JerryLH3

iTrader: (11)

I'm going to pick up a TII in Georgia on Friday. The engine has recently been rebuilt, so my trip back home will serve as part of the break in period.

Exactly how should I approach the trip back home? I know cruising home at a steady 70 mph for 7 hours is a no-no. Would getting off the interstate and taking some back roads with stop and go traffic, with a little bit of interstate thrown in be acceptable? I know boosting is off limits and the RPMs need to stay under 3500 or so, I'm just concerned about all the highway miles.

It will get an oil change as soon as I get home.

Sacker90

Well if your getting all new parts then you should be fine either way... but as long as you keep it below 4k and 0 or no boost then you should be fine. It would be hard to try to get 70 at 4k to begin with.

Parastie

Have you used 5th gear? He should be able to hit 70 just above 3K, which should be okay.

Wankel7

This is going to be hard man...but do not cruise. No fifth gear.

Vary your speed constantly from 40-60....slow down speed up slow down speed up for at least 500 miles.

What are the new components? New bearings?

JAmes

therotaryrocket

i think accelerating to 50 mph then let the engine slow the car back to 30 mph with the throttle closed in gear about 15 times will mostly seat the apex seals (if their new). Then you could probably cruise, i think...but how do you know the person you are buying the car from has been following the break-in procedure properly so far, unless he/she hasn't driven it.

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (8)

No steady rpm's, no steady cruise, no steady mph...bullshit. I've been in this business for over 7 years and there has NEVER been anyone able to give me a solid scientific/engineering reason for this. I've been breaking engines in for years on road trips and guess what, they develop compression just fine. As I've said before, if someone can give me a detailed valid reason why this is not aceptable, I'm all ears. Until then, here is my theory and reasoning on why it's okay to cruise an engine being broken in.

1) New cars' engines at the dealership require very little in the way of breakin, and there is no stipulation placed on road trips once you buy the car. You never see low compression or loss of power from engines broken in on road trips when brand new, do you?

2) used housings do sometimes have wear or groove patterns, that new (perfectly flat seals) have to wear into to achieve best compression. So long as the seals aren't being forced into this wear by excess boost or rpm, then the amount of wear (breakin) occuring is directly proportional to the number of sweeps these seals make across the housings. The more passes, the more wear, the closer to being broken in. How it matters at what rpm/load these sweeps are made, I do not know.

3) Most rebuilds reuse bearings, eshafts, stationary gears, etc. (oiling parts). The argument has been made in the past that the city-driving rule for breakin is actually geared more towards heat cycling of these important oil related parts, as heat cycling strengthens these parts over time (so they say). However, since these engines are rebuilds and not brand new assembled engines from all new parts (i.e. mazda japan) there is no heat cycling to worry about, as all the parts are original.

Rx-7Addict

iTrader: (2)

I agree with kevin

go from 50 to 30 mph 15 times ??

Sounds like voodoo engine break-in.

In general, the only stipulations is nothing over 4000 rpm and no boost for the first 1,000 miles. Some say you can lightly boost the 2nd 500 miles but I'm going to stay off boost for 1,000 miles.

thanks for the rotor, kevin

F1blueRx7

iTrader: (5)

I proved this wrong.

I drove 1600 miles on my rebuild from TN to florida and back to baltimore and the engine made 115 compression on front and rear after 5000 miles with atkins seals. That long trip wear in bullshit is a myth.

BDoty311

I'm breaking my motor in right now, and I plan on staying out of boost for 3,000 miles. Well I have accidently hit a few pounds, but otherwise no boost, and nothing above 4,000rpms. Sure sucks trying to drive around town sometimes, or get on the highway.

JerryLH3

iTrader: (11)

OK, I know what to do then. I guess that old thinking got into my brain too. I'll keep the RPMs low, maybe vary my speed a little bit, and take a side trip if there's something worth seeing. Otherwise, it'll be nice to get the car home pretty quickly.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

i'm with Kevin too, in fact i went against his own advice to not boost or drive even mildy hard for the first 500 miles, i was boosting in the first few... 3k miles now and the engine runs fine but my patch on the rotor housings is failing.. though i would not suggest this method but you should be fine cruising on the freeway out of boost.

gxlbiscuit

hahaha you guys are crazy.. drive to first gear the reverse three times.. run over a black cat... tie a rabbits foot to your dipstick. Dude just dont boost.. and drive you car like you would a NORMAL car....... i took a 500 mile trip after 800 miles city driving when i got back home the car scared me because it was not the same car i left with.... that 500 miles made more difference to my car.... im using rotary aviation seals..... hell do 80 sometimes just dont suddenly decide to start stomping the engine and stressing it out with sudden moves. its not a race car ..yet. By the way dont forget the holy water

therotaryrocket

^lol, i read the 30 to 50 mph and back in a haynes manual for toyota tercel (I know, I know), that manual says to drive easy for 500 miles then change the oil, then drive NORMAL not pampering it and not thrashing it.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

its a precautionary measure, if you saw me driving a brand new escalade with 2 miles on it up to 6500 RPMs smoking like a biatch you would know that most engines can handle their fair share of abuse.

now rotaries are different though as i had a discussion with Kevin about it, i wouldn't boost any turbo'd car or rotary until it has had a mild break in period.

rs_1101

yea i was just wondering that.. how do you sell a car with a 9k redline, if the owner cant even take it over 4k?

gxlbiscuit

oh yeah dont forget change oil at 100 miles 500 miles and 1500. then since its a rotary youll never have to change oil again...........ooops meanwhile in the real world.. you can change it 2000 to 3000 miles i drive like an *** so its like 2000.. or whenever i break a major part.. so thats about every 1000