Breaking in the engine
 

So, I just got done rebuilding my engine after a nice over-boost experience. I got everything figured out and ran it for a minute tonight to check for leaks. I'm debating between what method to break the engine in with; the way the dealer says or the way that this guys says -

http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Now, I like his method and it seems very convincing, however I'm worried about boost. I'm not tuned 100%, basically it's a pretty rich and conservative tune until I can get it on a wideband, but I'm not worried about going lean. I'm just worried that with the T25 I will get 8 psi in 3rd and 4th gear with almost no throttle.

What are all of your experiences with breaking in engines, both boosted and non. Thanks,

Colin

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

i did what he said and it ran fine for a year of abusing >:D

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

So it's basically "okay" to boost while breaking in the engine? Cool, thanks >:D O0

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

no i broke mine in NA

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

I broke in Trav-ASS's Integra with a little light boosting. RLZ built 2.0/VTEC. Engine has zero blowby, runs like a champ.

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

I was gonna break mine in NA cause I was kinda leary on doing it boosted but now it's on!!!

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

you can break it in just fine while having your turbo setup on there, just make it a point to try not to boost.

the biggest thing to sealing your rings is to give them rev's and let the compression of the engine bring the rev's back down.

what I did:

1. run it up to 3000rpm, slowly so you dont get into more than 1-2psi, but preferably no boost at all, let off and let compression of the engine bring the revs back down

2. repeat for 4000rpm

3. repeat for 5000rpm

4. repeat for 6000rpm

5. start over at step 1, repeat this process about4- 5 times.

6. once you get a few miles on it, change the oil to get the metal out

7. drive mildly for at least the first 500 miles.

8. rape!

Doing that I tested a COLD compression result of 195psi in all 4cylinders at about 600 miles from startup on a d16z6.

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

No, fook, that is traditional junk long term break in method.

The guy at Mototune is right - are you going to argue with world record (bike) engine builder?

Brad Z at RLZ will link you to the Mototune guy. Are you going to argue with NASCAR head porter, his work holding several NHRA and prostock records, as well as seven Winston Cup wins? Fastest NDRA NA street class Honduh, the car in question still a porky 2000+ lbs? Considered one of the best intake manifold design guys EVAR, and inventor of the strutted piston. World record engine builder X2...

Hell, ---- those guys - you going to argue with me? As the Mototune guy stated, takes more than a little ring/spring pressure to seat them against bores - takes cylinder pressure forcing rings against bores enough for the rings to make full contact all the way around the bore. This means that RPMS MEAN ---- ALL when breaking in an engine - peak cylinder pressures occur at torque peak, not high rpms. A little light boosting, with enough fuel to keep from overheating the bores during breaking, is ------- awesome.

Healthy Honduh engines in good repair, especially boosted or high CR NA, have large amounts of blowby compared to other engines. Proportional to the power they output, I suppose, but for engine size blowby is large. Trav-ASS' engine pushed 425 whp @ 18 psi daily with 20 year old fucktard driving MINIMAL blowby no oil drips from vented to atmosphere valvecover. Now the T4's on will be 550+ whp with 21 year old fucktard driving - YAAAAARR!!11 That's a $7K engine, there was $15K total underhood when the car was given to me for finish assembly, tuning, break-in; it was the literal definition of my ass. I don't ---- around.

I also plan to break in the 12.2:1 CR SOHC on boost - non-IC. Now, THAT is going to be fun!

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

ok.... i just broke in my engine not to long ago.

this method takes longer but will give you a sure-fire break-in.

i drove around for 1,000 miles revving no higher than 4,000 RPM's with the BOV OFF. This kept the engine from boosting but still allowed me to have everything hooked up. I also kept in the stock injectors during this time as well.

- At 1,000 miles into the break-in change the oil.

- throw in your larger injectors & get your ---- tuned

- go beat the ---- out of it.

It takes an ass load of patience and self-control. I would just drive around at night time in cruise control when there were no cars on the road and put about 60 or 70 miles on it a night. It is well worth the wait especially with all the money you just spent with the re-build.

good luck.

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

your all morons just drive the ------- thing like you would a brand new car from the dealer, just putt around town hit the freeway,take it easy, dont sit there like the worlds biggest idiot and rev your car up and down and tinker with this and that. just TAKE IT EASY FOR A FEW HUNDRED MILES

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

blah, i let mine idle for about 30 minutes, drove it around for about an hour (maybe 40-50 miles), came home, checked for leaks etc., then went out and beat the ---- out of it. hell, i still only have about 300 miles on the motor, but there is 0 blow by and 190 comp. across the board. i have changed the oil a few times already though.

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

i don't see how i'm a moron because i took a responsible route for breaking in my engine. I put a LOT of time and money into the rebuild and i wasn't about to throw it all away after i came so far.

Unless you are a millionare, my advice would be to break-in the engine properly..... why take the chance?

if you listen to what i'm saying, the only thing you'd have to worry about is some ignorant tool bag calling you a moron on the internet.

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

if you build your engine specifically for what your plans for it are, then i see no need to do all this b.s. 500-1k mile break in. if it's a turbo motor looking for higher hp, run your bearing clearances a little on the loose side, as well as a little bigger ring gaps, run the reccomended piston/wall clearace specified from the piston manufacturer (as well as positioning your ring gaps to their specs), get a nice hone in the cylinders, you'll be good to go. i do reccomend letting car idle for a while on the first start up to make sure everything seats properly, and drive gently for 50-100 miles to make sure you have no leaks or anything, after that, i say beat the piss out of it. fresh motors are like virgins, if you break them in softly, they're gonna cry every time you try to beat on it, if you ride it hard from the very beginning, it's gonna beg you beat on it every time you take it out ;)

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

Well, no. You have TWO things to worry about.

1) Driving around with the BOV off is a big fat boost leak. Turbo overspools and you damage turbo bearings.

2) Failure to seat your rings due to lack of combustion pressure. And your concept that steady state cruise control operation is a substitute for the *dynamic* manner in which rings are suppose to be seated; rev it up hard, then decelerate in gear, avoid fixed rpms.

Oh, yeah. Almost forgot. Moron. :-*

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

Really cause I thought I was driving it pretty hard for not having any miles on it yet. I was kind of trying to base it on the monotune methods as best as I could with the roadway and such that I had available to me.

I figured with a good 20 miles with some nice high rev's and compression breaking id give the rings a decent seal. Oh well, guess that motor isnt gonna be in the car long anyways.

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

i spent 3k on my built a6, started it up and let it warm up, then went and raped on it and it just kept turning the boost up. i say rape on it, who cares

Re: Breaking in the engine
 

I figure an engine lasts 6-10K at most, because I either johnny bighammer it with high charge temps from overspinning the turbo, or try to run more power than you're "supposed" to. Screw all that conservative boost level daily driver nonsense - a second car is cheaper than the maintainence on the turbo car anyway.

If you're lucky, you'll have a decent core to build up, and a set of low mileage LS rods to stick in your D16 build... ;D