best way to run in an engine

[LUV2XLR8]

what would be the best way run in a rebuilt engine?

ive heard that some people run the car at 2500 rpm for 20 mins, cool it down, then 3500 for another 20 min etc

is this a good way or would just driving under 3000 rpm for 500 -1000 miles be better?

[Ste L]

hear different thing's like take it easy for first 1k vary the revs etc

then hear other's like thrash the ball's off it from the go, to bed the ring's in better etc etc

[Saloony]

There is many varied views on this. This is how i did mine.

Personally, nice oil drive for 500miles under 3500rpm, not putting the engine under any serious load, every so often when you on a motor easy the engine up to 4500rpm. Always run the engine in through varied use, ie round town, dc's, country lanes. At the 500mile point change oil and filter.

Do the same again for another 500miles, now and again load the engine up a bit, every now and again thrash it a bit, not often and dont rev it to the limit so 6000rpm lets say. Again always keep it varied to avoid bore wash, rings will settle in better.

Then when you've done all this, covered the 1000miles oil and filter again, then give it ago, you should have a sound running, tight strong engine.



This is how i done mine, C20XE, on vauxhalls 10w40 semi oil, engine is smooth, no smoke, doesnt use oil, little when being thrashed, and i feel confident giving it a boot full.

Others will give different ways.

[mowgli]

if it is a diesel, work it from the off.
The advice you got sounds like the method to bed in a camshaft.
I would try not to go over 3000rpm for the first few hundred miles, then raise the rev limit over the next few hundred miles, but saying that, if you ever get into a brand new hire car, it gets thrashed from mile zero & doesn't seem to suffer from it.

[Stuart]

treat her mean keep her keen. You arent gonna be running the engine for 30K so just thrash her from the off

[LUV2XLR8]

haha, thanks for all the info people, il be carefull for the first 500 700 then i can waight much longer, i miss the fun of the nova on bends

[Adam]

Just open it up, plenty of overrun.
Dont leave it struggling in high gears tho.

[paddy138]

dont go over 3000rpm for first 500 miles. then change oil and filter. then for the next 500 miles gradually build it up, then start driving it harder for last 100 miles. then change oil and filter again. did this on my civic, worked a treat for me

[garyc]

my engine goes straight to race meeting or to the rolling road.

However what you can do is driver her up to 4k then snape the throttle off, this creates a vacuum pulling oil up the bores to keep it cold and stop glazing up. Also depends on what hone, if any has been put on the bore?

[Lee]

Ad's advise is the best IMO. Overrun is the best for new rings as it draws oil up into the bores below the piston, and laboring the engine does the opposite, so avoid. Other than that, drive it reasonably normally.

[craig green]

Over run causes high vacuum levels in the cylinders, this pulls the rings outwards into the bore walls, thus scraping the new rings against the honing marks on the bores. You only really get a short time envelope to carry out this procedure untill the cross hatches from honing are worn to a point where it doesnt bed the rings further. Get this wrong & you might aswell strip it back down, fit new rings & hone the cylinders again.

Treat it normally, perhaps avoid the redline for first few hundred miles & back off the throttle from higher revs & allow to over run frequently to bed rings in. Downhills are usefull for this.

Thats my advice.

[tom_beverley]

As previously said, try not to use the footbrake but use the engine to slow you down as this causes the rings to bed in better. Stuart mentioned this (http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm) site which explains things quite well.

I'm going to run my engine in increments like 2500 for a few runs then decellerate, 3500, 4500, 5500, maybe 6500 at first then just drive it variably but not to the limit until after 750 miles. I will change my oil after 50 miles. Yes, just 50 as there will be loads of sh!t in the oil, then change again at 500 miles and 1000 miles.

[Rick Draper]

On my latest rebuild i started it once to make sure it had fuel, a spark and would run. Then i got it on a car trailer and took it to MA Developments for live mapping. We then proceded to trash the nuts off it and there is not a sign of smoke etc. IMHO its the way to go.

Read this: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

[LUV2XLR8]

theres some veried infomation her fellas but it all seems good, im sticking with the oil change ideas every few hundred miles and ive been reading the links provided, thanks for the help. just gota fix that water leak now and hope for the best

[FUSION X16XE]

what is over run?

[Adam]

/\
Accelerate in gear(2nd), then let off the throttle, so the throttle is completely closed.
Thats overrun.

[carls nova sri]

i'd say drive like normal and boot it every now and then till it gets used to it. if you take your time in it it will get used to the revs and then when you do rag it boom

[LUV2XLR8]

i will be driving the car like i stole it, its going to be put under a lot of heavy breaking and accelarating.
just took it for a test spin up and down the hill a few times. seems good, tried that over run thingy too ;)

[carls nova sri]

have you got any pics of it and your not to far away from me im from brynmawr

[LUV2XLR8]

pics.... il have a look. i work up brynmawr somtimes, dilivering secure mail in a 205, up heads of the vally road way isnt it?
http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f369/jamesbow/road%20rally/?action=view&current=nova6.jpg

http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f369/jamesbow/road%20rally/?action=view&current=nova003.jpg

http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f369/jamesbow/road%20rally/?action=view&current=nova001.jpg

going to get the insurance today, and give it a polish ;)

[carls nova sri]

like your nova. yeah its by ebbw vale where do you go in brynmawr

[LUV2XLR8]

cheers mate, pm'd