VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc Breaking In New Engine

Any comments or suggestions about putting 10-30 weight oil In the new engine to break It In. :) :) :) :)

That would be my choice for this time of year.They came from the factory with #10 oil and it was suggested to change after 500 miles.After that the correct oil weight for the season was recommended.With 10-30 you will have the #10 for instant lubrication when first starting and the #30 for hot weather driving when engine is warm.

Thanks gene. I now have 330 miles on the engine and It Is still very tight. I had 30 weight oil In the engine, Just drained It and now have 10-30 weight oil In It. I do not know how long or how many miles I have to get on the engine to loosen It up, Because once It gets warmed up and I turn It off and try and restart It, Wow, Its like the battery Is dead. It will turn over and start after several attempts, sometimes. I guess I just have to do alot of break In driving. I do have aluminum pistons In the engine and wonder If that makes a difference. :) :)

Don, It will probably take about 1000 miles to get the engine loosened up.Its a combination of a little extra drag with tight bearings and ring drag that cause hot start problems.The starters have no extra reserve power either.At this point you should take a 10 or 20 mile run each day at mid speeds ( 30-40 MPH) to get it loosened up.Also best not to use the starter when engine is hot if possible.At this time I would add some MMO to the gas also.A good heavy dose like 1 oz. to a gallon of gas.

Thanks for the tips Gene. I will add MMO to the gas and a little bit with the oil. Thanks

It is my understanding that you can purchase specific "running in oil" .
We can here , and it is recommended to use it for the 1st oil change period , changing to the recommended oil after that .
However ...... I have also been told to avoid friction reducing additives during the early running of the engine , say 5000 miles , to ensure proper bedding in of all parts.
I guess it will depend on how your engine was assembled , and how hard the block is etc , as to when all the parts are properly run in .
On the diesel engine in my old english Bedford bus , it was still bedding in , that is , getting better regarding oil consumption and performance and fuel economy , after 10,000 miles . That engine had REALLY hard liners in the block .
In my '40 Chev I used the running in oil for 500 miles and changed to 20w-40 for year round use . It is ok after 31,000 miles of daily use , and I'm doing 600 miles a week at present . That means an oil change every 2 months ...... hmmm .. late again .. :)

At one time back in the mid'50s Chevrolet recommended using a non-detergent oil for the first few thousand miles.They said it helped to seat the rings faster.(they were having some oil consumption problems).Then they came out with thier Engine Oil Supplement to add to new or rebuilt engines.Was recommended to prevent scuffing, etc.The ingrediants are the same as what is in good modern oils and now nothing special is recommended.If fact they discourage the use of it for most conditions.Camshaft relacement is now about the only time it should be used and thats very uncommon on modern engines.Chevrolet "discovered" that their oil consumption problems on the small block V-8s was the oil return drainage in the heads.They "redesigned" the heads in mid-1959 to eleminate the problem.