9 replies to this topic

[Helmut Ranff]

What are your believes regarding breaking in a new Volvo engine
and such things as using synthetic immediately or after this magical
thing of " break in period"


Thank you
Helmut Ranff

[MikeG]

There's more to it than this, but to keep it really simple:

In any engine, the main purpose of break-in is to properly seat the rings to the cylinder walls, knocking down the high spots (microscopic peaks) left by the honing device.

Usually, if break-in isn't done properly, there is the risk (not a guarantee) that glazing can occur. Glazing is when the oil gets trapped in the low spots (microscopic valleys) left by the honing device and creates varnish on the cylinder wall. This can lead to oil consumption, blow-by, and low compression.

There are probably as many different break-in procedures as there are engine manufacturers, and there's some disagreement among enthusiasts as to whether or not properly built modern engines actually require break-in anymore.

My $.02

[hotch]

a friend of mine changes his oil every 100 miles for the first 5,000 miles

and won't drive over 35 for the first 1000

he bought his car 500 miles away, and had to take back roads the whole way back to not get screamed at on the freeway

[ziddey]

1. vary the rpms. it's not good to stay at any one rpm for prolonged periods (avoid staying at one speed)
2. should stick with dino oil for first 5000 miles or so
3. good to rev up and let go of gas and let engine brake down to slow speed. repeat this.

[jda2000]

oil changes every 100 miles, WOW.

Either he's loaded with money, works for an autoparts store and gets the oil for free or he's got a few loose nuts

[merlin390]

when the the dealer does the predelivery inspection they should change the oil, it makes since to think that this catches a lot of the rought particles that come off in the first couple of miles. drive the car 1000 miles (not racing it just normal driving) then change the oil. Do this once or twice more. Playing around with a magnate that I strapped to my oil filter it picked up a lot of small metal particles (found this after I cut the filter open cause I was bored) I made a necklace of magnates I got out of old transmissions and zip ties that now goes around my oil filter after every change.

[Makarios]

I made a necklace of magnates I got out of old transmissions and zip ties that now goes around my oil filter after every change.

I don't think I understood that.

You made a neclace of magnets and zip tie it around the oil filter every time you change the oil?

[merlin390]

sorry about that. The mags are round with a hole in them. i put the mags end to end and used a zip tie to connect them until I had a "necklace" of the right diameter (not that it really matters because the oil filter is metal and mags love metal)

[Makarios]

sorry about that. The mags are round with a hole in them. i put the mags end to end and used a zip tie to connect them until I had a "necklace" of the right diameter (not that it really matters because the oil filter is metal and mags love metal)

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.

[merlin390]

going to try and make one now?