Engine Break in Procedures *new engines*

[Mill Creek Mafia]

Okay guys Today is almost that day, and i can't say that i'm not terrified to start this new motor after all the time and money i've put into it. It wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't that 5 month gap where i was deployed in the middle of finishing it. So This is my last question before i bring it to life (hopefully a long life). I was just curious exactly what to do, and what not to do when i start my motor.

I know i need to prime the oil pump, and i'm going to rent the tool from autozone to do that. As i understand it, i need to run the drill in reverse until i see really good oil pressure. (i assume running the drill too long is impossible?)

I've checked everything i can think of that i may have missed and i plan on getting a fresh set of eyes or 2 who have done this many times as well.

No for my main concern, which is when i fire the car. I have never started a new motor before so i'm going to be in cardiac arrest when i turn the key. I'm concerned about the timing. Right now it set on TDC #1 with the rotor pointing towards the number one cylinder on the top of the compression stroke. I need to double check but i should also have the Fluidamper set at 0* on it as well. Does this all sound correct?

So lets say i start the car. Now I don't have the timing set with the distributor. I made marks on it before i pulled it out of the old motor for where 10* was. Do i put it back in the same spot it was, and go with it? good enough for startup? or do i set the timing perfect after i start the car?

After that, or minus all that, what should i be doing with the motor? This is where i am looking for proper information. I've seen people fire the motor, and just drive out in the street and run the piss out of the car. and i've seen people baby it and say keep it around 2k and occasionally mash it up to around 5 while driving it. (mind you i also have a brand new clutch) Can someone tell me what is recommended when i start the motor?

ARP says not to run coolant in the radiator after installing their head studs (for the first startup). But i just read that you shouldn't start a new motor with just water. Personally i thought that was bullshit, but i'll ask the question anyhow.

If there is anything else you guys could think of i might have missed please let me know. I'm going to be finishing the install on my gauges today, but i'll be checking this tonight when i get back. Thanks Everyone!

[2MUCHBOOST]

This is what Ive done. Fire it (ive never gotten the dist right the 1st time Im also out 180*). Let it run till the car gets up to temp (5 mins). Check for leaks. Shut the car off, change the oil, re-torque all the head bolts, intake, exhaust, everything you can. Check the valves. Once all that is good I take it out for a easy ride (keep it under 4000). Get like 100 miles on it change the oil again and let is loose.

[Mill Creek Mafia]

thanks. I got 30# injectors in it right now, without the blower belt hooked up. What should i set my fuel pressure at? i don't want to wash out the cylinders

[2MUCHBOOST]

Stock, I ran with 38#

[Mill Creek Mafia]

by stock, do you mean without the blower?

[Mill Creek Mafia]

man i thought i would come home and there would be half a dozen posts in here... I don't ask that hard of questions do I?

[Shifty]

I've heard run it hard from the beginning and it will run hard for life, but I've also heard the opposite... It's hard to say, I'd keep asking around and get a few opinions, then go with the most common one...lol

[Mill Creek Mafia]

:nocares: lol that was the idea, but no one has opinions unless it's about a pointless topic

[95 Sleeper]

With my motor. The next day after it was running I took it to the dyno to be tuned and 3 days later I was at the track....In all less than 50 miles on motor.

[Mill Creek Mafia]

you're way more hardcore than me, i just want to get it running, get it to the dyno, and enjoy it until the track opens back up, then it's game time.

[illdrag]

John Force Cant Take His For A Ride...beat The Shit Out Of It!!!

[Shifty]

I agree with Kris, that's what he did, and his car ran it's ass off all year(Plus it stayed together)... It was out on the street every friday/saturday night and it hit the track atleast 8 times this season...

[rel3rd]

John Force Cant Take His For A Ride...beat The Shit Out Of It!!!

:stupid:

If it's got oil pressure it's ready to run...if it's going to come apart, I'd rather it do so in the first hour rather than after I wasted a couple weeks driving it around like a bitch...:shrug:

When I drove my coupe up to Joey's for dynotuning and a trip to Cecil on the way home, it had less than 100 miles on it...AFTER the trip up.

First time I pumped 16psi through my old purple car was at Cecil and it had about 80 miles on it. Ran some 10's and went home...

I do pretty much what Ray says. As soon as it is running and has no obvious leaks or idleing problems, I immediately set the base timing. Let the radiator "burp", then shut it down, re-tighten header bolts and give it a once over...drain the oil and let her rip...I've never babied a new engine in my life. My theory is that if it's put together right, you shouldn't have to...

Good Luck.

[Mill Creek Mafia]

that seems to be what most people i've talked to do, that have done this for a while. I'm also getting ready to install my pms FINALLY. might do that today, but i have no where to install it. I don't have any of those brackets or anything in my car, they've obviously been jacked. Do you or anyone else now where i can get a bracket to mount this thing under the seat, or know of a better place?

[Gator]

Do you or anyone else now where i can get a bracket to mount this thing under the seat, or know of a better place?

www.lowes.com (http://www.lowes.com) 4 self tapping screws. replace seat.:look:

[rel3rd]

I've NEVER bolted one down. Slide it under the passenger seat and fuhgettaboutit...the way the floorpan is shaped, it can't go anywhere.

[Turbo331]

I've NEVER bolted one down. Slide it under the passenger seat and fuhgettaboutit...the way the floorpan is shaped, it can't go anywhere.




what he said.....

[Mill Creek Mafia]

i'll customize something. I didn't get to start the car today, had a going away for a friend, and then ran out of day light. i need to run my power wire for the PA Perf. alternator, and i need to find a belt that fits my car. i'm having trouble with that

[illdrag]

i'll customize something. I didn't get to start the car today, had a going away for a friend, and then ran out of day light. i need to run my power wire for the PA Perf. alternator, and i need to find a belt that fits my car. i'm having trouble with that

take a peice of string and rap it around the accesories in the right routing. use a pry bar to hold the tensioner about 3/4 of the way up.tie it tight and take it to the parts store.they should have a belt measuring tool...

[Mill Creek Mafia]

yeah that's what i planned to do yesterday, but ran out of daylight. sucks when your in a parkinglot with no lights... i think this rain is going to fuck me today, it's not raining yet, but by the time i get to the base and started it'll be raining, and i got the damn et streets on the rear :(

[rel3rd]

take a peice of string and rap it around the accesories in the right routing. use a pry bar to hold the tensioner about 3/4 of the way up.tie it tight and take it to the parts store.they should have a belt measuring tool...

Or since most every parts store chain employee has no clue WTF he/she is doing, take the string, cut it and measure it yourself.

If it's 82.5" long, the part number would be 5060825 for DAYCO, or K060825 if they sell GATES belts...

5 or K = Serpentine belt (5 for Dayco, K for Gates)
06 is number of RIBS, 06 = 6 rib
The last four digits are the belt length...0825 = 82.5", 0820 = 82.0 inches...You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in any part store who knows that little tid-bit...This works on blower belts too, obviously...06 = 6 rib, 08 = 8 rib, etc...Remember it, as I rarely share info like that. ;)

[95 Sleeper]

Or since most every parts store chain employee has no clue WTF he/she is doing, take the string, cut it and measure it yourself.

If it's 82.5" long, the part number would be 5060825 for DAYCO, or K060825 if they sell GATES belts...

5 or K = Serpentine belt (5 for Dayco, K for Gates)
06 is number of RIBS, 06 = 6 rib
The last four digits are the belt length...0825 = 82.5", 0820 = 82.0 inches...You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in any part store who knows that little tid-bit...This works on blower belts too, obviously...06 = 6 rib, 08 = 8 rib, etc...Remember it, as I rarely share info like that. ;)
I thought that was common knowledge8)

[rel3rd]

I thought that was common knowledge8)

I assume you don't work in a parts store? ;)

[Mill Creek Mafia]

i knew the last part of the number was the length, i didn't pay attention to the rest of it or i probably would have figured it out. Anyhow I didn't get to start my car again today, i was by myself and needed two of me to set my timing, so i'll have to try it again tomorrow. However i did find my one water pump hose is leaking. so i picked on of those up tonight to put on tomorrow. it should be fun with that supercharger bracket hogging me up.

[itslegal]

Bob, that is great info as i will be needing a new belt once i get rid of the p/s and will have no Acc. on the drivers side.

[rel3rd]

Bob, that is great info as i will be needing a new belt once i get rid of the p/s and will have no Acc. on the drivers side.

It's common knowledge...lol.

[Mill Creek Mafia]

IT LIVES!!!!! I fired the car today, and it fired right up like a champ. I got 52 psi of oil pressure at idle. I'm still having issues with my belt rubbing :( it streched out pretty fast. I'm going to change the oil and such tomorrow hopefully depending on the weather. It sounded fairly quiet with that new exhaust system on there. needs to break in a bit. I had a few issues. When i went to start it, the starter solenoid shit the bed, so i had no start lol. then the thermostat was stuck shut. so i hit 200 and had to shut it down and go to advanced and get my solenoid and thermostat. from what i see the car idles around 190 with my black magic extreme 5.0 fan deal. I put a 180* thermostat in it since that's the lowest they had on hand. all in all i think today was pretty good. As soon as i get this belt shit figured out i'm going to throw the blower on. Before i can do that though i need to hook up the PMS, and figure out how to tune it so i don't need to use my BTM and FMU. Anyone here feel like helping me out? After that i'm ready to head to the dyno and get this thing tuned. the sooner the better.

[todd408]

I'll be firing my engine up for the first time next weekend. It's been built and sitting in my garage since April or May. I'm going to fill it with 7 quarts of Rotella T 15w40, fire it up, check for leaks, set timing, let it warm up, ensure that everything remains tight. Go for a little drive to make sure everything is right with it and get a couple of miles on it. Then I'll drain the oil and filter, make the switch to Mobil 1 and beat the living crap out of for the rest of its life. I run a hydraulic cam so it doesn't require much as far as break in.

The point was made already in an earlier post (about John Force). Those guys build them, fire 'em up, and run 'em hard right from the get go.

[slowstang]

The John Force comment wasnt the best...after the pass he rebuilds the engines lol.

Anyway, I go by the same theroy. Start it up and let the thing run for awhile, check for leaks, and get the car in good running order. Shut it down and let cool over night...retorque heads, lower intake, and then change the oil. As long as the tune is in the ballpark let er rip.

[Pro Ford]

Just be sure to prime the oil before you stab the dizzy.........Fire it up set timing and idle.....bring it up to temp...scan for leaks and such. Nice to have a couple of buds around to help watch for things if possible. Then off to the track...Full throttle! I too break in with Rotella....but i run the oil 1 track outing before doing the change...the filter will do its job....I run the Jomar 100% no bypass design filter. http://www.jomarperformance.com/pro-filter.php

[todd408]

Slowstang, that's a good point (about the rebuild).

[95GTSpeedDemon]

i use the rotella 15w40, i was just as scared as you when i first cranked my motor, i also had 4-5months between pulling the motor and firing it up. i felt so relieved once it ran. watch all ur fluids, get some one to watch ur guages the whole time and check for leaks. i drove mine for 15-20 min to get it warmed up, stayed below 3500rpms, gave quite a few 1/2 to 3/4 shots from 0-10mph till i hit the 3500 mark and hit 2nd, then same to third. bring it back, let it cool over nite, after 50miles change the oil (i like to change it soon) look at the filter for the first 2 or 3 oil changes. after 50miles, if the tune isnt way off beat the crap out of it. i was WOT between 25 and 50 miles, i couldnt help it, i had to do it. i found ALOT of metal/bronze color in my filter, second oil change had hardly anything, very minute. i got like 300miles on mine and shes running great.

[DanCobra96]

I've done a few new engines over the years. From what I've read, and from talking to Tom at DSS, if the cylinders have the correct finish, and moly rings are used, it's pretty easy. Prime the oil pressure, start it, keep the rpm between 1200 and 2000 for 30 minutes. The theory is, the only way the wrist pins and piston skirts get oiled is splash from the crank, and the finish on the cylinder walls will do the seating of the rings in 20-30 minutes. The most important parts of a rebuild are, piston to wall clearance, ring end gap and clocking, and cylinder finish. The cylinders need to be sufficiently rough to put a shine on the rings. John Force is awesome, but nothing he does with a top fuel car relates to us. LOL

[bojo68]

Just for grins, I used to work at a dyno shop, and occasionally we'd get NEW rigs in with ring sealing problems. Warranty on one said "put it on Dyno flat out for .5 hour." It it still had problems they would pay for the repair. The point is, LOAD puts more pressure on rings against cylinder wall, and often will as a result seat rings to cylinder wall better. Admittedly, this was a few years back, and there are those that claim this is unnecessary with the improvements in machining over the years, But I don't see as it matters, there is no downside. I say make sure your right on everything, and plant your foot in it so hard it hangs through the grille.(whoops, there I go dating myself again, When was the last time ya saw a car with a grille?) One of the chief arguments in favor of doing this as SOON AS POSSIBLE is that it's more effective when the cylinder wall finish is still relatively rough. If you baby it initially and knock all the high spots off the cylinder bore essentially unloaded, you'll never get the chance for the load seating to be as effective as it would have been initially.
OK, bs/off now.

[bojo68]

One other point, there's a rumor going around that the new oils don't have the additives that the old ones did that made them suitable for flat tappet cams. Most of the new stuff is roller, and it's not needed. Point is if your running a flat tappet cam these days, I'd be checking into what oil is suitable. The winston cup guys are supposed to be limited to flat tappets, and having troubles...

[john hennessy]

first. do you have the confidence in your rebuild to turn the key? if so go to step 2
2 set the timing as close to 10 deg. as possible static.
3 if its carbed put a little fuel in the top of the carb and go and get a fire extinguisher (gaseous type) in case you are 180 out.
4 make sure you have a good battery
5 if its injected turn the key on and of about 5 times to prime the fuel system
6 place a leather strap in your mouth and grip tight with your teeth
7 find an assistant to view the motor from outside the car, do not try to do this yourself as you may need to turn it off immediatly.
8 crank the motor.
9 assistant should check for visual problems, leaks etc. if assistant screams turn off immediatly!
10 if its running, lift the RPM to 2000 for 5 mins to fully lub the whole motor and bed the lifters and clean out any assembly lube from the crank, cam etc.
11 if any strange noises can be heard, diagnose them now!
12 if internal noises can be heard, turn off now and rectify before going any further.

note if it didn't start go back to 1