first good trip not good first trip

[hill climber]

had my ht about 2 months now and about 600 miles logged. i ride to work 4 days a week on it, its 15 miles each way with some good hills, 6% 1 1/2 miles, thats the biggest there is 5 others that are compairable. today she finally ran SWEET. she 2 stroked all the way up the hills without missing a beat, best ever. i think she finally seated the rings. anyone have a motor take this long to break-in? ive used full synthetic oil since new, witch i wont do again. ive heard the synthetic is so slick it wont let the rings seat, is the true? for you guy that are getting discuraged just set back and take a deep breath the time will come. my bike feels so good now i may take the wife for a ride through wine country this weekend, just around the corner for us, maybe about a 50 mile loop.

 

[Skyliner70cc]

Hill climber,
In cars that are machines with tolerances and quality that was unachieveable in the past, the choice of oil is not as relevent. In 2 stroke engines where tolerances are sloppy, it is possible that synthetic may extend the time for the rings to seat.

There are other factors that affect breaking in. Many attempt break in by riding gently not realizing that it takes longer to seat the rings and in some instances, rings amy never seat properly because they glaze.

Glad to hear your engine is running sweat! Enjoy the ride. MB engines are like wine, they only get better with age.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

I've heard that synthetic is too "slippery" to allow the rings to seat, too. Can't confirm, but your experience seems to point that way.

My first build smoothed out almost immediately. Sometime in the first gallon mixed at 40:1. My second build took more time. Enough to make me worry a bit. But it smoothed out as well. Don't remember how long, but it wasn't as long as yours.

Yours seems to have taken quite some time. But I'm glad everything worked out.

 

[Knol]

Synthetic Break in (I know its an old thread but I'm new)

I just wanted to weigh in. I've been a professional small engine mechanic a looong time and have broken-in and seen a lot of small engines broken in, so I may have more experience than average. I've tried dozens of recommended break in procedures from almost as many manufacturers over the years. I don't think there are many hard/fast rules. Internal engine tolerances and materials can vary widely and a Chrome-cylindered engine breaks in differently than Iron or a Aluminum does. Ring composition, bearings, even the shape of the piston skirt comes into play. Ambient temperature makes a difference as well. Here are my thoughts:

1) The less material you remove braking in an engine, the longer it will last.

2) Most engines break in best/quickest when the operator constantly varies load and engine speed.

3) Most engines should not spend much time in high vacuum states during break in. (Engine Breaking)

4) The more poorly manufactured the engine, all else being equal, the longer the break in.

5) The break in oil should be the same type of oil the engine is run on after break in. Non-synthetic oil manufacturers spent years trying to misinform the masses that synthetics "cause" everything from unseated rings to leaky seals. Now that they all manufacturer their own synthetics, they are suddenly less strident. IMHO the main advantages of synthetics as seen in the field are consistent TBN (viscosity control) and high temperature stability, which allow them to protect dramatically hotter engine parts well past the point that regular oils would have turned to smoke and carbon, not super-duper engine-ruining slipperiness. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Bigwheel]

Knol,

Thanks for the great info. I will look forward to more of your posts. Sure seems like all roads lead to the PNW?

Bigwheel
B'ham

 

[Knol]

Thanks BW.

 

[hill climber]

good info, i will keep using the synthetic. thank you

 

[Skyliner70cc]

TBN: is total base number, an oil's ability to neutral acids and not viscosity.

 

[Pablo]

TBN: is total base number, an oil's ability to neutral acids and not viscosity.

Exactly. Well actually a measure of the remaining acid neutralizing bases (additives such as detergents, etc, not base oil) in a oil at any given moment to deal with "future" acids and the drop (in used oil) from virgin oil TBN showing how the oil did in use. TBN is not really a factor at all in 2 stroke premix.

 

[Knol]

I should have made it clear I was not speaking of 2-cycle mix specifically. Now that I read my earlier post I realize that wasn't clear. An oils ability to function in spite of acidic contaminants is determined mostly by TBN. The more TBN the more "life" is left in the oil. As the life of oil inside a 2-cycle engine is less than a few seconds when it is running, I agree it is not much of an issue. The point was supposed to be in that regard synthetic is a waste in a 2-cycle engines because most synthetics have high TBNs. I also deleted a bunch of my post without deleting the parenthesis's around "viscosity control" which changes the meaning of my post totally. I didn't intend to infer that TBN = Viscosity.
I'll be more careful from now on. Thanks for the feedback.