I've built a few engines and all the break-in recommendations from the parts vendors always concentrate on the cam first. You must keep the cam bathed in oil, at least 2500 rpm on a V8 and probably closer to 4000 rpm for a quad. I like the heat cycle method, seems a good mix of mild/wild break in to me.

Start the engine in Neutral and keep it at moderate rpm until it's hot. This heat cycle is for the cam. Shut it down and wait for it to cool completely, a few hours or so. Start it again and ride it at moderate rpm until it's hot, shut it down and let it cool completely. Ride it again and vary rpm from low to just below redline until it's hot, let it cool completely. Finally, ride it hard from low rpm to redline but don't hold redline for extended periods. Change the oil and filter after the final heat cycle and the motor should be ready for whatever you want to throw at it.

Whatever method you choose, do not let it idle for any significant length of time when it's first started.

 

The mototuneusa site is where my uncle joe sent me when I asked about it. I have full faith in my uncle and my dad because my dad has a 1971 440 Super Commando GTX with Six-Pack heads and Comp. Cams and all that $hit. My uncle has a 1970 Buick GS 455 Big Block with a cam that sounds like a tin can... in the good way. That damn thing is buit. They both have suzuki motorcycles my dad has a 1987 GS1100E and my uncle has a 2003 Hayabusa( o my god that is the fastest streetbike off the lot). Both of them also have 1987 Buick Turbo Regals that they reassembled from the ground up. So I believe them and their methods and that is the way I broke mine in and it flat out hauls *** for a little 250!

 

Official Word From My Dealer, Ride It Like You Stole It.. Lol.

 

just wondering can you do this method without riding the quad, keeping it in nutral, or is stress on the engine needed.

 

NO NO NO NO DONT DO THAT THAT IS WAY BAD YOU NEED STRESS ON THE ENGINE OTHERWISE YOUR JUST WEARING DOWN THE PARTS QUICKER!

 

pushinthelimit- The reason why nascars have to be brokin in at higher rpms is because they have to break everything else in AT THE SAME TIME! (crank, cam ect) Those parts for a beter break in need to be run HARD. One time When I rebuilt my R, I said screw it and I broke it in like i was going to drive it. After that , i wanted to see what my sleeve looked like. I took my jug off and D@MN. That was a very bad sight! No wounder why it ran like **** i though to my self. Who ever breaks theres in hard then take the jug off and look at the sleeve and see what happends to it...... I have my own break in secret[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] My R with a pipe, filter, and jetting goes 5.4 in 300ft in loose dirt. I think its working pritty good.

 

I baught a 2004 Z400...

The dealer was pretty cool...

He told me to drive the Quad for a full tank of gas. Run it with varing RMPs. Dont spin in loose dirt for too long. Basically, dont beat on it. After the full tank of gas, change the oil and you are good to go.

Made sense to me. Kinda goes with both ways of thinking for a break in. I found it impossible to only drive 1/2 throttle...I mean come on...who does that? But I also, didnt drive full throttle either. I would let it idle and warm up then go drive it. Not doing anything type of driving too long...vary the driving...etc

Steve

 

You can break in the cam without stressing the engine. The rings won't really start to seat until you stress the engine and vary the rpm. The cam gets all its stress from the valve springs, that doesn't change whether you are riding it or revving it. If you think your Dad and/or Uncle jumped right in their cars and took off down the road to break in the cam, you'd better go talk to them again:-)

 

Well I'm mostly talking about 4 stroke motors, but running your 2 stroke hard during break in wouldn't cause the cylinder to be scored unless you held her to the nuts for an extended period of time. There is something more to that if you're cylinder looked like hell. NOW, that mototune site is EXACTLY what I'm talking about! Read it and learn, everything that I think is right there. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

you have got me on that one,My uncle and dad defenitly couldnt do that but...that is what I feel that mototune site is my bible or everything I believe when it comes to break in is right there!