How to run in an new engine.

[matespace]

Some people have asked what the best oil to use for breaking in a new engine and most people don't know what the best way is to break in a new engine.



To help with this one.
Our advice is:

The best oil to use is a mineral oil with lots of zinc or a 'break in' specific oil.*
The best way to break in a new motor is to run it hard!
The exact proceedure is outlined here on this site: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Once your motor has been run in, swap out the oil for your favourite Motul synthetic product and happy trails!

*Sorry, there is a Motul Break-In oil, but available in the US only at the moment.

Disclaimer: This is a suggestion only and you are to act at your discretion. What you do is your responsibility. You know the deal.

[Lucas_R]

Exactly - never baby a new engine. I loaded the engine in my R up as much as possible from new - and although i didnt exceed 5,500rpm until after 1,000km, it got plenty of full throttle applications (up to 5,500rpm) in that time.

To load it up, throw it in a high gear at low rpm and floor it. Preferably up a hill.

[whitemoo]

Never owned a new car, but if i did, i'd probably do what Lucas_R did.

Also remember talking to a guy who was running them VW driver training courses, and he suggested exactly what g2s suggested. Minus using the 'break - in oil'.

[Pharkus]

Real guys do it past the red line...

[rthong]

I tracked my car 3 times in the first 2 months. The engine is so smooth and powerful after breaking in. Now it's 3 months old and only clocked 3000km. Swapped out the factory oil for Motul 5W40. Very happy. :-)

[Candyman]

By the time you get your new car, already run in. Run in happens in the first few 100 km, not as suggested, in the first few thousand.

Drive it however you want remembering that it isn't just the engine you need to run-in.

A lot of snake oil around.

[ido09s]

Drive it however you want remembering that it isn't just the engine you need to run-in.

This

Some of you forget you have bought a brand new car, not had an engine rebuilt, and there is alot more than just the engine that needs to be run in

I beg to differ on the run in procedure and have always run my engines in with as little load as possible. The number of engines i have helped build and then seen on the dyno just proves it doesnt really matter which way you run them in as some will go well, some will not. A lot of you guys have had success driving them hard, a lot have had success babying them. At the end of the day the manufacturers handboook says to baby it with no load and keep the rpm down, drive it any other way and have a failure and they probably will void your warranty. Given what the ECU is already capable of i am sure it would also log how the car has been driven :P

I think the fact i find no oil in my catch can after numerous 20+psi 9500rpm runs down Eastern Creek drag strip and numerous dyno sessions in between is enough to tell me i ran the motor in correctly And no its not a VW i am talking about

[markwid]

At the end of the day the manufacturers handboook says to baby it with no load and keep the rpm down, drive it any other way and have a failure and they probably will void your warranty. Given what the ECU is already capable of i am sure it would also log how the car has been driven :P

Beg to differ. They cannot void warranty on the basis that you drive your car hard and with load...

[Pharkus]

Beg to differ. They cannot void warranty on the basis that you drive your car hard and with load...

So you mean bouncing off the rev limiter is no good for the engine o.0