Race mill run in

[Brushlessboy]

Hi guys and gals.
Do any of the racers on here use run in benches for their motors?
I'm still running my engines in useing a combination of the heat cycle method and the Traxxas method, but thats a generalisation for an engine.
Some motors only tell you to use a 15-20min run in, and a true heat cycle should only take 20-30min runtime, (with cooling breaks) but I have heard some blokes use a bench and just alternate low, half and full revs in spurts and tune it to stay at full temp almost straight away.

Anyone a fan of fast bench run ins for race purposes?

 

[Scrogg]

All the top guys have always told me to run them in the car. You need a bench with a prop or some other kind of way to put a load on the engine. I really do not think a bench would do the job better. The only benefit i see is wear on the car.

 

[frickenjoey]

I made a run in bench with a prop.....it had fuel tank and servos...pipe.. whole works. It was fun to use. I guess it worked. All the engines I broke in on it are still running two years later.

 

[NCNitro]

I always use the heat cycle method with the engine in the vehicle. I have engines I did this way that are still running strong after many gallons. But after run maintenance is just as important as break in for extending the life of your engines.

 

[Lessen]

My uneducated opinion is that if we induce the normal operating temperatures during break-in, shouldn't we induce normal operating stresses as well?

 

[Scrogg]

Yes, hence the airplane prop on most benches. The engine has to be under a load to breakin properly.

 

[Lessen]

Yeah, but that's nowhere near the amount of stress on an engine in a car trying to get going from a dead stop. I dunno, I suppose it can't be that bad if pro racers use 'em. Of course those guys don't need an engine to last 5 gallons or more.

 

[AB Mods]

Break-in bench if used properly will break an engine in better IMHO... as you can set there and monitor engine RPM and temp much easier then running it in the car. I do my break-ins on a bench "with a prop for load of course" and run them for at least 45min to an hour.