I use total seal tnt rings a lot. Always used Comp Cams Break in oil with a bottle zddp . hone with correct grit , bring engine up to temp and run at 2000 rpm for 20 minutes 3 times never had a issue in dozens of engines.
Ordered an 88 GMC in 87. 5.7 came from the factory w break-in oil. Recommended 100 mile changed. It was. Ran a 6.2 2qt diesel filter and Castrol 20-50 It has 730k on it and never so much as a valve cover off. Parked it about 10 yrs ago and it still held 30 psi at a hot idle. Oh how times have changed 😥
Now this is solid advise with logical deduction, and a number to call with questions- who does that! I’ve been doing my research for years and my own oil analysis on lawn mowers, cars, and all kinds of engines. My conclusion as an amateur matches yours- which makes me feel validated. Thank you guys!
Hey,how are you guys doing? I just watched your video and really like your informations. I changed my piston rings on my 2002 honda civic D17A2 7th gen engine about a year ago and i didn't know that i should have break it in..so now I'm planning an doing it over again and i bought my parts for doing it one of these days. I got the part where you should run the engine for 20 minutes at 2500rpm and change the oil after and drive 500 miles and change the oil again. If you I'm using engine break in oil, should i use zddp and honing oil together with the break in oil? Or just the break in oil and thats it? Can i drive on the hwy at 60 or 70 miles ph while I'm in the break in process.?
I wonder if there is a connection with car manufacturers 20- 30 years ago would fill a engine with break in oil, you drive its for X about of miles, come back to the dealership and they out in the oil spec'ed for the engine. Then after a while, the vehicle manufactures started running the oil thats spec'ed for the engine without breaking it in, like you proved on your daughter's toyota, and not running a break in oil from the factory, and the oil consumption that is seen in relatively new engines. Watching your videos has taught me alot and i started thinking about that when i saw this video.
Dear Mr. Lake, Would like to see some content for everyday vehicles that typical mechanic repairs to put it back on the road. The hot rod engines are a very small part of this industry. Thank you!
You should take advantage of the new Ford Vehicles coming out and do a break in tutorial. Your video will take off. I recommend the ford maverick and bronco
I'm about to break in a highly built BMW M20b25(1991 325is). I was planning to use the usual- 30wt non-detergent with a bottle of STP zinc additive. Then the usual 20 minutes x 3 at 1500 - 2000 RPM before doing a street or dyno break in with increasing loads.
Thanks, I'll probably use Red Line, I've had good luck with that. Do you guys recommend recommend changing the oil after the initial heat cycling before dyno tuning? Also, will Total Seal gapless rings still seat if heat cycled several times(for the cam) before loading on the dyno?@@TotalSeal
Total Seal Piston Rings are awesome i will be calling i have a new build and i already use there rings in to engines one is my work truck 4.6 ford run great.
How soon can we switch to Synthetic Oil after the break in procedure? how many miles is optimum ? I have a remanufactured ATK ...Toyota RE22 engine. also being a flat tappet engine what ZDP zinc level in future oil do you recommend ? thank you
Thanks for the questions. You can move to synthetic after the first oil change, which should be about 1,000 miles. If the engine calls for a 5W-30 oil, then use a GM Dexos 1:Gen 3 spec oil. That will be great for an overhead cam engine.
I bought new Nissan 370Z a couple of years ago and used a break-in procedure that I thought would be good for engine longevity. The recommended oil for that engine(VQ37VHR) is something called Nissan ester oil, a PAO-based oil with high levels of Molybdenum and a trace of an ester to maintain Nissan's DLC coating on the valvetrain components and piston skirts. When I got the car I gently drove it with no hard acceleration, varying speeds and with revs below 3500 rpm. I did an early oil change at 300 miles, another early oil change at 900 miles and then did regular periodic oil changes at 3K mile intervals. After 1500 miles, I gradually worked up the rev limit to 4K rpm and started to allow harder accelerations, although I never floored it. I also let the engine idle for about 5 minutes, until the coolant gets up to temperature, on a cold start. The results I noticed were that my oil consumption was about 3 oz between oil changes up until about 10K miles, after which it decreased to a level that was not discernable on the dipstick by 16K - 17K miles. Another interesting observation is that the very small amount of soot that would accumulate on the insides of my polished stainless steel exhaust tips when the engine was new has now decreased to the point that I really don't need to clean them anymore. I also wanted to thank Lake and the others at Total Seal for their interesting and informative videos. I have always been a big believer in gapless piston rings and appreciate what you guys are doing to advance the technology of the internal combustion engine. I don't care what the rest of the world says; I'm not going to give up my gas engine car with its manual transmission.
what is the effect of break-in oil on engine bearing. genset company left break-in oil for a complete service interval and all the units have low oil pressure
Thanks for the question. Break-in oil helps any engine break-in quicker and establish proper ring seal. As such, we recommend using break-in oil for any new or rebuilt engine.
Great question! The old non-detergent oils did contain Zinc, so that is what made them a popular choice for break-in. Today, non-detergent oil tend to not have any Zinc, so that is why they are not a good choice anymore.
I remember machine shop telling me in the 90's to run SAE 30 Non Detergent and a bottle of STP for breaking in for the first 1,000 miles and to change the oil filter at 250 miles, 250 miles, and then 500 Miles.
I recently built a 1968 327 into a 350. My main bearing and rod clearance is .0015(average). I know, its tight. My machinist recommended just using 10w30 non breakin oil. I kinda disagree. So with that tight clearance what breakin oil should be used here? Thanks. As you can imagine I have over $4K in this build.. Im not real comfortable with a .0015 clearance. Also how many miles should I put on this engine for the breakin period?
i just finshed a rebuild on my ktm dirtbike. the book calls for 10w-40 or 10w-50 depending on weather conditions. so my question is can i use a break in oil at lets say 10w-40 and then my syn oil at 10w-50?
Back in the day we always asked for non detergent break in oil. I refuse to use the Black Molly lube when building a fresh engine simply because I want my rings to have every chance at the perfect break in. There's plenty of modern day slippery slimy lubes for building fresh engines these days.
I am building a ford 390 fe engine I am wondering what is the best break in oil for this engine and how long do you run the break in oil in it and would valvoline vr1 be a good oil for it after break in period
Wow, what a very informative video. Thank God I found this video as I just had a fresh rebuild done on my VR6 engine. August, It was great talking to you today on the phone. I really appreciate all the help you provided on break in oils for my engine I definitely plan on sending out my oil sample to you, hopefully in the very near future after my 1K break in point. God bless you guys ✝️🙏🎆🌄
Hello, i recently purchased a 4.7 v8 atk chrysler rebuilt engine, they told me to just run conventional oil that any addative or brake in oil was unnessisary, but id rather over due it with over kill then not. The engine recommends 5w30, but didn't see any brake in oils that viscosity and didn't want to use wrong viscosity. Any recommendations. Thanks for your help
Wondering what the best break-in process would be for a small engine portable generator? Run time? What kind of loads to put on it and when? And with no filtration should the process of oil changes be performed multiple times during the break-in process?
Great question! For a generator, run it with something plugged in to place some load on the engine. Change the oil after the first 30 minutes and again at 1 hour of engine run time. Since there's no filter, oil changes need to be more frequent.
@@TotalSeal thank you would you recommend a mineral oil heavy im zinc or a straight weight 30 non detergent? Hopefully I'm not crossing any lines into brands of oils. I respect that you don't want to do that 👍
If the engine has been rebuilt to factory spec, use the viscosity the factory used. So if the factory used 5W-30, then use a specific break-in formula oil that is 5W-30 or 10W-30.
Hi from France ! thanks for the video ! ( and we have no video of this type in France) For a redone engine ( segmentation and honed cylinders ) I used specific 10 w40 mineral break-in oil , ( Millers brand )(English brand if I'm not mistaken) Do you know? for 500 km ( = 310 miles ), I drained and put commercial semi-synthetic 10 w40 oil. Is the break-in period long enough?
What would the ratio of all that’s needed be so I/we can look. Thanks. And. Are the ratios the same for an air cooked engine eg Harley 103ci of Volkswagen thanks from Australia
Thank you for a great video. Wondering if you have a new car or bike and did not finish the break in before storing for cold climate, is it worse or better to keep the break-in oil in the engine?
Thanks for the question. It would really depend on how much break-in time was on the engine before it was put in storage. The safest bet would be to change the oil and refill with fresh break-in oil for storage. Then you could complete the break-in after the storage period.
Brilliant video. Thanks. I am about to start running in a freshly built cast iron liners block and forged aluminum pistons. Planning to use Amsoil SAE30 brake in oil(8 quard for my engine). Shall I be fine with about 500km of running in?
Thanks for the comment and the question. You can run that oil for the first 500km. Make sure to watch our video on breaking-in a new build without a dyno to see the correct procedure for running-in a freshly built engine. We’d recommend a filter change and top off on the oil after the first hour of engine run time.
based on the data provided in your links it seems like the lucase 30W is the best for a LS motor, so next question. I warm it up, then go drive kinda hard say 10 50% runs. to 5k. then drain the oil and I'm ready to hit the dyno tuner?
We run a sprint car LS 5.3 on Alcohol 2bbl our last build ended in black death on one side of piston only. The piston manufacture said rings did not break in properly causing cylinder wash Im wondering with alcohol should we be jetting down just for break in any thoughts some said gapless second ring. We ran in these at 2500rpm 30 min varying up and down give and take 1000rpm 1rst run second was 20min .021 top ring 023 second oil rails .016 4032 piston with.004 skirt clearance Thank you
Thanks for the question. Less fuel during break-in is a good idea, but the cylinder finish is also a critical part of this. Check out our videos on cylinder bore finish on the Engine Performance Expo channel for details.
My late father paid $8000 for a rebuild of a 57 ford Tbird engine and they used full synthetic oil everywhere cam was ground down to nothing after 200miles rings never seated. They had to get it rebuilt again, by I guy who stole the heads and put on well used one they drove it with same rings head gaskets wrong way round engine was just running on 3 cylinders now I will do the rebuild as my father past on, left the car to my daughter but I no longer have my garage as I have rebuilt 100s of engines do to health issues i closed shop. my father paid $150,000 for a car that does not run bent frame shit paint
@@TotalSeal so what do I do with all this Brad Penn Break in oil 😞 unless you were thinking I was using normal Brad Penn oil. I just use Brad Penn products since they've been good to my high hp Mitsubishi cars
I did 160 kilometre on the engine of my new audi sq5 before testing the performance by giving it full throttle from 0 - 100 about 5 times in a row. I noticed a smell when the engine got hot but it was like a new engine smell. The QUESTION I have is will this have done any damage or caused any extra wear on the engine?
It sounds like you did a proper break-in on your engine! The break-in process does create wear, but that is not an all bad thing during break-in. Now that you’ve done this, we’d recommend changing the oil.
Okay, now I'm worried. LOL! I bought a '21 Nissan Frontier new off the lot. It had 11 miles on it when I bought it. At about 500 miles I noticed tiny little metal flecks in the oil, so I took it to the dealer and had them change the oil because metal flecks in the oil seemed like a bad thing to me. They did NOT say anything about "break in oil" or express an opinion about the metal flecks, they just changed the oil. I made a point of finding out what kind of oil they put in it so I could continue with the same going forward (Mobil-1 0W-20). At about 1500 miles a family situation required that I drive from MN to VA. Since it was still in the break-in period I was careful to keep it at 55/60 mph all the way there and back and even left the interstate at regular intervals so I could vary the speed going through small towns and driving back roads. At 4000 miles I changed the oil again. The old oil was still clean, but winter was coming and I didn't want to be doing it in a Minnesota snowbank, so I did it a little early. Since then, I've been changing the oil every 3000 miles. Then I noticed the oil was distinctly red in color, but I couldn't find any sign of any leaks anywhere and the code reader said no codes and gave all green lights. The truck runs and drives normally, so I shrugged it off as too much town driving followed by a road trip to Indiana and back to MN the first week of August. This was at 15,770 miles. For good measure, I put some fuel system cleaner in the gas tank, drove a couple hundred miles and then changed the oil at just over 3000 miles. The oil was visually red, but looked reddish brown on a paper towel. Twenty miles later, the oil is turning red again (like red smears in clean oil). No one seems to know what's causing it and there's still no codes on the code reader. The engine and undercarriage are clean/dry. The transmission shifts normally (there's no dipstick so I can't check the fluid level). Did I mess something up by changing the oil too soon when the engine was new or would the factory have already run the break-in oil through it and then changed it to normal oil before shipping it out to the dealership? Thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks for the question. Great move changing the oil early and frequently. That is the best thing to do for engine longevity. The reddish color is normal for that oil. It is not something to worry about.
Ok, what do you guys think about the Driven Racing Oil GP-1 30 Grade Break-In oil for use in a 2 cylinder, 4-cycle Kawasaki engine? Numbers on that report seem to have no "red or yellow" so within specs I guess? Thanks.
why does auto makers use full synthetic motor oil in new car's ? Ive always said they should use break in oil wouldn't synthetic oil make it harder to seal and break in ?
everything this video says makes sense but dont be panic or scared because have you ever heard of engine broke down because of people didnt change break in oil early? what if you still change your oil according to car maker recommend?
You guys say an oil without molybdenum is good for a break in but I believe it’s Honda that used high-level moldy oil for break in and I believe Mazda does as well. When you say, some thing with low amounts of molly is ideal. Is this more for built engines or does it include mass production cars as well?
Thanks for the question. The type of piston ring face coating and cylinder bore hone makes a difference here. Having Molybdenum in the oil requires a particular surface and piston ring face coatings. The chemistry advocated here works on all bore finishes and ring face coatings.
I thought it would be a good idea to use break in oil for the first long ride. The oil had been changed once before at 400 miles. I ran Amsoil break in oil for 2K. Did I ruin my engine?
Hey man i used a cheap oil to break in my rebuilt engine for 50miles as breakin oils are not available in my country after that i switched to full synthetic oil for 1000km what oil should i use now?
so what type of oil is in a brand new GM or Ford or Toyota vehicle these days? we have no choice in that oil, is probably a full synthetic. is that good or bad?
Fantastic Video! I may have made a mistake and welcome any thoughts / advice. I have a new Harley that I am following proper break-in but at about the first 100 miles I topped off the gas and added the recommended amount, about 2.5 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil to 6 gallons of gas ( I did not add anything to the oil ) I have now about 60 more miles with the Marvel / gas mixture. Any chance of glazing now or am I okay as I got the 1st 100 miles with nothing in the gas? Dump the gas now or continue to ride it? Harley break-in is keep it under 3K rpm the first 50 miles and under 3,500 RPM the first 500 miles and no constant speeds. Have I damaged anything?
So if the ring break in process or (seat the rings) is primarily to have the rings wear down the peaks of the cylinder walls crosshatch flat, then does that mean if you do a re-ring after say 100k the new rings should just basically seat right in because there are no more peaks in the crosshatch? ... Assuming the engine is running well in general you are just doing a ring/bearing refresh
Re ringing an engine with out a bore there still needs to be a light hone done so the new rings will have a new mating surface to 'rub' on. There's always a point of no return in a re ring job because the honing will remove metal, piston to cylinder bore clearance has to stay in spec for any engine.
Hello sir, I am not a car person and i bought a brand new lexus in july. I watched your video yesterday about significance of first oil change. Unfortunately by that time my new car was already driven 2500 miles. I woke up this morning and got my oil change done at dealership first thing. My question to you is how much damage have I done already to my new engine since I missed the 500 miles mark by quite a bit. Im kind of freakin out now. please help :(
The synthetic base stock by itself is not the problem. It’s that’s all of the synthetic oils that are readily available contain friction modifiers or Ester co-base oils that inhibit break-in.
Thank you for your reply there is so many different Answers but but the oil looks very clean should I just change just change the filter It won't damage any part of the motor after the cam break in. some people suggest to change the oil and then finish the 500 mile brake in it's very confusing with all the different advice thk u again for your quick response.
I use Royal Purple on my 17 Ford Focus SEL. The way I see it, I don't need it but dammit it keeps my seals from drying out and keeps it's viscosity longer so I have more time to change my oil. 😎
Should I change my new Fords oil to a good break in fluid or should I leave what it came with for 2000 miles? How long should I leave the original oil?
I recently rebuilt a Datsun L20b engine with iron rings and accidentally used synthetic oil. This caused the cylinders to glaze over and eventually started excessive blow-by after 2 weeks; I'm talking 4 quarts on a single trip! Now I have to pull the engine and re-hone the cylinders. Any recommendations on the type of oil to use for this type of application?
Sorry to hear that, but your experience verifies what we are talking about. Please see the chart at SPEEDiagnostix.com to see which break-in oils are high ZDDP and low detergent.
Hi. Thank. You for such good info. I recently purchased an Audi sq5 tdi v6 350bhp 2020 vehicle. The car comes with long life oil and having seen your videos where you say fully synthetic oil should not be used to breakin an engine. so my question is, are these big Cc ar manufacturers doing it all wrong? The handbook says drive it 2/3 of the power for 1500km. I drove it 150km and them drove it hard.
Thanks for the question. It is a very good question, and our recommendations do seem to contradict what most OEM’s practice. However, OEM’s have a different objective for that first oil change. You see, the fuel economy of a vehicle is based on how the car performs as delivered from the factory. As such, the OEM’s are willing to trade a longer break-in period and higher oil consumption for the improved fuel economy. That is why they follow a different path for break in - they have a different destination in mind.
@@TotalSeal that makes total sense. Its all about stats in a throw away society. After watching your videos I have booked in an oil change at 900 miles. The service consultant was shocked why I wanted to change the oil so soon. They will replace it with long life oil as that's what the Audi recommend. So do you think its the right thing to do, as in change the oil or am I just throwing my money away. Also I ran the engine in for 100 miles and then to test the performance I did drive it full throttle a hand full of times. Do you think that would have caused any damage with the long life oil at only 100miles on the clock.?
If I bought an almost new vehicle, 3000 miles, is it too late to go back and change the oil to a break in oil to attempt to still properly attempt to break it in or am I 2999 miles too late?
Thanks for the question. Check out our video on proper engine break-in to short cut the time and be properly prepared to go to the track. th-cam.com/video/MhA_nVRhYew/w-d-xo.html
@@TotalSeal thanks for your reply! my understanding is as soon as the engine is fully broken in, I am good to take my car to the track, regardless of the mileage. Am I correct?
Getting ready to break in my freshly built 353 with Comp's 12-256-4 flat tappet XE cam. Local machine shop that did the short block provided me with six quarts of Driven's 15w-50 break in oil. They said to leave it in after 20 minute break in, drive for 500 miles, then change (I'll be using Driven's 15w-50 hot rod oil next). I hear from other builders to do the change immediately after 20 min break in. Thoughts?
2nd question: I've heard that (after initial 20 min break in) taking the vehicle out on an empty highway getting it into higher revs in a lower gear and letting the engine slow it down is a good way to help the piston rings to complete break in. Am I correct about this?
Check out our break-in procedure videos for more details on the break-in process. With that said, we like to see the oil changed to fresh break-in oil after the first hour of engine run time.
I've bought a 100cc mini bike on ebay. Just wondering if i still needed to use a dedicated break in oil? or can i use a synthetic oil and leave the oil in there until it need an oil change
@@TotalSeal it is a 4 cycle engine but my question is if I needed to use a dedicated break in oil or use a synthetic oil if they broke it in from the factory?
What About a All Out Drag Race Motor . & . On a All Out Drag Motor . Sinces You DO Not Brake it in as Long as a Street motor ! . Can You Re Use The Brake In Oil ? ? ?
Thanks for the question. The break-in oil helps seat the piston rings quickly in a drag race engine. You only need to use it for the first few passes to get everything broken in properly. We don’t recommend reusing the oil for another engine. There’s too much contamination from assembly lubes and break-in wear debris.
What if the engine’s manufacturer calls for 10W30 but an ideal break-in oil is only available in 10W40? Would you lean toward the ideal oil or make a sacrifice to stay with the manufacturer’s recommended oil weight?
I bought 7 qt of Lucas breaking oil and had it shipped to me. Now I realize my engine might take 8 quarts and don't want to pay $20 to have 1 more qt of break in oil shipped to me. Can I mix one qt of regular mineral oil with 7 qt of break in oil? Thx
Curious what your thoughts are on this plasma transferred wire arc cylinder bore process that’s being used. Particularly on the late model ford 5.0’s. I’m wondering if that’s causing break in problems and the resulting oil consumption issues. Thanks
The spray bore process (either wire arc or SUMEbore) work really well, but the oil ring tension must be matched to the application to prevent high oil consumption.
@@TotalSeal so say I’m questioning if a truck with 40k miles has ring seating issues causing oil consumption. I would imagine it’s far too late for a break in oil to fix anything but does it hurt anything to try?
@@themotoroilgeek 2 quarts every 3k, yeah I know it’s too late but what’s it hurt to try? The truck otherwise runs fine. I’m not rebuilding it or replacing it.
@@jeffclark5024 10-4, try the Driven BR30 for 500 miles. Follow the procedure in our video “Break-In Without A Dyno”. Also use a bottle of Fuel Detergent Additive in the fuel. It needs to contain Poly Ether Amine. Don’t use it unless it contains PEA. After the break-in process, what viscosity oil does Ford recommend for your engine? Where do you live and how does the vehicle get used? The questions are to determine how thin you can go on the viscosity. Spray bores are porous, so they hold a lot of oil. The low tension oil rings from the factory (for fuel economy) can’t scrape away thick oil from the porous surface, so the viscosity needs to be as thin as possible.
Have a crate LS3 430 ho in my 57 Chevrolet using BR30 now did for first fire up and going to run around 60 miles. Then more BR30 for 400 miles then go with LS30 by Driven. Is this a good method or should I be doing something different?
Hey Bernhard, thanks for the question. Because the exhaust valve and port will show oil that gets past the rings, they are the litmus test for ring seal. Clean and dry spark plugs and exhaust valves indicate excellent ring seal. Using a leak down tester is another tool that can be used to measure static ring seal.
Great thanks. Now I understand but I did not get that out of the video. I do have a leak down tester and also from my Pico oscilloscope the pressure sensor to measure live incylinder pressure ... that should do it. My only problem left is that the newly rebuilt engine will be converted to fuel injection and will require some adjustment time while break in time overlaps. I will find a way. Greetings Bernhard
VR-1 is a good oil for after break-in, but the Calcium and Moly levels of VR-1 are not ideal for break-in. Adding a break-in additive can't take those out. We'd recommend a low detergent break-in oil. Here's a link to see which oils are low detergent - www.speediagnostix.com/total-seal
All manufacturers used break-in oil and had break-in procedures before "car leasing" became popular. Also, tighter EPA CAFE requirements are what spurred the use of synthetic from the factory - the CAFE fuel economy tests are run with the factory fill oil. The SAE Fuels & Lubricants Handbook has a whole chapter devoted to break-in oils. It is real, not marketing.
@@TotalSeal Feel free to post any evidence of any car manufacturer ever using a "break-in" oil or any break-in procedure. Pretty confident you won't find any such thing.
@@TotalSeal thanks! I just saw everyone putting lucus in cylinder head for dry pulls & thought break in would do the same, even though there non bearing loads for first 3 runs.
Adding ZDDP is a trick to help with flat tappet break-in. Unfortunately, ring break-in works best with low detergent oils, so diesel oils like Rotella are not ideal (because they are high detergent). Adding ZDDP to an oil does not reduce the amount of detergent in the oil.
@@SierraYankee7 Happy to help. Ordering in specialty oils like this is often the best choice if you don't have a local speed shop or parts warehouse. Some machine shops may stock break-in oil as well.
I have a block that I got freshen up on my 347 so how should I go about that because I had blow by and I think it was because of what you said so can you give me a balance 😁because iam told use regular 10-30 and one or two quarts of zinc
Thanks for the question. As mentioned in the video, you want less detergent and no friction modifier for good ring break-in. Adding a bottle of ZDDP to a regular oil can't take away the detergents and friction modifiers that are already in the regular oil. Check out the results from SPEEDiagnostix to see which oils are low detergent and non-friction modified.
I have a brand new royal enfield classic 350, due for service in a few days. Should i put company mineral oil or go for Motul 300v synthetic oil? Pls help.
When breaking in a freshly rebuilt engine sbc. How much zddp is recommended for break in and how much is need after. Do you buy conventional oil and mix with an additive or just buy oil with zddp in it.. Is it 3 zddp 2 conventional or what..
We don’t recommend using additives in oil. If the oil is not sufficient for the job, use a different oil instead of trying to fix it with an additive. Several of the oils listed in the link to SPEEDIAGNOSTIX oil analysis show the 1,800 to 3,000 ppm needed for a flat tappet cam.
@@TotalSeal so when using oil with zddp in its best to use 5 quarts of that same oil no additives.. And how do you know if to much zddp is used in order to not cause problems
@@TakeAGuessWhatsNext yes, just use the 5 quarts of the break-in oil (formulated with ZDDP) and don't add anything to it. www.SPEEDiagnostix.com has analysis results of several break-in oils. That's the best way to know how much ZDDP is in an oil.
We’ve got amsoil Lucas and royal purple break in oil here. Lucas is some what the cheapest as they sell it in 1 gallon, the others are in quarts. Which one should I go with?
What if it is a newly purchased vehicle from factory, the recommendation is to change oil after 1000KM. Should I change the existing oil using the break in oil before it reaches it first break point at 1000km?Or should I change it after 1000km with a break in oil?I wonder is the oil from the factory is break in oil or regular oil
For a new, factory built engine, I’d recommend changing it at 1,000 miles km (after running the engine through heat and load cycles). That removes break-in wear contamination sooner, so it reduces engine wear.
@@lakespeedjr.304 I mean is the original oil comes from factory it's a break in oil type?shall I change it to break in oil type before reaching 1000km?or adding red-line break in additive oil in it?
Daniel Solomon the factory oil is not a break-in oil formula. Using a break-in oil will help seat the rings better and faster. Don’t use a break-in additive in a modern engine. They are designed for flat tappet can break-in.
One engine break in video suggested using regular oil for the first 20 minutes just to flush the system out and then switch to a break in oil. Is this a bad idea?
Thanks for the question. That is terrible advice, especially for a flat tappet engine. The cam and lifter contact begin to mate within the first 2 minutes of engine run time, so you need the correct chemistry as soon as the engine begins to turn over.
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I use total seal tnt rings a lot. Always used Comp Cams Break in oil with a bottle zddp . hone with correct grit , bring engine up to temp and run at 2000 rpm for 20 minutes 3 times never had a issue in dozens of engines.
Which oil did you use after 500 miles
Video would have been 100% better without the background music..
Point well taken.
disagree 100% that beat fuckin rocks
@@sadrao0olmfao
I 2nd That Loose the Muzak!
Was this recorded during Covid? Why the distance. The closer to the camera the better the sound. Could hardly year the guy on the rear.
Ordered an 88 GMC in 87.
5.7 came from the factory w break-in oil. Recommended 100 mile changed. It was.
Ran a 6.2 2qt diesel filter and Castrol 20-50
It has 730k on it and never so much as a valve cover off. Parked it about 10 yrs ago and it still held 30 psi at a hot idle.
Oh how times have changed 😥
Yes they have.
They don’t make em like they used too.
Now this is solid advise with logical deduction, and a number to call with questions- who does that!
I’ve been doing my research for years and my own oil analysis on lawn mowers, cars, and all kinds of engines. My conclusion as an amateur matches yours- which makes me feel validated.
Thank you guys!
Thanks for the comments. We are here to help.
Solid advise? Come on. They didn't say anything.
Hey,how are you guys doing? I just watched your video and really like your informations. I changed my piston rings on my 2002 honda civic D17A2 7th gen engine about a year ago and i didn't know that i should have break it in..so now I'm planning an doing it over again and i bought my parts for doing it one of these days. I got the part where you should run the engine for 20 minutes at 2500rpm and change the oil after and drive 500 miles and change the oil again. If you I'm using engine break in oil, should i use zddp and honing oil together with the break in oil? Or just the break in oil and thats it? Can i drive on the hwy at 60 or 70 miles ph while I'm in the break in process.?
Sae. 30 good for 89 civics rebuilt 1.6 motor. Old school advice and proof it works
I wonder if there is a connection with car manufacturers 20- 30 years ago would fill a engine with break in oil, you drive its for X about of miles, come back to the dealership and they out in the oil spec'ed for the engine. Then after a while, the vehicle manufactures started running the oil thats spec'ed for the engine without breaking it in, like you proved on your daughter's toyota, and not running a break in oil from the factory, and the oil consumption that is seen in relatively new engines. Watching your videos has taught me alot and i started thinking about that when i saw this video.
Thanks for watching!
Hi guys. With the idea of the correct oil for break in what would you idea be for breaking in a 2 cycle engine?
Dear Mr. Lake,
Would like to see some content for everyday vehicles that typical mechanic repairs to put it back on the road. The hot rod engines are a very small part of this industry.
Thank you!
You should take advantage of the new Ford Vehicles coming out and do a break in tutorial. Your video will take off. I recommend the ford maverick and bronco
Thanks for the idea
I'm about to break in a highly built BMW M20b25(1991 325is). I was planning to use the usual- 30wt non-detergent with a bottle of STP zinc additive. Then the usual 20 minutes x 3 at 1500 - 2000 RPM before doing a street or dyno break in with increasing loads.
We would not recommend that approach. A dedicated break-in oil will work better.
Thanks, I'll probably use Red Line, I've had good luck with that. Do you guys recommend recommend changing the oil after the initial heat cycling before dyno tuning? Also, will Total Seal gapless rings still seat if heat cycled several times(for the cam) before loading on the dyno?@@TotalSeal
Total Seal Piston Rings are awesome i will be calling i have a new build and i already use there rings in to engines one is my work truck 4.6 ford run great.
Thanks!
How soon can we switch to Synthetic Oil after the break in procedure? how many miles is optimum ? I have a remanufactured ATK ...Toyota RE22 engine. also being a flat tappet engine what ZDP zinc level in future oil do you recommend ? thank you
Thanks for the questions. You can move to synthetic after the first oil change, which should be about 1,000 miles.
If the engine calls for a 5W-30 oil, then use a GM Dexos 1:Gen 3 spec oil. That will be great for an overhead cam engine.
I bought new Nissan 370Z a couple of years ago and used a break-in procedure that I thought would be good for engine longevity.
The recommended oil for that engine(VQ37VHR) is something called Nissan ester oil, a PAO-based oil with high levels of Molybdenum and a trace of an ester to maintain Nissan's DLC coating on the valvetrain components and piston skirts. When I got the car I gently drove it with no hard acceleration, varying speeds and with revs below 3500 rpm. I did an early oil change at 300 miles, another early oil change at 900 miles and then did regular periodic oil changes at 3K mile intervals. After 1500 miles, I gradually worked up the rev limit to 4K rpm and started to allow harder accelerations, although I never floored it. I also let the engine idle for about 5 minutes, until the coolant gets up to temperature, on a cold start.
The results I noticed were that my oil consumption was about 3 oz between oil changes up until about 10K miles, after which it decreased to a level that was not discernable on the dipstick by 16K - 17K miles. Another interesting observation is that the very small amount of soot that would accumulate on the insides of my polished stainless steel exhaust tips when the engine was new has now decreased to the point that I really don't need to clean them anymore.
I also wanted to thank Lake and the others at Total Seal for their interesting and informative videos. I have always been a big believer in gapless piston rings and appreciate what you guys are doing to advance the technology of the internal combustion engine. I don't care what the rest of the world says; I'm not going to give up my gas engine car with its manual transmission.
Thanks!
Ok bran new Ford Maverick, does it come from the factory with break in oil?
what is the effect of break-in oil on engine bearing. genset company left break-in oil for a complete service interval and all the units have low oil pressure
What do you think about using break in oil for a small engine, 2000W inverter/generator?
Thanks for the question. Break-in oil helps any engine break-in quicker and establish proper ring seal. As such, we recommend using break-in oil for any new or rebuilt engine.
Huge thanks fir all ur exp!!!
Happy to help!
I remember back in the day a lot of guys using non detergent oil for break in. Curious as to your thoughts on this
Great question! The old non-detergent oils did contain Zinc, so that is what made them a popular choice for break-in. Today, non-detergent oil tend to not have any Zinc, so that is why they are not a good choice anymore.
I remember machine shop telling me in the 90's to run SAE 30 Non Detergent and a bottle of STP for breaking in for the first 1,000 miles and to change the oil filter at 250 miles, 250 miles, and then 500 Miles.
I recently built a 1968 327 into a 350. My main bearing and rod clearance is .0015(average). I know, its tight. My machinist recommended just using 10w30 non breakin oil. I kinda disagree. So with that tight clearance what breakin oil should be used here? Thanks. As you can imagine I have over $4K in this build.. Im not real comfortable with a .0015 clearance. Also how many miles should I put on this engine for the breakin period?
i just finshed a rebuild on my ktm dirtbike. the book calls for 10w-40 or 10w-50 depending on weather conditions. so my question is can i use a break in oil at lets say 10w-40 and then my syn oil at 10w-50?
You can use a 10W-40 break-in oil for the initial break-in, and then go with the 10W-50 synthetic.
Back in the day we always asked for non detergent break in oil. I refuse to use the Black Molly lube when building a fresh engine simply because I want my rings to have every chance at the perfect break in. There's plenty of modern day slippery slimy lubes for building fresh engines these days.
We agree. The old non-detergent oils worked great. Fortunately, there are some really good break-in oils available today.
Yeah, today break in oils are all over. What about wet clutch motorcyles?
I bought Lucas Break in Oil and would like to know how it performs?
That is one of the oils listed on the tests done by SPEEDiagnostix. The link to those results is in the description.
I am building a ford 390 fe engine I am wondering what is the best break in oil for this engine and how long do you run the break in oil in it and would valvoline vr1 be a good oil for it after break in period
Wow, what a very informative video. Thank God I found this video as I just had a fresh rebuild done on my VR6 engine. August, It was great talking to you today on the phone. I really appreciate all the help you provided on break in oils for my engine I definitely plan on sending out my oil sample to you, hopefully in the very near future after my 1K break in point.
God bless you guys ✝️🙏🎆🌄
Glad it helped
@@TotalSeal absolutely🥳🎉
Hello, i recently purchased a 4.7 v8 atk chrysler rebuilt engine, they told me to just run conventional oil that any addative or brake in oil was unnessisary, but id rather over due it with over kill then not. The engine recommends 5w30, but didn't see any brake in oils that viscosity and didn't want to use wrong viscosity. Any recommendations. Thanks for your help
The Driven BR30 is a 5W-30 break-in oil.
@@TotalSeal thank you
Wondering what the best break-in process would be for a small engine portable generator? Run time? What kind of loads to put on it and when? And with no filtration should the process of oil changes be performed multiple times during the break-in process?
Great question! For a generator, run it with something plugged in to place some load on the engine. Change the oil after the first 30 minutes and again at 1 hour of engine run time. Since there's no filter, oil changes need to be more frequent.
@@TotalSeal thank you would you recommend a mineral oil heavy im zinc or a straight weight 30 non detergent? Hopefully I'm not crossing any lines into brands of oils. I respect that you don't want to do that 👍
@@thetopnacci A straight 30 grade Break-In oil would be ideal.
I have a rebuilt 1984 380sl M116 engine, I had replaced the valves and I am about to use break in oil, does weight and synthetic,regular important
If the engine has been rebuilt to factory spec, use the viscosity the factory used. So if the factory used 5W-30, then use a specific break-in formula oil that is 5W-30 or 10W-30.
Buying a 2024 Porsche Cayenne S Coupe - please recommend breaking oil.
AVOID the ONE MISTAKE Almost EVERYONE Makes With A Brand New Car
th-cam.com/video/_6nWCQ_70J0/w-d-xo.html
good tips, thanks
Thanks!
What would you recommend for a generator? I just wanna do it correctly. Thanks for any input.
Follow the same break-in procedure as mentioned in our break-in without a dyno video. The Driven GP-1 break-in 30 is a great oil.
Hi from France ! thanks for the video ! ( and we have no video of this type in France) For a redone engine ( segmentation and honed cylinders ) I used specific 10 w40 mineral break-in oil , ( Millers brand )(English brand if I'm not mistaken) Do you know?
for 500 km ( = 310 miles ), I drained and put commercial semi-synthetic 10 w40 oil. Is the break-in period long enough?
Greetings! And thanks for the comment. It sounds like you have done everything exactly right. The 500km is long enough to break-in the rings.
What break-in oil should I use for a car that requires 0w-20? I can't find any 0w-20 break-in oil anywhere.
What would the ratio of all that’s needed be so I/we can look. Thanks. And. Are the ratios the same for an air cooked engine eg Harley 103ci of Volkswagen thanks from Australia
Check out the data sheets at SPEEDiagnostix.com. It is under the resources tab. Click on the Total Seal analysis
Love these vid you learn so much
Thanks!
Can engine oil treatment be used when rebuilding an engine instead of using assembly lube....look the same and have high viscosity both
Great question. Yes, that can be used as a substitute.
Great video on this matter
Thanks
How would this affect a flat tappet cam? Is t he Zinc enough protection without moly on the lobes and lifters at startup?
Yes, the ZDDP along with a low detergent level is great for flat tappet cams.
Thank you for a great video. Wondering if you have a new car or bike and did not finish the break in before storing for cold climate, is it worse or better to keep the break-in oil in the engine?
Thanks for the question. It would really depend on how much break-in time was on the engine before it was put in storage. The safest bet would be to change the oil and refill with fresh break-in oil for storage. Then you could complete the break-in after the storage period.
Brilliant video. Thanks. I am about to start running in a freshly built cast iron liners block and forged aluminum pistons. Planning to use Amsoil SAE30 brake in oil(8 quard for my engine). Shall I be fine with about 500km of running in?
Thanks for the comment and the question. You can run that oil for the first 500km. Make sure to watch our video on breaking-in a new build without a dyno to see the correct procedure for running-in a freshly built engine. We’d recommend a filter change and top off on the oil after the first hour of engine run time.
The break in oil can be used in a scooter 150 cc ?
based on the data provided in your links it seems like the lucase 30W is the best for a LS motor, so next question. I warm it up, then go drive kinda hard say 10 50% runs. to 5k. then drain the oil and I'm ready to hit the dyno tuner?
So what's a break in oil for a 350 gm crate engine?
What's the oil for after the break in period of say 500 miles?
The Driven BR30 has a proven track record in those engines.
@@TotalSeal thanks
We run a sprint car LS 5.3 on Alcohol 2bbl our last build ended in black death on one side of piston only. The piston manufacture said rings did not break in properly causing cylinder wash Im wondering with alcohol should we be jetting down just for break in any thoughts some said gapless second ring. We ran in these at 2500rpm 30 min varying up and down give and take 1000rpm 1rst run second was 20min .021 top ring 023 second oil rails .016 4032 piston with.004 skirt clearance Thank you
Thanks for the question. Less fuel during break-in is a good idea, but the cylinder finish is also a critical part of this. Check out our videos on cylinder bore finish on the Engine Performance Expo channel for details.
Also, check out our dyno break in procedure video.
My late father paid $8000 for a rebuild of a 57 ford Tbird engine and they used full synthetic oil everywhere cam was ground down to nothing after 200miles rings never seated. They had to get it rebuilt again, by I guy who stole the heads and put on well used one they drove it with same rings head gaskets wrong way round engine was just running on 3 cylinders now I will do the rebuild as my father past on, left the car to my daughter but I no longer have my garage as I have rebuilt 100s of engines do to health issues i closed shop. my father paid $150,000 for a car that does not run bent frame shit paint
When choosing oil I choose Brad Penn because when something says off-road use only you know it's good for you. Illegal levels of zinc.. I'll take it.
As we discussed in the video, there is way more to oil than just the level of ZDDP.
@@TotalSeal Interesting so you're saying there is better oil than Brad Penn.... 🧐
@@johnryan8985 yes, there are other oils that are better for break-in because they have lower levels of detergents.
@@TotalSeal so what do I do with all this Brad Penn Break in oil 😞 unless you were thinking I was using normal Brad Penn oil. I just use Brad Penn products since they've been good to my high hp Mitsubishi cars
@@johnryan8985 for moly faced rings, it will be ok. If you use any steel rings, you should buy a low detergent break-in oil for that application.
I did 160 kilometre on the engine of my new audi sq5 before testing the performance by giving it full throttle from 0 - 100 about 5 times in a row. I noticed a smell when the engine got hot but it was like a new engine smell. The QUESTION I have is will this have done any damage or caused any extra wear on the engine?
It sounds like you did a proper break-in on your engine! The break-in process does create wear, but that is not an all bad thing during break-in. Now that you’ve done this, we’d recommend changing the oil.
Okay, now I'm worried. LOL! I bought a '21 Nissan Frontier new off the lot. It had 11 miles on it when I bought it. At about 500 miles I noticed tiny little metal flecks in the oil, so I took it to the dealer and had them change the oil because metal flecks in the oil seemed like a bad thing to me. They did NOT say anything about "break in oil" or express an opinion about the metal flecks, they just changed the oil. I made a point of finding out what kind of oil they put in it so I could continue with the same going forward (Mobil-1 0W-20). At about 1500 miles a family situation required that I drive from MN to VA. Since it was still in the break-in period I was careful to keep it at 55/60 mph all the way there and back and even left the interstate at regular intervals so I could vary the speed going through small towns and driving back roads. At 4000 miles I changed the oil again. The old oil was still clean, but winter was coming and I didn't want to be doing it in a Minnesota snowbank, so I did it a little early. Since then, I've been changing the oil every 3000 miles. Then I noticed the oil was distinctly red in color, but I couldn't find any sign of any leaks anywhere and the code reader said no codes and gave all green lights. The truck runs and drives normally, so I shrugged it off as too much town driving followed by a road trip to Indiana and back to MN the first week of August. This was at 15,770 miles. For good measure, I put some fuel system cleaner in the gas tank, drove a couple hundred miles and then changed the oil at just over 3000 miles. The oil was visually red, but looked reddish brown on a paper towel. Twenty miles later, the oil is turning red again (like red smears in clean oil). No one seems to know what's causing it and there's still no codes on the code reader. The engine and undercarriage are clean/dry. The transmission shifts normally (there's no dipstick so I can't check the fluid level). Did I mess something up by changing the oil too soon when the engine was new or would the factory have already run the break-in oil through it and then changed it to normal oil before shipping it out to the dealership? Thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks for the question. Great move changing the oil early and frequently. That is the best thing to do for engine longevity. The reddish color is normal for that oil. It is not something to worry about.
@@TotalSeal Whew! Thanks for the response, that is reassuring!
@@TotalSeal Just wondering, does anyone know WHY that oil turns red? Is it something to do with the type of detergent or something?
@@randomspirit It is from the anti-oxidant package.
@@TotalSeal Thanks! I'll google that and learn more about it! FWIW, you're the first one I've asked who had an answer. Kudos! :)
Ok, what do you guys think about the Driven Racing Oil GP-1 30 Grade Break-In oil for use in a 2 cylinder, 4-cycle Kawasaki engine? Numbers on that report seem to have no "red or yellow" so within specs I guess? Thanks.
why does auto makers use full synthetic motor oil in new car's ? Ive always said they should use break in oil wouldn't synthetic oil make it harder to seal and break in ?
everything this video says makes sense but dont be panic or scared because have you ever heard of engine broke down because of people didnt change break in oil early? what if you still change your oil according to car maker recommend?
You guys say an oil without molybdenum is good for a break in but I believe it’s Honda that used high-level moldy oil for break in and I believe Mazda does as well. When you say, some thing with low amounts of molly is ideal. Is this more for built engines or does it include mass production cars as well?
Thanks for the question. The type of piston ring face coating and cylinder bore hone makes a difference here. Having Molybdenum in the oil requires a particular surface and piston ring face coatings. The chemistry advocated here works on all bore finishes and ring face coatings.
I thought it would be a good idea to use break in oil for the first long ride. The oil had been changed once before at 400 miles. I ran Amsoil break in oil for 2K. Did I ruin my engine?
No, you should be fine. The Amsoil break-in is not low detergent.
Hey man i used a cheap oil to break in my rebuilt engine for 50miles as breakin oils are not available in my country after that i switched to full synthetic oil for 1000km what oil should i use now?
You can stay with synthetic
I did the same
These are great tactical videos but there's too much talk you should get down to the nitty gritty please
so what type of oil is in a brand new GM or Ford or Toyota vehicle these days? we have no choice in that oil, is probably a full synthetic. is that good or bad?
Please address , adding a Zink additive to a diesel oil , like Rotella, or Delvac. Will it do anything os it just a waste of money?
Stay tuned!
*TS guys more recent video on this subject addresses your concern in depth.*
Fantastic Video! I may have made a mistake and welcome any thoughts / advice. I have a new Harley that I am following proper break-in but at about the first 100 miles I topped off the gas and added the recommended amount, about 2.5 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil to 6 gallons of gas ( I did not add anything to the oil ) I have now about 60 more miles with the Marvel / gas mixture. Any chance of glazing now or am I okay as I got the 1st 100 miles with nothing in the gas? Dump the gas now or continue to ride it? Harley break-in is keep it under 3K rpm the first 50 miles and under 3,500 RPM the first 500 miles and no constant speeds. Have I damaged anything?
Probably not. Just stop using the Marvel Mystery Oil
I am left confused concernin' TBN. Is it an index listed on each type of oil by brand, or something other?
Good question. TBN is the measurement of the alkalinity of the oil. It is sometimes listed on technical data sheets.
So if the ring break in process or (seat the rings) is primarily to have the rings wear down the peaks of the cylinder walls crosshatch flat, then does that mean if you do a re-ring after say 100k the new rings should just basically seat right in because there are no more peaks in the crosshatch? ... Assuming the engine is running well in general you are just doing a ring/bearing refresh
The ring and cylinder wear is not linear. It is much higher initially and then levels off.
Re ringing an engine with out a bore there still needs to be a light hone done so the new rings will have a new mating surface to 'rub' on. There's always a point of no return in a re ring job because the honing will remove metal, piston to cylinder bore clearance has to stay in spec for any engine.
Hello sir, I am not a car person and i bought a brand new lexus in july. I watched your video yesterday about significance of first oil change. Unfortunately by that time my new car was already driven 2500 miles. I woke up this morning and got my oil change done at dealership first thing. My question to you is how much damage have I done already to my new engine since I missed the 500 miles mark by quite a bit. Im kind of freakin out now. please help :(
Do you have any data that shows proof that full synthetic oil can be bad for break in?
The synthetic base stock by itself is not the problem. It’s that’s all of the synthetic oils that are readily available contain friction modifiers or Ester co-base oils that inhibit break-in.
Hi do I have drain my oil after the 20 minute brake in on the or can I keep it in for the next 500 miles thk u.
Great question. You can keep the break-in oil in the engine for the first 500 miles.
Thank you for your reply there is so many different Answers but but the oil looks very clean should I just change just change the filter It won't damage any part of the motor after the cam break in. some people suggest to change the oil and then finish the 500 mile brake in it's very confusing with all the different advice thk u again for your quick response.
@@johncalabrese3483 Yes, you can change the filter now and just top off the oil level. Since the oil still looks good, it is good.
I use Royal Purple on my 17 Ford Focus SEL. The way I see it, I don't need it but dammit it keeps my seals from drying out and keeps it's viscosity longer so I have more time to change my oil. 😎
Synthetics are great once you get past break-in.
Ford 4.0 sohc. Fresh rebuild. What do you recommend? 2005
As stated in the video, choose an oil of the correct viscosity for the bearing clearances along with no friction modifiers.
@@TotalSeal thanks. I just put 5-30 conventional with motorcraft filter.
Should I change my new Fords oil to a good break in fluid or should I leave what it came with for 2000 miles? How long should I leave the original oil?
We recommend leaving the oil in the engine for the first 500 miles and then change it.
I recently rebuilt a Datsun L20b engine with iron rings and accidentally used synthetic oil. This caused the cylinders to glaze over and eventually started excessive blow-by after 2 weeks; I'm talking 4 quarts on a single trip! Now I have to pull the engine and re-hone the cylinders. Any recommendations on the type of oil to use for this type of application?
Sorry to hear that, but your experience verifies what we are talking about. Please see the chart at SPEEDiagnostix.com to see which break-in oils are high ZDDP and low detergent.
Hi. Thank. You for such good info. I recently purchased an Audi sq5 tdi v6 350bhp 2020 vehicle. The car comes with long life oil and having seen your videos where you say fully synthetic oil should not be used to breakin an engine. so my question is, are these big Cc ar manufacturers doing it all wrong? The handbook says drive it 2/3 of the power for 1500km. I drove it 150km and them drove it hard.
Thanks for the question. It is a very good question, and our recommendations do seem to contradict what most OEM’s practice.
However, OEM’s have a different objective for that first oil change. You see, the fuel economy of a vehicle is based on how the car performs as delivered from the factory. As such, the OEM’s are willing to trade a longer break-in period and higher oil consumption for the improved fuel economy. That is why they follow a different path for break in - they have a different destination in mind.
@@TotalSeal that makes total sense. Its all about stats in a throw away society. After watching your videos I have booked in an oil change at 900 miles. The service consultant was shocked why I wanted to change the oil so soon. They will replace it with long life oil as that's what the Audi recommend. So do you think its the right thing to do, as in change the oil or am I just throwing my money away. Also I ran the engine in for 100 miles and then to test the performance I did drive it full throttle a hand full of times. Do you think that would have caused any damage with the long life oil at only 100miles on the clock.?
Does factory oil fill on new cars & tucks have a break in oil?
No, because of EPA regulations
If I bought an almost new vehicle, 3000 miles, is it too late to go back and change the oil to a break in oil to attempt to still properly attempt to break it in or am I 2999 miles too late?
At that many miles, it is too late.
@@TotalSeal Would anything detrimental happen if you still tried to do it at 3000 miles?
No, there is nothing detrimental by trying at this point.
Do I have to follow the 1000mi break in process before I took my car hit the track?
Thanks for the question. Check out our video on proper engine break-in to short cut the time and be properly prepared to go to the track. th-cam.com/video/MhA_nVRhYew/w-d-xo.html
@@TotalSeal thanks for your reply! my understanding is as soon as the engine is fully broken in, I am good to take my car to the track, regardless of the mileage. Am I correct?
@@franktsui7618 That is correct. Once the engine is fully broken in, you can track the car.
is it better to use a mineral base oil for break in period?
Yes, mineral based oil with the proper additives is best for break-in.
What brake in oil you would recommend?
The Driven GP-1 Break-In 30 is what we use for testing.
Video would also have been better if You listed some good break in Oils.
Getting ready to break in my freshly built 353 with Comp's 12-256-4 flat tappet XE cam. Local machine shop that did the short block provided me with six quarts of Driven's 15w-50 break in oil.
They said to leave it in after 20 minute break in, drive for 500 miles, then change (I'll be using Driven's 15w-50 hot rod oil next).
I hear from other builders to do the change immediately after 20 min break in. Thoughts?
2nd question:
I've heard that (after initial 20 min break in) taking the vehicle out on an empty highway getting it into higher revs in a lower gear and letting the engine slow it down is a good way to help the piston rings to complete break in.
Am I correct about this?
Check out our break-in procedure videos for more details on the break-in process. With that said, we like to see the oil changed to fresh break-in oil after the first hour of engine run time.
Check out our video on engine break-in without a dyno. It provides all the details.
I've bought a 100cc mini bike on ebay. Just wondering if i still needed to use a dedicated break in oil? or can i use a synthetic oil and leave the oil in there until it need an oil change
If it is a 4 cycle, yes.
@@TotalSeal it is a 4 cycle engine but my question is if I needed to use a dedicated break in oil or use a synthetic oil if they broke it in from the factory?
What About a All Out Drag Race Motor . & . On a All Out Drag Motor . Sinces You DO Not Brake it in as Long as a Street motor ! . Can You Re Use The Brake In Oil ? ? ?
Thanks for the question. The break-in oil helps seat the piston rings quickly in a drag race engine. You only need to use it for the first few passes to get everything broken in properly.
We don’t recommend reusing the oil for another engine. There’s too much contamination from assembly lubes and break-in wear debris.
What if the engine’s manufacturer calls for 10W30 but an ideal break-in oil is only available in 10W40? Would you lean toward the ideal oil or make a sacrifice to stay with the manufacturer’s recommended oil weight?
I bought 7 qt of Lucas breaking oil and had it shipped to me. Now I realize my engine might take 8 quarts and don't want to pay $20 to have 1 more qt of break in oil shipped to me. Can I mix one qt of regular mineral oil with 7 qt of break in oil? Thx
That's a long-winded way of saying "we're not actually going to teach you how to choose the correct oil, but here's a data sheet"...
Curious what your thoughts are on this plasma transferred wire arc cylinder bore process that’s being used. Particularly on the late model ford 5.0’s. I’m wondering if that’s causing break in problems and the resulting oil consumption issues. Thanks
The spray bore process (either wire arc or SUMEbore) work really well, but the oil ring tension must be matched to the application to prevent high oil consumption.
@@TotalSeal so say I’m questioning if a truck with 40k miles has ring seating issues causing oil consumption. I would imagine it’s far too late for a break in oil to fix anything but does it hurt anything to try?
@@jeffclark5024 at that many miles, it is too late for break-in oil.
What is the rate of oil consumption?
@@themotoroilgeek 2 quarts every 3k, yeah I know it’s too late but what’s it hurt to try? The truck otherwise runs fine. I’m not rebuilding it or replacing it.
@@jeffclark5024 10-4, try the Driven BR30 for 500 miles. Follow the procedure in our video “Break-In Without A Dyno”. Also use a bottle of Fuel Detergent Additive in the fuel. It needs to contain Poly Ether Amine. Don’t use it unless it contains PEA.
After the break-in process, what viscosity oil does Ford recommend for your engine? Where do you live and how does the vehicle get used?
The questions are to determine how thin you can go on the viscosity.
Spray bores are porous, so they hold a lot of oil. The low tension oil rings from the factory (for fuel economy) can’t scrape away thick oil from the porous surface, so the viscosity needs to be as thin as possible.
What should I run in my 351 Windsor built for boost after break-in period
That depends on several variables - the bearing clearances, operating oil temperature, type of fuel and level of boost.
LS3 crate motors from gm use Mobil 1 5w30syn for break and don't know why?
Those engines actually run in a sim tester in the factory, so the Mobil 1 is not the first oil the engine ever sees.
Have a crate LS3 430 ho in my 57 Chevrolet using BR30 now did for first fire up and going to run around 60 miles. Then more BR30 for 400 miles then go with LS30 by Driven. Is this a good method or should I be doing something different?
@@judyparker7820 th-cam.com/video/MhA_nVRhYew/w-d-xo.html
What do you guys think about VP racing break in oil 10w40
Using it for Subaru STI Stage 2 block.
We don’t recommend using anything with Moly in it for break-in.
You mention that a lower TBN is better for ring seal but all the pictures show valves?
Greetings Bernhard
Hey Bernhard, thanks for the question. Because the exhaust valve and port will show oil that gets past the rings, they are the litmus test for ring seal. Clean and dry spark plugs and exhaust valves indicate excellent ring seal. Using a leak down tester is another tool that can be used to measure static ring seal.
Great thanks. Now I understand but I did not get that out of the video. I do have a leak down tester and also from my Pico oscilloscope the pressure sensor to measure live incylinder pressure ... that should do it. My only problem left is that the newly rebuilt engine will be converted to fuel injection and will require some adjustment time while break in time overlaps. I will find a way.
Greetings Bernhard
Happy to help!
What a good number for leak down %?
hi what oil would u recomend on a crf450rx thats just had a top end rebuild
The Driven BR40 is a great oil for that. It can break-in the top end and is safe for wet clutch applications.
@@TotalSeal great thanks for the quick reply much appraciated
Hi, is it safe to use valvoline vr1 20-50 to break in my new flat tappet cam, and should I add the breakin additive as well?
VR-1 is a good oil for after break-in, but the Calcium and Moly levels of VR-1 are not ideal for break-in. Adding a break-in additive can't take those out. We'd recommend a low detergent break-in oil. Here's a link to see which oils are low detergent - www.speediagnostix.com/total-seal
Care to comment on why no manufacturer has ever used any break-in procedure or "break-in oil" ?
All manufacturers used break-in oil and had break-in procedures before "car leasing" became popular. Also, tighter EPA CAFE requirements are what spurred the use of synthetic from the factory - the CAFE fuel economy tests are run with the factory fill oil.
The SAE Fuels & Lubricants Handbook has a whole chapter devoted to break-in oils. It is real, not marketing.
@@TotalSeal Feel free to post any evidence of any car manufacturer ever using a "break-in" oil or any break-in procedure. Pretty confident you won't find any such thing.
So pouring a break in oil in cylinder of a generator & using it the whole process is better than using lucus & regular oil in the beginning?
Yes, adding an additive doesn't remove the detergent additives that slow down the break-in process.
@@TotalSeal thanks! I just saw everyone putting lucus in cylinder head for dry pulls & thought break in would do the same, even though there non bearing loads for first 3 runs.
Happy to help.
What about zddp oil additives to say, rotella t4?
Adding ZDDP is a trick to help with flat tappet break-in. Unfortunately, ring break-in works best with low detergent oils, so diesel oils like Rotella are not ideal (because they are high detergent). Adding ZDDP to an oil does not reduce the amount of detergent in the oil.
@@TotalSeal good to know, thank you! Break-in oil is not easy to get locally for me, but seems to be the only option is to order.
@@SierraYankee7 Happy to help. Ordering in specialty oils like this is often the best choice if you don't have a local speed shop or parts warehouse. Some machine shops may stock break-in oil as well.
What type would you recommend for a 2.2l s10 engine?
Thanks for the question, but we don’t recommend individual brands.
@@TotalSeal He said type, not brand.
Sealing vs friction vs longevity? Mineral oil I hear, no synthetic. If the ring moves, won't they leak? Gaps away. Unless they all move together.
Unless they are pinned 2 cycle rings (to keep the ring ends from hanging in the port) all of the rings are always moving.
what about a new car "break-in"? I had to change my oil after 2000 miles because the dealer would not do it until 5000.
That choice is the owners preference, but we’d recommend changing the oil at 500 to 1,000 miles. Check out our other video on break-in procedure.
I have a block that I got freshen up on my 347 so how should I go about that because I had blow by and I think it was because of what you said so can you give me a balance 😁because iam told use regular 10-30 and one or two quarts of zinc
Thanks for the question. As mentioned in the video, you want less detergent and no friction modifier for good ring break-in. Adding a bottle of ZDDP to a regular oil can't take away the detergents and friction modifiers that are already in the regular oil. Check out the results from SPEEDiagnostix to see which oils are low detergent and non-friction modified.
Is it ever too late to break an engine in with proper oil?
There’s no benefit to using break-in oil after the engine is already broken in.
@@TotalSeal I was referring to if a engine didnt use proper break in oil or do the correct break in procedure.
I have a brand new royal enfield classic 350, due for service in a few days. Should i put company mineral oil or go for Motul 300v synthetic oil?
Pls help.
If the engine is already broken in, than you can go with the synthetic oil.
@@TotalSeal thanks a lot. Engine breakin is still not complete. Hence I will go with mineral oil. Many thanks, again.
When breaking in a freshly rebuilt engine sbc. How much zddp is recommended for break in and how much is need after. Do you buy conventional oil and mix with an additive or just buy oil with zddp in it.. Is it 3 zddp 2 conventional or what..
We don’t recommend using additives in oil. If the oil is not sufficient for the job, use a different oil instead of trying to fix it with an additive. Several of the oils listed in the link to SPEEDIAGNOSTIX oil analysis show the 1,800 to 3,000 ppm needed for a flat tappet cam.
@@TotalSeal so when using oil with zddp in its best to use 5 quarts of that same oil no additives.. And how do you know if to much zddp is used in order to not cause problems
@@TakeAGuessWhatsNext yes, just use the 5 quarts of the break-in oil (formulated with ZDDP) and don't add anything to it. www.SPEEDiagnostix.com has analysis results of several break-in oils. That's the best way to know how much ZDDP is in an oil.
We’ve got amsoil Lucas and royal purple break in oil here. Lucas is some what the cheapest as they sell it in 1 gallon, the others are in quarts. Which one should I go with?
Go with the one with the lowest detergent level.
@@TotalSeal I don’t know what that is or mean?
@@INDAPINKSHOOTS Read the reports from the testing company. It will be obvious what oil to use.
What if it is a newly purchased vehicle from factory, the recommendation is to change oil after 1000KM. Should I change the existing oil using the break in oil before it reaches it first break point at 1000km?Or should I change it after 1000km with a break in oil?I wonder is the oil from the factory is break in oil or regular oil
For a new, factory built engine, I’d recommend changing it at 1,000 miles km (after running the engine through heat and load cycles). That removes break-in wear contamination sooner, so it reduces engine wear.
@@lakespeedjr.304 I mean is the original oil comes from factory it's a break in oil type?shall I change it to break in oil type before reaching 1000km?or adding red-line break in additive oil in it?
Daniel Solomon the factory oil is not a break-in oil formula. Using a break-in oil will help seat the rings better and faster. Don’t use a break-in additive in a modern engine. They are designed for flat tappet can break-in.
@@lakespeedjr.304 pls recommend me type or brand for break in oil u trust sir
@@lakespeedjr.304 hmm why redline recommend it they just wanna sell I guess
I've read the first 500 miles is the break in period , that correct and I would use the break in oil ?
Yes, you want to use the break-in oil for the first 500 miles.
@@TotalSeal oh ok thank you for the feedback
@@TotalSeal ive seen where mechanics lightly squirt oil in the spark plugs galleys on initial start up , is that necessary?
No, that is not necessary.
@@TotalSeal can I go with synthetic after 500 mile break in ?
what do breakin oil do you suggest for break in of my freshly rebuilt Harley evolution motor?
We are not recommending any specific brand. We do recommend a lower detergent oil that has a higher level of ZDDP.
Yeah you are, that Driven BR30 stuff.
One engine break in video suggested using regular oil for the first 20 minutes just to flush the system out and then switch to a break in oil. Is this a bad idea?
Thanks for the question. That is terrible advice, especially for a flat tappet engine. The cam and lifter contact begin to mate within the first 2 minutes of engine run time, so you need the correct chemistry as soon as the engine begins to turn over.
@@TotalSeal
Thanks for the advice. This is a Willys F134 engine.
@@randomcitizen2384 Happy to help!
Motorcycles come from the factory run on a stationary dyno. Mystery factory oil.