So you did this? I'm sure there was no dramatic difference felt in power really or was there?

 

I have always done:

Initial crank, 2000rpm for 15min. Warm up to temp for 30min, kill it and change the oil and filter.

Then drive it like I stole it. The engine has the proper clearances, break it in the way you are going to drive it.

Change the oil and filter again after 500 miles.

I would rather have something break while I still had my tools out, and not put away yet..lol

 

Yep, you owe her big time....


Look where/what your engine is doing now.....

 

No way to tell the difference in power a motor has by breaking it in two different ways. It had enough pwoer to spin all 4 on the street across the intersection.
With the right parts and people who knew what they were doing its making over a 1000hp and pushing a truck into the 9s

Ill build my next motor instead of leaving it to the "experts"

 

This is my same theory on breaking in engines. Once up to temp, and everything checks out, Run It Hard. After about 1/2 to 3/4hr total run time, kill it, let it completely cool(like overnight) change oil, and off you go.

 

**** i did everything the opposite of this article! Easy break in and synthetic oil! I was told by an old time engine builder to let it warm up before driving it and take it easy for 500 miles or so, then drive it like you stole it! Oh well...my motor runs well...needs a tune but other than that no oil burn at all

 

IMO the reason for different opinions on break in is due to a lot of changes in technology. Old engines had much 2-3x wider rings of different materials and MUCH more ring tension. There was a lot more friction in the cyl and also the advancement in diamond stones in the power honing process and able to put a much better finish on the cyl.
I can see on a 1960-1980's era rebuild that too many rpms too early could create more heat in the cyl and cause ring and piston gaulding.

And then the bearings: machining tollerances on the crank journals are held to a higher standard now. Many shade tree guys would just clean up the journals with some emory cloth (or none at all) and slap some new bearings on it. The bearings actually needed to "clearence" themselves a while at low rpm or you'd spin a bearing.

 

This break in procedure Makes sense to me.
never thought of it this way till now.

 

I have broke in engines the same way on all of my newer vehicles in the past decade and haven't had any issues with any of them. These are the most recent vehicles I have recently bought and broke in the following manner.

Took it easy to about 500 miles, then ***** to the wall after that, then at 1,000 miles the oil was changed to synthetic, then I change the oil around 4,000 to 5,000 miles for each oil change after that.

Not saying it's right or it's wrong or if it even matters, just saying I haven't had a single issue with one of the vehicles and they are all put to the test, racing, towing, pulling, etc.

2010 Silverado CCSB with 5.3L - currently 9,000ish miles (raced on track about every other weekend)
2009 Colorado CC with 3.7L - currently 30,000ish miles (driven by my daughter)
2008 Silverado CCSB 2500HD with 6.6L - currently 45,000ish miles (raced and pulled heavy loads often)
2007 Tahoe Z71 with 5.3L - currently 48,000ish miles (driven by my wife, raced occasionally, she has out run a few guys on here)

I love GM Products because they rock!

 

Every race engine my father builds goes directly to the dyno upon it's completion...and he doesn't dyno them at part throttle