Hopefully not long now before mine will be back out on the road... Just wanna run by running the new block in???
Everyone has there own way/ views of bedding the rings in... I've been sent this link to read... http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
But what is everyone elses opinions, I've read some people not giving it full beans until after 1500 miles...
But is there a right or a wrong???
After reading the above, not really sure???

 

Ive just finished running in my new 2.5sti conversion. Max rev limit 4k for first 1000 miles then slowly up the revs by 500rpm for each 100 miles until 1500 miles reached, after that pretty much ready to fly. mine was run in on the oe td04 oe ecu and 380 injectors

20g, big injectors and apexi next to fitted

 

I got this information recently for my axis stage 2;

"First 300 miles, no boost, no more than 4500rpms. Next 1500miles, wastegate pressure or about 10-12psi boost and try to keep revs below 5500 for most of the time. Runs to redline are ok now, but try to limit them and make sure the tuning is close."

Another thing; I've herd definatley DONT use Fully Synthetic oil, not sure if thats right?

 

I think they all run round the same basic principles of

Not over loading the engine
not over reving the engine
not over heating the engine.

Using a basic mineral oil is to specifically prevent the protection that a fully synth oil gives, you need a certain amount of contact with certain parts for them to wear together properly, plus the fact you wont be ragging it anyway.

Despite what everyone says about running an engine in, I don't think I've ever bothered and theyv'e always produced good power.

Edit to edd: The running in period is the time it spends on the dyno being mapped (My perspective not Powerstations)

Andy

 

This guide is gospel to a lot of NA people. Rings will only seal fully (or as well as they will) at WOT. It probably isn't advisable to try it with 1.5bar though. A lot of people i know and trust, myself included , use the following method which is a slight modification to the above:

Rough running oil, 50miles gentle as.

Then running spring pressure and semi oil, run it up through the revs in top gear, using an increasing rev limit. By this i mean do it to 3000rpm for half an hour, then 4000rpm, then 5000rpm etc etc.


Run in

 

So, what your total running in milage then?

 

50 miles on treacle, careful.
100 miles on semi with low rev WOT runs
100 miles on semi with medium rev WOT runs
On the WOT runs, run it up to revs, then let it coast back down and repeat. People will look at you like you're odd btw.

then normal driving without ragging the **** off it (say a 5k limit) for 300.


edit: I'm a cnc machinist and the tolerances that stuff is machined to now is frightening... we're talkin a few mics either side rather than 10x that a few years ago. No real need to run in nowadays, aside from achieving the maximum seal on the piston rings.

 

a good read

 

holding a fixed RPM at low load is not good at all for the rings. As the linked article mentions, you need a fair bit of load to bed the rings in before they glaze the bore.

I would always go with quite a bit of load during running in, perhaps not full boost on a turbo car, but never be really gentle on it.

Paul

 

Reason for posting this is, I've basically read on here that when bedding in a freshly built engine... alot of people on here say... you have to drive like a saint imo...
But the lad whos helping me with my engine is saying what it says in my above link...
All I wanna know is whats right... swaying towards his way???

 

Do his way and see how long your engine lasts.
It takes about 10 miles to bed the rings in, you dont need to do 7k on the rev counter in doing so, plus then if there are burrs on any of the metal parts, higher rpm will have a greater chance of scoring other bits of metal.
Consider this, i ran my car in as per the book then after the 1k miles i increased the revs by 500 per 50 miles, by 1400 miles my engine was nicely run in, it now produces 318bhp and 356lbs of torque, though that includes an sti panel filter book figures are 280ps, 290lbs of torque.
Its your engine in the end, run it in how you want to.

Tony

 

Only after advise mate...!

 

Well according to that guy my car should be using lots of oil as i ran it in per the manufacturers recommendation, so how come my car doesnt use any oil?
Simple, the people who build the engine know that not all the parts are going to be the same size and need to be run in, even if its only a micron or 2 out.
I'll give you another hint, a guy where i use to work had an astra 1.7dti van, ragged it to death from day 1, used oil all the time.... so whats the difference?
Probably not warming the engine up nicely didnt help it, and that guy is also talking about bike engines.

Tony

 

I expect after the thread is finished you'll be no further forward in deciding which way to go. as you'll get every side of the argument to and not to....

Andy

 

What people are forgetting is that it's very likely that the engines in your cars are flashed up at the factory to bed the rings in, in the manner described in the article.

I am a believer in loading the engine up to bed it in, and after a number of rushed running in sessions of my own car, the state of the pistons upon a teardown/check of the engine means I am going to continue.

I'm not convinced about revving it to 100% of RPM limit though, I think that provided you get some moderate load on the engine (not full boost though) 4-5000rpm should be plenty.

Paul

 

that is what I think too.

I also think the "gentle run in" is more to stop the new owner cooking the cheap oil , they put in them at the factory to save money. not that they sould be putting synthetic oil in a new engine but mineral oil breaks down very quickly with heat. a few miles of hard use will be fine imo but thrashing it for mile after mile is asking too much of mineral oil.

 

i am confused, i was under the under the impression that it should be taken gently when running in the new block, i have to say that i didnt do that overly when the car was new (original engine) as i was a visitor up to 5k rpm on occasion.

The points here all make sense so i am now doubt whether to have the wastegate disconnected during the run in period now....

would anyone suggest that i do that? or leave it connected for better bedding (according to these posts?)

 

So, could you basicaly take it very easy for the first 200mls, then do a futher 700mls (for example) giving the engine a bit more load and gradually increasing boost/revs, not exceed 4500rpm or max boost pressure.

 

Agree with the above article and Paul, all cars that we build engines for are put on the dyno and loaded up, to create sensible amounts of boost, this helps push the rings against the bores to bed them in properly. We dont rev them to the the redline as theres no need, just lots of varying amounts of boost and rpm positions. Oil is very important, a good running in mineral oil also helps for the first 500 miles then the nice slippery stuff can go in. Millers actually produce a "running in oil" that you can buy.

Conrad

 

Any recommeded oil weights for the different stages?

 

10/40 mineral oil for the initial running in phase

 

Way I see it now... is that if you don't bed it in pretty much straight away... the rings ain't gonna bed in properley, bores are gonna glaze and its gonna use oil...
I ain't saying rag it... just think abit of in between... as said by Zen Performance... 4-5 K occasionally...
I can't see keeping it under 3K for 1000-1500 miles bedding the rings in properly...

 

Without intention to hijack this thread Tony just read a comparison between your car and a EVO IX in a previous artcile from Greek "EVO" magazine.
They mentioned how difficult was for you to follow this EVO and correct me if I am wrong but isn't yours a MY04 Spec C?
JIM

 

bttt for anyone elses opinions on running in...

 

i fancy warming the oil and water up somehow, then starting the engine and ragging the **** off it immediately, just to see what happens

Obviously won't try this on a Subaru engine (expensive) but i've got a corsa engine in bits somewhere. Might throw some new rings in and have a go... i'll let you know in a few weeks