Engine break in

[razorlab]

Nismo used to break their JGTC engines in over the course of several days though not gently.

My motocross race engines were "broken in" with 2 heat cycles and went straight to the dyno and I never had a failure.

The NASCAR team I was on used to run the engines in with a heat cycle, then up to a few grand, then up to a few more, then close to 8k, then full tilt. They'd check the oil and let them cool to the touch between runs. My crew chief said "it seemed to work and we'd rather catch a problem at 5 grand than 9 grand."

I overheard Andreas Roos tell someone "you (the manufacturer) know your parts, you know your tolerances. You just have to watch and see what it likes during development." If I have to pick anyone to listen to, it's gonna be him. The P66/3s were done similarly to the NASCAR engines.

TL;DR: let it get hot a few times and then run it like you intend to drive it.

This is exactly what most do, that actually do these things instead of just cherry picking YT content that isn’t theirs to reuse to begin with.

real world > internet posers

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[concept]

Nismo used to break their JGTC engines in over the course of several days though not gently.

My motocross race engines were "broken in" with 2 heat cycles and went straight to the dyno and I never had a failure.

The NASCAR team I was on used to run the engines in with a heat cycle, then up to a few grand, then up to a few more, then close to 8k, then full tilt. They'd check the oil and let them cool to the touch between runs. My crew chief said "it seemed to work and we'd rather catch a problem at 5 grand than 9 grand."

I overheard Andreas Roos tell someone "you (the manufacturer) know your parts, you know your tolerances. You just have to watch and see what it likes during development." If I have to pick anyone to listen to, it's gonna be him. The P66/3s were done similarly to the NASCAR engines.

TL;DR: let it get hot a few times and then run it like you intend to drive it.

Yes, as Jason/engineering explained, custom racing engines are often broken in before they get installed. But most of the video clips are about production vehicle engines.
Regarding the Nismo Z:
Engine and Drivetrain Break-in
- Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid acceleration.
- Keep engine speed below 4,000 RPM.
- Vary your RPMs—don’t cruise at a constant speed for long periods (especially on highways).
- Avoid hard braking unless necessary.

🛞 Tire and Brake Break-in
- For the first 300 miles (500 km):
- Avoid hard cornering.
- Allow the brakes to gradually bed in—no aggressive stops unless required.

 

[itzTang]

Yes, as Jason/engineering explained, custom racing engines are often broken in before they get installed. But most of the video clips are about production vehicle engines.
Regarding the Nismo Z:
Engine and Drivetrain Break-in
- Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid acceleration.
- Keep engine speed below 4,000 RPM.
- Vary your RPMs—don’t cruise at a constant speed for long periods (especially on highways).
- Avoid hard braking unless necessary.

🛞 Tire and Brake Break-in
- For the first 300 miles (500 km):
- Avoid hard cornering.
- Allow the brakes to gradually bed in—no aggressive stops unless required.

why we talking about nismo Z in a supra forum? have u proven doing a breakin vs not breaking in at all does anything? lol

 

[razorlab]

why we talking about nismo Z in a supra forum? have u proven doing a breakin vs not breaking in at all does anything? lol

Do you really think you are going to get a satisfying answer from Boomer Blob?

 

[Ecom]

If anyone cares to attempt to learn more.. which some may not want to do.. I'd recommend this video:

The guy is incredibly smart and has a bunch of in-depth content about engineering that most "real world users" would have no idea about. I'm personally not a "do you own research" kind of guy though, I tend to trust experts.

 

[concept]

If anyone cares to attempt to learn more.. which some may not want to do.. I'd recommend this video:

The guy is incredibly smart and has a bunch of in-depth content about engineering that most "real world users" would have no idea about. I'm personally not a "do you own research" kind of guy though, I tend to trust experts.

I have a section of this video in my compilation video. As you may surmise, there are at least a few guys here who believe that no break-in is required. Don't buy their cars.

 

[concept]

why we talking about nismo Z in a supra forum? have u proven doing a breakin vs not breaking in at all does anything? lol

I didn't bring up Nismo, initially. Strych9 did.

 

[razorlab]

So ThE OriGInAL owneR Is unKNown. ThAT THROwS UP a rED flag to mE, aS THAT PersoN mAy haVE TREaTED ThE CAr As a ReNTAl And BEaT THe HEck OUT of it. It'S A GaMBle oF a BUy.

TherE are AT lEaSt A FeW guYs hErE WHO beLieve that nO bREAK-in is ReqUIrEd. don't BUY their CARS.

Low mileage 2020 Launch Edition. Tracked since 1,000 miles. Oil tests done every oil change. More than two times the horsepower as stock. 70+ track days. All modification receipts. BMW approved oil. Compression and leak-down checks every 5,000 miles.

I know what I got. Now you know what I got.

You moving the goal post again:

Also what you look like to everyone here:

 

[concept]

So your data-point-of-one car was within 200 miles of break-in period completion. Yet somehow that means that Lake Speed Jr's hundreds of oil analysis samples prove nothing?

 

[Strych9]

I didn't bring up Nismo, initially. Strych9 did.

I brought up the Nismo JGTC program's break in procedure for their JGTC engines, not the Nissan Z.

The gist of what I said was "here is what I know insofar as it pertains to the topic of break in." I know that specifically because I worked shoulder to shoulder with a guy that worked at NISMO building race cars for +20 years.

Yes, as Jason/engineering explained, custom racing engines are often broken in before they get installed.

I think what you don't know that you're not seeing is that this post as taken to "at what point do we say it's good enough?" Yes, those race engines are broken in, but the break in process is essentially non-existent compared to most road cars. As such, a simple "break in or no break in" isn't really of any value here.

 

[concept]

I brought up the Nismo JGTC program's break in procedure for their JGTC engines, not the Nissan Z.

The gist of what I said was "here is what I know insofar as it pertains to the topic of break in." I know that specifically because I worked shoulder to shoulder with a guy that worked at NISMO building race cars for +20 years.



I think what you don't know that you're not seeing is that this post as taken to "at what point do we say it's good enough?" Yes, those race engines are broken in, but the break in process is essentially non-existent compared to most road cars. As such, a simple "break in or no break in" isn't really of any value here.

So essentially, race engines are expected to last as long as street cars? Did you catch the McLaren Senna break-in procedure? It's 1000 miles with no more than 5500 rpm runs with varying speeds.
1000 miles is certainly not close to "no break-in".

 

[razorlab]

I brought up the Nismo JGTC program's break in procedure for their JGTC engines, not the Nissan Z.

The gist of what I said was "here is what I know insofar as it pertains to the topic of break in." I know that specifically because I worked shoulder to shoulder with a guy that worked at NISMO building race cars for +20 years.



I think what you don't know that you're not seeing is that this post as taken to "at what point do we say it's good enough?" Yes, those race engines are broken in, but the break in process is essentially non-existent compared to most road cars. As such, a simple "break in or no break in" isn't really of any value here.

Pro tip, don't even bother with Boomer Clown. You could say the sky is blue and he would tell you that you only have two eyes, so how can you be so sure when the world has 16 billion+ eyes.

That clown is going back on ignore. I thought it would be fun, nope.

 

[concept]

Extra Pro Tip: Razorman thinks that he knows more than any experts about anything that relates to GR Supras. It's comical to me that he really believes he knows more than a tribologist who has likely done far more oil testing and thoroughly understands the importance of engine break-in periods and precautions.

 

[Strych9]

So essentially, race engines are expected to last as long as street cars?

I didn't type anything in any other comment that even looked like it may have said that.

Did you catch the McLaren Senna break-in procedure? It's 1000 miles with no more than 5500 rpm runs with varying speeds.
1000 miles is certainly not close to "no break-in".

Yeah, I saw where you listed yet another car's break in procedure.

 

[BMWAF]

The older I get, the more I believe that engine break-in is designed for the owner to acclimatize themselves to their new vehicle and has very little to do with the car's actual mechanical needs.

Having said that, spending the first few hundred miles taking it easy isn't going to hurt you or the car. And I am a firm believer of exploring the entire day-to-day envelope of the car's performance during this time, albeit with some care.

Engine break-in is a bit like the oil question: If there was a proper answer, it's going to be lost among the bullshit.

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