineer is a metalurgist and says that the heat cycling quickly allows engine parts to(laymans terms) "mesh" together, especially cams. My engine builder also had me dry fit my bottom end and rotate it about 50-100 times dry to preseat my rings and then reassemble them oiled. Now, my rings were a chrome composition so they take longer to seat therefore if you had a softer ring it might be overkill.


Kyle

[96740]

Thank you.

[Jake Raby]

Do the 20 minute cam break in at 2000-2400 RPM sustained...

Use Brad Penn Break in oil for 300 miles.

Then drive the car exactly as you will be for the next 100K miles... Don't worry about taking it easy or babying the engine.. If its gonna break, it'll break no matter how you break it in.

After the cam break in I take engines straight to redline.