new motor run in question
gday, i have a brand new l67 motor, and need to know how many kms itll take to run the motor in properly? Also, does anyone actually know for a fact how many kms until the rings bed in?, so i can start using synthetic oil. cheers.
CHE Tuned 156.8rwkw
Usually around 1500-3000km. I think with the rings its around 5000km. Someone would be able to clarify for you.
The Blue One
Originally Posted by buddaboy1990
Jordo
Holden say there is no need to follow a "formal running in schedule" but then go on to give you a list of "do this and don't do that" for the first 1500 kms. Basically that is drive very gently for the first 1500kms and do not engage in hard acceleration, tow heavy loads etc etc Just common sense.
However with the 5 new V6 commodores I have had over the years (about to be 6) I always run the car in for 4000 - 5000 kms which includes a gentle SYD-MEL return trip varying the speed up and down. I end up with a very sweet engine as I have now. I won't take the engine over 3500 rpm while running it in during this period. 5000 kms may sound a lot but its only approximately 3000 miles.
I have no idea how many kms to bed in rings but I think this should measured in hours of operation at various rpms rather than kms.
Not sure why you believe you have to wait to use a fully SYN engine oil. Quite a few manufacturers specify SYN oils for various models and these are in the cars from new.
There are no "run in" oils as such. However do change the engine oil at 800-1000kms on the new engine. This will get rid of any particles floating around in the engine from the manufacturing process which are picked up by the lubricant. I always do a second oil change at the 5000 km mark (or before) and change the oil filter then as well.
I have yet to find a fully SYN oil that meets the Holden oil spec for this ecotec V6. Castrol do a fully SYN 5W-30 "Castrol EDGE" product which Castrol claim is OK for this engine but I don't know what Holden thinks about this. Holden did not specify any fully SYN oil for this ecotec V6 motor so I can only assume it was intentional. Why don't you ask Holden for a recommendation on a fully SYN oil for the V6 Ecotec and see what they say.
Ecotec V6......................
Holden specifies SAE 10W-30 SJ or SL, ILSAC GF2 or GF3 engine oil.
They also accept 20W-50 or 15W-40 viscosity SH, SJ or SL engine oil (But not 10W-40 interestingly enough. Having read up on engine oil technology I now know why).
I do three(3) oil changes for every 12000 kms of running and I don't use a fully SYN oil.
thanx heaps for that info. i wont go the 10w40. wot is it about the 10w40 that differs from other viscosities? or is it too long winded to explain? cheers
cheers 4 that mate.
Don't be too pre-occupied with 'running the engine in'. What do you think happens to new Police/Ambulance vehicles. They are driven hard or however required, from day one, doesn't seem to have any adverse affect.
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Jordo
Here is an extract or 2 from just one article on the subject - from a US source.\
On the subject of fully SYN oils again, you will see that MOBIL does not offer a 10W-30 grade Mobil 1 fully SYN oil in their Australian product range either. They offer a 5W - 30 (and various other multi grades) like Castrol do with the EDGE product. (http://www.mobil1.com.au/products/product_5W30.aspx).
Holden recommends 10W-30 grade oil for the Ecotec V6 and does not provide for a 5W-30 grade oil of any kind that I have ever seen in their official literature. Interestingly enough MOBIL 1 fully SYN in the correct 10W-30 grade specified by Holden is sold in the US as part of the MOBIL 1 product range in Nth America. I have never seen this on the shelves here in Australia.
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" Viscosity is a measure of the "flowability" of an oil. More specifically, it is the property of an oil to develop and maintain a certain amount of shearing stress dependent on flow, and then to offer continued resistance to flow. Thicker oils generally have a higher viscosity, and thinner oils a lower viscosity. This is the most important property for an engine. An oil with too low a viscosity can shear and lose film strength at high temperatures. An oil with too high a viscosity may not pump to the proper parts at low temperatures and the film may tear at high rpm.
The weights given on oils are arbitrary numbers assigned by the S.A.E. (Society of Automotive Engineers). These numbers correspond to "real" viscosity, as measured by several accepted techniques. These measurements are taken at specific temperatures. Oils that fall into a certain range are designated 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 by the S.A.E. The W means the oil meets specifications for viscosity at 0 F and is therefore suitable for Winter use.
Multi viscosity oils work like this: Polymers are added to a light base (5W, 10W, 20W), which prevent the oil from thinning as much as it warms up. At cold temperatures the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate. As the oil warms up the polymers begin to unwind into long chains that prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at 100 degrees C the oil has thinned only as much as the higher viscosity number indicates. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot.
Multi viscosity oils are one of the great improvements in oils, but they should be chosen wisely. Always use a multi grade with the narrowest span of viscosity that is appropriate for the temperatures you are going to encounter. In the winter base your decision on the lowest temperature you will encounter, in the summer, the highest temperature you expect. The polymers can shear and burn forming deposits that can cause ring sticking and other problems. 10W-40 and 5W-30 require a lot of polymers (synthetics excluded) to achieve that range. This has caused problems in diesel engines, but fewer polymers are better for all engines. The wide viscosity range oils, in general, are more prone to viscosity and thermal breakdown due to the high polymer content. It is the oil that lubricates, not the additives. Oils that can do their job with the fewest additives are the best.
Very few manufactures recommend 10W-40 any more, and some threaten to void warranties if it is used. It was not included in this article for that reason. 20W-50 is the same 30 point spread, but because it starts with a heavier base it requires less viscosity index improvers (polymers) to do the job. AMSOIL can formulate their 10W-30 and 15W-40 with no viscosity index improvers but uses some in the 10W-40 and 5W-30. Mobil 1 uses no viscosity improvers in their 5W-30.and I assume the new 10W-30. Follow your manufacturer's recommendations as to which weights are appropriate for your vehicle.
Viscosity Index is an empirical number indicating the rate of change in viscosity of an oil within a given temperature range. Higher numbers indicate a low change, lower numbers indicate a relatively large change. The higher the number the better. This is one major property of an oil that keeps your bearings happy. These numbers can only be compared within a viscosity range. It is not an indication of how well the oil resists thermal breakdown.
Flash point is the temperature at which an oil gives off vapors that can be ignited with a flame held over the oil. The lower the flash point the greater tendency for the oil to suffer vaporization loss at high temperatures and to burn off on hot cylinder walls and pistons. The flash point can be an indicator of the quality of the base stock used. The higher the flash point the better. 400 F is the minimum to prevent possible high consumption. Flash point is in degrees F.
Pour point is 5 degrees F above the point at which a chilled oil shows no movement at the surface for 5 seconds when inclined. This measurement is especially important for oils used in the winter. A borderline pumping temperature is given by some manufacturers. This is the temperature at which the oil will pump and maintain adequate oil pressure. This was not given by a lot of the manufacturers, but seems to be about 20 degrees F above the pour point. The lower the pour point the better. Pour point is in degrees F.
% sulfated ash is how much solid material is left when the oil burns. A high ash content will tend to form more sludge and deposits in the engine. Low ash content also seems to promote long valve life. Look for oils with a low ash content.
% zinc is the amount of zinc used as an extreme pressure, anti-wear additive. The zinc is only used when there is actual metal to metal contact in the engine. Hopefully the oil will do its job and this will rarely occur, but if it does, the zinc compounds react with the metal to prevent scuffing and wear. A level of .11% is enough to protect an automobile engine for the extended oil drain interval, under normal use. Those of you with high revving, air cooled motorcycles or turbo charged cars or bikes might want to look at the oils with the higher zinc content. More doesn't give you better protection, it gives you longer protection if the rate of metal to metal contact is abnormally high. High zinc content can lead to deposit formation and plug fouling. "
"The synthetics offer the only truly significant differences, due to their superior high temperature oxidation resistance, high film strength, very low tendency to form deposits, stable viscosity base, and low temperature flow characteristics. Synthetics are superior lubricants compared to traditional petroleum oils. You will have to decide if their high cost is justified in your application.
The extended oil drain intervals given by the vehicle manufacturers (typically 7500 miles) and synthetic oil companies (up to 25,000 miles) are for what is called normal service. Normal service is defined as the engine at normal operating temperature, at highway speeds, and in a dust free environment. Stop and go, city driving, trips of less than 10 miles, or extreme heat or cold puts the oil change interval into the severe service category, which is 3000 miles for most vehicles. Synthetics can be run two to three times the mileage of petroleum oils with no problems. They do not react to combustion and combustion by-products to the extent that the dead dinosaur juice does. The longer drain intervals possible help take the bite out of the higher cost of the synthetics. If your car or bike is still under warranty you will have to stick to the recommended drain intervals. These are set for petroleum oils and the manufacturers make no official allowance for the use of synthetics.
Oil additives should not be used. The oil companies have gone to great lengths to develop an additive package that meets the vehicle's requirements. Some of these additives are synergistic, that is the effect of two additives together is greater than the effect of each acting separately. If you add anything to the oil you may upset this balance and prevent the oil from performing to specification."
Last edited by Sean880; 21-01-2010 at 01:28 PM. Reason: update
thedeadwalk
just make sure to change the oil every 500-1000km to get any metal shaveings from the piston running in after about 6000km thay will be fine
Stack The Cats Champion!
Definatly dont use Fully synthetic oils until it's fully bedded in. CBF explaining again, if you want the reason, search for my post on synethetic oils from about a week or two ago which described a newly engineered custom engine that didn't bed in because it had fully synthetic in it. Mineral was thrown in and then after it beds in will go back to synthetic.
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