Break In Is it Absolutely Necessary to Break in my new Engine?

[butre]

Wrong. Full throttle and low rpms = lugging the engine, the worst possible thing you can do to any engine, broken in or not. Lugging an engine will pound the bearings to pieces very quickly. It does need full throttle, but only in short bursts, to seat the rings. After that, ride it normally for the next couple hundred miles, varying the throttle and giving it a lot of breaks to prevent overheating. The problem with those China engines is that no matter how you break them in, they have a max lifespan of 1500-2000 miles. A stock 2 stroke 49cc Puch moped engine OTOH has a lifespan of over 50,000 miles. Quite a difference, and all because of quality.

not like about to stall out low, but not revving the rings off.

 

[Deleted member 12676]

Let me ask a question. If all the engines come with excessive ring end gap (it was 3 times normal on mine) then how important is it to try to get the rings to break-in and match the cylinder perfectly? I'm not advocating running it full speed for a long period of time right out of the box but this engine is too sloppy to be treated meticulously in some areas such as break in.

 

[Deleted member 26224]

Motoman method. MAKE SURE ENGINE IS WARMED UP before ANY break in or riding!

 

[oliverw123]

Wrong. Full throttle and low rpms = lugging the engine, the worst possible thing you can do to any engine, broken in or not. Lugging an engine will pound the bearings to pieces very quickly. It does need full throttle, but only in short bursts, to seat the rings. After that, ride it normally for the next couple hundred miles, varying the throttle and giving it a lot of breaks to prevent overheating. The problem with those China engines is that no matter how you break them in, they have a max lifespan of 1500-2000 miles. A stock 2 stroke 49cc Puch moped engine OTOH has a lifespan of over 50,000 miles. Quite a difference, and all because of quality.

I agree with your break in method. What I don't really agree with is the max lifespan mentioned. I completely stripped my 49cc china engine for a chekup and it is in excellent condition having endured 5 years of long distance and hard riding. I have done 21 000kms with this one. I've just replaced the piston/rings and barrel because I damaged them whilst reassembling. I had the piston orientated the wrong way and the ring ends clipped the intake port whilst trying to insert the piston. I got too heavy handed with a block of wood.

In the process of breaking it in again for maybe another 20 000kms of riding?? who knows.

 

[RoadRunner1973]

In a previous post, I mentioned that I would be purchasing a Predator 212cc engine to motorized a tricycle with. I have seen many people take the engine out of the box, add oil and gasoline, slap it on their go kart or bike and run it.
On the flip-side, I have seen many people break in the engine for 3 hours before they start using it.
I live in a densely populated area and I'm confident that my neighbors don't want 3 hours of me running my engine next to them.

Is it absolutely necessary to break in the engine? Would it be harmful to put the engine directly on the tricycle?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Its always good to break an engine in. I def would

 

[KB_UK]

Why are you replying to all these ancient threads, roadrunner?

 

[Deleted member 12676]

the same reason any of us participate when we aren't looking for help, we're bored and want to talk about our favorite hobby

 

[butre]

Let me ask a question. If all the engines come with excessive ring end gap (it was 3 times normal on mine) then how important is it to try to get the rings to break-in and match the cylinder perfectly? I'm not advocating running it full speed for a long period of time right out of the box but this engine is too sloppy to be treated meticulously in some areas such as break in.

extra important in my opinion. if the seal is going to be s**t anyway you probably want it to be as good as you can get it

 

[Deleted member 12676]

yeah but most people don't even know the right way to break in an engine so it really becomes a mute point

 

[Frankenstein]

yeah but most people don't even know the right way to break in an engine so it really becomes a mute point

Had somebody recently offer to sell me a freshly broken in engine, inspection of the cylinder showed up big scratches in the chrome. I know somebody who I'll never buy a used motor from..