New Engine Break In Period - How Long?

[Tim Martin]

What is the best method for a reman, rebuilt, or new engine to be broke in? Here in our shop we have had several discussions about that and have mixed ideas. How do others do it? Say you install a Jasper engine, how long do you drive and or run the engine before you let the customer have the vehicle back?

[steven kiser]

speaking for myself, i will usually drive the vehicle home and back again as well as a 1or2 mile run on the interstate. i just don's take it up the block and back. i'll also take it and have a thorough cleaning done (exterior) at the carwash if i'm able to. i also explain to the customer that i require as part of the job the vehicle brought back in around a thousand miles for an inspection. i sometimes tell them it includes a free oil change. basically i just want to get it into the shop for a look see. you mentioned jasper. i've alway's felt the ahhhh good feeling when i start up a vehicle after i installed a jasper unit. i keep a record of customer issues with major installs or big money work. 75% of them have nothing to do with the work we did. some boil down to weak batteries, low tires, unexplained mileage, gum wrappers, seats reprogrammed, radio stations changed, etc. a break in period extends far beyond the actual driving. transmissions, on the highway and hills to make sure shift pattern is correct. in jasper units i find myself having to explain that the pattern will be different than what the customer is accustomed to and it was that way when it was purchased and the slow demise of the transmission made the shift pattern change non noticeable. when we do an engine swap and the transmission is leaking the customer is made aware as well as a transmission swap with an oil leak in the engine. while i'm yapping away here a point i make is when a vehicle comes in with a rod rap or one hanging through the block i will make the customer aware that the transmission may have failed causing the engine to over rev and failing. i was taught this by an old timer and it's saved my butt a few times. replace the engine only to find the transmission won't shift out of second. when this has happened to me i've found it prudent to discount the labor instead of having a really pis&sed off customer.

[Tim Martin]

Wow steve. Are we the only ones doing engine installations?

[steven kiser]

i know at least in my area no one really does. no wait a minute, there are the shops that will throw in used engines and with a can of spray paint pass it off as reman. i'll revise my statement on this one. only qualified, honest shops are members of the forum and within out group there may just be us that install remans on somewhat of a regular basis. some shops aren't really set up for it and it really will blow a hole in your matrix. if i had the tech doing brakes and ball joints instead of replacing an engine the profit would be tripled. i do a fair share of engines and more transmissions. on an engine r&r unless it's commercial i tell the customer a week. it's funny some times i'm glad i do them while other times i swear when i'm done with this one it's the last.

[Tim Martin]

Well, typically we can punch out most any job in about 3 days if I have not many interuptions. I tell the customer a week just to cover myself but rarely need the entire week. I like to have a profit of at least a thousand or slightly more per job. Actually 1 engine or trans job per week is fine with me. Makes a healthy profit I can live with. But around here, less and less shops wanna be into bigger jobs like that. Must be awesome to be able to pick an choose what you want to do.

[brianp87]

I dont do many. I drive them for a few hunderd miles and expect them back at 1000 miles for a lof to check over the lof is something I give a quote for and note on the invoice I want it back in at 1k or warranty is voided. I do 3k on diff rebuilds then we pull cover change fluid etc. Same disclaimer. Trannys I do 3 k also for a pan removal and filter changed. Same disclaimer.

[a&mauto]

The last time I asked Jasper they said dont worry about it. Its good to go. I still do the old school 1500 for 15 minutes. Then we run it up & down the freeway a couple of times. We ask the cutomer not to use the cruise control for the first 500. At 500 we change the oil and check for leaks. 500 for trans, diff or engine. Oil change is included in service.

[a&mauto]

The last time I asked Jasper they said dont worry about it. Its good to go. I still do the old school 1500 for 15 minutes. Then we run it up & down the freeway a couple of times. We ask the cutomer not to use the cruise control for the first 500. At 500 we change the oil and check for leaks. 500 for trans, diff or engine. Oil change is included in service.

[steven kiser]

it seems we all agree that we require to get the vehicle back within a specified time to double check. speaking for myself i've never pulled a cover or pan off of a jasper unit. at least not for years. pulling covers off of g.m. diff's and certain transmissions that use synthetic may prove to be a bit costly. i've posted many times that i'm a jasper advocate. will not use another reman. rather loose the job than install even a manufacturer reman. many years ago before i used jasper i would pull a pan or cover because i was just so use to issues and metal particles. i found blasting compound in some while casting fragments in others. heck i even found that on some remans when it was being rebuilt and a cylinder had to be oversized the only other one that was bored was the counter balancing one. since i've been using jasper units my % of issues has dropped to almost .2. i've found that when i use a quality product it expands to a quality install. when a customer opts to use a used part or inferior parts i've noticed that the tech's seem to have less care than if it were a quality part. when i worked for another person i felt that way. no matter how careful i was and detail orientated the parts were sub par and the job wouldn't be of quality anyway so why not just slap it together. quality parts breed quality work. sometimes i feel like the "soup nazi" on seinfeld. it may be your vehicle but when it gets repaired in my shop it's done to my specifications. i've priced engine swaps with jasper units and the person has asked me "what are my other options" i tell them flat out "in my shop, none, however i have a list of shops that will gladly do it your way, take your money and then happily take more because your way didn't work". i'll supply their phone numbers. again my first post with a lengthy response to loosen up my fingers. sorry. sometimes i just have way to much to say. sometimes????????????

[Goose]

Don't know if any of you have ever done this but when I attened Dunwoody they recomended W.O.T. up to 2500 to 3000 RPM. in second gear. Then let up on the gas and coast down to idle RPM. Do this three or four times and you are set. This will put pressure on the rings and then load them with oil. I have done this for thirty five years and never had a problem. I also use Jasper.

[steven kiser]

old habits are hard to break. years ago i would drive a vehicle on the high way at different speeds and loads. since i've been using jasper and seen first hand how the engines are tested before they are shipped i only test drive as a final check. i do include in the price a return oil change in a thousand miles basically to have a look for leaks and such.