Heya!
Well my VL's ALMOST finished, But before I jump in I just thought id ask:
How do you guys go about running in an engine?
Ive read that some people drive like they are driving miss daisy! and others thrash it...
for now, its just a new VT Block & Pistons with VS hsv everything else! running on haltech. Turbo 700 box through to a 9"
Any Tips or suggestions?
Thanks!
Hey, Like you said everyone has diff opinions, especially with the running in of new cars.
Maybe ask your mechanic.
Id say take it easy for a while till everything beds in and what not. But I reckon it'll be fine for normal driving and you can take it to the redline here and there, but only when its up to normal operating temp, NEVER when its cold.
But its probably better to seek some better advise 8)
basically its:
Brand New: VT Block & Piston Set.
Everything else in the motor is VS Manta. only 20,000 k's on it. VERY clean inside, looks like it was only driven round the block once!
everything completely standard!
When I did mine, first 1000 k's took it real easy, oil change then another 1000k's but driving it a bit harder, then used correct oil and drove it as usual.
For the first 1000 kilometres, just take it easy and try let the rev's vary. After that, drop the running in oil, top it up with the oil you plan on using regularly then take it easy for another couple of hundred kilometres just to play it safe. After that it's business as usual.
drive it easy to normal for the first 200km , then drop that oil , you should be using specific runnin in oil at that time , throw the filter too,
put new filter and oil on , and drive it normally with the odd power. if u dont give it some power the rings wont bed the bore correctly , they will just glaze the bore. rings dont just need revs to bed them in so drive it fairly hard and then decellerate hard , almost to a stop , it gives somewhat the opposite effect of an engine revving on the rings.
i retourqed my head at 1000km. and also did another oil and filter change.
depending how well it was cleaned before being put together you may well see quite a few iron shavings etc from the machining process when u first dump the oil at 200km.thats cool but
Warm the engine up, take it easy for a few kms (read: 20km) then get stuck into it. You have around 50-100km to bed the rings in. Are you wanting maximum power, or wanting an engine that will last for longer than you will own the car?
Use the driving miss daisy method if you want a long last engine, though your rings may not seal properly. Use the top method if you want maximum power, your engine will still last you forever, but may not last the next owners life with the car (like it matters to you anyhow 8) )
2000rpm for the first 20 minutes on good quality mineral oil.
Drive with varying rpm and throttle including bursts of 100%.
do 500 kms on that oil, change to oil that u want to run long term.
Done
Give it assholes
Lots of race engine builders do the 20/20/20 on the dyno. 2000rpm, 20 minutes, 20hp load, then they get stuck in.
the days of putting a super course hone on the bores are gone, they should be quite smooth as the rings etc these days are made to better tollerances.
Light bedding of rings and cam are the only things to run in, and that will be 90% done in 20 mins.
Yep when i put my new motor in my ute, i just put a heap of weight in the back and went for a hard drive up and down a few hills and around the roads a bit, took it easy for bout half hour, then went hard!
First the engine needs to be warn in a little with very light load. This is typically done on a dyno.
When the car's on the dyno, you should take it through the rev range. let it idle for a sec, then take it up to 5 grand, let it back down, turn it off and repeat that a good 3 times.
Then take it out on the road and try and use a lot of the rev range, don't try it soft, but at the same time don't go LSD'ing up the road.
Be sure to change the oil after 1,000km's as well - and depending on what engine and what work has been done, be careful using synthetic oils etc...
