Break-in question

[duhast]

I posted this at VTF too, but I want as much input as I can get...



Break-in question....

My 95" build is almost done.

9.4 cr, Big Boyz street port heads (2005), PCIII, Andrews 26G cam, my jugs bored.

The LSR 2-1 exhaust may not be ready yet, so it may get put together with the stock head pipes and SE I slip-ons.

I have a map for the PC for that set-up, also one for when the LSR installed.

Here's the question...I talked to the builder and he was not familiar with the Minton break-in...he is much more old school. I am inclined to do a Minton break-in, and may be trailering the bike home to do the mapping. Should I

1. Break-in per his old school instructions.
2. Break-in Minton with stock headpipes, SE slip muffs.
3. Wait for delivery of LSR exhaust and do old school break-in.
4. Wait for delivery of LSR exhaust and do Minton break-in.

[LittleBear]

Well IMHO, the only thing that motor needs is to seat the rings and then ride it. I would do the Milton break in with whatever pipe you have when you get it back. The pipe will not make any difference.

By no means am I a certified mech but that worked for me.

[dwarthog]

Minton's technique has my vote as well....

[Kfengler]

Minton's technique in case you have problems finding it...

This is an area of no small controversy. Here's my opinion, after breaking in 21 new motorcycles. You can get other opinions from Moto Man or in your owner's manual. You'll find what I have to say is in reasonable agreement with Moto Man, and we both contradict your owner's manual rather strongly.

I believe when breaking in a new engine you have several things to accomplish, and several things to avoid. Your new engine is not perfectly machined, and in the course of running for the first few hours a fair amount of metal will be worn off various engine parts and wind up in your oil. These metal chips will quickly overwhelm your oil filter, which is really not made to handle the volume of junk that happens in the first couple hours. You don't want to drive around a for a long time with a lot of metal chips in your oil.

In the first 15 to 30 minutes you run your motor, there can be very small hot spots that get to temperatures that are really not at all healthy for your motor. The motor overall is a large system and will almost certainly not overheat, but this doesn't mean every little spot on your pistons, rings, bearings, and cylinder walls is within temperature spec. Of course, you don't want to overheat your motor.

Your engine rings are probably designed to spin around the piston as your motor runs. If you run your motor for a long time at the same rpm, your rings can cut small spiral grooves in your cylinders that effect your rings sealing and lifetime.

My opinion: The bike should be started and allowed to warm up at an idle for about two minutes. This is to get the oil at something close to operating temperature. Then, ride the bike normally for about 5 miles. Stay off freeways or anywhere else that would make you maintain a constant speed. Don't lug the engine - run the engine in the mid-range rpm band, roughly 1/3 to 2/3 of the red line rpm. You want to be accelerating and decelerating, and using the engine as a brake to slow you down at times. Stop, turn off the engine, and let the engine cool for about 5 minutes. This is to even out the temperature in case there are any hot spots. Start the bike and ride for about 10 minutes, again in stop and go traffic. Stop and allow about 5 minutes for the engine temperature to even out.

Now, ride the bike fairly hard for about 25 to 50 miles. A mountain or curvy road is a good thing at this point. You can use the entire rpm band, up to and perhaps even a bit over the red line. Make sure to accelerate and decelerate a lot, using full throttle and using the engine as a brake. Notice that your owner's manual says at this point you should still be keeping the RPM under something like 4,000. I disagree with this quite strongly. Moto Man gives a good argument on why the factories give such a recommendation, which goes against all my experience and understanding and what every racing team in the universe does.

At about 50 miles, go home and change the oil and the filter. I strongly recommend you use a top quality oil filter, a Purolator Pure One, Mobil-1, Bosch, or SuperTech. I recommend you use a synthetic oil such as Shell Rotella, Mobil-1 SUV, or Delvac-1. If you simply can't bring yourself to use a synthetic in a new engine, use Chevron Delo-400. Don't use a 10w-30 oil. If your manufacturer recommends a 20w-50 oil, use Mobil-1 red cap or Chevron Delo-400 15w-40, which meets the high speed shear standards of a 20w-50 oil. Information on oils and oil filters is available on this web page, see the Lubricants section. When you take out your factory oil, if you hold it up in the sunlight you'll see the color is very good, it looks almost completely unused, but you'll see lots of reflections from metal flakes in the oil. These flakes are very bad for your engine, and can clog up your oil filter so that your filter bypass is activated, meaning you effectively don't have an oil filter. Notice that the factory says you should still be using the factory oil and oil filter. I think this is insane.

[dynageno]

I had 31 miles on my build when I got it back from my buddy who built it! He seated the rings. I have only a couple of hundred miles on my 95 build. When I ride, I accelerate to 4k and shift, and I change up the RPM's constently. I have not changed the oil yet. I was going to wait till I had 500 miles on it, is this ok, or should I drop the oil now?

[Totenkopf]

Originally Posted by dynageno

I had 31 miles on my build when I got it back from my buddy who built it! He seated the rings. I have only a couple of hundred miles on my 95 build. When I ride, I accelerate to 4k and shift, and I change up the RPM's constently. I have not changed the oil yet. I was going to wait till I had 500 miles on it, is this ok, or should I drop the oil now?

Oil is cheap, filters are cheap..... drop it and reload.

[Deejay]

Originally Posted by Totenkopf

Oil is cheap, filters are cheap..... drop it and reload.

I changed mine at 200 and then 500.
You want to get those fine metal filings out of your oil.

[Geezer-Glide]

Did my GMR 98" similar way. Did three heat cycles on it before it saw the road. Put about 35 to 50 miles on it stop and go, keeping the rev's under 4000. On the way home some unseen entity grabbed my right hand and before I could stop it, had spun my throttle all the way to the stop! It happened again and again and again. No force in nature could bring that bike to a halt. (Well maybe the brick wall syndrome, but didn't see any)

Got her home, dropped the oil and filter. Did it again at 500 miles. Do it every 3000 now. One year and 10,000+ miles and there's no problems and no smoke.

[dynageno]

Funny how that happens eh geezer!

[Berserker]

Kfengler, thanks for posting the Minton article, it helps the thread alot. I read it fast,it seems the jist of it is vary rpms for first 50 miles? Which to me is old school break in, I guess.

I did three heat cycles, 50 miles taking it easy, under 60, some backroad riding. Changed oil. did another 3-400. Changed again. Was going to do 500, but I was having alot of oil blowing out the oil cap. Until I installed oil vent line to cam chest, which the 2001 does not have. Also realigned oikl pump, which is why I drained.

Oil is cheap, change it alot during break in. Next time I would consider doing it after the three heat cycles. I used dino, since it wasn't going to be in the long.

This is just what I did, can't say its right. I still haven't done a compress ion check.

A guy should do a compression check at various points.

Not to be a dick, but I think should have describe old school and minton, would have made made more sense. Especially since both phrases are used few times.

[duhast]

I think I'm sort of doing a combo. The wrench rode it for a few miles (under 5). On the way home I tried to do the 3rd gear 30mph to 60mph loading-unloading. Went home, shut it off. Yesterday did a 50-60mph 50 mile trip varying throttle, only twisted it once near the end. Today, dumped oil and filter, and am going for the same ride again, but a little more aggressive.

[Berserker]

Theres only so many ways to break in a motor.