RV8 running in
Discussion
Finally I got to the cause of my oil pressure problems (see:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
Engine out and strip down to find sludge covering the pickup gauze and also the gauze inside the oil filter housing - this sludge was squidgy like mud rather than being metal particles. The bearing shells and moving parts look fine so I must have acted before any real damage was done - phew! I will post photos later...
While the engine was apart I took the crank to a machinist friend for an opinion on the journals - the crank is now at the Engine Centre at Salford Priors to receive attention from them.
What running-in period should I use for new bearing shells assmuming all else as before? From research I thought 500 miles on mineral oil with gentle warming up and no high-load, low rpm use. Oil and filter change after 100 miles then again after 500 when I can use it normally...
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
Engine out and strip down to find sludge covering the pickup gauze and also the gauze inside the oil filter housing - this sludge was squidgy like mud rather than being metal particles. The bearing shells and moving parts look fine so I must have acted before any real damage was done - phew! I will post photos later...
While the engine was apart I took the crank to a machinist friend for an opinion on the journals - the crank is now at the Engine Centre at Salford Priors to receive attention from them.
What running-in period should I use for new bearing shells assmuming all else as before? From research I thought 500 miles on mineral oil with gentle warming up and no high-load, low rpm use. Oil and filter change after 100 miles then again after 500 when I can use it normally...
I wouldn't spend that time on it. I'd start it up, run it round the block and then just drive it normally. I'd certainly put good quality oil in and I peobably wouldn't change the filter afterwards. Running piston rings in is a completely different matter because there are rough honing marks on the bores and all sorts of crap from the machining process. Bearings are an easier proposition.
Advice from another site, author of the advice is Stuart Armson of: http://armsonae.webs.com/ ,is that he only uses 15/40 full mineral oil & either genuine LR or Unipart filters in the Classic & P38 V8s.
100SRV said:
What running-in period should I use for new bearing shells assmuming all else as before? From research I thought 500 miles on mineral oil with gentle warming up and no high-load, low rpm use. Oil and filter change after 100 miles then again after 500 when I can use it normally...
That running-in method sounds like a surefire way to glaze over the bores way before the rings bed themselves and ensure a considerable blow-by (and possibly considerable oil consumption)... SWR Performance said:
100SRV said:
What running-in period should I use for new bearing shells assmuming all else as before? From research I thought 500 miles on mineral oil with gentle warming up and no high-load, low rpm use. Oil and filter change after 100 miles then again after 500 when I can use it normally...
That running-in method sounds like a surefire way to glaze over the bores way before the rings bed themselves and ensure a considerable blow-by (and possibly considerable oil consumption)... SWR Performance said:
tr7v8 said:
It would apart from the fact that he has just had the crank reground & new bearings!
So? Bearings never touch the crank unless it runs dry, if they did you have a major restoration on your hands.. 
He has JUST replaced the bearings & had the crank ground ON A ENGINE WHICH HAS BEEN RUN IN! Therefore whatever he does now won't affect the bores, because it hasn't been rebored or honed & the rings are the existing ones.
What everyone else has told him that read the OP properly is that the new bottom end doesn't need running in.
You wrote & which I replied to That running-in method sounds like a surefire way to glaze over the bores way before the rings bed themselves and ensure a considerable blow-by (and possibly considerable oil consumption)...
Edited by tr7v8 on Tuesday 21st February 18:25
tr7v8 said:
You didn't read what either of us wrote did you
He has JUST replaced the bearings & had the crank ground ON A ENGINE WHICH HAS BEEN RUN IN! Therefore whatever he does now won't affect the bores, because it hasn't been rebored or honed & the rings are the existing ones.
What everyone else has told him that read the OP properly is that the new bottom end doesn't need running in.
You wrote & which I replied to That running-in method sounds like a surefire way to glaze over the bores way before the rings bed themselves and ensure a considerable blow-by (and possibly considerable oil consumption)...
Oh yes, I read it and my comment was meant to be saying that ANY NEW engine using that running-in procedure the OP described would likely suffer from bad ring seal. It was NOT addressed specifically to the engine belonging to the OP, I did understand what he wrote and that just his shells were new. If I was unclear about that I am sorry for making you hurt your head in such a way, I'm just a silly Norwegian and my english sucks at times. He has JUST replaced the bearings & had the crank ground ON A ENGINE WHICH HAS BEEN RUN IN! Therefore whatever he does now won't affect the bores, because it hasn't been rebored or honed & the rings are the existing ones.
What everyone else has told him that read the OP properly is that the new bottom end doesn't need running in.
You wrote & which I replied to That running-in method sounds like a surefire way to glaze over the bores way before the rings bed themselves and ensure a considerable blow-by (and possibly considerable oil consumption)...
Edited by tr7v8 on Tuesday 21st February 18:25
Don't worry, if I was running in a Rover V8 after a 100% rebuild, after ensuring that the oil pump was primed I'd start with a very fast idle to bed in the cam followers, an oil and filter change then run with varying load and acceleration / deceleration cycles to bed the rings in with an oil change after about 500 miles. After that I'd be less gentle with it...
I'd be very concerned about where all that "sludge" came from before putting the engine back together. Either the original build was with components that hadn't been cleaned properly, oilways etc, or there is some way contaminants are getting inside during operation. Old oil cooler matrices are a favourite place for debris to get stuck in which then contaminates the new engine and destroys all your hard work. As they are almost impossible to clean out it's best to chuck them and fit new.
Pumaracing said:
I'd be very concerned about where all that "sludge" came from before putting the engine back together. Either the original build was with components that hadn't been cleaned properly, oilways etc, or there is some way contaminants are getting inside during operation. Old oil cooler matrices are a favourite place for debris to get stuck in which then contaminates the new engine and destroys all your hard work. As they are almost impossible to clean out it's best to chuck them and fit new.
Me too, I plan to give all the oil galleries a good clean - I have a set of oil way core plugs and the brushes to do this with. Any recommendations for cleaning medium - petrol or other?No oil cooler is used.
All other parts will also receive a good clean too.
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