Ring Seating on Break-in... How long?

LaCxefo

Ok, so let me start by saying I am not trying to start a debate on how to properly break-in an engine. I've searched and read everything I could find on google and this forum and have seen the direction it usually goes.

I just got my Z 4 days ago, and unfortunately had to drive it home from the dealership which is 250 miles of straight level highway from my town. Now I know that people on both sides of the fence (the drive it like you stole it, and those who abide by the manual) can agree on a few things that are proven. 1) don't keep constant rpm 2) keep the engine under load in lower gears to get the rings to wear evenly.

When driving it home, there wasn't much I could do to keep the engine under constant load, and the rpms only varied maybe 10k up and down in 6th gear for the most part. Since it's been home I've been trying to still keep it at a reasonable rpm, but get a good manifold pressure by putting some *** in it. And if I find myself on the highway, I shift and accelerate when possible.

My question is: I am at 550 miles now, are my rings still in the seating process and is it too late to change any "babying" that I have done thus far? Or does this process usually take place within like the first 50 miles? Just looking for opinions or some info I may have missed in my searching. I am a little paranoid after reading so many conflicting arguments after already driving 250 miles home before reading about any of it. Thanks in advance.

IDZRVIT

Rings seated at 550 miles? Probably. But my advice is follow the OM break-in recommendation. Remember, it was Nissan engineers who designed the engine and know what is required for a proper break-in and not a bunch of opinionated yahoos on the internet who may or may not know the difference between a piston ring or an engagement ring. Just my opinion.

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SouthArk370Z

Back in The Good Ole Days - back when rings and cylinders (and engines in general) were made out of relatively low-tech materials and tolerances were a lot looser - extended break-in periods were necessary. Not so much nowadays. From what I've seen, breaking in an engine is almost a thing of the past. You still want to baby it for a few hundred miles, but it's not the big deal it once was.

IMNSHO, most modern engines are pretty well "broken in" by the time they have 3-4 hours on them. Your engine is probably ready for whatever you can throw at it.

But I'm just another one of those "opinionated yahoos on the Internet." Definitely follow Nissan's break-in procedure. As IDZRVIT points out, the engineers who designed the engine should know what's best for it.

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SPOHN

Have you ever seen how Nissan breaks in the GTR? As soon as its pushed out the door it goes threw 20 minutes of high speed runs. But that motor is built with the tightest tolerances possible which is hand made in order to do so. Ours is not. Sooooo......

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roy'sz

You should be fine. When I was breaking in my car's engine I never used cruise control and kept shifting going down the road for most of my drive home (40miles freeway). From 6th down through gear pattern to 3rd, floor it a little bit, accelerate through the gears some more and back to cruising speed. This avoids a wear pattern both in the trans and the engine.

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LaCxefo

Thanks guys. this is pretty much what I was thinking. Just wasn't sure when that "critical" time for seating the rings fell into. But I tend to agree that with new engines, break-in is probably significantly less important that it was 30 years ago. I def like to follow manufacturer recommendations, because I'm paranoid like that haha.

StrokeThis347

I am an engine builder. As you said the biggest thing is keeping the engine from sitting at a constant rpm too long. You do not need to worry about constantly keeping it loaded. Rings usually seat right away because of a honing finish called Plateau honing. This speeds up the process. The biggest thing is change the oil sooner than what nissan tells you too.

StrokeThis347

However, even on new engines keeping the engine at a constant rpm during the break in period will glaze over the cylinder walls and the rings will not fully seat.

Wabbyyy

I let my engine break-in at 500. You should be fine bro

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11Thumper

And how did it do that?