Member Since: 14 Dec 2019
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 60
New engine running in procedure?
Morning all,
My TDV6 died back in February when the timing belt jumped. Although the car is a 2008 this wasn’t the usual oil pump/tensioner issue (I’d had the pump replaced having heeded all the dire warnings on this forum!) but that one of the camshaft mount retaining bolts just let go. Indy specialist said they all looked original and had never been touched, he’d heard of such a thing but never seen it!
To cut a long story short a rebuild was suggested, but not advised as multiple areas of damage had been found, and there could be more lurking in there which could come back and bite later. They recommended finding a low-mileage donor and swapping the engine out, which made sense to me. After waiting for a decent donor for some time a brand new, crated Jaguar TDV6 became available and I decided to go for it! Bit of a jump in budget but a zero miles engine with full warranty had major attractions and the rest of the car is mint.
My question is, once it’s all fitted and I have a zero miles engine, what’s the running-in procedure? There is no mention of any restrictions in the owners manual, or of any additional requirements for an early service after a few thousand miles. Is it just a case of driving as normal up to the first scheduled service, or are there any precautions which it would be wise to follow?
I'm not being rude, but I have seen it done...before starting the engine for the first time:-
Make sure you have the correct level of oil & coolant, and check for leaks frequently & regularly during the first hour of running.
Here's what the AA say:-
Quote:
The first 1,000 miles
Start with gentle driving around town so everything, including brakes, can bed in.
Avoid harsh acceleration and heavy braking if you can.
For diesels, keep engine revs below 3,000 rpm, but make sure they regularly reach this limit.
For petrol, try to stay below 3,000 rpm for the first 500-600 miles and then increase the limit to around 4,000 rpm. Again, revs should regularly reach this limit.
Avoid labouring the engine by changing up too early or using too high a gear.
Check oil and coolant levels at least weekly – this is a new car so you don't know how much oil it’ll use. Oil consumption can be high for the first 6,000 miles or so but should slow, particularly if you treat the car gently to start with.
Brand new tyres have a thin oily coating (mould release agent from when the tyre was made) – this can affect handling but it wears off within 3-5 miles.
After the first 1,000 miles gradually use more of the car's performance.
If the engine is full of special running in oil someone here will advise you what to do.
If you are using standard oil I would change the oil & filter after 1,000 miles.
Good luck - keep us posted.
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
5th Apr 2020 10:37 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73140
Drive it like you stole it.
Only kidding, maybe just rented it.
5th Apr 2020 10:38 am
Motolab
Member Since: 18 Oct 2019
Location: Sleen
Posts: 1820
Follow the AA suggested routine from NJSS, but keep in mind, the biggest thing on running in is “NO LOAD” ! So also NO low revs when the load is higher... like high weight, strong wind or going uphill....low revs is those cases is Hi load on the internal parts together with low oil pressure..
So in sixth gear going uphill with low revs is far worse than more revs but going downhill in a lower gear...
So within the low rev limits in the AA description, also no low revs on the other hand...
The best time to make more revs than before, like first time above 3000rpm is to do it “downhill“
If you have an autobox... consider to drive the first 100miles in low gear...
just my opinion... we do it always this way with new restored (motorcycle) engines, and we have done a few hundred , never any problems this way...
Even race engines we did overhaul or build from scratch, who had to race very soon, we did run in in very short time, by keeping the load down , but not necessarily keeping the revs down..Best regards
Harold
Always looking for Pre '55's & Pre war British Motorcycles! knowing or having one for sale? PM please. I visit the UK 6 times a year
Ps. I edit my texts quite often, english is not my native language, so I will edit My “typo’s” etc.
5th Apr 2020 11:08 am
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20859
The advice I've read is the complete opposite
Low revs, high load, helps the rings seal to the cylinder bores betterMy D3 Build Thread
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
Just drive it as per normal, do not thrash it for a few miles, then change oil, and take a good look at the oil that comes out, if clean all is good.
If you drive it to lightly/nicely it will never be a good engine.
5th Apr 2020 12:37 pm
aja4x4
Member Since: 14 Apr 2019
Location: Westbury
Posts: 2463
I always use a high zinc running in oil to start off, keep the revs low and change up early.
5th Apr 2020 12:41 pm
scarecrow
Member Since: 14 Dec 2019
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 60
Thanks all, particularly NJSS for the AA advice. It’s an auto so I’ll be sure to flip into manual mode to bring the revs up to 3000 periodically if the load isn’t causing that. Don’t know what oil they will put in but will have a conversation with the workshop to find out if it’s a special blend.
Sorry if this was a basic query, it’s the first time I’ve ever had an engine with less than 40000 miles on it, and generally more like twice that!
5th Apr 2020 1:07 pm
knwatkins
Member Since: 19 Sep 2018
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 716
The theory is here....
As Mike says, you need to get those piston rings seated into the cylinder walls. You will have high oil consumption otherwise.Kev
MY2014 L405 RR Vogue SE 4.4 SDV8 in Corris Grey
MY2010 L320 RRS HSE 3.0 TDV6 in Stornoway Grey
5th Apr 2020 3:01 pm
knwatkins
Member Since: 19 Sep 2018
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 716
Also, when first starting, you may want to take a look at Joe's (Oval Autos) videos when he did my TDV6 rebuild...
Fuel priming...
Oil priming...
It's alive!
Kev
MY2014 L405 RR Vogue SE 4.4 SDV8 in Corris Grey
MY2010 L320 RRS HSE 3.0 TDV6 in Stornoway Grey
In all seriousness ... if it came with a warranty, run it in for 500 miles THEN apply the above. If it's going to fail due to a build issue, it will be early in it's life. unfortunately, a design flaw could kick in at any time.
Just enjoy it !
5th Apr 2020 3:36 pm
Motolab
Member Since: 18 Oct 2019
Location: Sleen
Posts: 1820
Disco_Mikey wrote:
The advice I've read is the complete opposite
Low revs, high load, helps the rings seal to the cylinder bores better
Mickey, I regard your knowledge high, but buy another book or read another site
But people have to do what they believe is right....
The engine’s we rebuild here in our workshop, for normal road use are 1000km run in by our staff, before handing them over...otherwise no warranty
Our race customers know what to do them selves.... and that is the same we do it...
Low load, slightly higher revs...Best regards
Harold
Always looking for Pre '55's & Pre war British Motorcycles! knowing or having one for sale? PM please. I visit the UK 6 times a year
Ps. I edit my texts quite often, english is not my native language, so I will edit My “typo’s” etc.
5th Apr 2020 4:19 pm
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20859
knwatkins wrote:
The theory is here....
As Mike says, you need to get those piston rings seated into the cylinder walls. You will have high oil consumption otherwise.
My understanding on the subject
And the other place I had read from, were also building high performance petrol engines My D3 Build Thread
Member Since: 19 Sep 2018
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 716
I have always been under the impression that moderate (70-80%) loads should be introduced and variable rpm should be used during the break in procedure of a new or rebuilt diesel engine.
But as you say Moto, you have to do what you think is best from your own research.Kev
MY2014 L405 RR Vogue SE 4.4 SDV8 in Corris Grey
MY2010 L320 RRS HSE 3.0 TDV6 in Stornoway Grey
5th Apr 2020 4:41 pm
scarecrow
Member Since: 14 Dec 2019
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 60
Hmm, slightly confused now as there seem to be diametrically opposed opinions on loading! Looks like everyone agrees on keeping revs under 3000 or so and making sure to vary them. Also not idling excessively seems sensible (top tip from the video clip), as does an early oil change.
I’m not doing the engine swap myself (nowhere near good enough with a spanner to attempt that), so some of the initial set-up and run-in might have been done by the time I get the car. I’ll have a long sit-down (across a 2m wide desk, of course, social distancing and all that) with the garage before driving off to find out exactly what they’ve done re pre-conditioning, special oils, etc.
Thanks again everyone for all the tips, it means I’m going in knowing what the issues are. I’ll post on here what advice I get from the garage and we can see how it compares! Not likely to be before Easter now though, they’re currently running reduced staffing like a lot of businesses.
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