Running in... new blown Yota, big injectors
Discussion
As I've been making a lot of fuss about (because I'm bloody ecstatic about it), I have a brand new Exige, this time with the PP and 243 (alleged) bhp, largely due to bigger injectors. The car is *significantly* less smooth on a light steady throttle, which I'm assuming to be due to bigger injectors running lower duty cycle and more discrepancy in atomisation, but as we all know I'm no engineer.
But that's off topic. As a new car (I've bought a LOT of cars in my time and this is only the third 'new' car ever) I have to run the engine in. There's the instructions in the Lotus manual, and there's the slightly modified (but similar) instructions that Parky @ Lipscomb recommends, and then there's the viper's nest of Internet opinion covering the entire continuum from 'baby the thing' to 'rag it to buggery and change the oil *really* regularly'... with the few nutters suggesting that 'sod the running in, just abuse the engine'.
Option 3 isn't an option IMO. However due to the lousy weather my driving is very much erring to the 'baby the car' end of the continuum, which I know for a fact isn't best for ultimate power / oil consumption / longevity of the engine. I doubt I've even bedded the brakes in yet, since I've been driving like I've got eggs gaffer taped to the bottom of my driving shoes since I picked it up. Snow and ice aren't great for 'bedding in' anything - and certainly my normal repeated 20-100-20 brake bedding-in process isn't safe to do at the moment.
The Yota engine has tight tolerances and is rated to 8500 rpm on full-beans acceleration. That's a lot of revs and I'm of the opinion that oil consumption and performance at high revs like this will be affected by the running-in process. I know I've got a habit of modifying my cars, but putting my *scrupulously honest* hat on, I'm not likely to change this car unless it gets stolen, trashed by another car, or if I stack it (last option hopefully never). I'm almost certainly going to dick about with brake pads, maybe discs, suspension, tyres, wheels, and probably boost the engine a bit, but it's a road car and I love it to bits... engine swaps are probably out of the question (until someone comes up with a great-sounding non-inline-four swap that produces the power).
So I'm expecting to keep this car for a long time, which with my fickle history means more than 2 years. And I'm getting older and less fickle, and govt legislation is making cars like this increasingly hard to make and sell, I'm not convinced that future cars will be much better than what I've already got. So this time round, I *do* give a damn about running the engine in properly so it's both healthy and ideal power-wise, and also a strong base for potential future power upgrades.
Is it still an open question as to what treatment is the 'best' for these modern engines? I know what NOT to do, but when and how to apply full load still seems woolly from the various discussions I've seen on the topic.
But that's off topic. As a new car (I've bought a LOT of cars in my time and this is only the third 'new' car ever) I have to run the engine in. There's the instructions in the Lotus manual, and there's the slightly modified (but similar) instructions that Parky @ Lipscomb recommends, and then there's the viper's nest of Internet opinion covering the entire continuum from 'baby the thing' to 'rag it to buggery and change the oil *really* regularly'... with the few nutters suggesting that 'sod the running in, just abuse the engine'.
Option 3 isn't an option IMO. However due to the lousy weather my driving is very much erring to the 'baby the car' end of the continuum, which I know for a fact isn't best for ultimate power / oil consumption / longevity of the engine. I doubt I've even bedded the brakes in yet, since I've been driving like I've got eggs gaffer taped to the bottom of my driving shoes since I picked it up. Snow and ice aren't great for 'bedding in' anything - and certainly my normal repeated 20-100-20 brake bedding-in process isn't safe to do at the moment.
The Yota engine has tight tolerances and is rated to 8500 rpm on full-beans acceleration. That's a lot of revs and I'm of the opinion that oil consumption and performance at high revs like this will be affected by the running-in process. I know I've got a habit of modifying my cars, but putting my *scrupulously honest* hat on, I'm not likely to change this car unless it gets stolen, trashed by another car, or if I stack it (last option hopefully never). I'm almost certainly going to dick about with brake pads, maybe discs, suspension, tyres, wheels, and probably boost the engine a bit, but it's a road car and I love it to bits... engine swaps are probably out of the question (until someone comes up with a great-sounding non-inline-four swap that produces the power).
So I'm expecting to keep this car for a long time, which with my fickle history means more than 2 years. And I'm getting older and less fickle, and govt legislation is making cars like this increasingly hard to make and sell, I'm not convinced that future cars will be much better than what I've already got. So this time round, I *do* give a damn about running the engine in properly so it's both healthy and ideal power-wise, and also a strong base for potential future power upgrades.
Is it still an open question as to what treatment is the 'best' for these modern engines? I know what NOT to do, but when and how to apply full load still seems woolly from the various discussions I've seen on the topic.
Don't know anything about toyotas, but have had the pleasure of running in a SR20DET Nissan engine. Basically:
- long drives are better than short drives, I kept it to nothing under 20 minutes
- go above the safe run in rev threshold during long runs, but infrequently, for short periods and build up to it progressively
- no motorway driving (or driving at a constant speed in any one gear for prolonged periods)
running in an engine is a ballache, but well worth taking it slowly and in a premeditated way
shabs
- long drives are better than short drives, I kept it to nothing under 20 minutes
- go above the safe run in rev threshold during long runs, but infrequently, for short periods and build up to it progressively
- no motorway driving (or driving at a constant speed in any one gear for prolonged periods)
running in an engine is a ballache, but well worth taking it slowly and in a premeditated way
shabs
I was told when running mine in to specifically not just sit on a motorway for the first 1000 miles.
The advice was to do a lot of B road driving(varied gearchanges,loads etc),try to avoid 'loading' the engine too much in any gear and to use engine braking as much as possible.
End result is(after 16k miles)my engine pulls well and seems to better with age,does'nt use any oil and read 15bhp over standard on a recent dyno run(although it was a very cold day
).
It seems,in my opinion anyway,sympathetically run in engines pay you back for your kindness
/Awaits Scuffers
The advice was to do a lot of B road driving(varied gearchanges,loads etc),try to avoid 'loading' the engine too much in any gear and to use engine braking as much as possible.
End result is(after 16k miles)my engine pulls well and seems to better with age,does'nt use any oil and read 15bhp over standard on a recent dyno run(although it was a very cold day
).It seems,in my opinion anyway,sympathetically run in engines pay you back for your kindness
/Awaits Scuffers
I was advised to keep it off cam for the first 500 miles, not to rag it until the first service but to enjoy some spirited driving! Driving it too steadily and below 4k revs can result in the pistons becoming glazed and resulting in higher oil consumption?? I'm no engineer either so its only passed on info. Mine is at 1500 miles now and running lovely, particularly now its got a 2bular attached! As for the throttle hesitation you talk about, I'm sure its something to do with the electronic throttle over the cable operated previous?
S Works said:
Personally, I'd stick to whatever Paul told you to do. After all, if anything goes wrong, it'll be him you take it back to!
Too true.TBH the current road conditions simply don't allow full throttle or high revs (well you can, but it'd be risking things) so it's not the end of the world, but less than 4500 rpm for 600 miles? Hell, that's going to be *hard* - without popping to Somerset to see family, just putting on 600 miles is going to take me time! And, as we know, rolling down the A303 at a constant speed isn't the correct way to run in the engine.
And it's hard on the passenger if you're constantly slowing down, changing gear, accelerating, changing gear, drifting slower again, etc.
Anyway I promised my sister's 7 year old (who was the hapless passenger when I stacked the yellow car) that I'd let him drive it in a car park, and getting there and back is 400 miles. The problem is that long journeys tend to mean cruising speeds rather than oscillating engine revs... unless I sit at 70 mph and constantly alternate between 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th keeping the road speed constant but the engine speed different...
cyberface said:
S Works said:
Personally, I'd stick to whatever Paul told you to do. After all, if anything goes wrong, it'll be him you take it back to!
Too true.TBH the current road conditions simply don't allow full throttle or high revs (well you can, but it'd be risking things) so it's not the end of the world, but less than 4500 rpm for 600 miles? Hell, that's going to be *hard* - without popping to Somerset to see family, just putting on 600 miles is going to take me time! And, as we know, rolling down the A303 at a constant speed isn't the correct way to run in the engine.
And it's hard on the passenger if you're constantly slowing down, changing gear, accelerating, changing gear, drifting slower again, etc.
Anyway I promised my sister's 7 year old (who was the hapless passenger when I stacked the yellow car) that I'd let him drive it in a car park, and getting there and back is 400 miles. The problem is that long journeys tend to mean cruising speeds rather than oscillating engine revs... unless I sit at 70 mph and constantly alternate between 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th keeping the road speed constant but the engine speed different...
Gooby said:
Go for the record 0 - 1000 miles. Less than 24 hours by Twinpipe!
Exactamunda-DING-A-FARKIN-Ling dude.The weather for the next few days is looking better than recently, if a little rainy and still cold.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/10209
Do that Somerset trip, but go via the A roads and enjoy some mid-range revs driving. Remind yourself what a wonderfully deft, delicate (lard ass
) you're driving without shedloads of revs. Book the running in service for the w/c 4th Jan and get on with it!Follow the manufacturers instructions. Unlike all the cr*p you see on the www, the manufacturer has technical departments and labs and people who can investigate the alternatives and actually know what is best.
Who has the best chances of knowing. The highly qualified engineers at the factory or Fred the mechanic down at the garage.
Who has the best chances of knowing. The highly qualified engineers at the factory or Fred the mechanic down at the garage.
S Works said:
Gooby said:
Go for the record 0 - 1000 miles. Less than 24 hours by Twinpipe!
Exactamunda-DING-A-FARKIN-Ling dude.The weather for the next few days is looking better than recently, if a little rainy and still cold.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/10209
Do that Somerset trip, but go via the A roads and enjoy some mid-range revs driving. Remind yourself what a wonderfully deft, delicate (lard ass
) you're driving without shedloads of revs. Book the running in service for the w/c 4th Jan and get on with it!Brighton and back today, Taunton and back tomorrow. Let's see how the fat ginger ballerina copes with the rain
4th Jan will be a problem as I'll be in Verbier pretending I'm half my age and doing a good impression of being suicidal
but immediately after, once the oil's changed for the fully synthetic stuff I'll be able to see whether this monster rush above 7500 rpm is for real or not 1000 miles in 24 hours would be heroic, especially over the Christmas period. I'm hoping I get pretty clear roads today whilst everyone else struggles with their hangovers
I really tried, but some guy in a DB9 decided he'd have me around the roundabouts coming out of Brighton... and that simply *wouldn't* do.
So now I've got it recorded in my ECU that I strayed 'slightly' over the 4500 rpm in the running in phase?
Oops.
At least I got to watch an Aston's electronic nannies keep the guy on the road, there was definitely some individual back wheel braking going on as he lurched off the slippery roundabout...
I'm starting to realise that I'm going to have *all* sorts of problems running this car in....
So now I've got it recorded in my ECU that I strayed 'slightly' over the 4500 rpm in the running in phase?
Oops.
At least I got to watch an Aston's electronic nannies keep the guy on the road, there was definitely some individual back wheel braking going on as he lurched off the slippery roundabout...
I'm starting to realise that I'm going to have *all* sorts of problems running this car in....
Over 8 hours in the car today. Getting from Sevenoaks to Taunton took 5h 45m - never seen traffic like it - bloody uncomfortable way to break in a new set of seats. Getting back took 2h 20m, and not the best 'running in' style either... I kept below 4500 rpm for the entire day but we're talking 4499 rpm for most of the return journey.
Girlfriend put up with 8 hours of passenger in a 2bular'd Exige S PP, only starting to complain of a sore back and arse in the last half hour of the return journey. The fat ginger ballerina ate it all up, including trying to race three police pursuit cars who were the only people to overtake me on the M25 (at about 130 mph, I was of course doing the regulation 4499 rpm). Perhaps they were having a race, they certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Anyway I'm absolutely *knackered* now by this, the car's up to 550 miles so I'll probably get it past 600 tomorrow (assuming I'm not so stiff from today's marathon to get out of bed).
Not up to Twinpipe's standards but I don't see how you can do 1000 miles in 24 hours in one of those things without illegal stimulants - at least not safely. And certainly not keeping below 4500 rpm and varying the engine speed!!! Perhaps sitting at 4499 rpm non stop on an empty road... how the hell did he do it???
First impressions though - even in terrible nose-to-tail traffic and then adrenaline-rush high-speed stuff along the A303 in the dark... it's bloody marvellous
I absolutely love the thing.
Girlfriend put up with 8 hours of passenger in a 2bular'd Exige S PP, only starting to complain of a sore back and arse in the last half hour of the return journey. The fat ginger ballerina ate it all up, including trying to race three police pursuit cars who were the only people to overtake me on the M25 (at about 130 mph, I was of course doing the regulation 4499 rpm). Perhaps they were having a race, they certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Anyway I'm absolutely *knackered* now by this, the car's up to 550 miles so I'll probably get it past 600 tomorrow (assuming I'm not so stiff from today's marathon to get out of bed).
Not up to Twinpipe's standards but I don't see how you can do 1000 miles in 24 hours in one of those things without illegal stimulants - at least not safely. And certainly not keeping below 4500 rpm and varying the engine speed!!! Perhaps sitting at 4499 rpm non stop on an empty road... how the hell did he do it???
First impressions though - even in terrible nose-to-tail traffic and then adrenaline-rush high-speed stuff along the A303 in the dark... it's bloody marvellous
I absolutely love the thing. Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff