hey guys. I was just sitting here watching Horsepower TV and they were breaking in a new motor on a dirt track car. They said that it should be done slowly and not rough. Well I was browsing the net a while back and found this article: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

I just wanted to see your alls opinion on what you think on the articles and how you all think it should be done..

 

Drive it like to stole it for a few hundred miles and then do an oil change around 500-800.

 

Horsepower Tv is entertaining but not always the most informative.

I remember when My mom purchase her 96 corolla new, they told her to keep it under 55mph for ~500 miles. She did it and no motor problems even to this day with 140,xxx miles, but the link you've provided has many good and valid points.

Would like to hear from someone who has used his method for breakin in their motor.

 

I know how to break in rc car engines .

I know someone that purchased a brand new 06 BMW M5 and BMW told him for the first 1000 miles IIRC that he could not exceed 4k I think it was 4k and never to go WOT. If he did BMW would know and if there were any problems under warranty BMW would have to charge him for the problems that would develop. He told me how after work he would drive out to St Louis and come right back to Chicago just to put miles on it since he was eager to pass the break in.

 

when i got my altima back in 03 i did a 45 second burn out in it with 5 miles on it . they say if ya break it in like a puss it will drive like one too. oh well its a lease ne way, muwahaha

 

Read the entire article already; throughout my engineering career, I do see the sound of its engineering, but it's still a hoodoo against the physics I've learned. I hope to hear more people post up about this topic because I'm about to have a new motor swapped into my car.

 

hell yea...some people swear that as easy break-in will actually make the motor produce less power....i dunno what other believe....thats some people....my friend bought a brand new STi and left the dealer sideways....

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=270340
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

I have heard many cases with new Evos having more leakage due to being beat on very early. There were many autocrossers that had their warrenty declined when the motors turned into faucets.

 

That is because BMW ECUs remember every redline, how many, for how long...etc.

I've seen that site posted on multiple forums, and the general consensus is that on a N/A motor, it *might* make a more powerful motor early on, but will break sooner. On a turbo engine, it will usually lead to even more early breakdown. Some even say that because of the materials used in a motorcycle motor is different than a car engine, the concept is invalid.

 

Don't beat on it, don't baby it, change the oil early. Done.

 

Oh ya, one way to think about beating on a new motor is: would you sprint or run a long distanc ebefore stretching? Could you be fine afterwards? Or could you pull a muscle or get a cramp?

 

The best way to break it in is to depress the throttle pedal ALL the way down and start it up on the coldest morning of the year and continue to allow it to redline itself for 2 minutes...you have succesfully broken in the engine in 1 minute instead of 1 month...no but honestly HOW can you drive a BRAND NEW CAR you plan on paying off for years and years like you stole it? Maybe a lease, yeah...but if you're keeping the car, do you really think you'll have the heart to beat it up fresh out of the dealer? C'mon now...

 

hell yea i would...my car ill do what i want...thats what warranties are for

 

Yeah, then the real hoodoo is that your car will break down right after that warrantee is over with. That's just life and luck...

 

me and most of my family drag race here in NM, we also build our own engines and transmissions..... i use the same break in with the race motors as street cars.

dont beat on it (hold it at redline, bounce it off the rev limiter, or anything like that) but also dont baby it, run it firmly, take it through the full RPM range a few times, under load. putting the normal running pressure on the parts is a good thing, it helps everything seat well (rings, bearings, valves) but the rev limiter is your enemy in this situation, since it is such an abrupt load change, it can hurt what you are trying to do. on race motors we do this kind of break in for the equivilent of 3-4 full runs.... then after 10-20 minutes of sitting at idle everything is ready to go..... of course the cars are cooled and warmed up properly in between (cooled after each pass to 150* or below, and warmed to 170*or alittle over)

for the street cars a few strong pulls and mixed with some normal city driving (getting on the freeway, brisk stop light acceleration, passing on the freeway etc.) and i have never found any problems. compression checks always come back right where they should be, and leak down tests come back as they should. thats how i broke in my 06 maxima, and havent found any kind of issue yet

and for changing the oil, it is important to change it early, between metal that can accumulate during break in, and assembly lube thats used, all that needs to be flushed out after 500 miles or so in a street car, or 4-5 passes at the track.

the only thing i have ever used synthetic oil in was a few turbo cars, other then that i dont really care for it, Valvoline and Valvoline race oil have always served me very well





just my couple of pennies on the subject, everyone has different opinions, and that doesnt make anyone wrong... this is just my expereince as a big engine builder (454ci up to 640 ci) and with my street cars

 

Most cars are delivered to the dealerships w/ the motors broken in. Your buddy's STi came w/ moble 1 in it correct? An engine can't be broken in on synthetic. Its to slick to create enough friction for the rings to seat. As for Evos, Mitsu is being real a$$holes when it comes to warrenting them if you admit to racing it in anyway or even doing certin maintenance things yourself your warreenty is gone. I've heard of Mitsu sending people to tracks and writing down VINs to void peoples warrenty. Unless you just had a motor built I wouldn't worrie about break in in your new car.

 

Don't mean to sound rude or anything but the same thing was said in post 11.

 

Don't beat on it, don't be tip tipn, skeet skeet it out .

 

From my 10 years of engine building.. I've learned that, the first 30-45 minutes are the most critical. The ONLY parts in your engine that require a break in.. are the rings, and cams (if they're new cams). Bearings do not require a break in.. as they don't make metal to metal contact. Rings seat within the first 100 miles.. The most critical thing, that I've found, is to keep the RPM low, but keep a good, steady load on the engine. By this, I mean, lugging it around at 40mph in 5th gear, etc.. High RPM should be touched briefly, but not sustained.. This will allow the entire length of the bore to make contact with the ring surfaces.. The reason you don't want a lot of RPM, is that the cross-hatch in the cylinder, can make for excessive friction against the new (unseated) compression rings. This can lead to localized hot spots in the bores, and uneven ring wear-in. After 100 miles.. the engine should be broken in sufficiently to allow for normal driving.. I would allow 5-600 miles before introducing synthetic oil, though..

Travis

 

naaaa just makes sure it breaks befreo warranty is up.......i have a friend with a habit of this

 

After I rebuilt the engine in my talon, I just made sure to keep the RPM's varying for the first 500 miles, and not pushing it past 5k or so. Used kendal 40w (it was august) and a mobil 1 oil filter during break in. I left the boost set at 5psi and also took this time to break in a new clutch. By the time the clutch was feeling good, so was the engine. The engine pulls like a bat outa hell, and compression is within 4lbs of each cylinder. I consistently pull it to redline now (7500) and it has over 20k since the rebuild.

 

I thought the only restriction was that you could only use P400 mode, i.e. you got 400 hp instead of the full 500...?

 

Hmmm not from what he told me, he most likely he was using the 400hp modeduring the break in though.

 

I did a brief warm up then drove for a few miles, came back checked for leaks then hit the highway. took it too 3k rpm then kept it in gear and let it rev down with the momentum of the car turning the motor. Once she hit 1500rpm I did it a gain a few times, Then drove for a few miles to cool it off. then took it to 4k and did the same procedure again, 5k 6k etc this took about 50miles to do. then it was on! 150shot, hahahahaha NOT. You need to watch the oil temps, I was over 250f for some of the break in, scarey stuff. I drove it a few k then put Redline oil in it and boosted. no boost for the first 2k, how hard was that!