Re: Timing Probs. Engine Break In LONG

>> There are about 500 miles on the engine, and up to now it's been
>>driven very carefully, and there has also been an initial break in (20
>>minutes at 2000rpm) before being driven on the road.

>The best way to break in an engine is to limit the running required for
>adjustments, then during the next 100, minimum, or so miles do not maintain
>a steady speed. Work the engine, don't lug it, work it. For example, get up
>to a speed of 55 MPH, then let your foot off the gas and coast down to 45
>MPH then put your foot back on the gas. This causes the rings to expand and
>work while under load, and the releasing allows them to contract. Makes for
>a better seating of the rings.

Wise words. This on again off again method works especially well on long down grades.

Just to state the obvious ( re state )? A brand new engine should not REPEAT SHOULD NOT be allowed to idle for any length of time until there is @ 30 minutes running time on it. On a brand new first start you should:

Get the timing just as spot on as you can statically.
Have the valves adjust dead on specs.
Have a very well adjusted carb(s).
Have a freshly charged battery.
Have at least 3 gallons of fresh gasoline in the tank.
Prime the carbs with fresh gas by squirting just a bit down the throats.
REPLACE air cleaners.
Be ready with your timing light to time the engine dynamically.

Crank it over without plugs until you get oil pressure. Some of us have made neat little tools that bolt on in place of the oil pump cover that we spin with a drill motor to develop oil pressure without using the starter.
Run the motor between 1500 and 2000 rpms for about 5 minutes. Use this time to get the distributor time dynamically. This insures that, the oil gets well splashed around inside, you have good oil pressure during the first critical minutes of running, and is required to develop the proper load on the camshaft to break in the lobe surfaces.
Stop, change oil and filter, let cool thoroughly, readjust valves. Give it a general once over looking for leaks etc.
Run the motor for 30 minutes or so at 1500 RPM until it is nice and warm. After 30 minutes you can let it idle and get the idle mixture adjusted.
Stop, change oil and filter. Let cool thoroughly, Check timing adjust valves etc.

Now you are ready to drive the beastie. Remember if the new motor doesn't start immediately!!!! stop trying and find out why it won't run and fix it. New motors should fire immediately so don't force them to run when something isn't right.

This is a very, VERY brief gloss over of how to break in a new engine. A really excellent description of a good procedure is in DB& Hot VW's All About VW Performance Engines, written by the folks at Sundance Racing. They list a 27 point checklist! Usually I find these magazines a source of amusement, but in this case this booklet is well worth having.

These are just the high spots of my initial break in procedure. I usually spend about three days counting cool off time just to get the motor in condition to take that first drive. This might sound excessive, but believe me it leads to increased durability and money saved in the long run. There are all sorts of checks that you can do at the end of the first 30 minutes like re-torquing the heads, re-torquing the oil pump cover, insuring that the thermostat is working correctly, looking for air leaks in the engine tin, checking for idle to part throttle transition, checking idle mixture. and the more you check the better the engine will be and the better peace of mind for the owner.

Sorry for the length as I'm sure most of you know this stuff

tom