How much driving is required to run in an engine? What sort of driving style should I adopt in the early stages? (ie: don't rev over xxxx rpm)

I've been advised:

for new cam/followers;
15 minutes at 1500 to 2000 rpm (while in garage)

For new rings, fresh bores;
Put it under load for 10 minutes, first drive. I was told to repeatedly go up a long steep hill in 4th at 90kph.

Then drive 'normally' (do not thrash) for next 1000 miles, oil and filter change then Go for it


Hope this helps!!

Matt

ive been told when running in an engine you need it to be on load,, so driving on a hwy at 90kph with only touching the throttle is no good. To do it properlly you need to chuck it on a dyno. But on the road as already said find a nice long big hill and keep driving up it..

_________________
1974 Moke - 998cc
76 Clubman B16a2 Vtec AWD Turbo 12.9@105mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PW49e1hYs

cool, did that one

Am I ok to drive it around to test everything out before rego, without doing the hill thing?

Its a rebuilt engine so a lot of the crap of breaking in is just that, yes new cam and followers need to be run at 1500-2000, rings need bedding so take it out for a drive warm it up and give it a quick run up through 1st and 2nd gear, take it to about 5,000 rpm a couple of times, that stops the bores glazing and beds the rings, then drive it like normal and dont flog it for a few hundred miles but do give it a mild rev every now and then. Don't stick it in top and labor it up a hill when new.

_________________
Roundies and Clubbies(except vans) are both ugly that is why I have Midas and a van
1293 Mini Midas Bronze,1275 Clubman van

for the adelaidiennes...if you've just re-built, give willunga hill a few goes.... it'll sort you out nicely

_________________

Don't they say, you shouldn't let the car sit there stationary and idle, because the bores become glazed and your left with a smokie engine. The car needs to be driven. When you get the urge to give it a bootful, read your reciepts or even better get your wife to read them.

Change the oil early, say 1000 miles.

"Run them in fast, they stay fast" - Dr Mini

_________________
Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

and no synthetic oils, i beleive

_________________

I've done a couple of trips locally and over to the docs, so driving it to debug is OK but as people say don't let it labour or pussyfoot too much. I've been to 5000 a few times and to 5500 once or twice. I also did the cam follower trick as you have done.

I was planning a run in drive up bells line to Lithgow Macca's and back one weekend, but haven't got around to it yet. Was hoping to do it once before, then again on the Bathurst run on the 31st but the Bathurst date is looking doubtful now.

Was also planning on the oil change after 1000kms.

When you get your's rego'ed let me know. May be able to do a joint "running in" cruise.
KB

Anton I always got told to bed the rings you need to run up to 60-80 in 3rd (I think), then lift off and the car slowing will bed the rings in. You do that 10 to 20 times i think, and I think just take it easy for the first 1000k's and change your oil you'll be fine. And like some others said, don't let it idle too much or you'll glaze the bores.

Have fun - when do we see it??
Will you bring it to a meeting or do you still wanna wait till gannons?? That's an awful long way away!!

_________________
Bob Slattery
Duffman Says A Lot of Things - OH YEAH!!

KB, a joint run somewhere to run them in is a good idea.

I just dont want to ruin it by driving it around the block a few times to test it out.

I am probably 2 weeks away from rego *fingers crossed*

I have a small coolant leak from where the heater pipe joins the head (currently fixing) then I can test to see if the damn clutch is working OK. If it is, I have a sticking speedo to fix, a bonnet to fit and I think I am ready.

Bob, I will bring it to meetings...but there arent many before Gannons.....I will be in Pops for the August meeting....maybe

My engine was just completely rebuilt. Cono at Minicraft said "no low lows and no high highs". Don't let it idle. Put it in neutral at stop lights (instead of depressing clutch - you shouldn't do this anyway). Accelerate hard, but don't thrash it. Don't let it sit at constant revs, such as driving at a constant speed down a highway or something - slow down, speed up, slow down, speed up etc.

My first service was after 1000 kms, with retightening etc. By 1000 kms, you've either broken it in well or broken it.

Oh, and you should feel like you are pushing the car too hard. Means you aren't driving it too soft. It's very easy to go easy on a new engine, which is the worst thing for it.

_________________
Jonathan
http://photobucket.com/albums/y64/FatMaserati/

and it might be worth while putting a sign up in your window saying "running in engine"

i saw someone driving like an idiot a while ago it made sense when i saw the sign he'd put up

supreme womans day tip there

_________________

here is the reccomendations from leyland on how to run the GT in from the wheels 1972 long term test of the GT...

"in the clubman hand book British Leyland suggests the car shouldnt exceed 50mph fir the first 500 miles. Since the GT is higher geared than the basic Clubman, we made this 55mph, which converts to 3400rpm.

Setting 2500as a lower limitto prevent harmful slugging, we worked through a 1000rpm band, varying the speed as much as possible. After 42 miles around town we headed for a 200 mile country run-in, varying the speed up and down the range every 5 miles, with a two mile burst at 4000rpm when the speedo ticked on to 100 miles. We switched to a four grand limit at 250 miles, and held it until 400when BL's mechanical wizard Richard Towson suggested running it to 5000rpm as often as possible. He said this would help the rings seat better more quickly.

After 500miles he said the car was ready to be run as hard as the driver wished"

That was for a clubby GT. not sure if its good or not or if research has shown that running in processes should be done different than those back in the day, but interesting none the less.