[TR] Break-In Oil Change: an observation and a question

terryrs at comcast.net terryrs at comcast.net
Sun Jun 17 15:02:29 MDT 2012


I've read all over the internet about various philosphies about when oil should be changed for the first time when breaking in a rebuilt engine like ours.

I never used to think it mattered all that much if you put in a quality filter.

Now put me in the 200 mile category.  

To be on the safe side this time, I did change the oil at the 200 mile mark.  The car had been blowing huge plumes of oil smoke for the first 30 miles or so, then the rings settled in nicely.  When I changed the 20-50 Valvoline racing oil, it was thin, black and had the oddest tendency to leave a smudge on the fingertips.  

What caused that?  I'm suspecting that while the rings were unseated, gas was blowing by into the crank case.  Even if this were the case, what is that black smudge that's left where an oily film should have been?  

Terry Smith, '59 TR3A
New Hampshire


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