"Break in" for reman engine
- Thread starter awthorn
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KidVermicious
New member
I think you should do it exactly like whoever you bought the motor from tells you to. That way if there's a problem they won't be able to blame it on you.
nevada
Senior Member
agreed.
Scramble
New member
It's just like breaking in a new motor. I just did it to my rebuilt 2.7 last March the same way I broke in the motor new from the showroom and my mechanic agreed.
Do not go over 55mph & do not keep it at the same speed on the highway.
I broke mine in by driving it to work slowly in the right lane. Get the speed up to 55 mph then take your foot off the gas & let it get down to 45-50 mph & then hit the gas & get it back up to 55mph. Sure this will annoy anyone behind you but screw 'em you're in the right lane & they can go around you. Do this for 500 miles & your engine will be broken it. Stay away from steep hills that will keep your RPMs high. Baby it & you'll be golden.
Do not go over 55mph & do not keep it at the same speed on the highway.
I broke mine in by driving it to work slowly in the right lane. Get the speed up to 55 mph then take your foot off the gas & let it get down to 45-50 mph & then hit the gas & get it back up to 55mph. Sure this will annoy anyone behind you but screw 'em you're in the right lane & they can go around you. Do this for 500 miles & your engine will be broken it. Stay away from steep hills that will keep your RPMs high. Baby it & you'll be golden.
19963.4lsr5
New member
I believe in the alternative method of brake in. Like as soon as engine is checked out and road worthy take it to a road or long uphill grade and do 10 30-60mph 1/2-3/4 throttle accelerations and decelerations. Up to 60 and decel to 30 and then up to 60 etc to bed the rings in before all the flashing is rubbed off the cylinder walls. It's popular with the motorcycle crowd and I see no reason why it wouldn't apply to a vehicle.
MattJakobs
New member
Is there any reason you went with a reman over a JDM?
awthorn
New member
Thanks guys, I think I am going to take it fairy easy with no freeway driving for the first 500 miles or so, should take about 2-3 weeks, then do an oil change and keep on trucking. Thanks for the advice!
[MENTION=109102]MattJakobs[/MENTION] by JDM do you mean getting a Japanese front clip or engine and doing a conversion? I would first say, time, part availability, conversion costs / knowledge and warranty.
The engine I got is a reman by LKQ with an unlimited mile 3 year warranty and no fault on the first replacement. Which means they will replace the engine with install costs no questions asked for the first replacement if anything goes wrong. The second and then on replacement would need review for neglect before they would replace it. The install was pretty much a drop in with some other items that needed replaced as we went a long such as the harmonic balancer, lots of vacuum lines, clutch, flywheel and a few other things as we went along.
Also with the JDM like any other used OEM replacement, you never know how it was treated. Also here in FL OEM replacements with close to or over 200k are around $1500 but my guy got a reman for 2k.
[MENTION=109102]MattJakobs[/MENTION] by JDM do you mean getting a Japanese front clip or engine and doing a conversion? I would first say, time, part availability, conversion costs / knowledge and warranty.
The engine I got is a reman by LKQ with an unlimited mile 3 year warranty and no fault on the first replacement. Which means they will replace the engine with install costs no questions asked for the first replacement if anything goes wrong. The second and then on replacement would need review for neglect before they would replace it. The install was pretty much a drop in with some other items that needed replaced as we went a long such as the harmonic balancer, lots of vacuum lines, clutch, flywheel and a few other things as we went along.
Also with the JDM like any other used OEM replacement, you never know how it was treated. Also here in FL OEM replacements with close to or over 200k are around $1500 but my guy got a reman for 2k.
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AZ4Running
New member
500 miles of normal driving. Let the engine do the braking as much as possible so it pulls good vacuum and helps seat the rings in. Then after 500 miles do an oil and filtechange and look for any metal in the oil. Refill with new oil of your choice I woukd do a full synthetic.
AZ4Running
New member
Yes because break in will cause some metal to end up in the oil, not much at all but it will still be there. Change at 500 miles then at 3000 then you can go to 5000 mile changes.
bishopTS
New member
I did 3 reman engines on a chevy colorado from LKQ a few months back. first one I noticed they put the rear main seal in backward. I turned it around and put the engine in the truck. 4k miles later the timing chain tensioner fell off. second engine rear main seal was on backward again. then it developed a lifter noise due to low oil pressure in the head. third the rear main seal was backward. reinstalled it correctly and it's worked since then.
Scramble
New member
I was in a rush to break it in because I was without it for 3 years & missed driving it. 6 days driving it to work & the 500 miles was met.
I changed the oil at 500 miles, 1500 miles & then 3000 mile intervals. I'm over 5000 miles now & it runs like new except it feels peppier with the bore out & headers on it.
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Scramble
New member
I thought oil filters were only good for 3000 miles? I would never go 5000 miles without an oil change.
awthorn
New member
I was planning on doing 500, 1500, 3000, 5000 miles oil changes but wasn't going to start synthetic until that 5k mark. Then oil changes at least every 3k.
[MENTION=116500]bishopTS[/MENTION] sorry to hear about your luck. My buddy has had good luck with the engines he has gotten from them here in FL. He has put in a couple hundred over the last 5 years and he has been using them and has only had one issue which they resolved. The engine that is in now Is purring like a kitten but like you said you didn't have issues until 4k miles. Hopefully i don't have any issues!
[MENTION=116500]bishopTS[/MENTION] sorry to hear about your luck. My buddy has had good luck with the engines he has gotten from them here in FL. He has put in a couple hundred over the last 5 years and he has been using them and has only had one issue which they resolved. The engine that is in now Is purring like a kitten but like you said you didn't have issues until 4k miles. Hopefully i don't have any issues!
My engine break-in advice would depend on the type of rings, pistons, rods, and crankshaft used, the finish of the cylinder bores, the amount of bearing clearance the engine was built with, the type of oil in the engine, etc., etc.
Since I don't know any of that for your engine, I would stick with what your engine builder recommends.
Since I don't know any of that for your engine, I would stick with what your engine builder recommends.
bishopTS
New member
I was always told to break an engine in by driving it the same way is gonna be driven. and don't break it in on synthetic.
out of 12 years of me being a mechanic the only "break in" problem I ran into was on an Integra that the guy refused my warning and started it off with synthetic, the rings wouldn't seat properly and it smoked all the time.
I too follow the 500, 1500, 3000 oil change cycle.
out of 12 years of me being a mechanic the only "break in" problem I ran into was on an Integra that the guy refused my warning and started it off with synthetic, the rings wouldn't seat properly and it smoked all the time.
I too follow the 500, 1500, 3000 oil change cycle.
