Breaking in a new engine
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Breaking in a new engine
Anyone have some good advice for this? I have never done it before so I was going to go with what has came in the literature with the various parts I have received. Basically I was going to get some breaking in oil and run that for 30 min. Drain that oil then put in "regular" oil and replace the filter with the standard stock replacement. Suggestions on what oil I should use after the breaking in oil? What brand, type, weight?
This will be for a high performance 351W going into a 92 F150.
This will be for a high performance 351W going into a 92 F150.
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Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Michigan
i believe that royal purple has break in oil. im not sure what weight or anything, but it says break in oil on it. haha. and then i would probably run 10w30. but i would use royal purple on that too, just caust its a new motor. but quarts of 10w30 are $10!!!
pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: EXTREME southwest CT
I'd never use a synthetic oil breaking in an engine.
Too much chance of the rings never seating.
Be sure to use a high ZDDP oil for the first 500-600 miles with any flat tappet engine. (solid OR hydraulic lifters)
Penn Grade 1 High Performance Oil
Alternatively use something like Comp Cam's 159 break in oil additive.
COMP Cams - Performance Camshafts, Lifters, Valve Springs, Rocker Arms
With a new cam and lifters be sure to set your static timing *before* firing the engine and after having removed the distributor to prime the oiling system with a socket on a drill.
Start the engine and immediately run it up to 2500rpm and don't let it drop for the first 20 minutes.
This will ensure enough oil flow to keep from wiping a lobe or lifter.
Don't do the rest of your break in at a steady speed like on the highway. Vary rpms and gradually increase both the RPM's and load over the first few hundred miles.
Change the oil and filter after the first hundred miles and then five hundred after that.
You should be okay from there to use whatever oil, and change interval, you intend to use for the life of the engine.
Just my 2C
Too much chance of the rings never seating.
Be sure to use a high ZDDP oil for the first 500-600 miles with any flat tappet engine. (solid OR hydraulic lifters)
Penn Grade 1 High Performance Oil
Alternatively use something like Comp Cam's 159 break in oil additive.
COMP Cams - Performance Camshafts, Lifters, Valve Springs, Rocker Arms
With a new cam and lifters be sure to set your static timing *before* firing the engine and after having removed the distributor to prime the oiling system with a socket on a drill.
Start the engine and immediately run it up to 2500rpm and don't let it drop for the first 20 minutes.
This will ensure enough oil flow to keep from wiping a lobe or lifter.
Don't do the rest of your break in at a steady speed like on the highway. Vary rpms and gradually increase both the RPM's and load over the first few hundred miles.
Change the oil and filter after the first hundred miles and then five hundred after that.
You should be okay from there to use whatever oil, and change interval, you intend to use for the life of the engine.
Just my 2C
pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: EXTREME southwest CT
Rotella is good but Shell has recently removed most of the Zinc and Phosphorus from even their diesel oils now that cat's are mandated.
There's more than you care to know about it over on BITOG, and I'm not about to start an oil thread.
Don't try to break in with the T6 synthetic, it won't work out well.
There's more than you care to know about it over on BITOG, and I'm not about to start an oil thread.
Don't try to break in with the T6 synthetic, it won't work out well.
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pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: EXTREME southwest CT
In answer to the OP, I use regular Rotella T 15W-40 in the summer when I can find gallons on sale at WallyWorld. (they have Motorcraft filters cheap too)
5W-30 or 40 in the winter.
5W-30 or 40 in the winter.
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From: North Dakota
I use nondetergent strait 30 wt oil(air compressor oil) and a zink additive when breaking in a motor. Run it above 2500 rpms for half an hour. I vary the speed as time goes on too.
My motto is "It will go or it will blow". I run it to the max rpm range for the cam in short bursts when closer to the end of the break in time.
My motto is "It will go or it will blow". I run it to the max rpm range for the cam in short bursts when closer to the end of the break in time.
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It's a roller cam and what I read in some of the reading material that came with the heads or cam is that I should run the motor for 30 min to get all the metal shards off the edges of things like the cam and pistons, if there are any loose shards of metal. It didn't list any special type of oil but, based on what has been said here, I was going to use a premium, non-synthetic 5w30 for the first 30 min and then use a good oil for 500 miles and then I will go to the normal schedule of oil changes.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
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From: Billings, MT
It's a roller cam and what I read in some of the reading material that came with the heads or cam is that I should run the motor for 30 min to get all the metal shards off the edges of things like the cam and pistons, if there are any loose shards of metal. It didn't list any special type of oil but, based on what has been said here, I was going to use a premium, non-synthetic 5w30 for the first 30 min and then use a good oil for 500 miles and then I will go to the normal schedule of oil changes.
There shouldn't be any metal shards on anything? Everything should be as clean as possible for assembly. The only reason I change the oil at 50 miles and 500 is to check for problems, and get any dust or dirt cleaned out of there (dust is in the air when you are assembling the engine, it can't be helped).
pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: EXTREME southwest CT
You should be more than willing to eat off any part that gets put into your engine. (other than the assembly lube)
It can't be CLEAN enough.
Rings wear a little and knock the ridges off the crosshatching but other than that hopefully there shouldn't be any kind of debris.
It can't be CLEAN enough.
Rings wear a little and knock the ridges off the crosshatching but other than that hopefully there shouldn't be any kind of debris.