Running in engine

[double-6s 0]

I cannot believe someone would risk a savage running in method on a new road-going vr lump for the theoretical advantage of a couple of bhp! Why!

 

Becuase it's the only way to be sure that the rings bed in properly!

 

Not sure about the gains but I know there were alot of MK2 GTi's that were fast and some that were quicker - one 16v I drove that always put out high figures was originally a demonstrator - maybe the engine was so strong becuase of the way it was driven early in it's life?

 

But it doesn't ensure the rings bed in properly - it's a gamble. And you're fooked if it goes wrong. Nothing is guaranteed in any way whatsoever. To say it is the only way to ensure the rings bed in properly is just nonsense to be fair. So all engines that were run in as recommended are suspected as having non properly bedded in rings? Rubbish.

 

All cars leave the factory with engines that kick out different amounts of power. Especially 20 odd year old golf gti's. How on earth could you possibly prove, or even suspect, that the difference between two cars is most likely because of the way they were run in?! Seems utterly pie in the sky to me. Much more likely that they left the factory with different outputs.

[ziderapple 0]

Well, I think I'll go for somewhere between the gentle and harsh methods, steady for 500miles but with the odd blip once warm, then 4k revs for 500 miles, oil change then drive as normal, I dont really need the engine to do another 100k, I doubt I'll have it that long. Still not sure if I should be doing the first 1k miles on mineral oil though?

[Critical_Mass 10]

Well, I think I'll go for somewhere between the gentle and harsh methods, steady for 500miles but with the odd blip once warm, then 4k revs for 500 miles, oil change then drive as normal, I dont really need the engine to do another 100k, I doubt I'll have it that long. Still not sure if I should be doing the first 1k miles on mineral oil though?

 

Was thinking the same - a nice medium. Though i want mine to last waaaay over 100k, no plans to sell up. Except i'll do an oil change more regularly, after all you cant over do the oil changes but you can do too few of them.

[CrazyDave 0]

Well my only experience of a new engine was a brand new one.

 

Don't labour it, don't rev it hard, and don't sit at a constant speed on the motorway. A nice mix really. For 1000 miles I kept it below 4k.

 

Changed the oil, still on Silver.

 

Then gradually built up over the next 2-3k with occasional accel to 4.5-5k.

 

Still running sweet at 89,000 miles. Doesn't use a drop of oil between changes (every 6k) and revs clean.

 

Several people have said that 1.8T's use oil, not mine.

 

A bit of restraint for a few miles will save you having to rebuild it again. Unless you enjoyed it so much that you want to! :)

[davidwort 0]

...

 

A bit of restraint for a few miles will save you having to rebuild it again. Unless you enjoyed it so much that you want to! :)

 

 

It's sooo frustrating though when you have a new engine, especially when you've sunk money into it for more power, you just want to see what it'll do, that 1st thousand miles seems to take forever to go past, then before you know it there's tens of thousands on it!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Still not sure if I should be doing the first 1k miles on mineral oil though?

 

Use Quantum silver mate.

 

You will find you'll get swarf collecting at the bottom of the filter cup for the first 2 - 2500 miles, gradually reducing in quantity. Then you can switch the Synthetic.

 

If an engine hasn't bedded fully by 2000 miles, it's never going to. I would also add some Ceratec treatment to prolong chain and pump life.

 

Get a magnetic sump plug from Awesome too as that's also a good indicator of how the motor is bedding in. If there's hardly any swarf, you're not bedding it in properly ;-) The more metal, the merrier!

[CrazyDave 0]

...

 

A bit of restraint for a few miles will save you having to rebuild it again. Unless you enjoyed it so much that you want to! :)

 

 

It's sooo frustrating though when you have a new engine, especially when you've sunk money into it for more power, you just want to see what it'll do, that 1st thousand miles seems to take forever to go past, then before you know it there's tens of thousands on it!

 

Sure is!!! But worth the wait IMHO.

[Yandards 0]

A varied driving style below a certain rev limit is going to bed the engine in best as you are changing the loading hence changing the forces on the piston rings.

 

Personally I would keep it below 3k for the first 100 miles, drop the oil and filter then up to 3.5k for the next 400 miles drop the oil and filter, 4k up to 1k miles drop the oil and filter and finish off with a rev limit of 5k for another 1k miles and drop the oil and filter.

 

That is a hell of a lot of oil changes but you do not want swarf running around the inside of your engine as it will increase wear on your oil pump and potentially undermine the bedding in of the rings by excessively scratching the bores. It wont hurt the engine, should ensure you get all of the debris out and it is cheaper to buy oil and a filter than build a new engine.

[Supercharged 2]

Yeah - I agree Yan, if you spend say a grand or 5 on an engine then a couple of hundred quids worth of oil and filters is nothing...

 

Maybe worth buying a metalnerd magnetic sump plug too!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Oil pumps are designed to pass a few small bits of metal. It's unavoidable. Anything that does pass through it gets trapped by the filter, so it won't touch the bores, cams or journals.

 

Bore scratching of a new engine is usually the result of ingested foriegn objects or over heating. The friction of a new engine generates a lot of heat, so it's critical the cooling is top notch before attempting a hard break-in.

 

My existing pump has bedded in two engines and is still making good pressure and is mint internally. No signs of debris damage at all.

[Yandards 0]

Oil pumps are designed to pass a few small bits of metal. It's unavoidable. Anything that does pass through it gets trapped by the filter, so it won't touch the bores, cams or journals.

 

Bore scratching of a new engine is usually the result of ingested foriegn objects or over heating. The friction of a new engine generates a lot of heat, so it's critical the cooling is top notch before attempting a hard break-in.

 

My existing pump has bedded in two engines and is still making good pressure and is mint internally. No signs of debris damage at all.

 

I agree, but what I am saying is that it won't do any damage by doing lots of oil and filter changes and should help to minimise any potential damage during this critical phase of the engines life.