5sfe break in Options

[Malhar95]

ive heard many different stories of breaking in a rebuilt motor, but i want to make sure 100%

whats the real way of breaking in a rebuilt 5s engine
what oil do i use?
when to get 1st oil change, 2nd, 3rd etc.
what restrictions (please dont say "dont drive it hard or race it" be specific like "dont go over XX mph and XX rpms" )


thank you

[stephen_lee]

1st oil change within a few hundred miles.

I'd change it after the 20 min idle period you should do on any first startup to check for leaks, over heating, etc.

2nd id do within 1500 miles. then there after at 3000 mile intervals.

I wouldnt go over 3500 rpm. this should limit you to 75mph, too. Once the engine has logged 1500 miles (the 2nd oil change) drive normally.


Thats how I would break an engine in, at least..

dino oil for the first few changes as well, then synth after if you want

[bsamps4]

A lot of this is going to depend on how rebuilt your motor is.

If it was a similar rebuild to mine...this is what I would do (and how I am going to break in my motor)

Fill up with dino oil and allow the vehicle to warm up. Do NOT drive it at this point. This is only to flush out any bits of metal that may be left over from final cleaning before re-assembly. (This should obviously be one after you have primed the oil pump, and water pump.)

After the car has heated up allow it to cool for a few minutes, and drain the dino oil out of it.

I would then fill it up with a break-in oil, which has a very high zinc content from break in. (I will be using royal purple break-in oil)

Follow the instructions on the break-in oil bottle for specifics on oil change frequency, and if it requires only one dose or two doses of break-in oil.

Once you put the break-in oil into the car after draining your oil re-start your car, and wait till it reaches optimal temperature again. This should only take a minute or two.

Find yourself some back roads and drive the car HARD (Do not floor it, I would not recommend more than 3/4 throttle). Do NOT exceed 4,000 rpms. Vary your speed. You should NOT remain at one speed for more than a few seconds. Engine brake HARD between pulls. When you get back to your house make sure to let the car idle for about 5 minutes, and then shut it down.

The first 20 miles that you put on the vehicle are the most important in terms of long-term longevity for your engine. ( I personally plan on driving my car for the first time (as stated above) for at least 20 miles before I take it home and turn it off)

For the duration of the break-in oil drive the vehicle less, and less hard as you near your first oil change with normal oil (I would strongly recommend synthetic of your choice.)

Now to explain the logic behind all of this just incase you're wondering why this sounds agressive...

Your piston rings have to be at optimal temperature (along with the rest of your motor) before break-in can occur, which is why you need to warm the vehicle up before driving it.

Pistons rings will not break in if the vehicle is not driven hard because heat helps to seat the rings against the piston side walls. Speedy acceleration increases heat due to friction, which allows the rings to expand to fit their surroundings. Heavy deceleration (engine braking) also increases heat due to friction. The reason that you want heavy acceleration and deceleration is because the forces applied to the rings and bearings differ between the two. This makes for a well rounded seating of your piston rings, and will ultimately make your motor last longer.

The break-in oil is crucial because the high zinc content protects your bearings and other high friction surfaces during initial break-in.

Hope this helps.

[stephen_lee]

^^that is good info. the seating of rings is important too and i forgot about that.

[Smaay]

this is how i break in engines.

use regular oil, run the engine as hard as you can. full throttle, then let off and coast. then hammer down, then let off. avoid constant RPMs just do this for about 10 miles and the rings will be seated. you want that hard on and off pressures to seat the rings.