Break-in period before racing?

[bugnut68]

Just awaiting my carbs returning home before my 2017 will get installed in my '70 Bug, and I've got a question regarding break-in mileage before flogging it at the local 1/8 mile drag strip.  Is there any recommendation on how many miles to get on an engine that will be occasionally street driven and also bracket raced?  Should I wait until I get past the 500 mile mark before I go out and start railing on it at the track, or does it matter?

Engine isn't a terribly radical combo, but more of a beast than my last 1776 with 7.8:1 comp., Kadrons and Engle 100 cam... not sure if it matters much, but I was wondering what others recommended.  Thanks in advance!

[TexasTom]

I'm probably on the outer fringe on this, but once the cam is broken in, tune is set, valves readjusted and valvetrain confirmed, oil changed, etc ... it's ready to GO!
I give it one good test drive and that about it.
 

[Harry/FDK]

TT is right, but i would go for the 500 miles to have the rings set and maybe go synthetic. Just my 2 cnts.

[bugnut68]

I've gotten through cam break in, but that's it so far as I had to ship my carbs off to ACE in Utah to have them worked on.

[Bruce]

Go straight to the track when you get the carbs back.
Rings don't seat optimally with light loading.  In other words, don't baby it for the first 500 miles.
You need lots of cylinder pressure to force the rings hard against the cylinders to generate a good seal.  Find a long steep grade on the highway near where you live.  Drive up in high gear with the most load you can give it.  When you get to the top, turn around and coast down.  Repeat.

[BeetleBug]

Go straight to the track when you get the carbs back.
Rings don't seat optimally with light loading.  In other words, don't baby it for the first 500 miles.
You need lots of cylinder pressure to force the rings hard against the cylinders to generate a good seal.  Find a long steep grade on the highway near where you live.  Drive up in high gear with the most load you can give it.  When you get to the top, turn around and coast down.  Repeat.

Or do it the safe way and take you`re car to a rolling road/Dyna Packs. I still can not believe that so many use so much money on their engines but still do not consider taking them to a dyno shop to get the engine tuned correctly and the rings seated.

[Jon]

Safe for who, the engine or the man?
It's about load, not speed

[BeetleBug]

Safe for who, the engine or the man?
It's about load, not speed

The man and others on the road.

If you want load you should definitely consider using a rolling road or dyna packs where you can apply as much load as you want. Not for the faint hearted though.

BB

[Jon]

And according to a skåning with Bosch dyno a definite no-no on a aircooled engine... 

[BeetleBug]

And according to a skåning with Bosch dyno a definite no-no on a aircooled engine... 

Well, as I said: not for the faint hearted.

[bugnut68]

No dynos nearby where I live... and for that matter, I'm somewhat limited on steep hills, lol.  Steepest grade to me is like 70 miles north of town.  Dyno Don once told me to get on a nice straight stretch of road and pull up from low speed (near lugging) in third gear and wind it out as high as I can get it and then back of the gas and let it coast down under compression.  I used that method on my 1776 to get the rings seated in, seemed to work with the Grant rings I had in there.  The road out to the airport/local drag strip is more than sufficient for this purpose, I think.

I appreciate the info, all, definitely good to know!

[ugly duckling]

TXT NAILED IT . PEDAL TO DA METAL UD. 

[bugnut68]

TXT NAILED IT . PEDAL TO DA METAL UD. 

I can't even begin to say how greatly I anticipate that opportunity!

[Fiatdude]

put it on boost and then your good to do

[bugnut68]

put it on boost and then your good to do

It's taken me so long just to build a naturally aspirated stroker, I'll have to settle for now...  Turbo is the next step down the road, as funds allow!