[TheMadScientist]

Originally Posted by Flycaster

What did you do, and more importantly, how would you do it differently?

What I meant was the way it does not burn oil like a 2 stroke.
IMO break in will have no effect on piston slap.

TMS

[Flycaster]

Originally Posted by TheMadScientist

What I meant was the way it does not burn oil like a 2 stroke.

Ah, gotcha. Did you seat the rings right off, or do the "low 'n slow?"

[Nixlimited]

Originally Posted by Flycaster

Ah, gotcha. Did you seat the rings right off, or do the "low 'n slow?"

I know everyone has their own way, but I have two highly strung engines (S54 and EJ257) broken in with "low and slow" and neither burns a drop of oil.

[TheMadScientist]

Originally Posted by Flycaster

Ah, gotcha. Did you seat the rings right off, or do the "low 'n slow?"

No I believe in the hard break in. IMO the most important part of a hard break in is getting high vacume.
2k to 3k in gear coast down to 2k
2k to 4k in gear coast down to 2k
2k to 5k in gear coast down to 2k
2k to 6k in gear coast down to 2k
2k to 7k in gear coast down to 2k

Pull over and let the car cool down

Do that 4-5 times and the rings are 90% seated. The rest of the break in, cold hardening of the cam/bucket and all the gears will happen over the next 500 to 1000 miles.

TMS

[Flycaster]

Thanks, and I've found that both methods work but the quick-seat method followed by a general low 'n slow for the first thou or so seems to yield the best leakdown numbers, but it ain't by much. Moreover, personally I don''t see the need to redline it, rather just punch it slightly past peak torque at full throttle on the last few runs.

Nothing scientific, just an observation. Lots of folks don't realize that those 6-8 factory miles you see on every new car are usually not of the "low 'n slow" variety!