ATV Florida Forum

Im buying a new 4 wheeler tomorrow im wondering how is the correct way you should break in a motor?

Read this article. I firmly believe in this method of break in.
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm[/b]

That is a great web site, I have always been a firm believer of this break in method and personally have never had a problem with a engine doing it like that, Especially on atv engines that use roller bearings everywhere, On a car engine with Sleeve type bearings I would be careful with getting high RPM's until the crank/rod bearings have time to break in....KEN

warm it up and drive it like you stole it  ;D

Even with 2 strokes runing it like a bad at of hell is a good way to break it in? Cause im low on budget so im buying a 2005 blaster it will be my first quad I heard it is good to change oil after like 5 hours do to some like metal not beening clean as come be there might be some tiny metal shavings or something just to make sure your runing it nice and clean. Also will the oil injector have a part in this breaking in info from the site?

this was some good reading.
Nice article

Good Article,

For the 2 stroke question... I have used just about every 2 stroke engine out there, from Nitro (R/C Boats) to my cr500cc, when following the manufacturers recommendations for breaking it in the engines never seemed as strong as breaking them in like a wild man.

so to answer the question,  Yes run it like you just stole the damn thing, for 2 stroke do the same but run it a little rich, not so much that it doesnt run properly but run it rich or with higher oil content.

I have 2 Identical R/C engines here, one broken in to manufacturers recomendations (run at idle with givign little throttle to 1/2 every so often for 20 oz of 40% nitro)

ON the same Catamaran hull that i clocked 82mph in with the other engine that i just blasted open right out of the box i have yet to pass the 74mph barrier with the engine.

Strange enough when i check the compression on each the one broken in like a little baby was runnign it has lower compression than the one broken in wildly.

PS this is the norm, not just these 2 engines.

My grandpa just retired from chrysler after 30 years a few years and that is the way he has always broken in a new motor in everything he has owned!!!  Cars, trucks, mowers, bikes...everything!!!  He has always said drive it from day one like you will after the break in period or in modern day terms...."Drive it Like You Stole it!"

Hahaha, that is a good one...

Thats actually the best thing you can do for your quad. when I first bought my quad I went through what seemed like hundreds of sites researching the break-in process (was probably only around 50 ;)) and if you break it in hard you will get more Horse power out of your engine and there is no appearant damage or change in longevity to the life of your quad. thats how I broke mine in and it runs fine.

I would be very hesitant to go against what the manufacturer suggests. They built it, why would they be the only ones wrong with everyone else being right? It's not likely, and that is why I refused to buy used quads because 9 times out of 10 they are broken in against the manufacturers recomendations.

Were they right when they gave you a stubstandard pipe?  NO!  and thats why thats your first upgrade.

It is not that they are wrong, but there is a better way of doing to yeild more power.

you dont have to take our suggestions, but i have broken in MANY and seen the difference.

Here is a great example.

1 car lets say a corolla is driven in florida only on all the flat roads and driving 50+mph..

another car, lets say another corolla same make model and year, but broken in on my island where there is lots of hills and roads going over those hills.

1 car driven on the island makes it over the high hills with no problems while the car driven on the flats in Florida has a hard time getting over them.

this is not fiction, it can be seen here on a daily basis.

I basically ride mine the way I broke it in. I take it easy and don't abuse it, so I suppose if I continue to ride that way I should have no problem.

(http://www.mototuneusa.com/BreakInF3Pistons.jpg)

Your piston will look like the one on the left. It was broken in according to manufactures guidelines. The one on the right is out of an engine that was broken in hard.

I don't believe that for a second. Showing that picture means nothing.

Even i have to agree with shotgun on this one LOL.

No carbon Build up what so ever means it was never even started :)

I would agree that breaking in the engine by riding it as hard as you can might increase the horsepower as you say. But I think it is the intention of the manufacturer to make the engine last as long as possible which I believe will happen by following their recomendations for break in. Riding it balls to the wall from day one will shorten the life of the engine. After seeing how people break in their machines I will never ever buy used. When i want to ride I want to ride, not have to work on it.

This is the way i break in all my motors and ive rode mine 5 days a week for the last 2 years and no problems yet,so does that mean i broke it in wrong??

Didn't you just tell me Saturday that you wouldn't want to sell your quad because of all the work that you've done to it?
Think about it. If you sell it then you have to get another one and then sink another 3 or 4 grand into it again.
If someone buys this then they are getting one hell of a fast quad.I don't know of anything that can beat it  other than the Rappy of course.  ;D

Not something i really want to do but.......
Kinda have too,Hell i cant even afford to ride it right now :-/

I would buy a used one if I knew the person, or knew how they maintained it. I wouldn't from a dealer.

If you really think about it, what are you breaking in on a quad, The RINGS, and as the article states when its broke in riding hard you are just seating the rings better and faster, which will provide a better seal, The manufacturer is NEVER going to tell you to go and ride it like you stole it to break it in because some moron would fall off a hurt himself and sue them...They are not worried about you getting the most performance from your quad, they are worried about you  riding safely....other than the rings there is nothing else to break in on an the engine...Never seen a roller bearing you had to break in...............The DOCTOR