New Engine Break-in Procedure
Backs up most of what has been said, but loading too much heat into the motor too soon isn't good, either. A decent street break in in possible - third/fourth gear hard throttle runs load the rings just fine
Key point:
The higher the B.M.E.P, the harder the piston ring is pushed against the wall. The surface temperature at the piston ring face and cylinder wall interface will be greater with high B.M.E.P. than with low B.M.E.P. This is because we are pushing the ring harder against the rough cylinder wall surface causing high amounts of friction and thus heat. The primary deterrent of break in is this heat. Allowing to much heat to build up at the ring to cylinder wall interface will cause the lubricating oil that is present to break down and glaze the cylinder wall surface. This glaze will prevent any further seating of the piston rings. If glazing is allowed to happen break in will never occur. Also, if too little pressure (throttle) is used during the break-in period glazing will also occur.
I totally agree.
If I may add?
The ring pack area is literally a chemical reactor for any oil that's lingering in that region. It is actually exposed to large amounts of heat and pressure.
An in-depth study I have seen, strongly indicates the engine oil stays in the ring pack area for period that's measured in the 10's of seconds.
The oil is literally being destroyed in every imaginable way, and with the higher piston speeds the effects upon the oil are multiplied.
The idea is to be on and off the throttle in order to vary and alternate the cylinder pressure between a positive and negative condition as well as varying the piston speed.
The positive pressure condition(throttle on) forces the rings to conform to the bore and thereby facilitates the ring break-in process.
There's absolutely no other way to do it.
The negative cylinder pressure(throttle off) releases the outward pressure of the rings contacting the bore which in turn allows some fresh engine oil to be drawn up into the ring pack.
This serves three main purposes.
1, The fresh charge of oil helps cool the components and minimises a potential overheat condition of the ring components.
2, It allows the old degraded oil to be drawn up into the cylinder combustion chamber area to be burnt off and discarded, leaving the fresh incoming oil charge to do it's job as intended.
3, The oil that's allowed to flush over the cylinder wall is scraped back down into the bulk oil and flushes microscopic debris from the break-in process away.
The debris is ring, cylinder wall material and piston material.
Too high cylinder pressure may tend to gall the cross hatching on the cylinder wall due to the scale of the undulations of the cross hatching.
Too many revs too early in the life of the engine during the break-in process can damage the bore in ways that can only be observed by large magnification.
It is regarded as permanent unless the bore is refinished back to factory specs.
Too little cylinder pressure early on in the process can tend bend the very tops of the cross hatching over, instead of progressively wearing it off to make the peaks of the crosshatching flat on the top. When the crosshatching is bent over as opposed to worn down flat, it is what is referred to as "glazed". It is also regarded as permanent.
A chronically glazed condition can only be rectified by refinishing the bore.
Used Oil Analysis has revealed, it can take up to about 8,000-12,000 kms for the break in process to complete for different engine designs.
Used Oil Analysis indicates our modern DUCATI's take very little time to break in.
It applies to motorcycles as well as anything else, especially with a shared sump design due to the transmission components needing to be "run in" as well.
Naturally the results will vary with different brands of machine and designs.
If one respects and values their machine as well as longevity, then it is prudent to follow the manufacturers recommendations if at all possible.
After all the manufacturer designed and spec'd the materials used in the assembly as well as building it to a high standard.
All it takes is a little self control.
Used Oil Analysis indicates that when the break-in is performed in accordance with the recommendation in the Owners Manual, 1000 kms is quite adequate to achieve the desired results in our DUCATI's without the added expense of putting the bike on a dyno.