Rebuilt engine break in question...

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Feb 26, 2016 | 11:04 AM

Pkupman82

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From: Muskegon, MI (home)

Rebuilt engine break in question...

Hopefully gonna be getting my 6.9 back from the machine shop soon. The plan is to install a Banks Sidewinder on it as well. My question is, would it be smarter to do the break in period with or without the turbo? Any recommendations for break in oil or additives?

Feb 26, 2016 | 11:06 AM

MtTheJeffro

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From: Penndel, PA

Put it together once. Break everything in as a whole. No gain in double work.

Feb 26, 2016 | 12:30 PM

hairyboxnoogle

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Yea i would have it all together, and drive it how you intend to. Dont baby it or hot rod it just drive how you will normall drive it. After seating rings... try to vary your speed. 500 or so miles of town driving. Going to drive mine to portland in 362 / 110 trim, (400 miles) and tow a car and trailer back.

Feb 26, 2016 | 01:41 PM

Pkupman82

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From: Muskegon, MI (home)

Okay, that makes more sense when you look at it that way. I've rebuilt and broken in several gasoline engines, sounds like it's basically no difference then. Any other suggestions?

Feb 26, 2016 | 02:58 PM

hairyboxnoogle

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No synthetic obviously, ive heard some say single weight oil, others thin oil, some say Zddp addative, others say no addative. I would ask your machine shop about it. When it comes time for mine, going to fill her up with Valvoline premium blue. First thing, after initial startup, and as far as i know, they only really critical part is getting the rings seated. Have to get them hot, but dont want to overheat them, or they will glaze. Most shop manuals recommend warming engine with no load, then 12-15 hard WOT pulls from about 1500rpm to 3000, coast with no throttle to start speed, and repeat. From there, drive normally, with no towing / hauling for at least 500 miles, and try to keep engine speed varied. IE, no 200 mile trips down the freeway with the cruise on. Change the oil at 1500 miles, and consider the engine broken in.

Feb 26, 2016 | 03:01 PM

whomrig

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Maybe the first oil change at 500 or so miles

Feb 26, 2016 | 07:22 PM

Macrobb

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Quote:

Originally Posted by whomrig

Maybe the first oil change at 500 or so miles

Yeah, that was what was recommended to me. Also, use 15w40 conventional oil, non-synthetic.

I ran it from 0-500 or so miles doing light highway and otherwise unloaded driving; I then hauled a decent trailer on the highway for a good nice trip(went to pick something up).

Since then, well, the bottom end is great - very little cylinder leakage when I tried to do a leakdown test. I've been having some issues with rockers/lifters/pushrods(valves seal great), but I don't think the break in(a year ago) had anything to do with that.