Back on the road with the new engine

[novax]

Well Yesterday we went down to Longlife to get the BTB manifold fitted to the Stainless exhaust system. We were done by 10.30 so back to mine for a coffee, then we desided to run "X" in. We had a business meeting in Banbury and rather than the Passat we took the Nova. Phill on the laptop monitoring the data from the MBE and me giving it some. Drives like a dream, a bit rich on this map but we'll enable Lambda correction in a few days and map it some more. Once run in a bit and having had 2 oil changes we'll drop it into Mechrepairs in Cheltenham and they'll work their magic on the cold-start map. Already got 250 miles on the new engine and it flys!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jim]

What sort of Revs are you taking it to? I'm going to have to run mine in soon (I hope it'll be soon anyway).

Jim

[Dan]

just to quote "it flys!!!!!!" it kinda gives the impression you've given it a squeeze or 2 already. Upon refitting my bottom end many moons ago i followed the instructions from my engine builders which stated that by 500 miles should have had 3 oil changes and until that point no necesary strain on engine (let engine die on hills and use gears etc etc etc) and sub 3000rpm, only then from 500 miles onwards start to feed the engine more and more within a sensible capacity until 1000 miles. Thats very breif but gives a general idea of the process i followed.

[elsey197]

sounds good mate, cant wait to see this at some shows this yr :D

[novax]

Well you need to give it it's head without labouring the engine. By the time we'd done 200 miles we had bounced it off the limiter at 6000 for a second just to check the fueling map on the laptop. Normally though i kept it under 4500.

[novax]

Just to add to what Dan said, the high revs were off load so not to strain the engine. Asked some advice on this and was told not to worry too much about it - but don't be silly!! It's constant speed like motorway driving that will kill a new engine with static revs and will glase the bores. Constantly changing engine speeds and loads are what's required without taking it too far. The trip to Banbury was perfect for that, as will the trips too and from work 25 miles away.

[Rick Draper]

IMHO you shud run it for 20 miles, change the oil as this is where any bits left in the oil ways will come out, really give it some from then on with shitty mineral oil in, then have another oil change at say 500 miles, thrash again to 1000 miles, fill with semi, do 1000 on the semi then fill with fully synthetic. If a bearing is tight on the crank NO amount of running it in will help it bed in as you will not get that much wear, the object of running in is to seat the rings in. Dan you need to read the motor man guide. Rick

[peester]

crickey; dave knows what he's doin; not the first time youre running an engine in is it dave...?
good on ya chap. one question: how do they sound??

[Jim]

crickey; dave knows what he's doin; not the first time youre running an engine in is it dave...?
good on ya chap. one question: how do they sound??

I don't think anyones suggesting Dave doesn't know what hes doing, but everyone has there own ways of running an engine in.

Dans car seems to run fine considering how he "ran it in" Although he has done quite a few miles in it since it's been rebuilt.

Ricks way sounds like too much hard work, lol. Not sure I could be bothered doing all that, lol. I'm kidding Rick ;), I'll do whatever it takes to get my engine run in.

Jim

[Ben]

Rick is that how you ran it in when it lasted 6 miles? or did you just fit the engine as you bought it that time?

[Dan]

lololol at 6 mile, nuff said on that subject. Mine may have been a tedious way and a bit pussy footed but "touches wood" never ever had a prob and did my pod bit and now its well on its way to 20k as we speak, and its driven as built as some of you know lol.

Although i do agree with the early oil change, i 'think' mine was done at 50, 250, 500 and then at 1k before its first true setup, ran shite oil for 3k miles or abit more then started using semi and then fully.

I did do it to the letter of what i was told but after shelling out an 850 notes i couldnt afford, i didnt fancy taking any unnecessary risks.

[Rick Draper]

Rick is that how you ran it in when it lasted 6 miles? or did you just fit the engine as you bought it that time?

LOL What happend was i took the head off it to check the bores and fit all new stem seals before i fitted it, a mate of mine offered to paint the block so i gave it him to paint and the dickhead took the breather pipe off the front of the block (c20xe) and managed to drop some gasket into the sump :roll: The tvvat did not tell me about this so i put the head back on put the engine in ran it for 6 miles then it siezed up.

I rebuilt it and ran it in how i said above and its been fine ever since, as had my LET but you have to do it a bit different with a turbo engine as the turbo shaft does not really like mineral oil so you cannot go flat stick as you would with a NA engine. Rick

[novax]

Rick's right about the rings and I'd agree 100% with him about running in the engine - it is to bed in the rings. Jim, follow this and as long as it's built right it'll run sweet from then on. If it's a bad build then it'll fail anyway :D :cry: