View Poll Results: Break-In Technique
Hard accel/deaccel from Day1 - Hi oil consumption
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Break-In Technique
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Midlothian
I read the mototuneusa.com breakin article and thought a poll was in order.
To paraphrase the article, the author contends that for the sport bikes he routinely services and races, seating the rings using hi combustion chamber pressures in the first 200 miles is key. This forces the rings out to hone the cylinder walls. otherwise, the gentle break-in causes low ring/wall pressures, and the rings get honed by the striations in the cylinder bore, leading to compression loss, oil consumption, and cruddy ring/bore alignment.
I am not a ring expert, but as an oil guy anbd mech engineer I can confirm that ring tension in new cars is very low compared to the past, while cylinder boring and blockalignment are very precise. You used to have to use a ring compressor to fit a piston - now if you have reasonably finger strength, you can do it by hand (about 10-15 lbs).
To paraphrase the article, the author contends that for the sport bikes he routinely services and races, seating the rings using hi combustion chamber pressures in the first 200 miles is key. This forces the rings out to hone the cylinder walls. otherwise, the gentle break-in causes low ring/wall pressures, and the rings get honed by the striations in the cylinder bore, leading to compression loss, oil consumption, and cruddy ring/bore alignment.
I am not a ring expert, but as an oil guy anbd mech engineer I can confirm that ring tension in new cars is very low compared to the past, while cylinder boring and blockalignment are very precise. You used to have to use a ring compressor to fit a piston - now if you have reasonably finger strength, you can do it by hand (about 10-15 lbs).
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Silver Spring, MD
I waited until 600 miles to hit VTEC, and have from the beginning experienced very little oil consumption...nothing that raises any red flags.
The engine seemed to loosen up a bit around 10,000 miles (I'm at 13,000 now) and the VTEC transition became even more smooth when I went synthetic at 11,000.
I bought the car with 71 miles on it -- so who knows what it went through in the beginning. No problems so far, however.
The engine seemed to loosen up a bit around 10,000 miles (I'm at 13,000 now) and the VTEC transition became even more smooth when I went synthetic at 11,000.
I bought the car with 71 miles on it -- so who knows what it went through in the beginning. No problems so far, however.
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Gleening the apex
I stayed below 5500 till 600 miles then used to "tickle" 8000 till I got to 1K on the odo and now at 1500 miles it has seen redline once or twice and haven't seen any oil loss at all.
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From: Vegas baby!!
bought new 3 months ago with 7 miles on the odo.
in the first 660 miles (I went 10% over inadvertently), I varied my RPMs, did a fair amount of engine braking, etc.-- all the advice given on this board.
at 660, I took it up to maybe 7500 RPMs, and probably didn't cross the 8000 RPM range until close to 1000 miles. I still haven't hit the rev limiter (4200 miles later), but I've come close.
to date I have had to add one quart of Chevron oil total, and I always keep the oil topped off. most of my miles are hwy however, which I'm sure makes a big difference.
no dyno yet.
in the first 660 miles (I went 10% over inadvertently), I varied my RPMs, did a fair amount of engine braking, etc.-- all the advice given on this board.
at 660, I took it up to maybe 7500 RPMs, and probably didn't cross the 8000 RPM range until close to 1000 miles. I still haven't hit the rev limiter (4200 miles later), but I've come close.
to date I have had to add one quart of Chevron oil total, and I always keep the oil topped off. most of my miles are hwy however, which I'm sure makes a big difference.
no dyno yet.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,184
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From: Granville OH
I read this when I was breaking in my car (posted previously on this site) and although I admit it may have some merit, I don't have the guts to prove him right. Also, there's a little voice inside me saying that it can't be good for your engine.
The reason I have apprehension is because hard accelerations put a great deal of lateral force on the rings. That's because of the angle the piston rod meets the crackshaft during acceleration. I may be wrong, but I would think that this causes the piston to want to tilt from its axis, which would tend to bevel the rings while they're trying to seat themselves.
This reasoning suggests that it isn't harmful to hit high RPMs, but it could be detrimental to accelerate hard during break-in. I've used this reasoning on the break-in of all my cars, and i've never had a problem. When the manufacturers start saying I'm wrong, then I'll consider changing.
The reason I have apprehension is because hard accelerations put a great deal of lateral force on the rings. That's because of the angle the piston rod meets the crackshaft during acceleration. I may be wrong, but I would think that this causes the piston to want to tilt from its axis, which would tend to bevel the rings while they're trying to seat themselves.
This reasoning suggests that it isn't harmful to hit high RPMs, but it could be detrimental to accelerate hard during break-in. I've used this reasoning on the break-in of all my cars, and i've never had a problem. When the manufacturers start saying I'm wrong, then I'll consider changing.
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From: houston
I personally wouldn't consider using his break-in procedure. The way he has that website layed out leads me to believe it is all hype.
I didn't baby my car at all during break-in but I didn't flog it either. I would let the engine warm up properly each morning, shifting at 3,500RPM's, and then once ready would pretty much take it to 5500-6000 in second and third gears almost all the time for that first 600 miles. After that I was immediately engaging VTEC but did so on a gradual scale. I didn't take it past 7,500 until about the 900 mile mark, then 8,000 up until about the 1,100 mile mark. By 1,250 I was hitting redline. The engine consumed a minor bit of oil throughout the first 1,500 miles, maybe dropping two or three "X's" on the dipstick, but tapered off after that. Now it doesn't burn a drop unless I'm VTECing on a consistent basis.
My car feels extremely strong to me but I haven't felt the need to dyno it in order to prove that to myself. I don't think I will in the future either.
I didn't baby my car at all during break-in but I didn't flog it either. I would let the engine warm up properly each morning, shifting at 3,500RPM's, and then once ready would pretty much take it to 5500-6000 in second and third gears almost all the time for that first 600 miles. After that I was immediately engaging VTEC but did so on a gradual scale. I didn't take it past 7,500 until about the 900 mile mark, then 8,000 up until about the 1,100 mile mark. By 1,250 I was hitting redline. The engine consumed a minor bit of oil throughout the first 1,500 miles, maybe dropping two or three "X's" on the dipstick, but tapered off after that. Now it doesn't burn a drop unless I'm VTECing on a consistent basis.
My car feels extremely strong to me but I haven't felt the need to dyno it in order to prove that to myself. I don't think I will in the future either.