What is the Correct!! break in procedeure?

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GhostRider
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What is the Correct!! break in procedeure?

Post by GhostRider »

Ive heard about many methods of break in, including the quick break in method of blipping the throttle. And the method of holding the throttle open at 1/2 throttle 15 min then cooling then doing it again then increasing to 3/4 etc.

What is the correct break in procedure, ive heard of people losing the crispness of a new engine after 50 hours of use due too wrong break in methods.

Ive also heard that it is bad to break in an engine at constant speed and that you should have a variation of loads on the engine during engine break in.

Can someone please define the correct break in method for my engine please note: my bore is no longer electrofusion it has been sleeved.
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Jeb
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Post by Jeb »

If you find the bonifide, absolutely-correct break-in procedure please share. As well as the proof behind what makes it correct.

Before I swapped my 220's OEM piston with a Wiseco last fall I read enough "correct" procedures to make my head spin. And like you've indicated, they range from several gastanks-full to full-wide-open right out of the garage/shop.

I will state that multiple heat cycles or "heat treatments" seem a waste of time and is likely hogwash. My problem with this is I'm not convinced that anything is getting cycled or heat-treated in a methodical, cyclic manner. It's certainly not the metal. If anything, oil in the premix soaks in / seals up pores in the metal, but that oughta happen darn quick - like while the bike warms up.

I raced many, many moons ago and when we swapped pistons we warmed the bike up without revving it up. When things were plenty warm, we ran 'em hard. Who's we? 'Just a bunch of kids who followed and worshipped a middle-aged, Penton-riding guy that told us so. 'Course he could of told us to boil our pistons in aged butter for an hour and we would've done it. Results? The fresh pistons were always a blast.

My "method" on the 220? Eric Gorr made this suggestion on a writeup someone off of this site shared with me: I kept RPMs as low as possible while the bike warmed up. I happened to shut off the bike because I couldn't get the blasted radiator cap back on (left off to allow air bubbles out since new coolant was just added). So I went ahead and allowed it to cool since I turned it off but I honestly doubt I needed to. The next time I started the bike, I allowed it to warm up then I rode it as I normally would. And I allow my bike to warm up thoroughly before I place any substantial load on it every time I ride it. Results? When I did a compression checks on my freshly-warmed bike before I shipped my carb & cylinder head I got like a 145 psi reading each time. After I squirted some WD-40 into the cylinder, as suggested, I got the same readings.

My suspicions? It has more to do with correct and clean installation than what particular methodology used to break-in or heat-cycle - as long as you allow the bike to warm-up thoroughly prior to placing a load on it which should be done anyway.

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OldRedd
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Post by OldRedd »

I agree with Jeb on the million different opinions on the "right" way to break in. For me personally, I just followed the instructions in the manual that came with my KDX. Then I just took it "fairly" easy on my bike until about the 2-3 tank of fuel. Just my way of doing it.
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j753301
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Post by j753301 »

let the engine warm up good and then ride it like you normally would,varying the engine rpm's with hard acceleration along with deaccleration.thats really the only way to get the rings to seal good.i've done this with all of my engines in my cbr street bike,kdx200,thumper quad,they all run great with zero blowby.the rings need to seat hard.but then again everybody will post different answers.but this is what works for me
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MXOldtimer
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Post by MXOldtimer »

I've pretty much used the three cycle method.
Cycle 1. Warm the bike up, ride it for 10-15 mins without lug'n or over rev'n, shut'r down and let cool completely.
Cycle 2. Warm the bike up, run it through the gears pretty good for 10-15 min's but you still don't want to hit the rev limiter or lug the thing to a stop, then shut'r down and let it cool completely.
Cycle 3. Run the piss out of the Cycle. :lol:

I've also taken a new 250F from the dealer to the track used practice to break in the engine then Race my moto's without think'n a thing about it and never had engine problems.
I'm a nut case when it comes to changing oil though. I use "cheap" oil but I change it "every weekend" after riding/racing.
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canyncarvr
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Post by canyncarvr »

The point of 'break-in' is largely seat the rings. They don't seat without pressure, they don't get pressure without force from above.

As said, lots of different ideas, lots of differnt 'must do' procedures.

The 'evidence' of removed pistons run through different break-in procedures..the carbon deposits that are NOT present when you do it the Butter-Penton-Guy way tell their own story.

Here's one that you may find interesting.

Basically, what Jeb said. Repeat: DO warm the bike to operating temp before blasting out of your garage.

Some break-in secrets are common-sensedly bogus. Running a richer pre-mix for one. Doing those 'heat cycles' in your garage for another.

Have fun!

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