Breaking in

[Ground_Zro]

Hello,

Hey I have a quick question, I am going to be picking up my new STI in a few days from the dealer, and I dont know too much about breaking in a vehicle (first new car)... I mean i know that you cant really drive it for a while (no racing an such). The problem i have is the dealer is about 1.5 hours from where i live, so i need to take it on the high way for at least some of the trip. I have read up on N/A cars but is there anything special about breaking in Turbo'd cars? I know there are alot of different opinions on how to break cars in.

Things i read;
Shouldnt drive above 55-60ish mph
Should vary the RPMs

Would i have a problem with driving an hour and a half? or so i take frequent breaks?

 

[IGOTASTi]

Here is what I would do. Most motors are already broken in when they come from the factory. The first 500 miles don't beat the cock off it. Drive it normal. Kinda like my grandma drives, lol.

Then next step is to change the oil at 500 miles, and the again at 1000 miles, and then 3000 miles. After that go to 2500 miles or 3000 miles for oil changes and then after 10,000 miles go to Amsoil FTW. Hope that helps.

 

[HolyCrapItsFast]

^ +1

Also I would add to that... When you drive for the first 1000 mile vary your speed and RPM and do alot of engine breaking (leaving it in gear and coasting) That will draw a vacuum on the cylinders and bring more oil to the rings.

To reiterate what was already said, don't go WOT or go over 4000 rpm for the first 1000 miles.

 

[Ground_Zro]

Kool thanks for the info, that was pretty much everything i read everywhere... just wasnt sure if there was anything special i would need to advoid with the turbo

 

[John]

+1 for engine braking

I read something somewhere at one time that said it was better for seating the rings to give the engine hell when it was brand new. However, I tend to think that this was someone who was just determined to see everyones cars blow up lol

 

[Ground_Zro]

... I don't know about that, everything I have read says not to. But again I have never broken in a motor before though.

 

[HolyCrapItsFast]

There is truth to this when you're breaking in a built motor.

I don't agree with this at all for any motor. Not only do you have to properly seat the rings but you also have to heat cycle the head gaskets and seals and deburr the bearings.

When you run the engine at extremes like this you can over heat the rings and burn the oil at the point of contact thereby removing it's effectiveness and causing glazing. This can also work harden the micro surfaces of the rings and cylinder walls and they will never conform to each other.

A motor that was only broken in on a Dyno will almost always experience premature deterioration of the head gaskets and/or seals, will have less compression and shortened life. My local engine builder has shown this to me time and time again.:tup:

 

[IGOTASTi]

:bump:

Great information for people to see.

 

[Vermont]

I am not the most knowledgeable about this subject since I have only broken in one car. What I will say is I got my car with 8 miles on the clock. It had never been test driven and until I drove it off the lot I had never driven it either. I used the method that Jordan posted up above me. I varied engine load and speed and did a lot of engine braking. Basically I just drove it like normal. I did take it up to redline a few times and I did thrash it a little (not horribly but I gave it the beans). At 750miles on the clock I did an oil change and flashed to stage 1. At 1700 miles on the clock I went stage two. I have zero oil consumption. Zero. I am using a GS AOS right now and Amsoil as well. I pulled my TMIC off this last time I did an oil change and it was bone dry. You hear about STI's that eat a full quart every 2000 miles and you just have to ask is that right? The biggest thing with breaking in a new engine is to polish off all of the micro burs and imperfections inside of the cylinder walls.

Just my opinion. Not facts by any means, as I am not a engine builder.

 

[STimedic]

I just used transmission hill on Ft. Bragg and did 2-3 trips up and down it to put a load on and then compression brake down it to fully seat the rings. 300+ft of elevation change works great. I have almost no oil burnt between changes.

 

[HolyCrapItsFast]

Just did a compression test on a motor that was broken in IAW my engine builders break in method. After 1000 mile the results are 160 psi in all cylinders. That's proof enough for me

 

[STimedic]

I need to test mine when I get home.

Along with changing the oil on the Beast and the Foz, dropping the tranny and getting it to RalliSpec, getting it back and installed, stereo work, strut replacement, trailing arm swap, re-balancing the wheels, installing the blue suede Prodrive wheel I've had and never put in in the last 4yrs and possibly getting my brake lines rebent for the 06 ABS pump I have been meaning to put in for the longest time so I can have ABS again and have my DCCD work properly..........then drive to MO to look for a house while on leave. /hijack