engine break-in question

[flash183]

because i'm new at this i actually bought a DVD on nitro engine tuning. it was helpful but intended for airplane engines i think. anyway it said to break-in an engine start at full (open) throttle. i was very surprised at that. is that the same for buggy engines? i've read a lot on engine break-ins and they don't often mention the throttle position. the only thing i ever read said to break it in on idle which make more sense to me.

 

[lykan]

Did your engine come with a manual? if so I highly reccomend you follow the manual for break in. Afterwards you can use any tuning method you want.

Certainly DO-NOT run your nitro at full throttle during break in.

Perhaps they meant hold the throttle down, while covering the exhaust. To prime the engine with fuel BEFORE starting. This would make sense.

 

[StrechM]

There is a great thread posted by one of the members. I would start here:
https://www.rcnitrotalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7217

 

[lykan]

Yup. Stretch has the goods.. it's ealry for me aand I was too lazy to post a link

 

[mattyk6]

Actually, there is an engine manufactuer/rebuilder that suggests that you break-in the motor at full throttle, their thought process is that at full throttle, you have more fuel coming through the engine, which in turn deliver's more lubrication.

I don't feel comfortable doing this, so I just really richened the setting and broke my engine in at idle.

Matt

Edited to add that the manufactured was RB Products.

 

[DickemDown]

Originally posted by lykan
Did your engine come with a manual? if so I highly reccomend you follow the manual for break in. Afterwards you can use any tuning method you want.

Certainly DO-NOT run your nitro at full throttle during break in.

Perhaps they meant hold the throttle down, while covering the exhaust. To prime the engine with fuel BEFORE starting. This would make sense.

if you richen up the high speed needle to the point it sounds like a 4 stoke, you'll be able to break it @ full throttle. yes, full throttle. i, too, thought wide open throttle sounded ludicrous, but that's what i saw on the rb website - right from rody himself.

anyway, about a few months ago, i picked up a ws72 @ lake perris. i got it from don waller (very cool man, super helpful w/ a ton of knowledge), the guy who invented the waller power adaptor, and that's how he helped me break in my motor. and let me tell you, during the whole time, it never got hotter than 140 deg. fahrenheit. he actually was trying to get it hotter. his suggestions were to run it around 150 for the 1st tank, and start increasing the temp by 5-10 degrees with each successive tank. my motor probably stay cold because the air temp was pretty chilly. i ran 5 tanks @ idle before i even ran it around.

a month later, i was lucky enough to pickup a brand spanking new ws7. i broke it in the same way - super rich @ wot. it was spewing alot of fuel.

both my motors have a tremendous amount of power and have never, i repeat never gotten hotter than 230 degrees fahrenheit. by the way, i measure off of an exergen, so i know it's accurate. you can see a good trail of white smoke, and they don't seem to wane on power. most of the time, my motors run around 195-210, that's the window in which they run best. for my motors atleast.

last thing you have to remember, the way you break in your engine is how the engine will run best, ie. if you break it hot, it'll run better hotter. also, some engines run better @ hotter temps. i'm only speaking about rb's since that is what i've been running.

oh yeah, one last thing. i had a c-5 that i broke in last summer this same way, i 've run over 10 gallons. at this point, the compression is just about non existent, but it still screams @ the top. it's the bottom that sucks, but i'm sure that can be rectified w/ a rebuild. anyway, this motor has run well for a long time and always ran pretty cool.

good luck, bro. i hope this helps.

Originally posted by mattyk6
Actually, there is an engine manufactuer/rebuilder that suggests that you break-in the motor at full throttle, their thought process is that at full throttle, you have more fuel coming through the engine, which in turn deliver's more lubrication.

I don't feel comfortable doing this, so I just really richened the setting and broke my engine in at idle.

Matt

Edited to add that the manufactured was RB Products.

you just posted before what i was typing! anyway, i just wanted to add that with your hsn turned completely out and @ full throttle, your engine will idle w/o the clutch engaging, so it'll stay put. and yes, mattyk6 is right in rb's thinking that the super rich/wot setting is for more lubrication.

 

[scottm]

This is a shock to most people, including myself, but the most current info is to run the engine hot, not super rich, and the top engine builders break their engines in at full throttle. Here is a link to a thread I started with a quote from OS engines:

https://www.rcnitrotalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11273

I have a book that explains the wide-open bench method, here is a pic from my gallery based on the book:

https://www.rcnitrotalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2789&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

The most knowlegable people all agree not to break in the engine at idle and super rich. The OS web site says it is the worst thing to do.

 

[mattyk6]

I don't know why I said at idle. I did run the first tank of fuel at idle, then I started flucuating the RPMs. Maybe when I gather more experience, I'll feel comfortable w/ the full throttle, but being my first gas engine, it wasn't for me.

Good Luck!
Matt