You know, racing may not be the ideal way to break in an engine, but it
probably seats the rings just fine. The idea is that under compression
(acceleration) the rings are forced into the cylinder walls and honed,
and under vacuum (deceleration) oil is pulled into the cylinder to
provide lubrication for the honing.
Alternating these two frequently in practice runs is probably a fine way
to seat the rings. I even read someplace a while back where one "guru"
broke in his engines by accelerating up a short hill with his foot to
the floor, turning around at the top and coasting back down ten times as
his first miles on a new engine.
I've always used straight 30w mineral for break in during the first 3000
miles with good results. I even did this hill climb routine on my new
MGB engine last summer when I installed it and it is doing fine.
WSpohn4@aol.com wrote:
>
> The only problem from a racer's point of view is that the engines never seem
> to get broken in, before they are broken! 3000 miles can be several years,
> even for a fairly active vintage racer.
>
> And in racing, it is even more important that the rings seat properly!
>
> That's why I always seem to end up running regular oil - fear of putting in
> synthetic too soon.
>
> Oh yeah - there is no problem with constant speed at break-in when racing -
> break in consists of one, or maybe two practice sessions, after which the
> engines are used full bore, meaning never below 5000 rpm, except momentarily
> at downshifts, for 30 minutes at a time.
>
> Bill
Stuart MacMillan
Seattle
'84 Vanagon Westfalia w/2.1
'65 MGB (Daily driver since 1969)
'74 MGB GT (Restoring sloooowly)
Assisting on Restoration (and spending OPM):
'72 MGB GT (Daughter's)
'64 MGB (Son's)
Stripped and gone but their parts live on:
'68 MGB, '73 MGB, '67 MGB GT
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