Understanding Engine Break In | Dos and Don'ts
Summary
TLDRThis video dispels myths about engine break-in for new cars, emphasizing the importance of varying load and avoiding thermal shock. It explains that mass-produced engines need less break-in than high-performance ones, which require careful treatment. The script advises against constant RPM and suggests gradual thermal cycling for the first 200-300 miles. It also discusses oil types, highlighting the differences between conventional and eco oils, and their impact on engine performance, especially in high-temperature conditions.
Takeaways
- 🚗 The necessity of engine break-in varies based on the type of engine and its intended use.
- 🏭 Commodity engines designed for mass production require less break-in as they are built for immediate use.
- 🏎 High-performance engines, like those in sports cars, need more careful treatment during the break-in period.
- ❌ A common myth is that manufacturers fully break in high-performance engines in the factory, which is often not the case.
- 🔧 Modern engine design and manufacturing allow for more flexibility in how engines are broken in compared to 20 years ago.
- 🛣️ For new engines, avoid constant RPM and thermal shock; vary load and speed to ensure even wear.
- 🚫 Avoid high RPM ranges when the engine is new to prevent thermal stress on engine components.
- 🔧 The break-in process is crucial for engine bearings to adjust, wear in, and maintain an oil film for protection.
- 🔥 Thermal cycling is important for all moving parts of a car, not just the engine, to prevent premature wear.
- 🛠️ Regular cars also benefit from a gradual break-in process to ensure even wear and to protect other moving parts like transmissions and brakes.
- 🛢️ Oil choice is crucial during the break-in period; follow manufacturer recommendations and consider oil type for high-performance use.
Q & A
What is the main topic discussed in the video?
-The main topic of the video is the break-in process for new car engines, including different methods and considerations depending on the type of engine and vehicle.
What are some common misconceptions about engine break-in?
-Common misconceptions include the belief that you should either drive a new car hard right away or be extremely gentle with it for an extended period. The video clarifies that the ideal approach lies somewhere in between these extremes.
How does engine type influence the break-in process?
-The break-in process varies based on the engine type. Mass-produced engines, like those in a CRV or Chevy Malibu, require minimal break-in, while high-performance engines, such as those in a Ferrari or Porsche GT3, require a more careful break-in to ensure optimal performance and longevity.
Do manufacturers break in high-performance engines at the factory?
-No, most high-performance engines are not extensively broken in at the factory. Some engines might undergo a short test for quality control, including RPM sweeps and checks for leaks, but this is not a full break-in process.
What is the recommended method for breaking in a new car engine?
-The recommended method involves varying the engine load, avoiding constant RPMs for extended periods, and not pushing the engine to extreme high temperatures or RPMs. This approach allows the moving parts to adjust and wear evenly, ensuring a proper break-in.
Why is it important to vary engine load during the break-in process?
-Varying engine load helps to avoid creating high spots on the engine's moving parts, allowing them to wear evenly and ensuring that the oil film remains intact between the moving surfaces, which is crucial for engine longevity.
What role does modern oil quality play in the engine break-in process?
-Modern oils are more stable and durable than oils from 20 years ago, allowing for more flexibility in how a new engine is treated. However, even with modern oils, it is still important to follow recommended break-in practices to ensure optimal engine performance and longevity.
What are some specific things to avoid during the engine break-in period?
-During the break-in period, you should avoid maintaining a constant RPM for long periods, high RPMs or redlining, and thermal shock from rapid heating and cooling cycles. It’s also advised not to drive the car aggressively on a race track immediately.
How does thermal shock affect engine components during break-in?
-Thermal shock, which occurs when engine components rapidly heat up and then cool down, can cause uneven wear and damage to the engine's moving parts. This is especially detrimental during the break-in period when components are still adjusting.
How should you handle oil changes for a new engine during the break-in period?
-For a new engine, it's often recommended to change the oil after the first 1,000 miles to remove any contaminants from the assembly process. After this initial change, you can typically follow the manufacturer's recommended oil change intervals.
What are the differences between 'eco oils' and regular oils for high-performance engines?
-Eco oils like 0W-20 or 0W-16 are designed for better fuel economy and lower emissions but are not ideal for high-performance engines under extreme conditions. These oils can thin out at high temperatures, leading to pressure loss and potential engine damage.
Outlines
🚗 Understanding Engine Break-In: Myths and Realities
The video explores the concept of engine break-in for new cars, addressing common myths and misconceptions. The discussion covers the range of opinions on how to approach engine break-in, from aggressive driving to babying the car. The truth lies somewhere in between, depending on the engine type, its construction, and the car's intended use. Mass-produced engines in everyday cars require minimal break-in, while high-performance engines need more careful handling during the initial miles.
🔧 Engine Break-In Practices: High-Performance vs. Everyday Cars
This segment delves into the differences in break-in procedures between mass-produced engines and high-performance engines like those in sports cars. While regular engines are designed for immediate use with little break-in, high-performance engines, such as those in Corvettes or Ferraris, require more specific break-in practices. The video dispels the misconception that these engines are fully broken in at the factory, emphasizing the importance of careful initial driving by the owner to ensure long-term engine health.
🔥 Modern Engine and Oil Technology: A New Era of Break-In
The video discusses how modern engine design and oil technology have evolved, making break-in less critical than in the past. However, it's still recommended to vary the engine load during the initial 200-300 miles to allow moving parts to wear evenly. Avoiding high RPMs and extreme temperatures during this period helps prevent thermal shock and ensures the longevity of engine components. The importance of running parts like bearings is highlighted, as they need time to adapt and polish to prevent wear and tear.
⚙️ The Science Behind Bearings and Engine Wear During Break-In
This section provides a detailed explanation of the mechanical processes involved in engine break-in, focusing on the bearings and crankshaft. The video explains how these components need time to 'bed in' through light load and varying engine speeds. This process helps to ensure a consistent oil film and prevent issues like scuffing. The importance of giving bearings time to cool off and avoiding high stress on new engine parts is emphasized, particularly during the first 500 miles of driving.
🚙 Break-In for Everyday Cars: Best Practices for Longevity
The video offers practical advice for breaking in engines in everyday vehicles like a Toyota Camry or Kia Telluride. It recommends gradually increasing engine load and avoiding constant speeds during the first few hundred miles. The same principles apply to other car components, such as the suspension and braking system, which also benefit from a careful break-in process. The video underscores the importance of thermal cycling, advising against exposing new parts to extreme temperatures too quickly.
🛢️ Oil Maintenance: Following Manufacturer Recommendations
In this segment, the video discusses the importance of following the manufacturer’s recommended oil change schedule. It highlights how modern oils and engines are designed for longer intervals between oil changes, making frequent changes unnecessary. However, factors like extreme temperatures and driving conditions may necessitate more frequent oil changes. The video also addresses concerns about initial oil changes for new engines, suggesting that changing oil after 1,000 miles can help remove assembly contaminants like silicone.
🌡️ Eco Oils and High-Performance Cars: What You Need to Know
The final section focuses on the use of eco oils (e.g., 0W-20) in modern engines and their limitations in high-performance cars. While these oils are designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, they can thin out at high temperatures, leading to pressure loss and increased oil evaporation. The video advises against using eco oils in high-performance cars, especially when the engine is new. The importance of choosing the right oil viscosity based on driving conditions and engine type is emphasized to ensure optimal engine performance.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Engine break-in
💡Myths
💡Load variation
💡Thermal shock
💡RPM
💡Oil temperature
💡Eco oils
💡Normal operating range
💡Lead-free materials
💡Oil change
💡Thermal cycling
Highlights
There are many misconceptions and myths about engine break-in procedures for new cars.
The break-in process largely depends on the manufacturer, engine type, and intended use of the vehicle.
Commodity engines designed for mass production require minimal break-in as they are ready for immediate use.
High-performance engines like those in a Z06, Ferrari, or Porsche GT3 need special care during the break-in period.
Some high-performance engines are partially hand-built but not extensively broken in at the factory.
Modern engine design and oil quality have increased flexibility in how new engines can be treated during break-in.
Engines should be driven with varying load and RPM to ensure even wear and prevent thermal shock during the first few hundred miles.
Avoid high RPM ranges when the engine is new to prevent thermal shock and stress on the engine.
The break-in process is crucial for the running surfaces of engine parts to adjust and wear evenly.
Bearings in new engines need time to bed in and create a consistent oil film to prevent future breakdowns.
The break-in period is important for other moving parts of the car, such as the transmission and braking system.
Thermal cycling, or gradually increasing and decreasing temperatures, is important for the health of new engine parts.
For street cars, it's unnecessary to break in the engine at high RPMs as most driving is done at lower speeds.
Following the manufacturer's recommended oil change schedule is advisable for most modern engines.
Eco oils, like 0W20, are designed for fuel efficiency but may not be suitable for high-performance engines or track use.
The first oil change can help remove assembly contaminants and is important for the engine's long-term health.
Varying the load on a new engine and avoiding thermal shock are key practices for a successful break-in period.
Transcripts
foreign
I wanted to make this video for quite
some time and that is about engine
break-in you buy a brand new car what do
you do there's a lot of misconceptions
about this and a lot of myths and
there's varying opinion on how you
should do it all the way from you drive
the car like you stole it to the
opposite extreme where you should baby
the car for a thousand plus miles just
to make sure everything's running and
the truth is it's somewhere in between
and it's largely dependent on the
manufacturer the type of engine it is
the construction and the the target of
what you're going to be doing with it
later on
so here it is your commodity engines the
things that are made in the hundreds of
thousands or Millions mass produced
those engines are designed to come out
of the factory put in a car and the
customer the end user is going to drive
it right off the lot and there's not a
lot of break-in required with that
because they're designed they don't have
the crazy tight tolerances esoteric
parts are designed for high performance
aspirations like you're literally taking
a CRV or an equinox or Chevy Malibu and
you're just you're putting it on the
highway most people are not going to go
you know drive it flat out on a track or
something so the the way that you handle
that is much different compared to
something like a new Z06 where you have
a high revving engine a Ferrari engine
or a Porsche GT3 it's high bars a BMW M
engine so those require a little bit of
different treatment so there's some
misconception that manufacturers take
these high performance engines some of
them that are hand built or partially
hand built and they break them in in the
factory
and that's simply not the case even some
of the high strung engines like we
talked to the Corvette Engineers that
Z06 gets hand built and then is dynode
but it's more of a quality gate it's
doing some RPM sweeps and different load
getting it up to temperature making sure
there's no leaks coolant oil making sure
there's no catastrophic failures and
they might do one near high RPM pull but
that's about it it's not sitting there
for like three days being run in it's
just to make sure the engine's safe to
go back in the car and most of the high
performance engines don't even get that
treatment so it's really kind of on the
buyer to understand you know there are
some things that you should be doing
when you get this new car just to keep
it safe if you're keeping it for the
long term
so the next thing is what should you be
doing well engine design and modern
manufacturing is not like it was 20
years ago and even oil design the the
quality of oil has just dramatically
gone up in terms of stability and
durability so getting a modern engine
now there's a lot more flexibility in
terms of how you treat the engine but
here's kind of the gold standard from
some of the engineers we spoke to you
should constantly if as soon as you
drive it off the lot you want a very
load which means you don't want to sit
at a constant RPM on the highway for
like hours on end you don't want to get
out there just keep it at you know 75
miles an hour at 2000 RPM you want to
try to get varying load so that means
getting on the throttle getting the RPMs
up changing the speed slowing the car
down
conversely you don't want to be at the
high RPM range when the engine is new so
you don't want to thermally shock an
engine like taking it to the track right
away where you get outside the envelope
of normal operating temperatures at
extreme high temperatures and then
thermally shocking all the systems like
taking it to 270 degree oil temp and
then cooling it down right away to
ambient those are some of the stressful
things most stressful things that an
engine can endure so you want to keep it
within the normal operating range
varying load a little bit of higher RPM
not to redline not banging off the rev
limiter but also not sitting there
lugging the engine and typically you
want to try to do that for about two or
three hundred miles before the engine is
broken in and from talking to Engineers
more so on the high performance side the
concept is it revolves around the
running parts of the moving parts of the
engine the running surfaces need time to
adjust to even wear and it just makes a
lot of sense if you think of it
practically if you're running outside or
you're doing some basketball drill where
all you're doing is cutting right
cutting right cutting right you're going
to start to put strain on one side of
your knee you're going to start putting
straight on one side of your body that's
not evening out load which could result
into an injury in terms of mechanical
Parts a lot of this initial break-in
process is because of bearings or
running material bearings because of
removing of lead and some of materials
now like there's no copper and brake
pads because of regulations they've had
to reformulate a lot of these running
surfaces or friction materials to comply
with you know regulatory so when you
remove lead and things there's not as
much give in the bearings are a lot
harder so if you have a high vibration
engine typically you want to try to make
sure you don't overload the engine
thermally shock the engine and create a
higher a low side on that bearing or the
running surfaces in between but they do
take a little bit of time to break in
and breaking in is simply providing the
clearance to make sure that oil film
always stays intact
so a crankshaft is this machine you know
it's got machine surfaces the the crank
board
and the bearing machine the bearings are
machined and they have their running
surfaces but they take a little while to
bed in and you want to remove the high
spots the polishing with some light load
uh varying the engine speed and load so
all those little high spots are knocked
down and Polished so you have a really
good layer of bearing on the crankshaft
and that braking process provides a
really consistent clearance between the
bearing and the crankshaft
so that under high speed high load high
temperature you never worry about
breaking down that film but all bearings
and all new machine parts they do have a
little bit of Sperrys in them and it
takes a little while for that stuff to
knock down and move around the magic
with the bearings and the bearing
suppliers will tell you this they have
all these their secret recipes with a
top layer that's pretty much malleable
it's not as malleable as lead but it
also does absorb any contaminants any
debris that may be in the build be in
the Ingenuity and the oil as well as
move over round based on the engine's
load and the polishing and the break-in
so that what they call is they call it
an adapt so the bearing adapts it moves
and provides clearance where there needs
to be clearance and that's the whole
break-in process so um what the bearing
manufacturers really look for is they
want varying speed varying load and they
want to give a lot of time for the
bearing to cool off because a hot
bearing as it's trying to break in can
sometimes scuff so they like the bearing
load and not going too high speed too
high load for the first 500 miles and we
found that for most Street driving you
can do a 0-60 you can do a couple of
Watts but you're not able to put as much
speed and load like you can on a race
track that really gets the temperatures
up there and keeps things consistently
hot and consistently loaded now you may
be somebody that doesn't have a high
performance application but a lot of
these same ideas are there for things
like a Toyota Camry or a Kia tellia ride
and some of the mainstream cars you want
to take it off the showroom floor and
you want to safely get that thing up to
temperature before you start ragging on
it you don't want to just let it sit
there and idle for five to ten hours at
a time and you don't want to drive it on
the highway at just a constant speed you
want to try to bring the engine up you
want to try to get some Revolutions in
the engine get up to speed bring it back
down again trying to cycle through to
get some of that even wear built up for
the first 200 miles you know even if you
can't do that try to do it for the first
100 or 200 miles you typically are good
now when we're talking about heat
cycling the engine isn't the only
reciprocating part of moving part on a
car regardless you have suspension you
have braking system you have a
transmission or a variation of a
transmission on Modern cars so you want
to take the same care with those so as a
part of that break-in you're helping
break in other moving parts and again
when I'm talking about thermal cycling
or thermal shock it's about not getting
that entire drivetrain or car parts to
that high level of thermal load where
parts start to heat soak when they're
brand new you want to run them in
gradually so it's the same thing with a
transmission you don't want to get it to
its most extreme temperature and then
shock it thermally by letting it
completely cool off it's the same thing
with a braking system we talk about this
a lot you get brakes super hot that's
traditionally not the problem with
braking systems it's when you get them
super hot and then let them get ice cold
and then thermally shock them again with
high load you know you want to build up
that temperature until you get a pad
layer so you're not you know creating a
heavy heavy thermal cycle on those parts
that's what wears them out prematurely
so if you think about it the same way
with the friction materials versus
engine and transmission some of those
same things can be done there after
talking to some of the Corvette
Engineers they said straight up you know
this concept of braking in an engine you
know you drive it like you stole it that
doesn't make a lot of sense on a street
car because if you look at statistically
where most engines Live On A Streetcar
it's not at six or seven or eight
thousand RPM it's not even like four
thousand it's generally isolating right
around like 2000 RPM the average speed
of most Vehicles once they're on the
road in real world driving settles
around like 30 miles an hour maybe even
lower than that for some people so the
engine is not living its life at the
high RPM so you don't want to break it
in where you're sitting there at a high
load it just doesn't make any sense
street cars are not race cars so think
about that when you're doing it and kind
of adjust your mentality a bit
the last topic is oil if you're a normal
person you have a regular car you follow
the manufacturer recommended schedule
you know there's there's lights that
tell you hey you're due for an oil
change follow that
go to the dealership use the factory
recommended oil you'll never think about
it it's easier that way
oil has improved in durability and the
science behind oil has changed so much
in 20 years the additive packs they they
last longer the engines the modern
engines of today have far less
contamination so you don't have to worry
about these accelerated intervals where
people like oh you change your oil every
3000 Miles that's just not the case in
modern engines anymore it's it's almost
wasteful to do that you can run safely 8
10 even 15 000 miles depending on your
climate
so that's one side of it but you have to
think about okay I'm cold starting my
engine every day outside at you know
zero degrees Fahrenheit I'm getting the
engine heated up to 180 degrees and then
I'm cooling it back off to negative 20
degrees Fahrenheit that is a lot of
thermal cycling on that engine it's a
lot of work on that oil in terms of the
additive packs to keep the running
surfaces safe so you might might have to
do an accelerated oil change to be safe
same thing with heat if you're in the
Arizona area and it's 120 degrees and
that engine oil is constantly running
way above its temperature range you
should probably be changing it sooner if
you're in a Dusty environment again
there's these extremes you have to look
out for to protect your engine namely
when it's new
um there's this concept of well you
should change your oil right away when
the engine is brand new right there
could be contaminants from the assembly
process Which is far less common
nowadays the the typical thing you see
in New Or in oil samples from cars that
are brand new is just sealers like
silicone from the assembly process there
might be some assembly Lube or or
different contaminants in there but
usually it's silicone and the only thing
with silicone is you know it might
change the pH a bit
but in engines like Subaru where there's
a lot of silicone that silicone actually
might trap contaminants or metal and
creates scoring problems or oil
starvation if it gets in an oil Gallery
so that would be a good case where maybe
depending on the car you should change
your oil at a thousand miles to be safe
to start and then those that silicone
level will drop debris and another thing
you have in the initial oil change is
you get a little bit of silicone in the
oil from the RTV curing that's part of
the ceiling of the engine and that is a
and once the inhibitor but it encourages
oil aeration which isn't good so that
that first oil change is a way to expel
that from the engine so the last thing I
will say is Eco oil Eco oils what is
that so 0w20 0w-16 there can their
compliant soil is designed to help with
fuel economy and lower emissions
manufacturers use them because there's
far less pumping losses involved in it
and it really does help with fuel
economy because it flows thin at cold
temperatures and it flows thin at high
temperatures the negative part about
that is if you have an Enthusiast car
they are not designed to be operated at
high temperature there's very few cars
that even at track temperatures or high
temperatures can thermally balance
themselves where that oil temperature
stays below 220 degrees Fahrenheit
unless you have a really really great
car with amazing cooling regular sports
cars are going to hit 250 260 maybe even
270 on oil temps and when you get 0 20
or 0w16 to those extreme temperatures
they suffer greatly they thin out so
much that you can run into high levels
of pressure loss
that's why you would not want to run an
Eco oil on a high performance car namely
when it's new and just as a side note
0 20 or a 016 oil they typically have
more oil evaporation they call it Nowak
it's the measurement of oil evaporation
they're typically above seven percent
and that oil evaporation on zero W oils
also can contribute to carbon deposits
and every engine manufacturer is
different some engines typically get
more carbon deposits namely in direct
injection Motors versus other brands
depends on their head design their
coolant and there's a lot of factors
involved in it but the the mass majority
99 of zero w20 oils have more oil
evaporation than an oil that's 5W20 or
5W30 so that's something else if you're
running oil at very very high
temperatures you're going to more oil
evaporation with the Eco oils and that's
the last part of the oil discussion a
zero w20 oil tends to thin out far
greater than a 5W20 oil and
you know people talk about well the five
and the zero mean nothing with high
temperatures well the base stock of
those oils the friction modifiers are
viscosity modifiers in 0w-20 oils to get
it to have that flow rate at cold
temperatures affects the high
temperature viscosity and when I'm
saying high temperature I'm not talking
about 200 I'm talking about 230 degrees
240 degrees plus Fahrenheit those zero
w20 oils will thin out more at the
higher temperatures than a 5W20 oil it's
just that compromise in making an
all-weather design so what does this all
mean really at the end of the day
based on the engineers we talked to vary
the load on the engine when it's new
don't sit at a constant RPM don't
thermally shock the engine and then of
course if you're planning on keeping the
engine long term or this car long term
that you're buying and put a lot of
money in definitely follow that if
you're just leasing the car then you
don't care about any of this you just
want to get through 30 000 miles beat
the hell out of it but maybe think about
the future owner of it too you know eat
that first three to 500 miles to be safe
that's up to you thanks for watching
I'll see you next video
[Music]
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