The same engine shop has been doing the short blocks on #88 since 1968 and his advice on break in is:  use the oil that you normally use (currently Penn), static time, prime, start, bring 'er up to 2000 to warm water AND oil to operating temp, time to taste with light and finally finish break in the engine the same way John Force does on his funny car.  For the most part this is our break in procedure although Kenny might have had just a bit of a twinkle in his eye.  The thing is that rings back in the old days needed break in and if you didn't do it right it was back to a tear down and give it another shot.  Also, the bearings and oil is so much better today than they were when the Beatles were hot.  If there is anything on a street Mini that needs a bit of break in it is the gearbox and some oil changes early on should set this right. 

I believe that anyone that knows our cars know that the Wold Brothers are meticulous in our preparation and while not known for the highest HP out there the cars are probably the most reliable of the front runners.  Our fast lane break in procedures are used not because we are lazy it's just that we find little if any value in taking it any further. 

The opinion of the poster is based on little if any scientific knowledge about just about anything but nontheless probably would not change his mind even if proof was presented.  Old people are like that.

Kerm

I always figured most rental cars are never broken in "correctly" people rent them with little to no mi9les on them and just use them as they please then give them back.

If your have the right  thick lube on the  cam and bearings crank  everythting that moves and rubs  when you install them how much wear do you think your going to get ,i have pulled cams out which were black with a low friction coating  when i put them in and after 20,000 miles and not much of the black was worn off ,   so how much wear do you expect  people make it sound like we have a huge amount of wear during break in , try a few millions of a inch of a few high spots,  if you do your  rings right with the  proper  hone  cut and polish   you dont need to try and break them in its instant,  my race engines  ran hard and straight out of the box,  most with no chance to slowly look for hills and baby the poor little engine. And with 50 percent race podium over 150 races   over 15 years my engines hardly failed , sure i had a few  break but never wore out a cam and i ran vp5sp  extream lift cams.    just what i have found.

Re: initial oil pressure - you can also prime the oil pump this way:

Fill the engine with oil as-usual, then remove the spark plugs. Remove the bolt that attaches the exterior hard line to the oil filter. Put the car in 4th, then roll it backwards while pouring about a quarter/a third of a quart of oil into the bolt hole w/ a funnel. You should see the oil sucked into the hole (straight into the oil pump) as the car rolls slowly backwards.

Now your car's oil pump is "primed", and will immediately begin drawing oil up from the sump. You should also do this if the car sits for a long period of time (like over the winter), as the oil will eventually drain out of the pump and lose its prime. Just did this myself with a newly-rebuilt crate engine that was run on a bench but then shipped dry (drained, anyway), and I had oil pressure immediately. Remember that the bolt securing the oil pipe uses a PAIR of crush washers, which may (probably should be) renewed if you take out the bolt.

--M

wow, pixieracing, what you just posted is exactly the opposite from what pretty much everyone who builds these engines recommends

1963's post, on the other hand, matches what the experts have recommended all along, and very clearly written, too.

Note that "the car companies" are building engines today which are light years away from what these engines are, materials, technology, basic design and manufacturing tolerances-wise. It is not surprising that today's modern engines require a fraction of what a classic engine has always needed.

I guess it is like reusing a head gasket: it isn't wise, because the odds of having to do it over again if it doesn't turn out well are pretty high. But, it has been done and been lucky, sometimes, but I wouldn't take the chance if I had an opportunity to use a new one instead.

Maybe skipping to run in a new engine has worked out for you, but the odds of having to replace a cam who's lobes wore off because of a bad break-in, or having to re-hone the cylinders because the rings didn't seat properly, that it seems like cheap insurance to follow a careful break-in plan, just in case.

Norm

After hundreds of engines i have built and looked at after  including  many 10,000 rpm short strokes I dont belive in break in any more, neither do the car companies  ,  when I was at ford and crystler all cars were built ,oiled and sold  after 1 min on the dyno.  in all my engines I run Mobile 1  10-20  from the start and dont baby it . 

Sounds OK by me.  Although... you have to think what you're doing.  

Crank the engine without the plugs in to build oil pressure.

The 15 minutes or so (a bit less is OK in my experience) @2500 is to run in the cam and lifters.

The bearings need gentle running but at varying revs.. however

The rings need a bit of pressure.  Its VERY important to bed the rings in and not to glaze the bores - which you stand a good chance of doing with sustained gentle running.  BTDT - the consequences may mean another build to get rid of the oil burning.....

So as not to compromise the bearings, find a nice long hill - a reasonable slope a couple of miles long is good.  Drive up the hill in as high a gear as possible without allowing the engine to lug and keeping the revs to something like 4K.  Ideally you might accelerate gently in 3rd from 2500 to 4000 - you should be able to tell that the engine is loaded..  If the slope isn't steep enough try 4th ..or VV go for 2nd.  The trick is to work the engine rather than having it revving freely.  Do this say 10 times then get on with the next 500 miles or so.  After behaving yourself for the first 500 you then start using more revs - by the next 500 you free to do whatever.

Note we're not talking about a competition engine here.  You expect to use a race engine and repair/renew as necessary.  You want a long period od optimum performance with no hassles from a road engine and treating it properly early on will set you up for this... 

I do my first oil change at 500m.

Cheers, Ian

Yeah, a ship... one of their smaller engines.

Big engines...

 

I'm going to use straight 30W, with assy lube on the significant engine parts, for the initial start/run-in per Calver's system.  Short bursts of the starter until oil pressure is indicated.  Start and run for 15-20 minutes at 2500 RPM.  Drain oil, change filter.  Top off with Kendall 20W50 (has ZDDP), run at varying engine speed, not to exceed 60 percent of red line, for 500 miles.  Change oil/filter, re-torque head.  Irritate the neighbors.....

I'm in the US and I've been told by several of the old pros out here to run Valvoline ZR1 racing oil in my car for the break-in period, and then keep using it even after, as is has the ablatives that most modern oils no longer have.

My question is: how long is the break-in period? I've heard everything from 100 miles to 1000 miles.

Dan....tell us what that engine is from....a ship (big ship) or what....?

So how much would it cost to break in this little beauty?

your wrong....

 

   a poll must be started to sort this...

IMHO you don't want expensive break in oil.  I used a Valvoline drop that's marketed as "Break In Oil" and costs about 4 bucks quart (or near enough). I think its straight 30wt.

A. its not there very long.  B.  You don't want a superslick oil because you want the mating parts to wear into each other.  C. You're not going to stress the engine during the running in period (are you??)

My current engine was run in in 1992 and is still going strong.  It was retired from daily commuter duties earler in the year when I inherited my daughter's old Toyota (its much more expensive here to register/insure multiple cars for full useage than in the US).

Cheers, Ian

did you get er fired up...???          don't go cheap on the break in oil..... buy the best....

 

 so..???  just how are you going to break this fresh lump in please???

I also like Brad Penn, I think it's up to $8.25 off the shelf and a little cheaper if ordered on line. There are other braek in oils and I have tried a few. It only hurts for a little while. All oils in fact everything in this country has gone up. Steve (CTR)

I have always used Brad Penn Break in Oil with successful results. Made in USA.

Link here--->   //penngrade1.com/

 

A cheaper price to pay now than later

With the farewell to engine oil additive, zinc phospate, what does the forum recommend for engine oil during the initial run and break in oil following a rebuild?  Royal Purple advertises a break in oil with zinc phosphate @ $10.00 a quart.  If it does the job, I'll gladly pay the price.  Input, anyone?