Rebuilt engine, first startup and running in.

[James467]

Morning all.

So DTR's engine will hopefully be ready for me to put back together and install and this has got me thinking about the first start up.

Specs are:
New pistons and rings (Hepolite)
New Bearings (Glacier)
New cam
New buckets, both are genuine NOS BL.

I have my own procedure and I was wondering what other people do?

Fill with very cheap oil or running in oil with no additives (Thanks Jeroen for that tip!)
Plugs out, turn over engine until oil light out
Start car, don't let idle or drop below 2000 rpm for 30 mins fluctuating revs.
During that time check timing and carb balance
Stop let cool down, check and re-torque head.

I'd change the oil after 500 miles but I'm interested to see what others do.

[tony g]

I use millers CRO running in oil. Very good stuff and you can keep it in for 1000 miles. Main thing is to give the engine some load to bed the rings nicely. After first warm up leave overnight before re-torque and if poss drive the car asap rather than idling etc. Low rpm high load (higher gear but full throttle puts load in the cylinders)

Tony

[Mad Mart]

I always leave the dizzy off and get a drill on the oil pump drive. Spin until it makes pressure (and your drill starts getting hot ). Then replace dizzy.

[xvivalve]

Re-torque at 500 too.

[tony g]

I always leave the dizzy off and get a drill on the oil pump drive. Spin until it makes pressure (and your drill starts getting hot ). Then replace dizzy.

Me too. Very surprising the amount of drag you feel when the pressure gets up, poor hex shaft working hard

Tony

[James467]

Good idea, I'll do that as well.

[James467]

I ordered some Millers running in oil, the cheap stuff at the motor factors had additive in it and wasn't actually that cheap!

[Mad Mart]

I always use the Halfords stuff. You can just use it for the initial run-in period if you like.

[James467]

They didn't have any at my Halfords when I was in there last Friday. When I asked the bloke at the parts counter he asked for the registration number of the car, I've been here before! 'Your car doesn't exist' and 'Triumph don't make cars' so I just left. I try to avoid speaking to people in there!!

Millers was only £22 so it's not that bad.

[MIG Wielder]

Hi James, I really like the use of the "Redline cam-gear assembly compound" on the valve gear. Its expensive but is supposed to protect the cam lobes om initial start up.
Tony.

[Bumpa]

I've rebuilt quite a few engines over the last 50 years, both cast iron and aluminium, and not once have I ever retorqued the head bolts or nuts. And I've never had a problem. When you retorque, do you slacken off each nut in turn before reapplying the torque? If you don't you are unlikely to get a true reading. This Dolly 1850 is the first Triumph slant engine I have done. Why should I retorque the head? Explain it to me please.

[Carledo]

I've rebuilt quite a few engines over the last 50 years, both cast iron and aluminium, and not once have I ever retorqued the head bolts or nuts. And I've never had a problem. When you retorque, do you slacken off each nut in turn before reapplying the torque? If you don't you are unlikely to get a true reading. This Dolly 1850 is the first Triumph slant engine I have done. Why should I retorque the head? Explain it to me please.

I've also built more than a few engines in the last 47 years i've been in the trade, starting as a Triumph apprentice in 1970. Back then, retorquing the head was part of the first 1000 mile service on new cars, not just Triumphs, ALL new cars! And the practice continued until the late 80s introduction of laminar gaskets, stretch bolts and degree tightening. but whether a new factory engine, or a mere head gasket swap, older engines NEED a retorque. The slant Triumph motor is merely more sensitive to this than most! Long experience by many here has evolved the tecnique above, torque down head, run till at normal temp, cool overnight, retorque when cold, drive a good few miles (200-1000) then retorque again. You don't need to back the bolts and nuts off before retorquing, they will still tighten up a fair bit. Only a retorque after a long period of service need the nuts backing off first, to avoid the danger of "corrosion lock" Otherwise the head gasket you have sweated bullets to do may blow prematurely! I'm not sure WHY the slant is so finicky about this, but it certainly IS!

My running in procedure is very simple, drive to the nearest motorway and do 100 miles in your chosen direction at 50mph, then turn round and return at 60mph. Having completed this, change the oil and filter, retorque the head and go back to driving like you stole it! It's always worked for me!

Steve

[trackerjack]

I always leave the dizzy off and get a drill on the oil pump drive. Spin until it makes pressure (and your drill starts getting hot ). Then replace dizzy.

What he said but note that the drill must run backwards or the pump's a sucker!
The good bit about this method is that it spurts oil sideways out of the bearings so no little foreign bodies get spun round as would happen if the engine was turning over.

[trackerjack]

I reckon that if steel dowels were used (as a sleeve round the straight shorter head bolts) on the further ones, the head would not creep as a result of those awful angle studs.