Proper engine break-in question.

IndigoMKII

IndigoMKII

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May 9, 2011
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I've read the sticky but found some things confusing.. During the first 20 miles, did you want to go WOT till 4k then aggressively up-shift through 'all' the gears? Or would first through fourth or even first through third be enough? Making sure to downshift to keep the revs around 3k for proper engine vacuum? I'll be breaking in a new engine soon so I'd like to.. confirm this? I guess you could say. I've always heard of putting the engine under a good load for the first few miles but not WOT till 4k and aggressive up shifts.
 
hvyman

hvyman

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You want to stay out of 1st and 5th as much as possible. Find a nice quiet back road and just go back and forth.

2-4 25% throttle.
4-2 engine break downshifting
2-4 50% throttle
4-2 engine break down
2-4 75% throttle
4-2 engine break down

start over. Do it for the first 50 miles, change oil, drive normal for the next 500. Can get on it a little but id stay outta wot and 5th. Change oil. go to 1500-2k change oil and at that time you can switch to synthetic if youd like. Id use the german castrol syntec 0w30.

Thats how i do it and its turned out good for me.

Also if you have a canyon near you with nice curves you can just go back and forth through that keeping the rpms between 3-4 and alternating between throttle and vacuum.
 
Devin LeBlanc

Devin LeBlanc

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If the motor is built properly with the machining and rings now a days the only "break in" you need to worry about is washing the assembly lube off everything.. When we build race motors they get a base map and get bolted up on the dyno start doing part throttle and idle tuning. Once we are done with that we change the oil and start doing power pulls.

As Hvyman said you want to do some engine breaking to pull vacuum, this will pull oil up on the cyl walls.
 
mecevans

mecevans

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Thats why i only lube my cylinder walls with WD-40. Make sure you use 5w-30 and not the monograde crap. You also want to roll the throttle and not just romp on it. I did my first oil change at 500 and the second after 1500. Changing the oil to much is a bad thing. It loads the engine with all the addatives in the oil. Use a good filter such as a wix.
 
I

IJ.

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If you don't know don't post..... :nono:

That "mono grade crap" IS what you want when you break in an engine as it has NO friction modifiers or Viscosity index improver so 5qt's of it IS oil not 4Qt's and 1 Qt of "gloop"...

9 times out of 10 a rebuilt Mk3 is in NO condition for a hard break in as many things will have been changed during the build and the tune won't even be close to something you'd lean on.

As for a correctly built and tuned engine yes you can get away with the hard breakin method but in all my time here I can count on one hand the engines that would apply to.
 
jdub

jdub

Official SM Expert: Motor Oil, Lubricants & Fil
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mecevans;1729125 said:
Thats why i only lube my cylinder walls with WD-40. Make sure you use 5w-30 and not the monograde crap. You also want to roll the throttle and not just romp on it. I did my first oil change at 500 and the second after 1500. Changing the oil to much is a bad thing. It loads the engine with all the addatives in the oil. Use a good filter such as a wix.
Click to expand...

Ummm - you WANT to use a straight 30W oil for the initial break-in. Below quote form the break-in sticky - post #6:

jdub;841060 said:
Well, I'm not going to try and convince you of anything...I will tell you my opinion, and then you can do whatever you like ;)

1) Straight 30W motor oil does not contain the amount of additives a multi-grade does, notability anti-wear and film thickness modifiers. This actually provides more base oil by volume in a bottle.

2) Everything I have read says to use a straight 30W on older era motors (like the 7M). It allows wear to take place to properly seat the rings. Newer (especially high performance) motors come from the factory with a syn oil fill...these engines have closer tolerances than those of the past. You have to decide what you want to go with.

3) Straight 30W is very good at dissolving assembly lube.

4) It's cheap...you're going to do a couple oil changes in the 1st 1,500 miles. Why use anything else. While your at it, grab a couple SuperTech filters at WalMart...pretty good filter, especially for as long as they will be on the car.

Castrol 30 HD is an API SM service oil...it well exceeds the oils originally spec'ed for the 7M. It will be fine.
Click to expand...

Also, there is no way that you can "load the engine with all the addatives in the oil" - it's simply not possible. SAE studies do point that change your oil too frequently will result in increased wear, but not for this reason.


Devin LeBlanc;1729133 said:
I prefer to use OEM Toyota filters. And they are only 6.00 a peice.
Click to expand...

And you will be using a sub-standard filter made in Thailand that is waayyy over priced considering it's mediocre quality. Suggest you read the filter sticky.


To the OP - Post #2 is the most accurate - I tend to be a bit more aggressive though. The break-in sticky never suggested to use WOT runs.
 
IndigoMKII

IndigoMKII

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jdub;1729144 said:
To the OP - Post #2 is the most accurate - I tend to be a bit more aggressive though. The break-in sticky never suggested to use WOT runs.
Click to expand...

I must've misread then. Just trying to make sure I get this engine broke-in properly the first time. It's all stock so I'd like to keep a good base to work from.

---------- Post added at 11:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 AM ----------
hvyman;1729065 said:
You want to stay out of 1st and 5th as much as possible. Find a nice quiet back road and just go back and forth.

2-4 25% throttle.
4-2 engine break downshifting
2-4 50% throttle
4-2 engine break down
2-4 75% throttle
4-2 engine break down

start over. Do it for the first 50 miles, change oil, drive normal for the next 500. Can get on it a little but id stay outta wot and 5th. Change oil. go to 1500-2k change oil and at that time you can switch to synthetic if youd like. Id use the german castrol syntec 0w30.

Thats how i do it and its turned out good for me.

Also if you have a canyon near you with nice curves you can just go back and forth through that keeping the rpms between 3-4 and alternating between throttle and vacuum.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info on this. I live in the 'woods' so we have plenty of fun curvy roads to drive on. And would the royal purple oils be just as good? Or will your suggested oil be better? Also with the first oil change, change the filter as well? Using a Wix filter?
 
hvyman

hvyman

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Apr 17, 2007
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IndigoMKII;1729440 said:


---------- Post added at 11:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 AM ----------



Thanks for the info on this. I live in the 'woods' so we have plenty of fun curvy roads to drive on. And would the royal purple oils be just as good? Or will your suggested oil be better? Also with the first oil change, change the filter as well? Using a Wix filter?
Click to expand...

Royal purple is fine after 1500-2k miles. 30w on first 50, generic 5w30 for the next 1500-2k, then switch to a 5w30 or 0w30 syn of your choice. Rp is good but the gc is better. Red line is the best.
 
mk3_7m

mk3_7m

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Jul 21, 2007
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Non of the quality filters (pure one, Wix, mobil 1 and K&N) are found in my country, maybe I haven't searched hard enough. But in our everyday store I go I'm stuck with vavoline and Ryco which are pretty much the main brands. Sorrie if to take this off topic.
 
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