Originally Posted by ezveedub

I would take the first 2 tanks at slightly above idle speed. You usually have to do this to overcome the friction of break-in. Then the next 3 tanks you can run a higher idle speed and you may have to adjust the idle screw because it may high idle. From there on, you can run the car, but limit the throttle to about 30-50% in short blips for the next 2 tanks. Then run the next 2 tanks at 50-70% throttle max. Then the next 2 tanks about 70-80% throttle. Remember to keep an eye on temps. Try to maintain a 210-240 F temp. I keep glowplugs of different heat ranges around as the engine starts to break-in. You'll encounter that when then engine is getting close to fully breaking in, you'll have to lean it more and more to keep temps UP and good response. I personally like to run castor based oils during break-in. Castor smokes and gives you a good visual of how rich you're running. Most newer synthetics lubes don't give you that good blue smoke on accel, so the temp gun is more critical when you run these types of fuels. I'm old school and like to see the nice blue smoke plume on accel. Its nice to run the newer synthetics based lubed fuels for more power, but I'm not racing with a sponsorship behind me, so if I blow an engine, I don't have a sponsorship to give me an engine for free. Its out of my pocket. I good break-in fuel to use is 5-10% nitro with about 16-18 oil content. I run Omega 10% with castor based oil. It seems likes much to do, but the engine will last you much longer. Remember nitro is corrosive, so the higher content, the more you erode or wear the sleeve/piston. Try to look up Ron Paris's engine tips PDF. Its an older tip sheet, but its based on castor based fuels like Blue Thunder. One way to know when your full broke in is to remove the glowplug and rotate the engine. If you feel the piston gets stuck or feels scratchy when it gets closed to TDC, you still need to break-it in some more.

Originally Posted by Loop&Roll

Caster will protect you motor from a lean run more so than a synthetic based lubricant, so you are right i would use a caster based product for break in.

Originally Posted by ezveedub

I run the Omega (Morgan Fuel) for now, but I also use Maxy's fuel since he local and at my local track. Maxy uses castor oil in his fuels. I keep castor oil on hand, just to add to fuel IF I end up with synthetic fuel or the oil content is lower than I like.

The other thing with castor is if you take apart the engine, you'll start to see a light tan to brown coating. This is the hot spots of the engine where the castor is starting to adhere to and coat. Pretty interesting to see where the hot spots are in the engine after running after a few races.

Originally Posted by Mugen MBX-5

http://www.effeerreracing.it/public/...sidewinder.jpg

thats my fuel (its also Morgan..), im still not 100% sure about what your saying about oils

and for the break in, ive got to put around 6 tanks of fuel to break it in right? should i run all 6 tanks through consecutively, or let it cool for an hour or so before i do the 2nd tank, wait another hour, 3rd tank, another hour, 4th tank... etc... or can i just sit there for an hour, let it idle 2 tanks in a row, then slowly drive it for 3rd tank, etc?

Originally Posted by Mugen MBX-5

ive also heard to get the engine warm before starting it, preferably with a hair dryer or something like that?

.

Originally Posted by Taylorm

....heat gun.........get it hot then fire her..............

Originally Posted by ezveedub

NO, heat cycle means to run a tank and let it cool off to room or ambient temp on its own. Then you can run it again. You don't wait a day. You can make it cool down slowly with foil on the head. I have seen two tanks run back to back (just fill the tank when its almost empty) at idle & 3 tanks at a higher constant speed after one cool down back to back also to quiken up the break-in process. After that, run the car on the ground with short blips of throttle. You can limit yourself to 50% throttle for the next few tanks and watch the temps. You will slowly increase throttle every tank after and start to lean the needles. Just remember to remove the glowplug after a few tanks and rotate the engine. If it still feels scratchy or gets stuck at the top, you still need more break-in, so keep the mixture rich. If not, then your ready to start tuning it for speed. These heat cycle will "season" the metal parts and remove any stress in the case and parts. Sidewinder is good fuel or Blue Thunder. The Race blend fuel usually have only 10% oil content. I like 16-18% oil content in the fuel during break-in and mainly castor based oil blend. Sounds like a lot, but if you buy an expensive motor and don't break it in right, you'll have a paper weight after a few gallons, IF you get that far.

Originally Posted by ezveedub

OK, two things, what engine & what car is this? You generally rotate the flywheel with your thumb and forefinger, top and bottom to get a feel on the engine's compression, counter-clock wise. The needles are generally clockwise for lean and counter-clock wise for rich mixture. If the needle goes inward the more you tirn it, thats lean and vice-versa.

Originally Posted by ezveedub

On the Mugen, I put my finger and thumb around the pipe and grasp the flywheel to move it. Rotate counter clockwise, facing you. You can take the plug out when its cold and rotate the engine to feel the piston to sleeve. You're checking to see if the piston still gets stuck or feels scratchy when close or at TDC.

To get it at BDC when you shut it off, move the flywheel from the bottom one way till you feel resistance, they move the flywheel the other way till you feel resistance. You need to position the flywheel half way between these to points. Remember that the chassis and engine are HOT, so do it with caution. I generally find about 3 strokes one way with my finger through the bottom on the flywheel on a Mugen is where both areas of compression are, so move the flywheel till you get compression and move it back the other way 1-1/2 strokes.

Originally Posted by ezveedub

Here is the old Ron Paris (R.I.P) Racing engine tips. Use this file to help out with break-in & engine tuning.