Hey anyone who knows. I'm about to get a brand new engine put in the RX-7 and was wondering and wanted to know the proper to way to drive and break in the engine. Please let me know.

 

Well, your engine builder should tell you.

But, this is what I tell my customers that receive a full rebuild, to include new bearings.

First 500 miles, run non-synth oil, revs below 4000, no boost
Change oil and filter
Next 1000 miles, run non-synth oil, revs below 6000, minimal boost, like 5 or so psi
Change oil and filter
Done! Get a tune if need be, run whatever oil you want (I recommend full synthetic) and let her rip!

 

Dave only drives his car below 4k still.

His advice is perrrrrfect.

 

Hey rich, any reason for the non-synthetic oils? From the couple break in procedures i've read I don't remember something like that being mentioned, you've got me curious now .

- James

 

Non-synthetic is ALWAYS recommended for break-in, the reason being it works so well that the break-in time is significantly extended.

My builder has a much more lenient break-in period than most I see, and a realistic one to me.

0-500 miles: below 4k rpm, boost is ok, heavy throttle is not, change oil at 500 miles
500-1000 miles: increase redline by 500 rpm every 1k miles or so, boost is ok, occasional WOT for short bursts ok
1000+ miles: go for broke!

 

And to add to Rynberg, non-synthetic oils encourage the all the seals to expand and seat properly. Synthetic does not. That's why if you have a small oil leak while using non-synthetic and then switch to full synthetic, the oil leak increases.

 

good to know, maybe I just didn't retain that apparently important little bit of information .

Isn't there a proper way to first start a fresh rebuild that might be good to note?

 

This is what Rick recommends? I havn't asked him personally.

-Andy

 

My builder PR Motorsports (also Rick) says frist 500 no boost and oil change, 500-1000 little by little, at 1000 get oild change and your good to go

 

also out of curiousity, would breaking in a street ported engine be the same or would i need to break it in and lay off the boost for longer?

Thanks

 

why use synthetic after 1500? why the change? why not just run non-synth all the time

thats what ive been told by quite a few ppl..... but the rotary-to synth or not to synth debate is a whole nother story

 

We recommend that people stay off full boost until the engine is fully broken in. Then we recommend tuning, simply because most people do other upgrades while having their engine rebuilt, porting for instance. It is impossible to establish a map for any individual engine that will be perfect for it prior to break in. So "going for broke" could very easily get you exactly that.... a broke engine
This is why initial tuning is included in with all our rebuilds that we install, owner brings the car back after break-in, we verify that all systems are go, then go tune.

In most cases the original engine failed, because the owner bolted on a bunch of mods, got a Power FC, then didn't bother to have it tuned, or worse yet bought it with a preloaded map.

 

My bad. I left the tuning part out (as it technically doesn't have anything to do with break-in). Yes, the car was tuned before I went over 10 psi. Rick puts in a safe map for break in and moderate boost, when required.