Engine 'Break-In' Oil??

[Dave M]

I anticipate finishing up the engine instal in the next fews evenings. As I've rebuilt the bottom end (rings/bearings), would it be advisable to 'break-in' the 'new' engine with a special oil. I've heard that conventional oil (dino) is preferred for engine break-in.

I did a quick search and didn't find anything susbstantial.

So....... what type and grade of oil is recommended (if its recommended I go this route).

Any opinions welcome,

Dave M

[632 Regal]

go with mineral oil as recommended in the users manual for the temperature where you live. I would change it out at 500 miles and again at 2000 miles. Get at least 2500-3500 miles before going back to M1 Ow-40.

just my 2 c

[Dave M]

go with mineral oil as recommended in the users manual for the temperature where you live. I would change it out at 500 miles and again at 2000 miles. Get at least 2500-3500 miles before going back to M1 Ow-40.

just my 2 c

For fun Jeff, what do you think of the 'drive it hard' (http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm) break-in theory? Do you or anyone else agree?

I just did bit of reading on it and would be willing to try. Or, should it apply to engines which haven't been honed?

other theorists (http://www.cessna.org/benefits/articles/breakin.html)

more theory (http://www.stealth316.com/2-breakin.htm)


Anyhow,

Dave M

[632 Regal]

was yours honed? fresh rings?

when I used to rebuild some engines you could get rings that were already lapped and all I did was break the glaze with a ball hone. The rings would seat within 500 miles, with normal rings and a hone job mattering on the finish some would take 5000 miles to seat.

[Scott H]

New cylinder hones with new piston rings?????

Regular dino oil is preferred.....the fewer wear additives the better as you actually want to let them wear against each other a bit.

Keep it under 3500rpm for the first 300 miles and vary your rpm as much as possible......no 3000rpm highway cruising for extended period of time

Keep it under 5000rpm for the next 300 miles

Change oil and filter to Mobil 1 10w30 and off you go.......

This is IF you did new hones and piston rings....

[Zeuk in Oz]

Dave, there might be something in this theory, but I am not technical enough to comment.

The only thing that I could add is that having owned many new cars (10+) over the years, one thing has always puzzled me - they never went as hard or as well as the loaner service cars that dealers provided when my car was being serviced.

These were usually identical cars but had had a hard life because everyone would "thrash" them from when they were new. They always seemed to perform better than my car.

I don't know if this is significant or if it would be considered as driving them hard enough but it is something that always intrigued me.

FWIW

Bo

[Dave M]

New cylinder hones with new piston rings?????

Regular dino oil is preferred.....the fewer wear additives the better as you actually want to let them wear against each other a bit.

Keep it under 3500rpm for the first 300 miles and vary your rpm as much as possible......no 3000rpm highway cruising for extended period of time

Keep it under 5000rpm for the next 300 miles

Change oil and filter to Mobil 1 10w30 and off you go.......

This is IF you did new hones and piston rings....


I indicated in my first post that new rings were installed. However, no new hones. I'll still follow your advice, unless the consensus is otherwise.

Thanks for all the advise gentlemen,

Dave M

[Scott H]

sorry Dave!!! I'm guilty of one of my own pet peeves.....NOT PAYING ATTENTION!!!!


I indicated in my first post that new rings were installed.

[Bill R.]

hone the cylinders? If the old bores are worn smooth which they typically are then it will take the new rings a long time to seat in... Part of the reason you hone the bore is to provide not only grooves for the oil to lubricate the pistons and rings but also it acts somewhat as a wear surface to help the rings wear into the shape of the cylinder exactly fairly quickly.
As far as break in lubes I would use conventional dino oil for the first 5k miles or so to try and help those rings to wear in quicker. As Scott has posted vary the speed frequently when on the highway to avoid the glazing that can occur when running at one constant rpm.




I indicated in my first post that new rings were installed. However, no new hones. I'll still follow your advice, unless the consensus is otherwise.

Thanks for all the advise gentlemen,

Dave M

[Jon K]

I anticipate finishing up the engine instal in the next fews evenings. As I've rebuilt the bottom end (rings/bearings), would it be advisable to 'break-in' the 'new' engine with a special oil. I've heard that conventional oil (dino) is preferred for engine break-in.

I did a quick search and didn't find anything susbstantial.

So....... what type and grade of oil is recommended (if its recommended I go this route).

Any opinions welcome,

Dave M

For the rings and bearings did you use stock sizes or plus sizes? How did you prep the block? What is the actual procedure for getting piston rings into the cylinder?

[Dave M]

Jon,

Sorry if I gave you the impression I did the work myself. The block was in Toronto (I'm not) so it was much easier to have the shop instal the rings/bearings. I had a good description/history of the block and pics of the bores. Hone marks were noticeably more defined, not sure what Bill meant by "smooth", but these definately aren't. Didn't cut my finger on them though:)

Dave M

[Scott H]

Did they know you were going to use new rings? Is it too late to call the shop to verify? Did the cylinders look like this when it was done?

http://www.hersted.org/IMG_1043.JPG



Jon,

Sorry if I gave you the impression I did the work myself. The block was in Toronto (I'm not) so it was much easier to have the shop instal the rings/bearings. I had a good description/history of the block and pics of the bores. Hone marks were noticeably more defined, not sure what Bill meant by "smooth", but these definately aren't. Didn't cut my finger on them though:)

Dave M

[Bill R.]

coarse sanded looking then its been honed. Probably with a ball hone as Scott and Jeff stated to remove the glazing. If they are very shiny looking like a mirror with only a slight visible crosshatch to them then they haven't been honed and the rings will take a long time to seat




Jon,

Sorry if I gave you the impression I did the work myself. The block was in Toronto (I'm not) so it was much easier to have the shop instal the rings/bearings. I had a good description/history of the block and pics of the bores. Hone marks were noticeably more defined, not sure what Bill meant by "smooth", but these definately aren't. Didn't cut my finger on them though:)

Dave M

[Bill R.]

cylinders. First off you put all the rings on the pistons and stagger the gaps on the rings so that none of them line up with the ring above them, then you oil the piston skirts and rings down good and squeeze the rings down tight with a ring compressor,( at this point you already have the rods and piston pins assy's on the pistons) There are a number of different types of ring compressors to to use... the cheapo most common looks like this http://www.totalseal.com/bandstyle.jpg

And you just tighten the key and the bands get smaller and compress the rings, you leave the piston skirt sticking out the the bottom and the compressor is only on the rings. Then when you've tightened the band down tight you insert the piston/rod assy down from the top of the block until the skirt of the piston is in the cylinder and the ring compressor is right up against the top of the block.Then you take a block of wood or a hammer handle and push the piston down so it slides out of the compressor and into the block. The cylinder should have been lightly oiled as well as the piston skirt and rings before inserting this...
Production shops that do a greater volume use a better ring compressor like thishttp://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/850.gif With this style you have to have the correct band to fit the size of pistons you're working with..

When i was working in drag racing when you only have 1.5 hours between rounds to change as many as 7 burned pistons then we used a ring compressor like thishttp://www.totalseal.com/sleeve.jpg Its a ground sleeve with a taper inside from one end to the other so the piston and rings will slide into the top and the taper will compress the rings as you push it down into the block.. These are by far the fastest way to assemble but you can only buy them to fit one size at a time. Whereas the other slower methods above will fit more than one size of piston. Most home mechanics have either the band type with pliers above or the round band type with a key to tighten.



For the rings and bearings did you use stock sizes or plus sizes? How did you prep the block? What is the actual procedure for getting piston rings into the cylinder?