ulakovic22

Sorry for the newbie question, but I'm about to drop my new engine in this weekend and I was wondering if the initial break in was needed for a roller motor? I know on my Olds 403 I did, (flat tappet) I held it at 2500-3000 for about 20 minutes to help "set" the lifters on the cam, rings and get everything lubed. Is this necessary on a roller motor? Obviously it's a roller, I'm gonna prime everything before hand, and I'm using low tension rings, so do I really need to do the initial break in?

Thanks,
Anthony

WS6T3RROR

yeah i would still break it in as per the old school way unless using a solid roller which hates 2000rpm idling. i've found valve springs last longer if you just run the motor around 2000 or 1500 rpm the first couple of times you start it up (heat cycles). and then let it cool back down and do it again the next day and in general just take it a little easy on it the first few times driving it, and as per the rest of the breakin i would just treat it as you would a new car, no full throttle showing off etc etc till after the first oil change or two. there is however the other school of thought which is run it as hard as humanly possible and if it dont break it'll be ok. i do not endorse that particular idea on street engines, but i am guilty of it in race engines.

dobe

run the **** out of it

santore

ChvyCruzen

I would break in as well. Hold it above 2500 for a few minutes. Get oil splash on your components, keep it lubed. If you dont break it in, and hold your revs, you will starve your components of oil for a while.

izzyz28

When I built my engine last year I started it, checked for leaks, and drove it around the parking lot a little bit to make sure everything was okay. Then I took it ou on the street and accelerated moderately and let it decelerate a few times to break in the rings. Then I took it out on the street and ran it hard through the gears with maybe three or four miles on it. It's never given me a lick of trouble. On my last engine for my old Firebird I broke in the cam for 20 minutes, then drove it about 1/4 mile and stood on it. That engine was fine as well. I'm not saying that this is by any means the correct way to do it, but I feel that you might as well run the engine through it's paces while it's fresh, and of course change the oil shortly after the initial run-in to get all the assembly lube and metal particles out.

arnie

There are two main concerns when 'breaking in' a fresh engine. One being the mating surfaces of a flat tappet cam and corresponding lifter surfaces. The other being the ring/cylinder wall surfaces, with the emphasis on an effective seal between the two. With the LTx (and later) series of engines having roller lifters, the first is mute. This is good, as the ring/cylinder wall breakin, is contradictory to the breakin procedure of a flat tappet cam. This allows the person doing the breakin procedure, to concentrate on the rings. BTW, being concerned primarily about the springs or leaks, is a price I personally care not to pay, as the ring seating is priority numero uno. Springs are relatively easy to change, and leaks easy to fix later. Risking the need, to tear down the short block a second time needlessly, is well... unprofessional.

ulakovic22

So you are saying that I don't really have to worry about breaking in the lifters since they are roller lifters and I should focus on making sure the rings seat above all else. If the ring/wall break in is contradictory to the flat tappet cam break in then I shouldn't run the engine at 2500-3000 for 20 minutes or so, right? How should I break the engine in?

Thanks,
Anthony

RCF925

If it was my motor I would run it on initial startup for 20 minutes driving around normal. Change the oil and open oil filter to check for (excessive)metal, Drive it for 100 miles, Change the oil and check filter, Drive it for 500 miles, Change oil, Then drive as normal with normal oil changes, Don't put synthetic oil in until you have at least 2500 miles on it. Might sound a little on the careful side, but why take chances with a new motor that I'm sure you have a lot of money into. I've always done it this way and have never had any problems.

arnie

Right.

If the ring/wall break in is contradictory to the flat tappet cam break in then I shouldn't run the engine at 2500-3000 for 20 minutes or so, right? How should I break the engine in?

Right. The synthetic suggestion above, is a good one. Providing there are no rags to get stuck in filter, start it up, stabilize temp(s), and run it hard, cycling (on the gas, off the gas) up and down rev range, although no redline blasts. Going to WOT is fine, but as stated, no redline. WOT is not the same as redline. Running it hard, is not the same as 'beating' it. Personally, I'd make 20-50 miles, the first filter change. As far as taking chances with a new expensive engine, do ya think race engines are broken in gently, for several hundred miles?

BlkLT1Z28

you dont need to breakin your cam, roller cam do not need any type of break in. As fas as seating your rings, just start it up, get it to temp. check that your not leaking oil or water like crazy, then go and drive it. Accelerate and decelerate get on it a little bit but not all over it, and like arnie said not redline. Just make sure you vary the rpm's. A lot of people think well ****, I'll just go for a cruise down the highway just to put some miles on it. Well thats not really good. Drive in traffic so you have the chance to get up o speed, run it threw a couple of gears, then you can sit in traffic. Just dont let the motorsit at a certain rpm for very long. I have had the best luck with this when I need to seat my rings in all of my previous motors.

CANTONRACER

This is sort of a strange question...

No one with half of a brain would just throw a combo together and run the **** out of it the second it turned on.

I know when I put my combos together, heck I probably spend a good 1/2 hour with it running just checking for exhaust leaks, vaccum leaks, verify fuel psi, checking vaccum and anything that comes to mind.

But a breakin period is old school thought. It came about because of cast rings that needed to seat correctly.

I run tool steel rings on the top and cast iron compression rings. It also depends on the finish hone you have also.

BUT...I would start the engine with a conventional oil and just change it after a few hours...be surprised how much crap motors pick up when opened up or rebuilt.

arnie

A ring/wall breakin is NOT old school. The idea that it takes 500-1000 miles to do it, is what is old school, what with today's rings and wall prep. The window of opportunity, to do the most effective breakin is relatively short. The key phase is 'most effective'. The more 'dilly dallying' around, that is done, the less effective the effort becomes. That is why it is very helpful, to have the pcm tune close, prior to any new engine startup. Precious time should not be spent tuning, when it should be spent doing the breakin procedure. Bring up to temp, and check any monitoring devices, and go at it. A complete ring breakin can be accomplished in an afternoon, easily. The longer it is dragged out, the less effective each mile becomes. Building the engine 'tighter' than you intend to run it, is old school as well, btw.

You'd be surprised as to whom has done very effective ring breakins, doing just that. Actually, it takes more than half a brain, it usually takes the whole brain.

turbo_Z

I have heard of people throwing a motor together and running it on the dyno for break in!

arnie

You heard good info. Actually, on an engine dyno, is AFAIC, the ideal way to do it. It is much easier to do a 'controlled' breakin. Bring up to temp(s), monitor, and run it through a few hard cycles.

96m6lt1

my engine builder back in the day said"break in a motor the way you plan on drivin it" he also said if i hurt this engine by doin what i told you to do i will build you another one at no charge i ran it for 5 years no problems besides header gaskets....