Forum:
I'm rebuilding a Cb60 engine, with new forged pistons and rings, upgraded Turbo and flowed head and inlet, I'm really curious what oil should I use for running in, for how long Mileage and how to run in and new engine. I'm asking these questions since over the net there are a lot of features on the subject but there are a lot of different answers too.
My choice would be a thin oil
My choice would be a thin oil such as a 5w30 oil for first start. Drain after first few runs with new filter.
Then 5w30/10w30/5w40 etc of your choice, change again after 500 miles.
And finally again at 1000 miles
Build the power and revs range up gradually over the 1000 miles, avoid cruising for long periods at same RPM.
Dont be afraid of a few brief revs 4000-5000rpm. Ensure engine is always fully warm though. And do allow the engine speed to fall off the throttle (engine breaking), helps bed the rings.
There is a old myth about synthetics not being good for a brand new engine, It's nonsense. You can use them from day one. A fresh engine life is when you want the best protection for those new bearings, not cheap oil.
The only problem though is the cost of the synthetic, and with the first few changes of oil being so frequent, then most people will choose a more affordable oil.
Are you on GTtiOC.com
Consider improving the lubrication system
The OEM lubrication system is pretty minimal, and improvements to it may, in the long term, be both more cost-effective than, and complementary, to the use of the most expensive oil.
In no particular order, improvements you might consider are
an oil-accumulator/pre-lube system (b) magnetic oil filtration add-ons (c) a by-pass filter.
You could argue that the up-front costs aren't justified unless the car is a keeper, (as you could for expensive oil) but OTOH the kit is a capital cost rather than a consumable and should be transferrable to another vehicle.
For running-in, magnetic add-ons are a particularly good idea and could be as simple as a couple of old hard disk magnets stuck on the outside of your oil filter, though purpose-built magnetic jackets are available.
Swapping your dipstick for a magnetic pick-up tool allows you to monitor metal in the oil. (I don't know why all dipsticks aren't magnetic).
Obviously, if you aren't sure that the tool wont contact moving parts, only swap it in when you stop and the vehicle is going to be stationary for some time.
"Dimple" branded sump plugs
"Dimple" branded sump plugs are very effective.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjRmrYqKmPM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PJ4mjnOX5c&feature=related
Filter quality is also just
Filter quality is also just as important as the oil.
Big difference in build quality from a £6-7 quality filter such as Mahle, compared to a £3 Ebay MEHR (made in Iran with a name to sound German).
I've got some shocking photos of a MEHR (below), I bought one just to see what they are like for the money.
Look at the inconsistent holes (some with metal swarf fragments) and bent core, Never screwing it onto my engine!
http://imageshack.us/g/545/dsc00430ta.jpg/
Magnetic Sump Plugs
Turns out I have a magnetic sump plug ("King" brand, looks like stainless steel with a magnetic insert). I have to wonder if these plugs are such a great idea, though.
The wear particles on the tip were definately magnetised, since some could be removed by touching it with a paperclip, on which they adopted the characteristic "whiskery" appearance.
If these magnetised particles get dislodged from the plug by turbulence in the sump, they might tend to stick to other ferrous surfaces (eg crankshaft journals) , and probably wouldn't be removed by an oil drain.
This might cause accelerated wear, and might be why these plugs aren't (AFAIK) fitted as OEM.
I'd say magnetic "filtration" is more likely to be a good thing if its fitted somewhere it can be regularly checked and cleaned (to reduce particle magnetisation due to long residence) as on the dipstick, and/or where its upstream of a physical filter (which might retain magnetised particles), as with a spin-on canister jacket.
Since I'm not running in (in fact I'm closer to running out) I might retrofit a standard sump plug.
That's why the dimple plug is
That's why the dimple plug is the only one worth using. It's strong enough not to allow fragments to dislodge and stays strong even under heat.
Magnetic plugs are fitted as OEM to some engines, but more common place is gearbox drain plug.
A decent magnet on the side of oil filter works, But I would not fit one onto the end of filter as perhaps it could interfere slightly with the bypass valve spring!
Magnetic Sump Plugs
Could be, but quite hard to know that for sure. In my case its fine "slurry" rather than "fragments" (which would probably indicate component failure) and I think this is normal.
If the slurry forms fine whiskers its seems quite likely they'd get washed of by oil turbulence in a running engine, and there's no easy way to know what the arrangenent of the debris was like in the sump,before the plug was removed.
I've wondered about the bypass valve interference you mention, since I've seen commercial designs that put a magnet right on the end of the filter canister, where it usually is.
Break-in oil : I THINK you are all WRONG
I'm no expert, but I think the recommendations above for "Any decent synthetic" or "Thin oil" are simplistic at best, and at worst plain wrong.
I have the CB23 engine, which has flat, sliding tappets, and I'm assuming that your CB60 does too (though with shims). If it has roller tappets, these comments are less (though not non) applicable.
When I got the Skywing it had just been dealer-serviced, and the oil remained clean , but on return from a 2 month trip I noted a deposit on the upper side of the dipstick, which turned out to be ferrous. My best guess is that this was from the valve gear.
Poking around on the web turns up LOTS of reports of accelerated cam wear/failure on recent spec. oils, including, and especially, wide viscosity range synthetics. This is attributed to a lowering of ZDDP ep anti-wear additives in the more recent API specs, to extend catalyst life, yet another reason why exhaust catalysts suck.
Turns out this is a widely known issue (though I didn't know about it and the oil companies are not, AFAIK, running any major add campaigns to inform us).
http://www.jaguarhunter.org.au/Technical_Pages/Oil_killing_cars.htm
A common suggested fix was to run a diesel oil, typically Shell Rotella T. However, recent diesel specs have also had the ZDDP levels reduced, since new diesels have/will have emission control equipment fitted. The formulation changes are not generally announced, and are regarded as secret by some makers (eg Castrol). The only general guideline is to avoid very low "energy saving" viscosities, and avoid the recent spec oils.
Before I knew about this problem I put Mobil Delvac MX 15W40 in. Its only SL/SJ API petrol spec (not TOO advanced) but its CI-4, and one is advised to avoid anything more recent than CG. I havn't, so far, been able to find out what its ZDDP content is.
http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html
If these 2011 specs are still current, http://www.mobil.com/usa-english/motoroil/files/mobil_1_product_guide.pdf, it looks like Mobil1 15W50 should be OK.
ZDDP is especially critical in the break-in period so if you can't source an oil with an adequate ZDDP level you should probably consider a supplement.