Engine Break In - Freshly Built 3.3 Turbo

[Norm K]

Double post (also in Turbo section) ...

I know this topic has been discussed ad nauseam but I’m trying to reconcile two, what appear to be contradictory steps in the engine break in process. I’m hoping to fire things up this Friday afternoon or Saturday morning and, assuming I haven’t made some catastrophic assembly mistake, get my car back on the road.

I’ve already confirmed oil circulation and will do the same for pressure (as best I can by way of engine-cranking only) prior to the first start. I’m going to power up the fuel pumps and check fuel pressure this evening. Of course I’ll be watching for oil and fuel leaks during these processes. If things check out I’m (with more than a bit of trepidation, mind you) going to go for it.

But first …

… there’s the requirement of bringing the engine up to 2000 RPM as soon as it starts and keeping it there for 20 minutes in order to obtain the proper relationship between the rocker arms and camshafts.

Fair enough …

… except that we also have the start-the-ring-seating-immediately requirement which, according to many, is an absolutely critical part of both engine performance and longevity.

At this point, I’m planning on doing the 20 minute cam/rocker break in, then getting the car out on the highway for some acceleration/deceleration runs, all while keeping my fingers crossed that I haven’t crossed some (black) magical line-in-the-sand during those initial 20 minutes of running.

Your expert thoughts and input appreciated.

[Sway Bar]

I'm interested to hear from the experts as well since I will be doing a break in this Saturday as well on my first ever rebuild...

However, one thing to note from your post (just in case you missed it), I believe a mandatory oil and filter change is required after the 20min and a for good measure a closer look at the oil and filter medium...so I don't think the immediate first drive is that crucial right after.

[Lyle O]

YES!! This has been perplexing me too, but I was too chicken to ask the quetion. My engine should be done in a few weeks and I face the same dilema. Thank you for raising it...

[Norm K]

^^^ When it comes to a $20K engine, my chicken-chitedness goes right out the window.

[Mitch1]

Not an expert. But have spoken with some. I think you would be fine doing a 20 min cam break-in @ 2k. Then dumping oil and filter and starting ring break-in.
There is 2 schools on this. The break-in easy and the break-in hard. I've spoken to techs from same shop that had different opinions.
But from my experience, which is one, engine burned oil until WOT sessions from 2k to 5k in 3rd and 4th gear.

[vascott01]

great thread!!...as I am also in a engine rebuild on a 3.3 and having read Wayne Dempsey book. He mentions countless oil changes and varying degrees of driving at various levels of rpms...

look forward to what everyone has done..Cheers and good luck all

[Chinook]

My 2 sense;
From experience of approximately 50 engines of both street and race this is what I do for moly and (old school) cast iron rings. This includes in car and dyno.
Fire it up, fast idle @ aprox 1800 rpm, quick timing check and adjust, after engine is normalized to temp (varies w/ engines-15-30 minutes) incur aproximately 12 or so(depending on my mood and solar flare activity) LOW TO MODERATE RPM loading cycles. No high RPM cycles!!! Loading to seat rings by driving ring face into fresh cylinder hone. A cycle with engine in the car would be something like full throttle in 2nd, 3rd or 4th gear from 2000 to say 3500 rpm. Certainly no more than 4000rpm. I usually use 3rd gear, full throttle accelerate to 3500 and back off. Then again and ta da ta da. One must be disciplined and not let the RPM climb too high. There is some school of thought around the localized heat and commensurate temperament incurred at the ring face with too high of RPM with a fresh hone. Varying vehicle/engine speed for the break-in period is just a way to load the rings. If the rings are modern moly filled they are seated almost immediately with a pro hone job. I change/check oil filter after this break-in procedure at around 50-100 miles or 3-4 dyno pulls and initial oil change at 500 miles or 6-10 dyno pulls. No sythetic oil for initial fire up and break-in. Race gets synthetic next, street gets good mineral oil for first oil interval.

Hope this is helpful,
Gary

[confused]

Don't worry about it, I don't know how many new ring jobs I have done to 911 engines, many many many, never had an issue the way I do it. Sometimes had to tune the motor for an hour before it could travel on its own power. Run the engine 20 min at 2000 + or - 200 won't matter. If you have new cams and rockers then turn the engine off after 20min and let it cool completely 4+ hours (work-hardens the metal surfaces). Then take the car out and load up the rings - up and down a gradual hill works best. Keep the rpms down for 500 miles (if you can), but really to get the rings to load up right you need some RPM, on a 73S I take it up to 5000 or 6000 and let it decel down. After 4 or 5 trips up and down the street getting as many GRADUAL runs up and down the rpm scale as you can then your rings should be fine. Drive the car around town for 500 miles, not on a long freeway trip. Then change the oil, adjust valves, re-torque cylinder heads (depending on your engine) then rip on it.

On a 930 I would say keep off full boost at first, you do not need boost to break in the rings.

The difference between the time your engine is running for the very first moments and the break in requirements for rings is not going to be within 20 or even 60 min.

Of course someone else will come up with micro reasons why you engine is tearing itself up if you do it in the wrong order but guys also agrue that the way you wash your car you are destroying the paint unless you use zymol or some other expensive putty.

[irobertson]

I ran mine at 2000 RPM for 25 minutes on 30W break in oil, then did an immediate oil change to 20W50 and went for a moderate 1/2 hour drive as a road test. Two days later I drove it 350Km to Toronto, varying RMP the whole trip, and I did probably a dozen full throttle 3rd gear pulls to 4000 RPM, then let it engine brake back down to 2500. After that I upped the RPM limit to 5000 until I had 1000Kms on the motor. I just did a 1700Km run to Hershey and back and the oil level didn't move at all, and she just passed the E test with flying colours.

[gtc]

Does the type of oil matter when seating the rings?
Is it best to start seating the rings with the break-in oil, or will it work fine with 20W50?

[Spenny_b]

Mineral oil for break-in....I used a Millers CWO Running In Oil, although I'm sure I've see the wise folk on here also recommending something (even) more basic like common-or-garden dino oils.

[turbobrat930]

Here is what I did on mine. both JB Racing and Performance Developments advised that I could spend the money on Joe Gibbs Break In Oil, but the Shell Rotela-t (15-40) was fine to use as a break in oil. It has ZDDP in it (I bought another bottle of ZDDP and added it in as well)

I started the car, and ran for 20 minutes at 2,000 to 2,200 RPM. I shut the car off and let sit until cool. During the cool down period, I checked for any small leaks that were not detected before engine start up. ( I have been told that the heat up, and cool down period is just as important as the actual running for 20 minutes).
I then started the engine up and continued to get it running right (I have a custom EFI system, so I had to create my own maps... not to mention I had a few problems along the way)

Once the car was driving, I took it out and drove it. During the first 500 miles, I would never keep it at a steady throttle setting. I was always varying it. I would get it up in the 5 grand RPM range (slowly, without any boost) and then chop the throttle, causing the rings to have reverse tension on them (dragging instead of being forced down by the piston), After the first 500 miles, I changed the oil and both filters ( I have the 993 oil filter console, instead of an engine mounted oil cooler), and then ran the engine normally for another 500 miles... Did another oil change, and then I was done.

I have great compression, excellent leak down values, and absolutely no smoke. The engine sounds AMAZING, and runs just as good....