Got a break in the new motor
The only thing that needs to be broke in is the rings. Curious what hhp suggested as a procedure to do so? Imo a road trip is not required and is actually detrimental to a fresh engine
“Most people seem to operate on the philosophy that they can best get their money’s worth from any mechanical device by treating it with great care. This is probably true, but it is necessary to interpret what great care really means. This is particularly applicable when considering the break-in of a reciprocating engine.”
When the cylinders are freshly honed the peaks are sharp with little surface area. The goal when seating the rings on new cylinders is to flatten out these peaks to give more surface area to support the rings, while leaving the bottom of the groove intact to hold enough oil to keep the surface of the cylinder wet with oil. At the point where the top of the peaks produced by the honing operation become smooth and the tapered portion of the piston ring wears flat break in has occurred. Period. It’s gonna leak down better at that moment than at any other moment over the lifespan of the motor.
“For those who still think that running the engine hard during break-in falls into the category of cruel and unusual punishment, there is one more argument for using high power loading for short periods (to avoid excessive heat) during the break-in. The use of low power settings does not expand the piston rings enough, and a film of oil is left on the cylinder walls. The high temperatures in the combustion chamber will oxidize this oil film so that it creates glazing of the cylinder walls. With this occurrence, the ring break-in process stops, and excessive oil consumption frequently occurs. The bad news is that extensive glazing can only be corrected by removing the cylinders and re-honing the walls. This is expensive, and it is an expense that can be avoided by proper break in procedures.”
