Engine Break-in Voodoo

[mason]

Engine break-in is one of those topics that no one can ever agree upon. Talk to three different engine builders and get 3 different answers.

I’ve broken in 5 or so engines (including a Toyota 2ZZ-GE) and have solicited many different opinions on the subject.

Here’s what most people I’ve talked to agree about.

- There is no such thing as "special" break in oil from the factory, good conventional 20W-50 SAE oil should be used
- Don’t break in an engine with synthetic, and don’t run synthetic until the engine has been fully broken-in
- Don’t lug or put heavy stress (towing steep grades) on the motor during break-in
- Do not run the engine excessively hot during break-in
- Make sure you vary the RPMs during break-in (that means don’t sit at 4,000 RPM’s cruising the freeway for 10-30 minutes)
- Changing the oil and filter frequently during break-in can only help to remove particulate and aid in break-in
- Break-in to make power isn’t always the same as break-in for engine longevity
- Break-in engine in the lower RPM’s and slowly climb up the revs (over 100 miles or 1000)

After hearing every one else’s opinion about break-in here’s the regime that I’ve adopted for maximum engine life and without sacrificing power.

- First 100 miles keep engine under ½ of the RPM redline
- After the first 100 miles start adding RPM’s 500 or so per 100 miles being careful not to keep the RPM’s in any one constant place for more than a short period.
- 300 miles change oil and filter
- 600 miles change oil and filter
- 750 start letting the engine pull under some load slowly edging towards redline
- 1000 change oil and filter, keep pulling and start hitting redline by 1000 mile mark
- Post 1000 miles drive car normally, but avoiding high stress (standing start launches) for the next 1000 miles
- Change oil and filter every 3000 miles switching to synthetic at about the 3,000-10,000 mile mark

[mason]

Here's how Toyota racing development breaks-in their race motors

The following is part of the Formula Atlantic Motor kit instructions, from TRD:

To ensure long life and reliability you must properly break in your freshly assembled engine.

For a high performance street motor fill the engine with a good grade 20W-50 Mineral based oil. Fill the oil filter with oil before installing it. Remove the spark plugs and crank the engine until the oil pressure comes up on the gauge.

Re-install the spark plugs. Now you are ready to start her up. Start the engine and bring it immediately to 2,000 rpm. Vary the engine speed between 2,000 – 3,000 rpm for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes stop the engine, check the valve lash and re-torque the head bolts. Drain the oil and change the filter. Re-fill the engine with 20W-50 Mineral based oil.

Drive the car slowly for about 500 miles keeping the rpm under 4,000. Don’t lug the engine either because that’s worse for the motor than over revving it. After 500 miles change the oil and filter again. You can now use a synthetic oil if you want to. Use a 20W-50 oil and change it every 3,000 miles. Your engine is now broken in.

For a race engine broken in on the dyno the procedure is a little different. Note that this procedure is for a race clearanced engine.

For the initial run use a Mineral based 20W-50 oil. Run a hotter spark plug than you normally would run. Prime the oil system and the fuel system. Start t6he engine and bring it up to 2,000 – 3,000 rpm with no load. Watch the oil pressure and check for leaks. After 30 minutes stop the motor, check the timing, re-torque the head and check valve lash. Then, run the engine with a light load between 2,000 – 3,000 rpm for another 30 minutes. After 30 minutes change the spark plugs to the normal heat range you are going to run. Do a full throttle full load pull up to the bottom of the power band. Quickly chop the motor.

Check the spark plugs and the BSFC numbers if your dyno is equipped to do so to confirm the jetting. If everything looks good do a full throttle full load pull.

The engine is now ready to race.

[Surferjer]

Hmmm....I've been waiting four years for this car, can't wait to take it out and PLAY! I will try to heed the recommendation, but I guess I better get ready to trade it in after 60,000 miles, because me engine ain't lasting the maximum!

[specialED]

Interesting that TRD recommends synthetic oil after only 1,000 miles. I have heard from many sources that it would be best to stay away from synthetic oil for much longer - pretty much in the range you described, 3,000-10,000 miles.

And what do they mean by "race clearanced"? Excessivly loose ring clearances and tight bearing clearances? How loose or tight?

A friend used to have a POS Jeep Cherokee he told me his owner's manual recommended using Mobil1 from day one.

Anyone with a Jeep/Daimler verify that this was true?

I've never retorqued a head or rechecked valve clearances after building and breaking in a motor. I can barely remember to put engine oil and coolant in before I fire it up.

[armitage]

FWIW (since you're getting a Toyota engine and my Euro Elise has the Rover VVC unit), the Elise manual is pretty strict regarding run in:

" RUNNING IN
The progessive and sympathetic running-in (or bedding-in) of a new engin and trasnmission is a major factor in attaining efficient operation with smooth, durable and economic performance throughout the life of the vehicle. Adherence to the following running-in procedure is a requirement of warranty validation.

It is important during the engine's early life to limit the amount of engine heat generated, whcih is dependent on throttle opening and engine speed. For the first 600 miles (1,000 km):

- Use only moderate throttle openings;
- Do not exceed 3,000 rpm in any gear;
- Make full use of the gearbox to avoid labouring the engine in too high a gear;
- Vary the operating conditions rather than maintain a steady cruising speed;
- Avoid needless heavy braking

After 600 miles (1,000 km) have been covered, wider (but not full) throttle openings and a maximum engine speed of 4,500 rpm may be used until the 'After Sales' service. Only after this service has carried out should full vehicle performance be utilised.

Note that in order to aid fault diagnosis and identify vehicle misuse, various operating parameters are continuously monitored and recorded in the engine electronic controller, which data may be downloaded by Lotus dealers on demand."

And in the warranty section:

" (...) 2.3 The warranty provided by Lotus will not apply to any Lotus Elise which:
a) has not been driven in accordance with the 'running-in' instructions detailed in the handbook; (...)"

The maintenance record lists "Print Engine History Report & send to Lotus" as an operation for the After Sales service (at 1,000 miles - 1,600 km).

[Surferjer]

Well crap! Damned technology. I guess I'll have to be good for 1000 miles and the first checkup. Now, I wonder if I can go to any Toyota dealer for the checkup, becasue the Lotus dealer is a bit of a drive....

[mason]

Armitage,

Note that in order to aid fault diagnosis and identify vehicle misuse, various operating parameters are continuously monitored and recorded in the engine electronic controller, which data may be downloaded by Lotus dealers on demand."

And in the warranty section:

" (...) 2.3 The warranty provided by Lotus will not apply to any Lotus Elise which:
a) has not been driven in accordance with the 'running-in' instructions detailed in the handbook; (...)"

The maintenance record lists "Print Engine History Report & send to Lotus" as an operation for the After Sales service (at 1,000 miles - 1,600 km).

Have you ever heard of any one having their warrantee being voided for this reason? This seems a little odd that they would go to this much trouble, and that the ECU can gather this much info about your driving. I suppose the ECU could monitor peak RPMs but I doubt much else.

Makes me wonder if that’s fact or just an empty threat to try and avoid warrantee issues down the line?

[Onikaze]

an ECU with an accelerometer, RPM monitor, brake force monitor, and a couple megs of memory can easily store every single thing you have done in the car.

there are devices you can get to read them yourself, but i think clearing ones memory would also void your warranty.


if you operate it how they dont recommend and it blows up, are they supposed to buy you a new one out of their pocket?

[Ridgeman580]

I have a lady friend who has been driving
a '96 Corolla' since new. She runs a driving school and has had numerous
students who run the gamut in driving styles. As of now, the car has 220,000
miles and she still has never had a major
engine problem, burns no oil, and basically follows the Toyota service instructions. She does change the oil,
religiously, every 3,000 miles. Hopefully,
our engine will be even better. -ridgeman-

[Croft]

Originally posted by mason
Armitage,




Have you ever heard of any one having their warrantee being voided for this reason? This seems a little odd that they would go to this much trouble, and that the ECU can gather this much info about your driving. I suppose the ECU could monitor peak RPMs but I doubt much else.

Makes me wonder if that’s fact or just an empty threat to try and avoid warrantee issues down the line?

Yes. Some of the first 2001 E46 M3s where catastorphic engine failures occurred were denied a new engine because their ECUs recorded RPMs above redline. It was a big stink documented on the roadfly message board. Long story short BMW was really at fault and made changes to the engine, but during the crisis blamed many of the owners for abusing their cars and voided their warranty. That's why I didn't get an M3.

Regarding break-in, I agee with almost everything you basically outline but I'd change the oil much sooner. I have read that 80% of the wear during break-in period is within the frist 20 miles. so after 20 I'd change the oil to avoid aluminization of engine parts. It's bascically getting a good even ring seal that's important and that can't be done if you baby the engine. This is not to say that you should be redlining your engine. http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

From personal experience. I broke my bike just as prescribed by motoman and dynoed at 98.9 bhp on an eddy current dyno at about 700ft of elevation, ambient air temp was 85F, odomoter read about 5000miles. Compared to my friend's identical bike the same night, same conditons, with about 6000 miles on the odometer he only pulled 93bhp. My torque was about 1.5 higer too. He followed the soft factory break-in recommendation

[mason]

Seven,

It’s funny how demographics work, one of the first vehicles that I was on a waitlist for and was the first on my block(actually state) to have was my R6. Unfortunately it may have to go when the Elise arrives.

[Croft]

Originally posted by mason
Seven,

It’s funny how demographics work, one of the first vehicles that I was on a waitlist for and was the first on my block(actually state) to have was my R6. Unfortunately it may have to go when the Elise arrives.

LOL that's cool! Which color did you get? I can't wait for the '05 R6 to come out. I hope yamaha will put the undertail pipes on on '05. The new R1 is just sooooo sick beyond belief. I love it

[mason]

Originally posted by Seven
LOL that's cool! Which color did you get? I can't wait for the '05 R6 to come out. I hope yamaha will put the undertail pipes on on '05. The new R1 is just sooooo sick beyond belief. I love it.

I've got a '99 in Yamaha blue and white. It's pretty much as it left Japan aside from I cut the rear fender and have changed a few tires.

I've wanted to upgrade to FI for a while and that Honda 600RR looks nice but I've been holding out to see what Yamaha will do to answer. I've always been partial to Yamaha (I love that the US Elise has a Yamaha Head), Honda makes bikes that everyone can ride but Yamaha makes bikes that beg to be raced.

[deryl]

I work for a diesel engine manufacturer where our engines get put into vehicles manufactured by another party so it somewhat relevant. Our ECMs only record engine data including percentage load. We don’t record RPM as that is more or less unimportant as our max RPM is electronically limited. Our ECMs only record percent load over the long term and it puts that data into buckets to save storage space. In our case the ECM will say it has XXX hours on the engine and YY% of the time the engine was run at 90-100% load. The ECM also takes a snap shot of all information when a fault code occurs and stores that information including engine hours until it is downloaded by a technician.

To my knowledge we’ve never voided an engine warranty based on engine data, but we do download all data when any engine or other associated hardware failure occurs (like engine mounts, transmission). I would assume should a failure occur where a clear fault code is given, proven with snap shot time data, and the owner chooses to ignore continued faults and it causes catastrophic failure we would not cover the failure under warranty.

Some other items in this discussion that I’m interested in are the frequent oil changes and use of synthetic oil. I would think any advantages of changing to clean oil more frequently would be offset by the wear that occurs in the few seconds that the engine runs with little/no oil pressure following an oil change. I am assuming this engine does not pressurize the oil system prior to startup which would eliminate this premature wear. With our engines we highly recommend pre filling the oil filter with clean oil prior to starting the engine after an oil change to minimize this little/no oil condition.

With our engines we do not require early change intervals during the break in period as any early contaminants are caught in the filter. I would agree the number of contaminants is higher during break in, but they are not excessive with modern engine manufacturing processes. The only reason to change the oil and filter is if the filter becomes plugged with contaminants or the additive package in the oil breaks down. I would believe Toyota’s manufacturing processes would not leave enough contaminants to plug the filter media in the short periods that are mentioned.

Most engines are designed to work with a specific weight and type of oil. Assuming the engine is designed for mineral oil and the engine is used under normal conditions the only advantage to going to synthetic would be to extend out the service intervals to keep the additive package from breaking down. The key here is normal conditions and what the engine was designed to use. Under severe duty (racing in this case) I could see the advantage in using synthetics but otherwise I think you would be wasting money.

I would recommend using the specified type oil, OE oil filters, and OE air filters. If you are truly interested you can do oil analysis and even cut open the used filters to look at the media. One recommendation is oil analysis should be done in a trend with the same oil, filter, and analysis company being used every time otherwise you’ll get stray differences.

[Tripledigits]

Good post, Deryl.

Amsoil claims that with regular lab testing of the oil, synthetics can be run indefinitely in conjunction with their dual filtration system (full flow and 1 micron bypass filter used together). On an older van I had, I ran the oil this way for about 50K miles with good results, but never had the guts to do it in my good cars. The van (Ford Aerostar) never burned much oil, maybe .5 quart every 5,000 miles.

Jeff