12-24-2006, 02:36 PM
I can tell you exactly how I broke my engine in, straight from the horse's (Andrew @ Andrewtech and Phil @ Element Tuning) mouth. We did a custom road tune to break the motor in on, with boost in the lower levels. Oil was changed at 250, 500, 1000, 1500 and 2500 miles before it went on the dyno. The engine was not rev'd past 5k during that period and I would ease the car in and out of boost to help seat the rings.
Breaking the car in on the dyno was not an option for me. Every motor, built or otherwise, that Andrew has seen that is broken in on the dyno burns way more oil than it needs to because the rings never seat right. The way my engine reacted throughout the break in process was DRAMATIC. I could literally feel every change it was making, and towards the end of the 2500 mile mark it was begging for an aggressive tune because it was ready for it. If I had tuned my car to 550+whp right off the bat with 0 miles on it, it would not have boded well for its longevity (in the grand scheme of built motors).
Everyone has their own ideas, but judging from how my car feels now I feel that easing an engine into its life allows it to adjust, get the kinks worked out and prepare itself for big power.
Breaking the car in on the dyno was not an option for me. Every motor, built or otherwise, that Andrew has seen that is broken in on the dyno burns way more oil than it needs to because the rings never seat right. The way my engine reacted throughout the break in process was DRAMATIC. I could literally feel every change it was making, and towards the end of the 2500 mile mark it was begging for an aggressive tune because it was ready for it. If I had tuned my car to 550+whp right off the bat with 0 miles on it, it would not have boded well for its longevity (in the grand scheme of built motors).
Everyone has their own ideas, but judging from how my car feels now I feel that easing an engine into its life allows it to adjust, get the kinks worked out and prepare itself for big power.
Posting in the banalist of threads since 2004
2017 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD Premium
Past: 2016 GMC Canyon All Terrain Crew Cab / 2010 Jaguar XFR / 2012 Acura RDX AWD Tech / 2008 Cadillac CTS / 2007 Acura TL-S / 1966 5.0 HO Mustang Coupe
2001 Lexus IS300 / 2004 2.8L big turbo WRX STI / 2004 Subaru WRX / A couple of old trucks
2017 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD Premium
Past: 2016 GMC Canyon All Terrain Crew Cab / 2010 Jaguar XFR / 2012 Acura RDX AWD Tech / 2008 Cadillac CTS / 2007 Acura TL-S / 1966 5.0 HO Mustang Coupe
2001 Lexus IS300 / 2004 2.8L big turbo WRX STI / 2004 Subaru WRX / A couple of old trucks