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MG MGA - 'Running In' Oil

I've had my engine rebuilt and it was started and run for just a couple seconds. The guy who rebuilt it put in regular detergent oil. Now that I'm adding the radiator and cooling system and about to actually "break in" the engine I've read on Peter Burgess' web pages that the best way to break in a newly rebuilt engine is to start out with "running in" oil, which he says is 30 wt with no additives. He (Peter Burgess) says:
Running in oil
• Modern oils are excellent at preventing engine wear..........
unfortunately!......you need the engine to wear in a controlled manner.
Running in oil is usually a straight 30 weight oil with no additives.
• If the engine is run in using oil with additives there is a good chance it
will burn oil for the rest of it's life! The additives prevent the rings bedding into the bores,
the high spots in the bores bend over and work harden......these little pockets retain
oil which burns when exposed to the burning mixture!


Does anyone have experience with "running in" oil?
Ken Doris

Ken,

I have had my 1500 engine completly re-built, they gave me Castrol No 2 for running in for the first 500 miles. Burns lots of oil to start with but its getting clearer now.

Dave
Dave

Hi Ken. Everything Peter Burgess says about engine break in is (I believe) correct. I rebuilt my engine this past winter, and got it running this spring. I used straight 30 wt motor oil for the break in. I used what would normally be considered "low end" (cheap) motor oil because it did NOT contain lots of anti wear additives. You can buy special break in additives to add to your motor oil. Shaler "Rislone" is one such break in additive. (If it is still available) It can be used for automobile or aircraft engine break in, so it is good stuff! DO NOT use synthetic or semi synthetic oil to break in your new engine!!!! This stuff lubricates engine parts with incredible efficiency and has amazing anti wear properties. I do recommend synthetic oils AFTER the engine is fully broken in. When running your new engine, make sure oil pressure and water temperature stay within normal limits. DO NOT use full acceleration or maximum revs at any time early on during break in! Accelerate some, and then back off on he throttle. This helps lubricate the cylinders, and helps load the rings, so that they break in properly to the cylinder walls. Vary the engine revs as much as possible. Do not let the engine remain at any particular RPM for long periods, and do not lug the engine. Normally the engine should be broken in after 500 miles or so. After about 500 miles, I change the oil, (again using cheap 30 wt) and continue the break in type procedures for another 500 miles, but increasing the acceleration and revs. I keep revs to about 4500 RPM max, until the 1000 miles is completed. I then change the oil over to 20 W 50 synthetic and drive normally. I'm sure other people on the forum will have additional and perhaps contradictory information on engine break in, but this has ALWAYS worked fine for me. Cheers! Glenn
Glenn

Dave - over here in the Colonies we don't have a "Castrol #2" oil. I wonder if it matches the non-detergent oil Peter Burgess recommends.

Glenn - that makes me feel better that you have also gone the route of basic 30 wt. The oil I bought is cheap "ND 30", where ND means no detergent. The bottles have a warning on the back saying not to use for any valuable application, including new engines :)

I also checked the archives and most (not all) of the posts on this subject seem to agree.

Where are you in Canada? Are you a member of the "Hoser A's" from near Toronto? I met some of them at the Glen last month - a really great group!

Thanks - Ken
Ken Doris

Hi Ken. I live in Kitchener Ontario, which is about 100 miles from Toronto. I know of the Hoser's eh group, but am not a member. I did however send the group 2 MGA poems that they published in their monthly newsletter. Cheers! Glenn
Glenn

Ken,

I used Valvoline straight 30wt and had the warning lable as you describe. Obviously, Valvoline didn't check with this BBS as it is most certainly the right break in oil to use. Did mine as Glenn suggests only for 800 miles w/500 mile oil change. Switched to Castrol 20/50. This past winter I drove this car to Alabama and back (2,300 miles) and burnt/threw less a quart total. Only thing I am intending was maybe 20 to 25,000 miles before using synthetics.

Cheers

Paul
Paul Hanley

Paul - thanks, that makes me feel much better. I bought my oil at AutoZone and it was their generic ("Coastal") brand. I asked the usually knowledgeable staff about it and no one had any experience with it being used as "running in" oil.

- Ken
Ken Doris

Not wanting to stir the pot, but why don't new cars come with "breaking in" oil? Even my new Harley came with standard oil, as far as I know.
I don't use synthetic oil until I get around 3000 miles or so. But that's just me.
Oh, almost forgot. My wife's Boxster came with Mobil One synthetic, and that was from the factory. It says on the filler to use only Mobil One, and that's what we have always used.
Cleve

Cleve,

My Freelander came with regular (petroleum-based) oil, which the dealer said was used to help break in the engine. They changed it over to synthetic at 500 miles. Not sure if the original oil was non-detergent.

Maybe it's a Brit-car thing?? ;-)

Regards,
Joe Cook

Cleve,
I used to work engine dyno for a big 3 supplier, and we all the engines we got in had a special oil. I imagine that cars off the factory line do have some type of special running in oil, but we just don't know it.
mike parker

Hi All

As far as I know, modern car engines are run in on the bench. When I bought a new Pug 206 GTi (very small hot hatch car with a 2 litre engine for North American readers) it came with full synthetic oil, and the owner's handbook said nothing about running the car in.

So I didn't.

James
James Reinhardt

Ken Did you watch us change the clutch and pressure plate on Jim s Twin cam NR 51 without removing the engine. It can be done. Hoser eh Bill
Bill Mason

Bill - was the red twin-cam that was undergoing surgery at the hotel?
- Ken
Ken Doris

Hi,

I'm still smoking and ( whoops ) used "regular" oil right off the bat after an engine rebuild (top and bottom end). I've got less that 300 miles om her.
Can I expect improvement if I go back to "running in " oil or am I too late ?

Duncan
DA MacFarlane

Hi Duncan. I would immediately switch to a proper break in oil, and hope that it still helps to break in your rebuilt engine. You might want to try and find a break in additive such as Shaler Rislone (if it is still available.) This additive would probably help promote proper break in. Cheers! Glenn
Glenn

This thread was discussed between 02/10/2004 and 07/10/2004

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.