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DRIVEN Break In Oils

Driven Racing Oil Conventional Break-In Oils & Assembly Lubricants

Driven's Conventional Break-In & Assembly Oils are specifically designed to provide superior protection during the crucial break-in period of a new engine. These high-quality break-in oils contain advanced additives missing from conventional motor oils that help to prevent premature wear and damage to critical engine components, such as the camshaft, pistons, and bearings. In addition to break-in protection, Driven's Conventional Break-In & Assembly Oils also provide exceptional anti-wear and anti-foaming properties to ensure long-lasting engine performance. These break-in oils are formulated with a unique blend of high-quality base oils and advanced additives and offered in a wide range of viscosities, making them ideal for use in a wide range of engines, including high-performance and racing applications.

Whether you're building a new engine from scratch or looking to protect the investment you've already made, Driven's Conventional Break-In Oils & Assembly Oils are the perfect choice for achieving optimal engine performance and longevity. So why wait? Give your engine the protection it deserves with Driven's Conventional Break-In Oils & Assembly Lubricants today!


What is the difference between a conventional oil and a break-in oil?

When breaking in a new engine, in years past a non-detergent engine oil was commonly used. The reason for doing so was that the lack of detergents allows the anti-wear additives in the oil to function better. Before the advent of break-in oils, many engine builders would use a diesel oil because these oils typically had more ZDDP than a street car oil. In both cases, these conventional oils (not semi- or full-synthetic) could be used for break in. Nowadays, non-detergent oils and modern diesel engine oils are not suitable for engine break-in, requiring use of a dedicated break-in oil, like Driven's BR break-in oils. Today's modern street car oils have less ZDDP and often have more detergents to allow for longer drain intervals. The addition of friction modifiers to these oils might help with fuel economy, but they are your enemy during engine break-in. It goes without saying that using a semi- or full-synthetic oil in your newly rebuilt engine is something you don't want to do.

In summary, the requirements for break-in oils include:

  • Break-in oils cannot be semi- or full synthetic
  • Break-in oils need to have more ZDDP to protect critical engine components during initial run-in
  • Break-in oils cannot have any friction modifiers like moly
  • Break-in oils should niether be non-detergent or have high levels detergency
  • Break-in oils should be in the appropriate viscosity for the application

Break-in oils like Driven's BR line of break-in oils provide a conventional oil with increased levels of ZDDP anti-wear additives, low detergency, and no friction modifiers. This combination is what makes Driven break-in oils the best oil for breaking in a new engine.
 

Why are Driven BR Break-In Oils Needed for New or Rebuilt Engines?

Driven Racing Oils BR Break-In OilsNewly manufactured engine components often have rough surfaces due to the manufacturing process. Break-in oils are designed to provide the necessary lubrication for these rough surfaces, allowing them to wear down and smooth out gradually. This controlled wear is crucial for achieving the optimal fit and function of engine parts. During the initial stages of an engine's life, there is a lot of friction and heat generated as various components, such as pistons, rings, and camshafts, settle into their optimal positions. Break-in oils are formulated with additives that reduce friction and heat buildup, which is essential for preventing premature wear and damage to these critical engine parts. These specialized oils reduce friction, heat, and wear, promote proper sealing, and minimize contaminant buildup during the critical break-in period.

Driven Racing Oils specializes in application specific chemistry for its break-in oils. Driven provides oils that go beyond API licensed oils commonly sold at your local parts store. These shelf motor oils might work for modern production engines, but high performance engines see more RPM, higher loads, increased output, and higher operating temperatures compared to stock engines. A high performance engine requires higher levels of zinc, phosphorus, sulfur and other additives to prevent increased wear, especially at break-in. This is especially true in older engines with flat tappet cams and lifters, single overhead cams, or engines with performance cams with increased lift, duration, and spring pressures. In those first 20-30 minutes of run-in, not using a break-in oil like Driven BR can lead to costly component damage or engine failure.

How did Driven solve the camshaft wear problems associated with break-in of new performance engines? It was not because of “magic molecules” or “proprietary technology”. The secret to solving the problem was as simple as tailoring the chemistry of the engine oil to meet the application. All oils lubricate, but the real question is how long will the oil lubricate, and under what conditions? For example, a gear oil would make a terrible motor oil. But why? Gear oils are designed for gears and differentials and motor oils are designed for engines. Different applications require different chemistries. Think about shoes - you could wear boots to run a marathon, but your feet probably won't thank you and you'll probably injure yourself. For a marathon, you need to wear an appropriate pair of running shoes. Same goes for a breaking in a new engine - that is why break-in oil works better for engine break-in than using a diesel engine oil – application specific chemistry. Equally important is viscosity. Although Driven was the first to offer a break-in oil, other companies have followed suit with their own break-in oils. However most break-in oils sold are offered in a mono-grade SAE 30 grade (equivalent to a 20w50) which isn't appropriate for most modern engines with tight operating clearances.

Driven Racing Oils offers a large selection of mono-grade and multi-grade break-in oils in a wide range of viscosities, including:


Other viscosities of Driven BR Break-In oils can be special ordered by the case or by the drum.

Engine Assembly - Cleanliness is Everything

Even with the best quality parts and a high quality break-in oil like Driven BR, if you don’t have everything just right, you can still have less than perfect results. Before you break-in your new or rebuilt engine, there are many important steps including cleaning, assembly, lubrication, and tuning that can directly affect your success.

Step one is to make sure all components are properly cleaned, especially the cylinders. This is very important with Porsche engines with Nikasil cylinder bores, as the Nikasil and honing oil on the cylinder bores from honing is very abrasive. If not cleaned properly, this contamination will cause cylinder, piston, and ring wear and damage, leading to scoring and streaking, even if a a break-in oil is used. For cleaning of the cylinder bores, we use and recommend denatured alcohol and lint-free wipes, such as Kimwipes. Modern brake and carburetor cleaners that have been reformulated to be better for the environment, so they just don’t cut it anymore. Cylinder bores must be wiped down until the Kimwipes come out white with no contamination whatsoever. If you have access to an ultrasonic parts washer, we recommend running the block or cylinders through that first, but denatured alcohol and Kimwipes must be used for the final cleaning prior to assembly. The piston and rings also must go through a similar cleaning process to eliminate contamination from manufacturing or any corrosion inhibitors applied during manufacturing.  After cleaning and during assembly, proper lubrication during assembly is critical. Always follow directives provided by the supplier of your components for what lubricants are required, where, and in what quantity.

For those in the process of rebuilding a Porsche engine, LN Engineering provides directives for both aircooled and watercooled engine assembly and break-in, including recommendations for assembly lubricants and break-in oils:

Aircooled Porsche Engine Rebuild Assembly and Break-In Instructions

Watercooled Porsche Engine Rebuild Assembly and Break-In Instructions

We highly recommend downloading all of our technical guides which can be found in the LN Engineering Educational Download Library.
 

Breaking In Your New Engine

When it comes time to break-in the engine, with modern engines and lubricants, break-in isn’t the same now as it was in decades past. Where previously the cylinder bores and rings would have to wear into each other, modern honing techniques such as plateau honing reduce the wear that occurs during break-in. In the case of an engine with Nikasil cylinder bores, the bores don’t wear - it is the rings that have to seat during the break-in process. This is why cleaning of the cylinder bores, pistons, and rings is as important as what break-in oil is used. Proper lubrication is important, but contamination of these surfaces can result in component failure.

Assuming you did everything right during the assembly process and you are using the correct break-in oil for your new or rebuilt engine, the final variable is tuning. Fuel dilution is a huge problem, especially if the cylinder bores are getting washed down due to excess fuel during initial engine break-in. Remember fuel is not a lubricant. Likewise, excessive idling without putting a load on the engine during the initial run in can cause negatively affect ring seal, especially with Nikasil-plated cylinder bores that can glaze over. If this occurs, often the engine must be disassembled to de-glaze the cylinder and re-ring the pistons to achieve proper ring seal.

After the initial 20-30 minutes to get the engine up to temperature and break in the camshaft and lifters (or rockers), it's critical to that the engine sees a load as soon as possible to ensure the rings can seat properly. You need cylinder pressure to seal the rings against the cylinder walls. Without access to a dyno to break in your rebuilt engine, driving the car while varying the speed and load (without going to redline) and engine braking to seat the piston rings is required to break in the engine correctly. Remember, without sufficient load, parts can’t break-in and wear into each other, even if you are using a break-in oil.

For tips and tricks on engine break in, check out our latest YouTube video with Certified Lubrication Specialist Lake Speed Jr. from Total Seal Piston Rings (and Driven Racing Oils previously):


Are there any online guides on how to break-in your new or rebuilt engine?

Two excellent resources for new or rebuilt engine break-in include:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

and

https://www.aircooled.net/vw-engine-break-in-procedure/
 

What oil should you after engine break-in?

Running a break-in oil too long or switching to a race, partial synthetic, full synthetic, or any friction modified oil containing moly too early can prevent rings from seating properly.

We recommend running Driven GP-1 30wt Break-In Oil or Driven BR Break-In Oil for the first 20-30 minutes. After initial break-in, the oil should be changed out for a conventional non-friction modified engine oil like Driven HR or our 607-7177 heavy duty engine oil, either of which can be run for the first 3000-5000 miles.
 

Why should you do used oil analysis on the oil you break-in your new engine with?

Something also often overlooked is doing used oil analysis of the initial break-in oil that is removed after the first 20-30 minutes of run time. This establishes a baseline for what the highest wear levels should be for your new or rebuilt engine. Each subsequent oil change should see a reduction of wear metals until it levels out. If wear starts to trend up or reaches initial wear levels recorded during initial break-in, there could be something wrong with your engine that might require corrective action to prevent catastrophic damage. LN Engineering and Flat 6 Innovations exclusively recommends using SPEEDiagnostix for used oil analysis of the break-in oil and at subsequent oil changes.

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