Run-in period

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Ron asked the question here
Delvac 1 pricing

but maybe this forum is a better place---

"Do I need to "run in" a rebuilt engine on conventional oil?
How long till I can swap over to synthetic?"

another question along the same lines--

"as all new engines are run in to a certain extent before installation,, can I switch to synthetic straight after delivery?"

[Blknight.aus]

nope you dont have to run in an engine on any special oil, If you wanted to you could run it in on synthetic....

I wouldnt tho just based on the cost of synthetic.

A brand new engine in a brand new car will want a couple of early oilchanges 1,5+10 thousand Ks depending on your manufacturer and a rebuilt engine will want more than that... I base it on hours and do them at 1, 5, 10, and 50 hours replacing and discecting the filter to keep a very close eye on partical production from the engine.

[dobbo]

replacing and discecting the filter to keep a very close eye on partical production from the engine.

Sorry all just a quick question, how do you disect the filter? I have tried in the past and always make a mess therefore not being able to differenciate between metal particals from the filter casing or the engine oil.

[Blknight.aus]

with a pair of tinsnips. stab them into the side of the filter to initate cutting the ouside of the housing off and the work around aiming to cut the filer in half along its axis then tear the element out and spread it out, most of the stuff your looking for will be inside the center with most oil filters being flowed from the inside out.

[PAT303]

I would not run an engine on synthetic until I had at least 20,000k's on it.My defender had Mobil 1 when I bought it new and it glazed the bores,it took to 60k's on mineral oil before it stopped burning it.Let it settle in before anti-friction additives are used. Pat

[rick130]

I would not run an engine on synthetic until I had at least 20,000k's on it.My defender had Mobil 1 when I bought it new and it glazed the bores,it took to 60k's on mineral oil before it stopped burning it.Let it settle in before anti-friction additives are used. Pat

Sorry Pat but that's bollocks.

All modern oils contain friction modifiers.
If an engine has glazed bores from new, it's a symptom of how it has been run (pussy footed) rather than an indictment on the oil used.

Getting those rings to seal and bed is critical, and we either used to load them up on a dyno, or if a road car, find a long hill, select a relatively high gear and really load the engine up to get the rings to seat, then just drive it normally.

I totally agree with Dave, and FWIW, a lot of modern performance cars come from the factory with synthetic oil, but as Dave says it's a bit of a waste if you believe in dumping it early to get rid of debris.

[Blknight.aus]

urmmmm just to muddy the waters.......

actually both rick and pat are right, to an extent.....

if you use a high quality synthetic oil AND you pussy foot it after the initial 10-15 minute warm up run you will promote glazing of the pots but if you give it some welly and make it work (a little bit dont load the buggery out of it) it wont glaze up.

if your inclined to be a bit more gentle with your run in then youd use a natural dead dinosours oil.

for some rough figures on what I call a gentle run in and a harder run in

30-50% of rated engine load is gentle and 50-70% is a hard run in.

dont forget you need to also (IMHO) adhere to the following

dont let the engine just idle, keep it over 1000rpm once its got oil pressure for the first 10 hours.

dont just sit at one boring rev range after the first hour take it up to within 500rpm ish occasionally but not under full load and not engine braking either

keep the airfilter mickey mouse clean.


good luck with your run ins.

[rick130]

but don't touch the air filter, less chance of accidentally dropping dust into the inlet tract, and they filter better when dirty, anyway

Check out Donaldson's and Cummins/Fleetguard's efficiency data. When at maximum dirt loading (pressure drop) they achieve maximum filtration.

[numpty]

Interesting stuff this, and I know a lot of it is personal preference, but the first service (including first oil change) for our 2006 Td5 was a scheduled 10000 klm's.(LR service interval) And it has had synthetic since new, as per manual.

[Chucaro]

Interesting ideas, with new John Deere tractors you do not warm up an engine for any period of time an never run the engine without load.
Diesel engine warm up under load.