running in rebuild engine

dac69er

Super Moderator
just drive it normally. change the oil after about 1000miles just in case any shit is floating about and then its good to go ;)
 

AdamB

Member +
New oil and filter, run for 5 mins on idle check for leaks. Take for a drive for 20 miles, giving it some boost, allow the rings to seal against the bore. Use engine breaking as much as possible. After 20 or so miles change the oil again. Drive for about 400 mile with boost, change the oil and filter again. Run upto about 1000 miles and get it mapped/setup inbetween. Change oil for your recommended oil at 1000 miles.
 

AdamB

Member +
Wouldn't really rev too high, but not drive like a granny, you can still make boost without being at 6000rpm.
 

corofin12345

Member +
as above luke... for peace of mind while changing the oil stretch a pair of tights over the pan your putting the oil into to see if they catch any filings.. remember to prime the engine first with the plugs out/king lead/efi fuse.. takes seconds to spin a bearing
 

thefalls

Member +
It depends,some advocate a hard running in and others a soft one.
I personally prefer the hard way if the engine was built within all tolerances.
 
i will be useing mineral oil to help the rings bed in but i was unsure how to drive to be 100% that the rings bed in properly

ya john i will be doing that with the king lead out, should have it built by the weekend
 

dac69er

Super Moderator
It depends,some advocate a hard running in and others a soft one.
I personally prefer the hard way if the engine was built within all tolerances.

exactly. if its done properly then you should be able to drive it normally straight off the bat. i rebuilt mine apart from changing the rings and i just got it to temperature and then redlined it at full boost. it didnt break ;)
 

Skalabala

Member +
New oil and filter, run for 5 mins on idle check for leaks. Take for a drive for 20 miles, giving it some boost, allow the rings to seal against the bore. Use engine breaking as much as possible. After 20 or so miles change the oil again. Drive for about 400 mile with boost, change the oil and filter again. Run upto about 1000 miles and get it mapped/setup inbetween. Change oil for your recommended oil at 1000 miles.

This is it :)

And no running in a engine is not a myth...
Metal expands as it gets hot, so with a new/rebuilt engine tolerances are at their smallest and parts are not seated into a happy place.

Trust me, it is called four corner seizure.

But the 4efte comes as standard with big clearances so won't be to worried about it.
 

Texx

Super Moderator
i will be useing mineral oil to help the rings bed in but i was unsure how to drive to be 100% that the rings bed in properly

Unless the engine is being broken in with controlled conditions on a rolling road, some care should be taken and the car shouldn't be driven 'normally' straight off the key. What you should aim to do is not load or labour the engine, this means don't drive it flat out and don't try climbing a hill in a high gear.

I would suggest a more sensible approach. Initially run the engine at a fast idle of 2500rpm for approx 20 minutes (or until the radiator fan cuts in at least twice), whilst this is happening check around the engine bay for any unwanted fluid leaks and abnormal noises from the engine. Once the rad fan has cut in, the thermostat will have opened and the engine will be up to temperature. Shut the engine of and let it cool down. Check the fluid levels such as engine oil and coolant, top them up if necessary. Once your happy that there are no fluid leaks and the levels are good, jump in and take the car for a short drive (10 miles would be a good distance).

Again check the engine for any fluid leaks and also check the engine oil level and condition. By this point if nothing has gone wrong and you've not had to keep topping the oil up and the engine isn't creating a James Bond style smoke screen out the back, you should have a fair amount of confidence in your efforts. The next stage is to take the car for a good drive of around 40 minutes, choose your route carefully as you don't wan't to be sat in traffic with the engine at idle speed for most of it, it may be prudent to select a short route close to home and do several 'laps' just in case something goes wrong. This part is crucial, it's subjective but I would suggest the engine speed is not pushed above 4500rpm but at the same time not dropped below 2500rpm (unless on over run). Your aim in this 40 minutes of driving is to gain speed without racing the engine (no full throttle runs) and slow down using the engine to brake.

If you've made it back home after the 40 minutes without any mishaps or a trail of oil and smoke following you, then give yourself a pat on the back. If the engine and setup is of standard spec then the car is good to go. If any upgraded engine components, turbos, fuel systems, engine management systems etc... are installed then your ready to get the car setup/mapped on a rolling road.

It's up to you how often you change the oil during this period, personally I wouldn't bother dropping the oil for the first 500 miles at least, just keep an eye on the level and make sure it's topped up.
 
used texxs method and so far so good, just droped the oil there after 40 miles just to be sure and put in some fresh 10 40 mineral oil and new filter

how many miles ye think i car start with some full throttle runs? just want to know so i know when i can get the car mapped for a hybrid
 
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