breaking in engine

I have my engine back togather after installing new rings,rod and main bearings. I put in 30 weight oil. the engine started and is running fine. When should I change the oil and re-torque the head bolts. I have only run the car around the block and left it idle for 20 minutes. I am having trouble restarting the engine because the battery will not turn the engine over fast enough. How far and fast should I drive the car? Thanks

I change my oil after the first 30 minutes I run the engine to break in the cam which should be done around 1500-2000 rpm, then I take it easy for the first 100 mile diving at slow to 55mph, change the oil again and then srive it like I want. I retorque the heads after it cools after the first cam break in then again at 100 and 500 miles, everyone else might be different but Ive had no problems with my cars doing it this way. The only thing you have to worry about with the Lincoln V12 it there is only one temp sending unit and each water pump only cools one side of the engine so if your right side pump fails you can warp a head and not even know it, trust me ive been there. If you havent already done it send you water pumps to Skips. I had mine rebuilt by a very respected Lincoln dealer and the right one didnt work when I got it.Sorry for rambling.

Make a test run at 30 miles per hour and accelerate at full throttle to 50 miles per hour. Repeat the acceleration cycle from 30 to 50 miles per hour at least ten times. No further break-in is necessary. If traffic conditions will not permit this procedure, accelerate the engine rapidly several times through the intermediate gears during the check run. The object is to apply a load to the engine for short periods of time and in rapid succession soon after engine warm up. This action thrusts the piston rings against the cylinder wall with increased pressure and results in accelerated ring seating. If it's a high performance engine, driving uphill will allow you to sustain a load, but avoid Giants Despair for awhile.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2176940718254465530

Sustained periods of idle speed doesn't help but may overheat your system if you only have a 4-blade fan. Drive vehicle normally but avoid sustained high speed during the first 100 miles.

After a few hot/cold cycles, retorque the heads. Is it real necessary? Engine plants never do, but proper retorque means you back the bolt off, then tighten to specs using moly lube on the threads.

After 500 miles, change your oil. Normally, a lighter oil is used for break-in. Heavy oil (30W) is used for very hot weather. That may be one reason your engine is so stiff. Sounds like you have a generator (that will discharge at an idle). They don't charge until you get some speed.

Dave

I URGE U MOST STRONGLY TO RETORQUE....I DIDNT LOOSEN AND RETIGHTEN, I CRANKED 'EM DOWN AND WAS AMAZED HOW MUCH THEY

REQUIRED..(NEW STUDS, NEW NUTS DECKS / HEADS PLANED IRON HEADS..AFTER A GOOD INITIAL HEAT UP...

THIS WAS BECAUSE I STARTED BURNING COOLANT 50 MILES AFTER I INSTALLED IT, BUT SHARED THE BELIEF OF NO 2ND TORQUE.....OH WELL....NO PROBLEM SINCE..

"Proper retorque means you back the bolt off, then tighten to specs using moly lube on the threads."

This comes from Edelbrock. They mandate moly lube for all head bolts because they want thread friction at a bare minimum for a true torque reading. If initially done this way, retorque should be only slightly different. To overcome 'cold weld' friction, they recommend proper retorque (back off and retorque).

If you are burning coolant, your heads are just loose. If you can't 'finger tighten' the bolts down, chase the threads with a good tap, and clean out the hole with a magnet.

Want to see a big difference? Mark your bolts, extract them and apply a good moly lube on the threads and under the head. Note the position after you retorque. I didn't believe it either, until I tried it. Friction is huge at 100-ft/lbs.

Interesting discussion. I actually put anti-seize on the bolt threads, which I suppose will have somewhat of the same effect. Even then, my experience is that you definitely have to retighten, especially with the aluminum heads.

If you have aluminum heads, don't make the mistake I did. Use hardened washers. I can't stress this enough. I stripped a Snap-on 9/16" 6-pt impact socket, and broke a Craftsman 9/16" deep well socket LOOSTENING 1/2"-hex ARP head bolts on my Mustang. ARP replaced them free (after I sent the old ones back). The new bolts came with hardened washers in the box.

Should the retorque be on a warm or cold engine? Thanks.

i did when warm / hot

i dont think it is rocket science...crank'em down

it the circle pattern starting middle center

Not to hijack, but cast iron grows and shrinks a lot more than you realize. Mold makers have to deal with this: cast iron shrinks one inch per foot after pouring. In a long head, or block, that's huge!

Factories torque at room temp before Cold Test. I don't think it would hurt to re-torque warm.

I retorqued the headbolts, changed the oil and drove 15 miles per day on two separate days and today the engine began to emit some knocking and pinging. I shut it down and will do a compression test tomorrow. Looks like I will be tearing the engine down again. Oh well, this is the first time I ever did engine work and it should be easier the second time around. Thanks for the helpful comments and I will let you know what develops.

Pete, hopefully it just overheated, maybe low on water?

I did a compression test tonight and the results were between 50 and 62. I believe they were low because I had new gaskets, but the person helping me used blue gasket maker and did not uniformally apply it. I briefly started the engine and there was a loud rhythmic ticking noise. Sticking valve or bearing??? What next???

Compression on a new engine should be in the range of 105 115. What gaskets did you make out of "blue stuff"?You don't make head gaskets out of "blue stuff". This would cause uniformly low commpression numbers. A ticking noise could be valve lifters if you have hydraulic lifters and low oil or oil preasure.

Bad news--Good news. I did spin a rod bearing but the crank appears to be O.K. Amazing how the top bearing nestled down on top of the lower bearing. Thanks for all the helpful comments and suggestions.

Silly question, but did you check each set of piston-rod-cap are facing the correct direction? Each one of these must be oriented correctly (with eachother).

I'm glad you spun a bearing, as opposed to it being something very expensive. Building an engine is very precision work, and to do it right requires skill and tenacity.

Lessons learned:

Gap your rings, one at a time, in the cylinder they will be installed in. It is painstaking, but do it. Not enough gap is far worse than too much. If you aren't sure, go to a piston ring company and check the formula for your bore. USUALLY, the top ring gap is .0045 X bore diameter and the second ring is .0035 x bore dia. (Bare minimum .015" on each end gap.) Hyper-eutectic alloy pistons need a minumum of .020" end gap. Use a good feeler gauge when measuring piston/ring groove clearance. When 'offering' the pistons to the crank, use vinyl or rubber hose material on the rod bolts (if they are attached to the rod), being very careful not to scratch your crank. If you cause a nick, carefully sand it out, or risk wiping out the whole bearing.

Use PlastiGauge. It's cheap and all auto parts stores have it. Check all your bearing clearances (rods and mains). Too tight is far worse than too sloppy, but both aren't right. You want to see 1-3 thousanths on the PlastiGauge. (I use solvent to wipe the used PlastiGauge away, it's only made of wax.) If your measurements are wrong, STOP. Find out why.

Engine-build (moly) Lube is a "MUST USE" and a fine, light, oil (WD-40) should be sprayed in the bores (WD-40) for lubricity, before starting. I prime my oil pump with a good, heavy-duty drill motor. (It will take you for a ride, pumping 30-40 PSI.) Battery operated motors overheat and die.

Carefully following these steps will help ensure your engine will last a very long time. I think we discussed the break-in procedure. Hope this helps. Sorry you have to tear it down again, but hey, until it's right... - Dave Dare

I HAVE INTERVIEWED PERHAPS A HUNDRED MEN/BOYS FOR

MECHANIC /TECH POSITIONS. I HAVE USUALLY NOT HIRED THE

GUYS WHO BRAG ABOUT BUILDING ENGINES, UNLESS THAT MEANS

MACHINIST IN AN ENGINE FACILITY. ANY EXPERIENCED SHOP

MECHANIC / TECHNICION KNOWS THAT HE DOESNT HAVE THESE

RESOURCES AND WILL SUBLET MACHINE WORK TO MACHINISTS.

SORT OF LIKE PRACTICING SURGERY..ANYONE CAN SEW...

I FIXED V-12S FOR YEARS AS EDUCATED PART TIME

ENGINE BUILDER..PLASTIC GUAGE AND ALL..MY PONTIACS DID FINE..MY V-12S NEVER LASTED 5000 MILES.

I FOUND A FLEET SHOP, SMALL TOWN NEAR HERE..SPENT 1500 IN LABOR FOR MACHINE SERVICE, FITTING AND ASSEMBLING.. I NOW

CAN DO 60 IN 2ND GEAR...

I WAS ASHAMED TO "PAY" SOMEONE FOR WHAT IS A HOBBY, BUT

I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS VERY PRECISE WORK THAT ONLY

EXPERIENCE AND MACHINE SHOP RESOURCES WILL SUCCEED. I SAY THAT BECAUSE PARTS ARE SCARCE AND PRICEY.

HARTS MOTOR SERVICE IN CECIL OHIO..(SMALL AD FOR CLASSIC CAM GRINDING IN HMN) RANDY IS THE BEST

I know racing mechanics who will ONLY buy crate engines, and leave the technical stuff to the highly educated production line workers. Truth is, mechanics don’t have time to measure every painstaking thing during assembly. It’s tedious, very boring, and a lot easier to buy one already done. Time is money and this is ‘business’ for professional mechanics.

This forum is about restorers sharing and helping others with their 'labors of love.' It’s not about money or business. Most of the members here, try to do whatever they can to work on their own car, and for good reasons. Of course, some jobs are impossible without proper equipment, knowledge, and skill. If that’s what skilled tradesmen and machine shops are for, then let the membership steer in that direction.

Using proper parts and hand tools, many restorers can check clearances and build their own engines, successfully. They did it back in the day and we can do it now. With help from references and friendly mechanics, once you do your first engine, it’s almost like an addiction; you will do more. The more you do, the better you get, kinda like an apprenticeship of sorts (theory and hands-on learning). I am tickled when a job goes right for any restorer. I only hope I can help with your next restoration project. - Dave Dare

I AM TICKLED TO DEATH OVER SUCCESS.....AND AM A HOBBY MECHANIC,..YES RESTORING CARS IS COOL...

ARE U GONNA CHROME UR OWN STUFF TOO???? AND SEW YOUR OWN TOP...MORE POWER TO YOU...I READ THIS AS U SEE, AND I BEG TO DIFFER...ASK MR BOZ, HOW MANY OF YOU EVEN PAINT YOUR OWN CARS???

YEA RIGHT...

C'MON WOULD YOU BUILD A MASERATI OR MULTIPLE CAM FERRARI??

MY EXPERIENCE OVER 30 YEARS OF BEING A KID, CUTTING LAWNS AND SHOVELING DRIVES TO FINANCE A HOBBY..I LEARNED THE HARD WAY...THERE IS MORE TO ENGINE BUILDING THAN THE AVERAGE

PART TIME RESTORER HAS TIME OR RESOURCES FOR.

PEACE AND GOOD LUCK..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jeff b (zeff 40)</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...C'MON WOULD YOU BUILD A MASERATI OR MULTIPLE CAM FERRARI??

MY EXPERIENCE OVER 30 YEARS OF ...</div></div>

Jeff, I'm sorry your V-12 engines didn't turn out right for you, and I'm sorry you paid $1,500 to have someone else build it properly. We can go over the list of tasks some people are not capable of (and the reasons why), but that doesn't apply to everyone. Whatever ‘average restorer’ means, I’m not sure. Judging from the posts, this membership is dramatically more advanced. Each restorer has his forte/specialty; many have multiple resources, talents, and skills.

EX: My bumpers are out for new chrome and I am swapping work for the job. (He needs new 3-phase NEMA size-2 starters for his industrial sanders/grinders, and I am installing them.) It's a sweet deal for both of us. My buddy is a painter, and will do my car (labor) for $10/hr.

I certainly COULD build a Maserati or a Ferrari, very successfully, Thank You. I admire your experience of 30 years. But I'm from Detroit, and my 30-yr mark at Ford happened in '01. I worked in two foundries, two engine plants, stamping, frame, and assembly. I worked in Mfg. Development too, where I nickel plated the inside of Mazda rotor housings, induction heat-treated camshafts, and developed powdered metal processes. I know what trivalent/hexavalent chrome and potassium cynanide is, and I have poured and wiped Babbitt bearings.

But this isn't about me (or you), it's all about members helping restorers do what they can. I offer my help to anyone who wants it, because I too am restoring a 1955 car, and I appreciate membership help. Each of us knows different things but nobody knows everything. It's about sharing.

I love the goodwill and genuine and sincere help this site offers. It’s a great forum. - Dave Dare

Look, you have several major problems with that engine that are not necessarily prevalent to Flat Head Ford Lincoln V12 Engines. That engine needs to be rebuilt and machined in several areas for the tolerances. If you want free advice I can be reached by e-mail at mauricebeth@bellsouth.net. Send me your phone number and I'll give you a call. You don't need to spend any more money on that engine without a proper rebuild as much as the parts are for Lincoln V12 engines are these day.