Morning,
I am about 2 months away from breaking in my 460.
I put some alum heads on it, new rings, honed, now bearings, new cam, fitech and its in a 1978 F250.


My concern is that I will be breaking in the engine in January in CT. Temps average 30 and below for Jan. Will starting the engine and keeping is at 2000 rpm be bad? I feel like doing that on such a cold day could have an issue or two.
Its in a covered car-port but that's all. I was thinking of aiming a kerosene heater at it for a few hours before starting it.


Anybody have experience breaking in an engine when its this cold out?

 

While I have never started an engine in that temp, IMHO, warm up the oil and then put it in the engine ...otherwise, there should be no issues.

 

How big of a deal is it to install a block heater, and would such a thing heat the oil as well? The last time I was around MN, it was pretty common to see a pigtail poking out of grilles. No idea if they came stock or aftermarket.

 

great idea!!!!! ^^^^^^

 

Block heaters are standard equipment on marine diesels in AK, and particularly useful when the boat is parked in say Dutch Harbor over Christmas break or something. The ones we use do have a heating puck that sits in the oil pan, and maintains the oil at just under 100 degrees, though we also use space heaters to keep the whole engine room from freezing. An outside truck is a different animal, but it might make the difference to get oil flowing in those first few critical moments.

 

The space heater will help. A heat lamp pointed at the oil pan sump will really help. Make sure that you use a break in oil. Or add a zddp additive to your regular oil. The whole 2000 rpm break in routine is about getting the cam Lobes and lifter bases coated and hardened with the zinc. Flat tapet engines have got to have zinc.

 

They use to make one that slipped down the dip stick tube.......

engine</strong> oil heaters & <strong>dipstick tube - Bing images

 

Block heaters are easy to put in, assuming your coolant is still drained. Buy a magnetic tank heater and stick it on the bottom of the oil pan in the rear by the drain plug. Don't try breaking it in on a day when it is 10 degrees or less, but as long as you have the block water and oil warm, you will be just fine taking it up to 2k rpm right away.

+1 on the zinc. Make sure you use a good quality break in oil like joe gibbs or the comp cams oil. The break in additives do not provide the same blend and quality.

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