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- Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
- From: lihan@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Bruce G. Bostwick)
- Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
- Subject: Re: Break-in period
- Message-ID: <83188@ut-emx.uucp>
- Date: 7 Nov 92 18:02:40 GMT
- References: <Bx7oLs.43G@news.cso.uiuc.edu> <1992Nov5.070214.24324@mr.med.ge.com>
- Sender: news@ut-emx.uucp
- Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
- Lines: 54
-
- In article <1992Nov5.070214.24324@mr.med.ge.com> hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987) writes:
- >Mark Wayne Blunier (mwbg9715@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu) wrote:
- >: dan@larry.sal.wisc.edu (Dan Roehre) writes:
- >:
- >: No it is not. When the eninge is rebuilt a can of 'special oil' is needed.
- >: This helps the engine break in properly. A new engine has it added.
- >: The warrany that GM gives with its Goodwrench engines is voided if you
- >: don't add the special oil. My experience with breaking in engines seems
- >: to be that the original oil should be used to at least what is recomended
- >: by the manufacturers (of a new engine). Use regular oil for breakin, but
- >: can use synthetic afterwords if desired. Engines that do not have the
- >: break in oil in long enought do no get the rings to seat as well.
-
- probably a specific requirement of GM -- I have never overhauled a GM
- car and have never heard of any requirement for 'special break-in
- oil', and I consult regularly with the dealer mechanics when doing a
- job like this.
-
- >I thought there was no such thing as "special oil for breakin". As I
- >understand it, it just regular oil, but you have all your metal shards
- >and assembly goop floating around in it. What I've done when rebuilding
- >engines is to buy the cheapest junk oil I can & run the engine with that
- >for about 5 miles, then change the oil (& filter) to decent (Castrol)
- >with a real filter, and run that for a couple of hundred, then I switch
- >to Mobil 1 at about 1500 miles.
-
- this is almost exactly what my break-in procedure is -- specifically I
- use Sta-Lube Engine Assembly Lube (the kind with graphite) on the
- bearing surfaces when I put the engine together, followed by an oil
- fill of Golden State 30W for 500 miles, then change to Castrol 10W-40
- (for local climate reasons -- use 5W-30 or 10W-30 if you're up north!)
- for the next 1500 miles or so. I usually pull the dipstick about
- every other day and look at the oil just to be sure.
-
- >The first oil takes out the major junk, the second change takes out most
- >of the rest, and from then on it's just normal break-in. Be gentle for
- >at LEAST 1000 miles, preferably 2000. (not easy if you just spent
- >big bucks on performance parts, you wanna TRY IT!)
-
- Yeah, I can sympathize -- I always want to 'open up' the engine once
- I've got it running so sweet, but it's easy enough to hold off when I
- think of red-hot rod journals and thermal distortion in the $400
- forging I just wrote the check for. Patience is critical at this
- stage ..
-
- BTW -- I do agree with the recommendation to vary rpm's during the
- break-in. Easily done if you drive on busy Interstates during the day
- -- just pace the slower traffic and you'll get enough variation. It
- helps settle in the bearings and help them get to 'know' your driving
- --
- <BGB>
- lihan@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu / "I can't complain,
- (really Bruce Bostwick) / but sometimes I still do"
- from the great state of TEXAS / --Joe Walsh--
-