Best Engine Break-in Method?

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After I rebuilt my 2F engine I drove it about 120 miles at 55mph and then spent the long weekend thrashing through thick forests, crossing deep rivers and winching through swamps. I then did the return pavement portion of the trip. That was three years ago and it still works fine. I think I will reset the tappets soon though.

I will also mention that on the 55mph road leg of the weekend, I did slow down to 35 or 40 evey ten miles as I went through small towns.

I am not so sure that breakins need to as strict and regimented as they were 30 years ago.
 
When I had my F engine rebuilt, I was told to run it at about 1500 RPM's for 10-15 minutes, explaining the principles of oil rings and such. I wonder how you can tell, compression test?
 
Take out the spark plug and look in with a borescope.
 
I'm thinking that this may be one of those threads that spawns two or three camps with each holding fast to it's own 'break-in' procedure. We'll see...
 
break in. okay lets think about it. well i say hold foot on gas pedel and smash to the floor if it breaks something is not right redo if it stays together its a keeper
 
"break in. okay lets think about it. well i say hold foot on gas pedel and smash to the floor if it breaks something is not right redo if it stays together its a keeper "


Did that work for you?

No, really.

Please advise, sir, if your input to this forum on the subject is based on your extensive tutelage and practical application, or are you just an internet smartass? Because if your advice is sound, I'm sure the Big Three would love to meet you and help them save their asses.:flipoff2:

The machine shop owner who built my 2F advised the most important thing, after priming the oil pump, was to make sure the motor starts right up without cranking it over and over so as to not wash the new cylinders with gasoline. Other than that he advised I use a good break in oil like Joe Gibbs BR (not affiliated) because solid lifter engines like the 2F need oil with high levels of zinc and other additives that modern oils don't have in order for the camshaft and lifters to properly bed in.

He wasn't very specific as to how hard or how long to run it but not to run break in oil more than a few hundred miles, then drain it and use a Shell Rotella or equivalent for the same reasons (zinc content) for the cam and lifters. A motor like a 2F with iron rings should seat the piston rings in pretty quickly during the initial start and warm up irrespective of how long or how fast it is run but to let the motor get warmed up to normal operating temperatue, watch for oil and coolant leaks, set the valve adjustment and drive it normally.
 
igotta40 said:
The machine shop owner who built my 2F advised the most important thing, after priming the oil pump, was to make sure the motor starts right up without cranking it over and over so as to not wash the new cylinders with gasoline.
Click to expand...

Interesting because most articles that I have read said the pistons should be dry to seat in... especially that third link I put in there.

igotta40 said:
Other than that he advised I use a good break in oil like Joe Gibbs BR (not affiliated) because solid lifter engines like the 2F need oil with high levels of zinc and other additives that modern oils don't have in order for the camshaft and lifters to properly bed in.
Click to expand...

Yeah I knew this, I have 2 bottles of additive that the guy who ground my cam sent with the cam to add this back. I might go with the break in oil for the first 2 oil changes then use the additive for the next 2 oil changes.

igotta40 said:
A motor like a 2F with iron rings should seat the piston rings in pretty quickly during the initial start and warm up irrespective of how long or how fast it is run
Click to expand...

Iron rings?? I am pretty sure what I got was some sort of spring steel. It would seem to me that replacements today would be made out of a more modern metal considering how vastly improved metallurgy is. That is the only part that has me perplexed about your advice.
 
The core reason for 1500+ RPM's is to keep oil splash on the cam.

Start with diesel oil in the pan (Rotella) since it has zinc and boron not in most gas oils and run it for the break in period.
 
fieldsken1 said:
break in. okay lets think about it. well i say hold foot on gas pedel and smash to the floor if it breaks something is not right redo if it stays together its a keeper
Click to expand...

My vote would be to drive it for a few days with no oil, that'll break it in real good:hillbilly:

igotta40 said:
Did that work for you?

No, really.

Please advise, sir, if your input to this forum on the subject is based on your extensive tutelage and practical application, or are you just an internet smartass? Because if your advice is sound, I'm sure the Big Three would love to meet you and help them save their asses.:flipoff2:
Click to expand...

Lighten up Francis:flipoff2:
 
when we did the racing thing we did not break in the motors because how do you do that with no place to go. so we just went racing either they worked or they did not thats that. it only take 20 minutes to break in the cam thats it hold throttle down to about 1500 hundred rpm for about 20 minutes all done they will either seat or they wont same as pistons. but dont take my word for it. you can ask 100 people for the answer and you will get 100 differant answers. have a nice day. plus how about nascar how do they do it when you dyno a motor you do it new right well you rev it up and hold it there right no break in
 
I toured the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green KY several years ago. What I was amased to see is that just after they start a new Vette for the first time they drive it about 100ft to the dynometer. There they rev it up to very high RPM and check things out. Literally smoke the wheels.
 
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