What 'break-in' procedure did you use?

GoldenMotor.com

SoapFlakes

New Member
Apr 26, 2011
15
0
0
California
Hi everyone! :D
First time posting here and I just wanted to know what break-in procedure did you use for your engine?

Thanks,
SoapFlakes
 

DuctTapedGoat

Active Member
Dec 20, 2010
1,179
10
38
38
Nampa Idaho
Run 20 mins on WOT, 20 mins off to cool, tighten things down and do it again.

I used to just idle and inspect 20 on and 20 off, but I was told to force that compression, so in the future I'm going for hills, just WOT up and coast down, lather rinse repeat.
 

Pablo

Master Bike Builder & Forum Sponsor
Dec 28, 2007
3,696
33
48
Duvall, WA PNW
www.sickbikeparts.com
Nothing really special. Just a little extra oil. I certainly am not afraid to get on it it when young. Actually speeds the process up a bit. I've never had the rings not seal properly on an HT engine. In fact they way I blow head gaskets and top end issues tells me my ring seating is most excellent!!
 

DaveC

Member
Jul 14, 2010
969
1
18
Boise, ID
Wait a second, Bon Ami the polishing powder?
You are going to have to explain how that one works! :D

...I think that's a joke. And not a good one. Too many would take such "advice" as serious and screw up a motor.

To me a :) means"good advice", ;) means "it's a joke, son.".duh.
 

wayne z

Active Member
Dec 5, 2010
1,743
5
38
louisiana
it's not a joke. Although I don't recomend it, BonAmi has a long history of being used in other engines like large diesels, to help when the rings are hard to seat.
Not a handfull though. They would use the amount that would fit in a drinking straw, for a road tractor engine.

On some aircraft engines with chrome bores, the rings are very hard to seat. Specialsed machinery is sometimes used to work the piston in the bore with abrasive powder, to pre-seat the rings before engine assembly.

A very tiny amount(size of a pea) would probably not cause much harm to a HT engine, and might help seat the rings to the chrome bore.
 

Skarrd

Member
Oct 13, 2010
501
2
18
34
Chandler, AZ
1st engine: 24:1 rode it hard. engine topped out at 36 mph (32 most of the time). once fully broken in.

2nd engine: 32:1 rode it even harder. engine tops out at 37 mph. (32 most of the time). once fully broken in.

it's alot better to run it hard since it forces the rings against the wall harder.
 

rohmell

Active Member
Jun 2, 2010
1,531
6
38
New York
I just dumped my 40:1 in and started to ride, no break in no nuthen. Have not had a problem.
A side note: yesterday I pulled the head off and was able to wipe away the carbon from the head and piston top, it wasn't baked on or anything, although in some areas, I had to rub real hard, but it all came off. Now I'm riding with a shiny head and piston.
 

Drewd

New Member
Jul 25, 2008
425
0
0
Colorado
I was joking about the Bon Ami but there is actual history associated with its use.

This was the GM approved break-in by the dealers back in 1955 for the new v8. They had nigh nickel content in the first engine blocks (super hard) and a chrome vanadium piston ring and too fine a cross hatch hone pattern that was not productive in achieving a proper ring seal. The cure was to run the engines at a fast idle---1500 to 1800 or so and let the engine inhale (with the oil bath air cleaner off) the powder off of a tablespoonfull or so of the powder thru the two barrel carb into the engine. Took about 30 minutes or so. Then run the car hard on a test drive, warm the oil good and change it. Return to customer. Seems Chevy did not want their new high reving v-8 to get a bad rep from the start and had thrown a goodly amount of heavy duty parts into the engines from the get-go.....forged cranks, rods, chrome-vanadium rings, oil filters, good high tensile valve springs, etc. on their Ford beater. At 265 cu.in. and 165 horsepower rating, it was a world beater....and the rest is history.