Breaking in the Engine - Properly - Oil and How To's PLEASE HELP!
10-20-03, 12:42 AM
#1
Breaking in the Engine - Properly - Oil and How To's PLEASE HELP!
Alright, I need to know how to break in the engine properly. I have 3mm seals, full exhaust, intake, power fc, wastegate porting, new turbos, upgraded pulley set, new fuel pump, and performance clutch.
I need to know what kind of oil to use, synthetic or non-syn? I plan on using Chevron's Highest Octane Gasoline.
Now I've heard that you shouldn't use any boost at all for the first 1000-1500miles, after that you can give it slight boost until 3000 miles, then after that you're pretty well off.
I need suggestions on the best way to break it in, and keep it running well on after.
The car will be broke-in in Phoenix, Arizona and then will be kept in San Diego afterwards. I need to know how long I should wait before taking it on a 400 mile road trip to San Diego.
Let me know, all help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
-Darren-
I need to know what kind of oil to use, synthetic or non-syn? I plan on using Chevron's Highest Octane Gasoline.
Now I've heard that you shouldn't use any boost at all for the first 1000-1500miles, after that you can give it slight boost until 3000 miles, then after that you're pretty well off.
I need suggestions on the best way to break it in, and keep it running well on after.
The car will be broke-in in Phoenix, Arizona and then will be kept in San Diego afterwards. I need to know how long I should wait before taking it on a 400 mile road trip to San Diego.
Let me know, all help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
-Darren-
10-20-03, 09:16 AM
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I am in the same exact posistion that u are in, new 3mm motor, new turbos, Power FC...ect. You have to use Castrol 10W-30. Drive the car really easy keeping it under 3000rpm for the first 1000-1500 miles without boost. For these first thousand miles try to do a lot of "stop and go" driving and not just cruise on the highway or something. That should do.
10-20-03, 10:10 AM
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I can't believe some of you guys....you don't have to drive 1500 miles without boosting. That is just ridiculous. The only break-in procedure from Mazda, with a completely NEW engine, is to run the car under 4000 rpm for the first 500 miles.
I would think a much more reasonable break-in would be under 7 psi of boost and under 4000 rpm for the first 500 miles. Change oil. Over the next 500 miles, raise rpm and boost levels. At 1000 miles, she's good to go. I have seen these recommendations from a couple different engine rebuilders.
dhalen: If somebody rebuilt your motor, they should have given you a break-in procedure. Since they are responsible for their work, I would follow whatever break-in procedure they give you.
I would think a much more reasonable break-in would be under 7 psi of boost and under 4000 rpm for the first 500 miles. Change oil. Over the next 500 miles, raise rpm and boost levels. At 1000 miles, she's good to go. I have seen these recommendations from a couple different engine rebuilders.
dhalen: If somebody rebuilt your motor, they should have given you a break-in procedure. Since they are responsible for their work, I would follow whatever break-in procedure they give you.
10-20-03, 10:28 AM
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no long break in is required. There are only 3 moving parts. No camshaft or lifters to seat.
Keep the revs down initially. Low to zero boost for the first 50-100 miles and then gentle driving for maybe another hundred miles.
The important thing is varying rpm, don't lug the engine (keep the revs over 1750rpm under load) and no hard launches.
Change the oil after a few hundred miles and pull the plugs to see what they look like.
It is just critical to get through the first dozen or so heat cycles without being unkind to the engine. After that it is broken in as much as it is going to. Some engines do "seal up" more over time, but as long as you drive it responsibly you will be fine.
With all that said, I would wait at least 250 miles before any serious high rpm, full boost stuff, and I would move gradually up to that point, all the while checking for leaks or other problems that may occur.
Also, with a new install it is a good idea to have a fire extinquisher in the car in case an oil or fuel line wasn't secured properly. Again, after a few heat cycles if you have no fire, then everything should be ok.
I put the first 38 miles on my new engine yesterday so I am in the same boat. Good Luck with yours.
Keep the revs down initially. Low to zero boost for the first 50-100 miles and then gentle driving for maybe another hundred miles.
The important thing is varying rpm, don't lug the engine (keep the revs over 1750rpm under load) and no hard launches.
Change the oil after a few hundred miles and pull the plugs to see what they look like.
It is just critical to get through the first dozen or so heat cycles without being unkind to the engine. After that it is broken in as much as it is going to. Some engines do "seal up" more over time, but as long as you drive it responsibly you will be fine.
With all that said, I would wait at least 250 miles before any serious high rpm, full boost stuff, and I would move gradually up to that point, all the while checking for leaks or other problems that may occur.
Also, with a new install it is a good idea to have a fire extinquisher in the car in case an oil or fuel line wasn't secured properly. Again, after a few heat cycles if you have no fire, then everything should be ok.
I put the first 38 miles on my new engine yesterday so I am in the same boat. Good Luck with yours.
10-20-03, 12:26 PM
#7
Rebreaking things
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Mazdacomp's recomendations:
http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/weba...1&subject=misc
With new bearings 300 miles and you're good to go
With old bearings 100 miles.
http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/weba...1&subject=misc
With new bearings 300 miles and you're good to go
With old bearings 100 miles.
Trending Topics
10-20-03, 01:47 PM
#8
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Originally posted by CCarlisi
Mazdacomp's recomendations:
http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/weba...1&subject=misc
With new bearings 300 miles and you're good to go
With old bearings 100 miles.
Mazdacomp's recomendations:
http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/weba...1&subject=misc
With new bearings 300 miles and you're good to go
With old bearings 100 miles.
10-20-03, 05:59 PM
#9
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Yeah but what is your motor worth? It can't hurt it to take it easy for the first 2000 miles, so why not do it? When KDR rebuilt mine, Skip recommended no boost for 500 miles, under 4k rpms, change oil. Then the same thing again, no boost for 500 miles, change oil. At 1000 miles, I could give it some boost, like ~3 psi, not for prolonged periods of time, and only every once in a while, for another 1000 miles. Yeah, it's a 2000 mile breakin, but I did it, and now if my motor pops, I don't have to think "oh if I only had stayed off boost for a few hundred more miles it'd have been fine." It's a very small price to pay for piece of mind.
Only dino oil btw for the entire breakin. After that, quoting Skip again, dino and synth are basically equal for the engine, but turbos like synth better.
Only dino oil btw for the entire breakin. After that, quoting Skip again, dino and synth are basically equal for the engine, but turbos like synth better.
10-20-03, 06:05 PM
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911GT2:
Like I said in my first post, people should follow whatever instructions their rebuilder gives for engine break-in.
I have my own opinions, but since I'm not working on your motor if something goes wrong, they shouldn't mean much to you....
Like I said in my first post, people should follow whatever instructions their rebuilder gives for engine break-in.
I have my own opinions, but since I'm not working on your motor if something goes wrong, they shouldn't mean much to you....
10-20-03, 06:11 PM
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911, you make rational points, but seriously, after the first hundred or so miles, and as I said previously a few heat cycles, the engine isn't going to change or "break in" any more.
Sadly, with a rotary it either seals up and runs for a long time or it doesn't seal and it is pretty much a dud from the first startup.
To me, waiting 1000 miles before using boost is absurd. There are schools of thought that if you don't show the engine some boost early on, then it won't be "tempered" for what is to come. If the first thousand miles are all under 4k with no load then the entire rest of the engine's life better be like that too.
Once the engine has gotten to operating temp a few times it is pretty much ready for whatever you are going to throw at it.
I drove mine around today and put the 39th to the 70th mile on it. I increased the revs up to about 5250 on a couple of occasions and brought some boost online 3-4lbs for a sec or so.
As the days pass and the miles add up, the engine will gradually see some more rpm, load (throttle angle) and boost.
Sadly, with a rotary it either seals up and runs for a long time or it doesn't seal and it is pretty much a dud from the first startup.
To me, waiting 1000 miles before using boost is absurd. There are schools of thought that if you don't show the engine some boost early on, then it won't be "tempered" for what is to come. If the first thousand miles are all under 4k with no load then the entire rest of the engine's life better be like that too.
Once the engine has gotten to operating temp a few times it is pretty much ready for whatever you are going to throw at it.
I drove mine around today and put the 39th to the 70th mile on it. I increased the revs up to about 5250 on a couple of occasions and brought some boost online 3-4lbs for a sec or so.
As the days pass and the miles add up, the engine will gradually see some more rpm, load (throttle angle) and boost.
10-20-03, 06:43 PM
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Originally posted by WVRx7
911, you make rational points, but seriously, after the first hundred or so miles, and as I said previously a few heat cycles, the engine isn't going to change or "break in" any more.
911, you make rational points, but seriously, after the first hundred or so miles, and as I said previously a few heat cycles, the engine isn't going to change or "break in" any more.
10-20-03, 06:45 PM
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Originally posted by rynberg
911GT2:
Like I said in my first post, people should follow whatever instructions their rebuilder gives for engine break-in.
I have my own opinions, but since I'm not working on your motor if something goes wrong, they shouldn't mean much to you....
911GT2:
Like I said in my first post, people should follow whatever instructions their rebuilder gives for engine break-in.
I have my own opinions, but since I'm not working on your motor if something goes wrong, they shouldn't mean much to you....
10-20-03, 09:07 PM
#17
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Originally posted by elmo908
how long should you use non-synthetic or can you put in the sythetic in the next oil change?
how long should you use non-synthetic or can you put in the sythetic in the next oil change?
10-20-03, 10:41 PM
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I've only had to break in one rotary (87n/a) (and a number piston engines), but I've never had any problems running synthetic oil right from the first start. Mobil1 is factory fill on all corvettes, nissan skylines, etc. That's good enough for me.
I just start it up, let it run at a high idle for 25min. Change the oil. Keep the rpm's low until 1500-2000 miles (depending how much the engine cost me), Then change oil again at 500 miles, then again at 1500.
I just start it up, let it run at a high idle for 25min. Change the oil. Keep the rpm's low until 1500-2000 miles (depending how much the engine cost me), Then change oil again at 500 miles, then again at 1500.
10-21-03, 09:50 PM
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In terms of driving off boost in the early stages of run in would it be worth fitting a boost controller and winding it way back to avoid boost as much as possible? I may be way off track with this but wouldn't this allow you to drive a little less conservatively (my car is like a slug under 3k and very difficult to keep off boost above it) and also allow for run-in across a wider rev range
10-22-03, 03:23 AM
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Originally posted by huskerdu
In terms of driving off boost in the early stages of run in would it be worth fitting a boost controller and winding it way back to avoid boost as much as possible?
In terms of driving off boost in the early stages of run in would it be worth fitting a boost controller and winding it way back to avoid boost as much as possible?
This thread brings up a point that never ceases to amaze me -- that people claim to drive 1000 miles without boosting. That is simply not possible if your car is working right (well, if you remove the wastegate pill/turn your EBC off, it may be possible, but very difficult). In 4th or 5th gear, your turbos should spool damn near instantly to 10 psi above 2500 rpm, even with gentle throttle. Hell, on the freeway, just going up one of the many hills here, the car will boost a few psi just maintaining speed. I hit 5-7 psi all the time just driving leisurely through city traffic.
In any case, I refuse to believe that hitting light boost on the primary turbo under the "break-in" period will shorten the life of the motor in any way.
10-22-03, 05:06 AM
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Originally posted by rynberg
That will not work. The boost controller cannot lower boost below the wastegate spring/actuator threshold, which in the case of the FD is 7 psi.
This thread brings up a point that never ceases to amaze me -- that people claim to drive 1000 miles without boosting. That is simply not possible if your car is working right (well, if you remove the wastegate pill/turn your EBC off, it may be possible, but very difficult). In 4th or 5th gear, your turbos should spool damn near instantly to 10 psi above 2500 rpm, even with gentle throttle. Hell, on the freeway, just going up one of the many hills here, the car will boost a few psi just maintaining speed. I hit 5-7 psi all the time just driving leisurely through city traffic.
In any case, I refuse to believe that hitting light boost on the primary turbo under the "break-in" period will shorten the life of the motor in any way.
That will not work. The boost controller cannot lower boost below the wastegate spring/actuator threshold, which in the case of the FD is 7 psi.
This thread brings up a point that never ceases to amaze me -- that people claim to drive 1000 miles without boosting. That is simply not possible if your car is working right (well, if you remove the wastegate pill/turn your EBC off, it may be possible, but very difficult). In 4th or 5th gear, your turbos should spool damn near instantly to 10 psi above 2500 rpm, even with gentle throttle. Hell, on the freeway, just going up one of the many hills here, the car will boost a few psi just maintaining speed. I hit 5-7 psi all the time just driving leisurely through city traffic.
In any case, I refuse to believe that hitting light boost on the primary turbo under the "break-in" period will shorten the life of the motor in any way.
