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Date:         Tue, 18 Mar 2003 20:02:34 -0500
Reply-To:     Anthony Hecht <lists@SLAPNOSE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Anthony Hecht <lists@SLAPNOSE.COM>
Subject:      Re: no oil pressure, new engine, need help!
Comments: To: Damon Campbell <damoncampbellvw@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <20030319002700.95413.qmail@web13113.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Here's the why according to Tom Wilson in How To Rebuild Your Volkswagen Aircooled Engine:

"...It raises oil pressure and volume so all those new meshing parts in the engine are sure to get enough lubrication. This is expecially tru of the cam and lifters. The extremely high loads between cam and lifter demand plenty of oil during break-in."

His procedure for run-in and break-in is very similar to Stan's, except Stan is changing the oil sooner and Tom recommends the following on the first drive: "...increase pressure on both sides of the rings. Do this by accelerating from 20-55 mph at three-quarters throttle, then completely close the throttle and coast back down to 20. Do this at least 5 times the first time you drive the car. When accelerating at wider throttle openings, you are increasing combustion pressure and sealing one side of the rings. By closing the throttle at speed and coasting, you are increasing vacuum, which pulls the rings in the opposite direction. That seals the other side. ... Also, don't cruise at steady speeds - fast or slow - during the break-in period. That will not help ring sealing, except under those exact conditions, and you want rings that seal under all conditions."

So here's my plan, based on the above book, Stan's advice, and other books and research: 2000 rpms for 20 minutes, then a speed up/slow down drive, then an oil change, then some easy driving at varying speeds for 500 miles, with an oil change thrown in at some point and another at the end, and probably again at 100 miles. I'm hoping this'll do it up real nice.

BTW, the oil pressure light has gone off, though she hasn't started yet, flooded from all that cranking (should have disconnected the fuel pump), and now it's dark and our fellow cul-de-sac'ers won't like 20 minutes of 2000 rpms methinks. Oh, and the battery is whimpering. So tomorrow morning it is.

-Anthony '80 Camper "Badunkadunk" http://travelinvan.com

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf Of Damon Campbell Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 7:27 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: no oil pressure, new engine, need help!

I'm wondering if this is an air-cooled specific procedure? Keep that fan moving, and all...

Any water cooled kids want to chime in and give an alternate procedure (and more importantly, the "why" for that procedure)?

Thanks, -damon

--- Bradley Flubacher <flub@ADELPHIA.NET> wrote: > This comes as a suprise to me. My understanding is > that with newly > honed cylinder walls, the friction and heat > generated the first time the > engine is run is greater, and therefore should only > be run at an idle > for the first bit of it's break-in. I know you have > a lot of experience, > Stan, so this comes as that much more of a suprise > to me. > > It seems there are as many different > engine-break-in-rituals as there > are ... something plentiful. I wonder if there > truely is any one method > that is better than others. > > Brad > > > Stan Wilder wrote:

> >Install 20/50 Wt engine oil, new oil filter. > >Run the engine at 2000 RPMs for twenty minutes. It > will take a > >while for the lifters and everything to settle in > so you'll have noise, > >smoke and stink. Don't just guess about this, time > it with a watch or > >watch the clock on your dash. > >You may think that the engine is going to self > destruct during this 20 > >minutes but it will not.

===== '84 Westy '65 Kharma Ghia (Dharma)

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