Break-in Procedures

I was reading a few of the posts around here regarding engine break-in, and most of you seem to say that taking it easy for the first 1000 miles or so is the best way to do it. However, I remember coming across a link from a website a few months back that said that absolutely flogging it was the best way to go. I dug up the website (http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm), and it turns out that there's a lot of controversy floating around about that page. I happen to think that he makes an ass of himself, but what I know about engine mechanics and performance jibes with what he's saying (basically, caning it from the get-go forces the compression rings against the cylinder wall and wears them way smoother and tighter than babying the engine does), so I decided to see what else I could dig up.

Most of the web pages I found were people fighting over that article, but the ones that I did find that addressed engine break-in actually came down on the same side as the article. This and this are both regarding RC engines, but the principles are the same as far as break-in goes, beating on the engine wears the piston rings smooth. The big counter-arguement is always that it kills reliability, especially against the first article, since that was written by a guy who builds and maintains racing engines for motorcycles that get torn down and rebuilt twice a year, and if they crap out, you just lose the race, instead of being without transportation for a month while the dealership fixes your car and you pay through the nose. However, if anyone's going to be psychotic about reliability, it's going to be airplane fans, and these two websites, if you look past the pre-test "make sure it doesn't start gushing oil in mid-air" baby runs with it chocked in place and the airplane jargon, they're recommending the same thing, that it be blasted at the first opportunity, which is even more applicable to us, as many airplane engines are turbocharged to compensate for the lack of air pressure at altitude. A great article that sums it all up and references/rips-off the airplane articles (or the other way around, I'm not sure) is here. (EDIT: Also, there's a lot of statements floating around to the effect that all car and motorcycle manufacturers beat their engines as soon as they've build the car, directly contradicting what the owner's manual says, but I can't find any supporting evidence, so I guess that'll just have to stay conjecture until some hard proof surfaces.)

Well, go ahead, say I'm an idiot who's going to grenade his engine inside of a month. I'm waiting. :wink:

vw engines are already "broken in" and are ready for drive at the dealership

Then why the 1000 mile baby period? Why not just kick ass from the instant you get it from the dealership?

someone made up the 1000 mile thing bcuz they wanted to... i have heard 250, 500, 1000, 5000, its rediculous there is no set limit. in the factory the engine was run hard to c if it performed right hence pre tuned. for example when u get a spankin new dirt bike u dont baby it for a while u just start mashing on it and it performs good the whole way through... when u get a street bike u dont baby it u just hammer down on it... i dont want my fast to think i am a bitch thats why i only broke it in with moderation(50 miles) but whatever floats ur boat

Well it says in the manual to take it easy....so it really can't be made up right? I personally have taken it somewhat easy, but I have let loose on it here and there, I'm almost at 1000 now....but that doesn't mean I will pound the shit out of my baby once that happens...

Although I did when that mustang and Shitvic wanted to play over the weekend...

My guess is that when this became the best method of break-in, legal screamed when they heard what the engineers were planning. Which sounds more like a lawsuit waiting to happen: "Drive carefully for the first 1000 miles to break-in" or "Rev the shit out of your car while driving and drive very fast to break-in". At the factory, when they do their factory break-in (which can't possibly be long enough to truely break-in an engine, 2-5 minutes of full-bore RPM does not a break-in make, and any longer would slow down the production line), they have either the engine or the car on a dyno, which provides the load needed. Since most people don't have access to a dyno, the only place they can provide continuous high-RPMs under load would be on the open road.

Pre-tuned is not the same thing as broken-in. Tuned just means that they have it set up to produce more horsepower or be more reliable, depending on what the manufacturer wants. All cars are technically "factory tuned", as no car manufacturer just takes a engine, slaps it together from spare parts, and then throws it in a car. They're all tuned to some extent. Broken-in means that all the parts that need to provide seals and lubrication in the engine are properly ground down to match the parts that they rub up against, and that takes more than a few minutes of hard riding.

like ive said before in these types of posts....i dont believe in a break-in period...most new cars engines are already ran for a bit while testing them to make sure they run ok...so that right there puts some miles on the motor

when i got my GTI the other day i left the deal and smacked a paddle at redline leaving the dealer and did it again for 2nd gear....i drive it like that cuz i know for the life of the car it will see redline alot and see lots of high speeds..on the way home i got about 110mph and the car only had like 25 miles on it

i think if the car is going to be driven had for its life time then it should get used to it right off the bat..if its going to be babied its life time then u should take it easy...just IMO

Freek said:

like ive said before in these types of posts....i dont believe in a break-in period...most new cars engines are already ran for a bit while testing them to make sure they run ok...so that right there puts some miles on the motor

when i got my GTI the other day i left the deal and smacked a paddle at redline leaving the dealer and did it again for 2nd gear....i drive it like that cuz i know for the life of the car it will see redline alot and see lots of high speeds..on the way home i got about 110mph and the car only had like 25 miles on it

i think if the car is going to be driven had for its life time then it should get used to it right off the bat..if its going to be babied its life time then u should take it easy...just IMO

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finally some1 agrees with me and yea i did the same thing on the way home lol... then again it might be a GA boy thing

Rule of thumb of most great engine builders is first 500 miles go easy and allow things to break-in seat and then drive it like it's stolen. And yes, synthetic oil can be used from mile one.
But if you believe they (VW) spent their good natured time on an assembly line breaking in your engine... then go adhead and beat it from the get go.

Good luck, it's your wallet.

well i dont plan on having this car till i am 40 years old(no offense) but by then i will have moved onto bigger and better things

You are supposed to take it easy for the first 500 miles. If you don't want to do it for your motor then do it for your clutch and brakes. They need a brake in period too. Also, don't do what so many people do...let the car idle within the first 500 miles for a long time. The whole letting the car sit and idle to warm the car in the winter on a new engine does nothing but polish the valves.....not good.

Here is what I plan on doing (I take delivery in less than 3 weeks!!):

Many people say wear a metal shoe from the get go, others say go easy for the first 1000 miles. I see articles that substantiate both claims, so i decided to go for the happy medium. I plan on being VERY, VERY gentle for the first 100 miles. then a little more aggressive up until the 250 mark. step it up a notch and get used to a good amount of wheel spin through 500, and then hold very little back until 1000. I think it gives you the best of both worlds; you won't kill your engine in a month by blowing out the gaskets before they are saturated with oil, and at the same time you'll smooth the inside of the cylinder walls effectively. It will also allow you, as a driver, time to learn your car and how she responds before you go giving the rev limiter a workout.

Just my 'rational' thoughts. Happy motoring!!

jkaruzas said:

Here is what I plan on doing (I take delivery in less than 3 weeks!!):

Many people say wear a metal shoe from the get go, others say go easy for the first 1000 miles. I see articles that substantiate both claims, so i decided to go for the happy medium. I plan on being VERY, VERY gentle for the first 100 miles. then a little more aggressive up until the 250 mark. step it up a notch and get used to a good amount of wheel spin through 500, and then hold very little back until 1000. I think it gives you the best of both worlds; you won't kill your engine in a month by blowing out the gaskets before they are saturated with oil, and at the same time you'll smooth the inside of the cylinder walls effectively. It will also allow you, as a driver, time to learn your car and how she responds before you go giving the rev limiter a workout.

Just my 'rational' thoughts. Happy motoring!!

Click to expand...

that is one of the best reasonings i have read for a solid break-in period.

jkaruzas said:

Here is what I plan on doing (I take delivery in less than 3 weeks!!):

Many people say wear a metal shoe from the get go, others say go easy for the first 1000 miles. I see articles that substantiate both claims, so i decided to go for the happy medium. I plan on being VERY, VERY gentle for the first 100 miles. then a little more aggressive up until the 250 mark. step it up a notch and get used to a good amount of wheel spin through 500, and then hold very little back until 1000. I think it gives you the best of both worlds; you won't kill your engine in a month by blowing out the gaskets before they are saturated with oil, and at the same time you'll smooth the inside of the cylinder walls effectively. It will also allow you, as a driver, time to learn your car and how she responds before you go giving the rev limiter a workout.

Just my 'rational' thoughts. Happy motoring!!

Click to expand...

sounds good to me

like i said in my post...i drove my car hard from the get go...its almost at 3k now...and running like a champ

Every one of my drag racing friends over the years have broke them in like they want them to run, hard. I have done the same myself and have never had a problem. The days of break in are pretty much over. That was kind of funny back in the 70's when engines needed overhaulin' at 50-60,000 miles.