Hello everyone i just built a turbo cobra heads cams pistons rods I have a couple of friends tell me to do a proper break in and I have my tuner and other ones saying to just break it in in the dyno I'm more old school and I lean more towards doing a break in but what do you guys or some of you guys have done has anyone done any breaking by doing heat Cycles to the engine?
Break in opinions
- Thread starter 305Cobra
- Start date
You will get mixed opinions here. When we did my buddies car over the spring it went straight to the dyno. Got 15 miles worth of ass whooping, under 15lbs of boost. But on the same note,I have done the heat cycle technique on 560ci race motors.
If I did my own motor I honestly don't know what I would do
If I did my own motor I honestly don't know what I would do
I always just drove and tried not to go to WOT. Change the oil after a couple hundred miles.
You will get mixed opinions here. When we did my buddies car over the spring it went straight to the dyno. Got 15 miles worth of ass whooping, under 15lbs of boost. But on the same note,I have done the heat cycle technique on 560ci race motors.
If I did my own motor I honestly don't know what I would do
Haha thanks for your input
Thats what i had in mind
Did you build it or did someone else? If someone else built it I'd go with whatever they say.
When I built mine I fired it up in the driveway and let it idle for a bit. I did the first oil change to get the assembly lube out. Started it back up and let it come to up to temp. I didn't see any leaks so I drove it down the block and then hit full boost. I remember that engine turned 100 miles on the dyno.
When I built mine I fired it up in the driveway and let it idle for a bit. I did the first oil change to get the assembly lube out. Started it back up and let it come to up to temp. I didn't see any leaks so I drove it down the block and then hit full boost. I remember that engine turned 100 miles on the dyno.
I had a machine shop and i did the assembly and im thinking of doing same you did drive it a few miles then go for it..
So tomorrow i have to drive 70 miles to my tuner to get a base tune as i have not been able to turn the car on my big stuff 3 arrived with no base tune and cant get it to start but i was thinking of if everything turns out on point as i think it will might as well do heat cycles change oil and full tune ..
I put 500 or so miles on a new engine with casual driving , change the oil , and start beating on it a bit for another 500 miles .
Then no mercy.
Then no mercy.
For me, it depends on what I was using the build for.
I've built a few engines. For the street cars, after assembly, I'd bring them up to temp, drain it. Casual drive 50 miles, drain it. Drive 250 miles, drain it... At 500, one last oil dump, then on the dyno. Drive it like I stole it.
For my drag race bikes and cars... Brought them up to temp, rinsed, dyno tuned, broke them in a 1/4 mile at a time.
I've built a few engines. For the street cars, after assembly, I'd bring them up to temp, drain it. Casual drive 50 miles, drain it. Drive 250 miles, drain it... At 500, one last oil dump, then on the dyno. Drive it like I stole it.
For my drag race bikes and cars... Brought them up to temp, rinsed, dyno tuned, broke them in a 1/4 mile at a time.
Thanks Marc
I'm of the opinion to get a hard acceleration and let the engine decelerate this will help seat the rings and avoid glazing the cylinder walls. Then heat cycle, oil change, dyno as needed. This can all be done one dyno too. A lot of folks just say break it in like you will drive it and that works too.
Last edited:
Car looks sick. Let us know what it makes.
Good luck with it! Keep us posted
Good luck with it! Keep us posted
This is how I do all my new engines. The most important part of your break in is getting the rings to seat. Idling and casual driving is not the best way to do it although it can and does work for many.
I get the engine up to temp, make sure there's no fluid leaks or issues. Take it out and immediately give it generous amounts of throttle in a good amount of boost, then let off and decel hard for vacuum to pull the rings in the other direction. Make several pulls through the gears and decel and take it easy for a min or so and then back on it. 10 or 15 miles of this and then I shutdown and change oil.
If you read up online it's widely accepted that within the first 20 miles all ring seating that is going to happen has happened. So if your rings have not seated due to excessive idling or whatever else your cylinders are glazed over by that point and no amount of mileage or beating on it will change it. You have to hone the cylinders and re ring.
I work at a car manufacture plant and the car gets started and drove about 200' before it gets to the dyno with a wot pull.
I never would've guessed that would happen on a new engine.
I've raced motocross for almost 20 yrs and every top end build I'd have at least a 5-10 minute break in period.
I never would've guessed that would happen on a new engine.
I've raced motocross for almost 20 yrs and every top end build I'd have at least a 5-10 minute break in period.
This motor went right from the engine room into the car then dyno'd. It put down 1463RW. Many big hp engine builders do the same thing like Pro-Line.
Nice build!
Users who are viewing this thread
