Best startup and break in procedure for the 7.3?

Magnum PD · Jan 10, 2014

When I am able to get everything back together on my motor, I may borrow powerstrokestang's engine stand to run motor outside the truck.

Questions that I have are:

Should I use any special oil for the first startup? How long should I run that oil? I plan on dropping small magnet in filter to check for metal fillings.

How long should I run the motor, or rpm's. Need to do a hot retorque on the ARP's studs.

dieselmandustin · Jan 10, 2014

I asked Jonathan at NLTD his break in procedure. Since he is about to start my new motor. He said he would set the Chip at about 1500 and run it about 30 min with the cheapest non synthetic oil he could get. Then change the oil and filter. Then run it on the street for about 150 miles. Then change everything again. Then run it til it had about 500 miles on it then change again with synthetic and from then it was good.

ghohouston · Jan 10, 2014

When we inframe motors at work, we let them idle for 30ish minutes before we decide to move them. They go on a test drive, then we change the oil again. Its been working just fine for us, albeit we inframe macks, cummins, cats, etc... imo it shouldnt be any different for any other diesel.

mondtster · Jan 10, 2014

When we break engines in on the dyno they all get JD 10w30 break in oil and are run at light loads with varying speed to start with. The load is increased the longer the engine is run, and it will be making rated power within an hour or so. At that time the engine is considered broken in.

The oil is drained after the break in and standard 15w40 is put in it at that point. Normal operation and oil change intervals are used from that point onward.

Magnum PD · Jan 11, 2014

What about the ARP head studs? I do need to pull injectors to do all the studs, right? Will I have to get new injector o rings?

gnxtc2 · Jan 11, 2014

Magnum PD said:
What about the ARP head studs? I do need to pull injectors to do all the studs, right? Will I have to get new injector o rings?

Yes, injectors will have to be pulled. Also you need to remove the upper injector hold down bolt. Look for the 8 shorter ARP studs in the kit. The top of the stud should be even with the top of the nut. The max you want to see is a thread or two; anything more, the injector hold down bracket is not to slip on easily.

Billy T.
[email protected]

gnxtc2 · Jan 11, 2014

Worst thing to do to a new motor is to let it idle. The cross hatch in the cylinders is there to seat the rings. By idling the motor, the cross hatch wears away and the rings never seat. The best way to set the rings is with pressure (turbo).

When I start new motors, I check for leaks as the motor is getting up to operating temp. Once up at operating temp, I go for a ride and bring the motor around 10 psi a few times. Or I break in the motor on a chassis dyno.

I not a believer in babying the motor for 500 miles. There is nothing to break in on a motor. If you set your bearing clearances up correctly, there's nothing to break in except for the rings.

Billy T.
[email protected]

ryanss22 · Jan 12, 2014

how can you do a "hot" re-torque if you have to pull the inj? by that time most everything will be cooled down quite a bit.
not meant to be a hi-jack

Magnum PD · Jan 12, 2014

Good question. Gotta drain oil and fuel in galleries. Then loosen bolts on injectors. Gonna be pretty cool by then.

Wish I had some kinda load on the engine stand on first startup.

silverpsd_06 · Jan 12, 2014

You can pull the injectors pretty fast if your not worried about making a mess

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

Magnum PD · Jan 12, 2014

gnxtc2 said:
Yes, injectors will have to be pulled. Also you need to remove the upper injector hold down bolt. Look for the 8 shorter ARP studs in the kit. The top of the stud should be even with the top of the nut. The max you want to see is a thread or two; anything more, the injector hold down bracket is not to slip on easily.

Billy T.
[email protected]

Had a thread about that question.

strokin'_tatsch · Jan 14, 2014

ryanss22 said:
how can you do a "hot" re-torque if you have to pull the inj? by that time most everything will be cooled down quite a bit.
not meant to be a hi-jack

Simple... Start the engine without the valve covers or IC pipes on it. You could even just set the valve covers on it with just one bolt hand tightened. Once the engine is up to temp, shut it down and it should only take about 5 minutes to have the injectors out at the most. Don't worry about draining the oil rails or the fuel rails. They will drain into the cylinders and you can vac them out after the retorque is done. I never touch the rail plugs anytime I do injectors anyways. If the injector o-rings were new and your pulling the injectors for a hot retorque, you don't need to put new o-rings on them again..

Magnum PD · Jan 14, 2014

Thanks.

It's best to do a hot retorque on a fresh rebuild with the engine in the truck? Need to put some boost on the rings to set them and then shut it down to do retorque?

4.0l sahara · Jan 14, 2014

Since it's a roller cam that's not a worry for break in. I would let it idle for like 30 min at a fast idle then change the oil. Then go drive it pretty aggressively at varying loads to seat the rings. The only two things that should ever need to be broken in are the cam if it's flat tappet and the rings. If your breaking in bearings there is a problem. Don't be afraid to beat it you want to seat the rings as soon as possible.

racerdad2 · Jan 16, 2014

My preferred method of seating the rings after initial warm up & that first oil change... Drive in third gear. Start at 1000 rpm. Accelerate to 3k rpm at full throttle & then decelerate back to 1000 rpm. Repeat five times. Then accelerate to near red line under full throttle & decelerate back to 1000 rpm five times. Rings are set. Use straight oil to break-in / seat rings. Then switch to full synthetic.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Magnum PD · Jan 16, 2014

Thanks

ToMang07 · Jan 16, 2014

4.0l sahara said:
Since it's a roller cam that's not a worry for break in. I would let it idle for like 30 min at a fast idle then change the oil. Then go drive it pretty aggressively at varying loads to seat the rings. The only two things that should ever need to be broken in are the cam if it's flat tappet and the rings. If your breaking in bearings there is a problem. Don't be afraid to beat it you want to seat the rings as soon as possible.

Anyone who I've talked to about building a race or competition motor did it like this. Short idle period and then beat the piss out of it....the key being varying the RPM. Of course this is not necessarily on Diesel motors....but I imagine the idea is the same.

strokin'_tatsch · Jan 16, 2014

ToMang07 said:
Anyone who I've talked to about building a race or competition motor did it like this. Short idle period and then beat the piss out of it....the key being varying the RPM. Of course this is not necessarily on Diesel motors....but I imagine the idea is the same.

Right, put the engine under a decent load accelerating and decelerating. Don't just cruise at 2000 RPM. When decelerating, it's nice to be able to use engine braking to slow down as that will also help to set the rings.

dsberman94 · Jan 16, 2014

30 mins from running to injectors on their way out for me. Just have tools ready and remember it will be hot.

strokin'_tatsch · Jan 18, 2014

Still say I'd let it idle with no IC pipes and just one bolt in each valve cover or no valve covers until its warm, shut it down and do the retorque. You'd have injectors back in it before it even cools down. Lol

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337