New Engine Break-in Question

[THECACKLER]

I have rebuilt my 7.3 with Turbo Pistons & Rings and Melling HP high Chrome Nickle content Sleeves in all eight cylinders. I am breaking it in with John Deere 10w-30 Break-in Oil to help prevent Cylinder wall glazing. I have just over 100 miles on the engine now and have been loading it up fuel & heat wise as much as I dare on a fresh engine. I am loading my 18' trailer with our household stuff in preparation to make another (moving) trip up to Northern Michigan. I would like to change oil back to 15w-40 Rotella T as soon as is safe but I am very concerned about glazing the cylinders which would necessitate a complete tear down to re-hone the cylinders.
The Engine has two small leaks at the main crank seals but no others. Is this normal on a fresh engine? I hope this is attributable to new engine blow-by and will subside as the rings seat. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
My big question is how long or how many miles must I run this engine until I can be sure the rings and cylinders are broken in. I am looking for the "safe zone" when and where I can put a little heavier oil in the crankcase. How will I know?

 

[Agnem]

To the best of my knowledge, they all came from the factory with the 15W-40 in them. The Moose Truck had 3 miles on it when it came off the autocarrier from Buffalo NY. I doubt as fast as IH was building them, that they had much run time on them. I believe they started them, dynamically timed them, ran them up to the govenor a few times and then put them in the crate and out the door. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[diesel4me2]

I am breaking it in with John Deere 10w-30 Break-in Oil to help prevent Cylinder wall glazing. I have just over 100 miles on the engine now and have been loading it up fuel & heat wise as much as I dare on a fresh engine.

i used the same oil for my break in, i was told by the guys at my implement dealer to run it for 30 hours, basically 1500 miles and change it, run it again for another 1500 and then switch. i did just that and she still smokes like a freight train and burns oil at an alarming rate. so basically i dunno. i did hear that the best way to break in a diesel engine is to load them up with a heavy load and run with it.

 

[THECACKLER]

Well that's not good news.... Did you have any leakage at the main seals?

 

[icanfixall]

What pistons and rings are you running??? Mahle or?? These motors were designed to work from the get go... So load it up and make it pay for itself. I started up with Delo 15w40 oil and have never changed. No blowby and 530 lbs of compression.. Figure around 10,000 miles till the rings seat. Just keep something heavy in the bed like maybe a ton of dirt or really anything that weighs that much. Just don't ***** foot it around town. Thats how the oil plates up on the rings and cylinders. Dump the oil and refill with some 15w40 and enjoy. Just keep an eye on the gauges. No... A main seal leak isn't normal for this time in the motor breakin....

 

[6.9poweredscout]

I assembeled my 6.9, filled it up with rotella 15-40 and put a big magnet on the powerstroke filter I run, the first start I let it run 20 minutes on and off a few times to wash away the break in lube. Then I drained it and refilled with new rotella and another filter, drove it about 700 miles driving it like I would normally drive (pretty hard) I heard engine braking helps seat things so I did a lot of that on hills. Drained, refill, new filter. No excessive smoke, the RDT smokes a bit when it gets hot, I have it run into my framerail (its boxed) and there's a 2" hole in the rear of it, at night I can see whisps of smoke In the headlights behind me. So far I only have 1700 miles on it, I hear 5000 is the sweet spot for break in. Think about when these trucks were new, equipped as a wrecker or with a big utility body from the factory, they weren't going to pussyfoot for 5000 miles they were gonna load up those rigs and get to work, especially on fleet trucks where no one cares because its not theirs.


Oh and on the seals, I replaced every seal on the scout and almost every ones a leaker, the rear main took a bit but its wheeping enough to wet the oil pan. I look at it this way, its an international, if its not leaking thenn its out of oil!


-Jon

 

[RLDSL]

Proper break in load up a nice heavy trailer and head for the hills and make sure to hammer on it and do lots of nice compression braking going downhill to even it out. Work it hard from the get go and it will break in nicely. tap dance around with it and it will smoke like a chimney. Commercial diesels aren't like gassers that need to be babied after a rebuild. These puppies need to be tromped on the shove everything into place.

 

[david85]

While I agree with others about braking it in, I would caution against running EGTs too high since that can burn oil onto the cylinder wall and cause glazing just like going too easy on the go pedal. Thats why generally the recommendation is to accelerater hard and fast, then let off the pedal to bring speed down, but keep it in gear so the RPMs don't drop to idle. Compression braking is simply the best way to bring EGTs down. After you are down at your start off speed again, your EGTs are once again low enough for you to tear in an pull away again.

I had no oil leaks when I broke mine in or ever since for that matter. Nice driving something that doesn't leak anymore .

 

[jam0o0]

just FYI there are no hills where cackler lives. unless he's gunna drive 120 miles north or west. the best we can do is an over pass. lol

 

[towcat]

I have rebuilt my 7.3 with Turbo Pistons & Rings and Melling HP high Chrome Nickle content Sleeves in all eight cylinders. I am breaking it in with John Deere 10w-30 Break-in Oil to help prevent Cylinder wall glazing. I have just over 100 miles on the engine now and have been loading it up fuel & heat wise as much as I dare on a fresh engine. I am loading my 18' trailer with our household stuff in preparation to make another (moving) trip up to Northern Michigan. I would like to change oil back to 15w-40 Rotella T as soon as is safe but I am very concerned about glazing the cylinders which would necessitate a complete tear down to re-hone the cylinders.
The Engine has two small leaks at the main crank seals but no others. Is this normal on a fresh engine? I hope this is attributable to new engine blow-by and will subside as the rings seat. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
My big question is how long or how many miles must I run this engine until I can be sure the rings and cylinders are broken in. I am looking for the "safe zone" when and where I can put a little heavier oil in the crankcase. How will I know?

you are playing waaaaay too safe.
you need to get kicked in the balls and have someone shoot your dog.
then you will be in the right mindset to drive.
THROW A LOAD ON IT AND DRIVE IT LIKE YOU WANT TO KILL IT.

 

[6.9poweredscout]

So used to PA where the entire area is a mountain. You flatlanders must lead a boring life! Haha life without hills...weirrrrddd, could run 2.54 gears and do 130 in your trucks all day long!

-Jon

 

[towcat]

So used to PA where the entire area is a mountain.
-Jon

those aren't mountains.

 

[George_7.3IDI]

Here is some good information that I used when I was breaking my newly rebuilt and sleeved engine in.

 

[6.9poweredscout]

those aren't mountains.

Big hills?.....better?

-Jon

 

[Agnem]

They may not have as much altitude as the Rockies, but they have more attitude! Lots of up and down and windy turns, perfect for a break-in run.