[LS13RDGEN]

Ok, I have heard a couple of different people's opinions on this matter.
Chris89gta suggests running the engine for about 20 minutes at idle. Change the oil/filter then drive it like you stole it.
Couple other people have been told to drive easy on the motor for the first 300-500 miles. Then drive it like you stole it.
I would like to get more opinons. I am leaning towards Chris's suggestion so far for 2 reasons. 1. It makes sense to me. 2. I don't have the time or the legality to drive the car 300-500 miles. :lol:
Hell I have had the car about 3 years now and I do not think I have put 300 miles on it yet.

 

[Jaberwaki]

depends on how ofton you plan on freshening up your motor....

if you freshen it up once a year, then go with his... if you want it to last , give it a break in period...
(oh and my motors got 5 mins at idle before fluid and filter swap)

 

[LS13RDGEN]

I fired her up for about 5-10 minutes for the first time after the rebuild Monday night.
Fired her up again Tuesday morning for maybe 45 seconds (I was testing a theory).
I planned on changing the oil/filter out next and finishing the wiring before I started her up again.

 

[Fenster]

The problem I have w/ the taking it easy method, is that is exactly what I did. I took it easy. Ran it for 20 minutes, changed oil, drove 100 miles VERY easy, changed oil, then 500 miles of p/t w/ less than 1/2 throttle most of the time, and no more than 3/4 throttle, trying to vary the throttle some... and here I sit suspecting the rings didn't seat.

Rings need pressure to seat rings... I am not saying to drive it like you stole it, but take up the RPMs to ensure you get good cylinder pressure to seat those rings. I wish I had driven about 50-100 miles of varying RPM, but still getting up into the 4k or higher mark even if at only p/t... then after 100 beat the living shit out of it... PRESSURE is the key... any engine builder will tell you that... If rings aren't seated in the first 100 miles... they are not going to.

 

[LS13RDGEN]

I will drain the oil/filter this weekend and time permitting I might trailer it over to the I-840 and just run up and down that for a little while.

 

[Jaberwaki]

my reason for 500 miles is not just rings... i also go back after 500 miles and reset valve lash(or in a hyrdo roller, pre load) and convert to synthetic oil.
when i say drive easy i dont mean dont pick up some rpm... i just mean dont be rowing thru the gears at WOT...

 

[Fenster]

I convert to synthetic at 500 miles also... I set my lash at startup and also adjusted another time at 100 b/c it was off a little on 2-3 cylinders.

I took it TOO easy... I think if I had used some more 3/4 throttle runs, or had more pressure directly from startup I would hvae been a lot better... I don't know that I would ever go 500 miles before WOT again though... Probably after 100 I would do a gear or two... but thats it... no 1/4 mile runs...

 

[Trevor86TA]

With flat tappet cams I run it at 1500-2000 rpm to break in the cam for 20 min and then change the oil. With the roller this time, I did the same thing (just to make sure everything was well oiled) however didn't have to worry about cam lobes. After that, I idle it in the shop, tuning the carb and then have at it....

With this motor, I fired it friday morning, drove it home through town that day and then out to the track the next morning. My first pass was only 1/10 and 1mph slower than the best after 5 weeks, 5 races and over 30 passes.

 

[Fenster]

Trevor I agree b/c w/ not having to worry about cam lobes, breakin is basically a null point. W/ the flat tappet cams, you have to allow several heat cycles to make sure everything is set, but w/ rollers you don't.

 

[LS13RDGEN]

Worked on the wiring a little last night.
Got all of the old stuff out, saved the headlight switch and brake switch. I have them set aside for later. Right now I am wanting to get the main wires done and the gauges in and working. After that I will worry about headlights and brake lights.

I bought a new ignition switch. With no power going to it, it tests good with the DMM.

With the key in the on position, I place the + lead on the battery post of the switch and the - on the ACC post and I get continuity. Same goes for the IGN post as well. No continuity on the START post which would be correct.

With the key turn to the START position, I get continuity on IGN and START and loose continuity on the ACC. Which again is correct.

Now, when I put 12V on it, turn the switch to the ON position (not START) the starter turns over.
I am thinking that this ignition switch I bought is bad. That sucks.

On a good note though, when I take the starter wire off of the ignition switch and turn the key to the ON position, the fuel pumps primes up and the engine light comes on. That is a good sign.
I have the new fuse box wired in but I haven't really ran much to it just yet. Just the main power wire from the battery and the constant 12V from the fuse box to the PCM.
Still have much more wiring to do of course, but I should be able to drive Rally around Saturday weather permitting.
I changed the oil last night before turning in and it looked good. A little bit of metal on the magnet but it was very fine and it was only enough to run between my forefinger and thumb. (Maybe a 1/4 teaspoon of material). That would seem to be about right. I did have to tap one of the rocker arm holes and I am sure that some of the material on that magnet was from that.

Getting excited now!

 

[NICETRY]

with my SS, I was at the track with drive-out tags on it. The car had about 45 miles of city driving, another 65 of highway miles, then it had 7 1/4 mi passes on it that night!

So I was balls to the wall with roughly 110 miles on the odo., not to mention the few WOT, 1st-3rd passes I made around town after I picked it up from the dealership! lol

Oh, that motor went 12.66 @112 with nothing more than a lid, cutout, shifter, free mods, and Nitto's. Heck, bone stock, without the filter, it went 12.94 @110.

Then, at 90K miles, I did a nasty heads/cam set-up, nothced the pistons, which the cyl walls still looked GREAT, everybit of the crosshatch was still noticeable, and the car never used any oil, and had excellent pressure. I sold the car with 97K miles on it, still on the stock shortblock mind you, and to this day, been over a year since I've sold it, it's still running great.

With 100K miles on the stock shortblock, you can look in my sig and see the numbers it made.

It's all a matter of preference really. And my personal preference was to give it hell when new, cause if it was gonna break, it was break right then! lol

 

[LS13RDGEN]

I plan to hit the track once I get some tuning done.

 

[LS13RDGEN]

I finished up most of the wiring Saturday about 6pm.
I took Rally for a spin down test and tune road behind the house. The engine definitely needs some tuning. Wants to stall out when you let off of the gas but from about 3K and up it is good.
From a roll in first I gave her about 3/4 throttle and started spinning, shifted into 2nd and went WOT and really started spinning, went into 3 and she straightened up and was MOVING! I ran out of road before I could really wind her out but my ears were ringing and I did not need the police coming to look for me. (I was running LT's and that was it. Pretty damn loud. )
Needless to say, the car is a hell of a lot stonger than before and I know that she is running rich as hell to. So there is much more power waiting there in the tuning.
Hopefully next month I will trailer down to AL where there is a guy there (Gomer) that does some excellent dyno tuning. Once I get some numbers, I will let you guys know.