Break in question....

[NMills]

I'm sure this may have been covered but i have not found an actual answer... I am goin to do a 416 11.1 and a stage 2 Hotcam.... Can i break these in at the same time? or do i need to do one then the other??? Any advice would be nice...

[honda400ex2003]

as long as you keep the rpms moving to break in the cam you will be ok.

i would mainly focus on breaking the engine in first, the cam will do its job at the same time.

make sure you adjust the valves again after break in to make sure that everything is good with the cam lobes and such.

steve

[NMills]

So mainly focus on how to break in the piston and the cam will follow??

[honda400ex2003]

yup, just vary the rpms as much as you can. dont hold it steady at 15 mph for 10 minutes or something lol.

steve

[NMills]

Sounds easy enough...

[honda400ex2003]

always sounds easy on paper lol :)

steve

[400exrip]

When you are breaking in a motor never run synthetic oil in it at first, for the first 30 minuets run non synthetic oil, or break in oil.

Then after the 30 minuets change it and put the good stuff in it.

[honda400ex2003]

never run full synthetic in a wet clutch system anyway. thats a given for these engines.

steve

[eprovenzano]

Steve I respect your opinion, but this one is where we will agree to disagree... I run Rotella full synthetic in my street bike, (yamaha Vstar 1100). The shifting is smother than with the Yamaha dino oil I was using.... I haven't used in the 400 yet as I recently split the cases, and replaced the crank, bearing, rebore, piston, rings, timing chain etc. etc. I'm waiting until the 2nd oil change to ensure its properly broken it before I switched it over to the Rotella full synthetic.

Yes oil is a personal choice, and everyone has a different opinion. Again, I respect your opinion, as God knows you've answered my questions many times, but this is one where we will agree to disagree... :)

[F-16Guy]

Cam break-in is critical. Follow the cam break-in procedures first and then finish breaking in the piston and rings by riding at a moderate pace, varying the RPMs, and not lugging or revving too much in the initial few hours.

[crownandmonster]

It is more important to break the cam in following hot cams directions. You piston and rings really do not require much breaking in and they will be seated just fine when you are down breaking in the cam.

[NMills]

I'm glad we went back to the original matter... i don't know how this became another "oil thread".... I don't even wanna get into the oil debate... I'm sure there are enough other posts for it... But do we agree that breaking in the cam is the priority?

[honda400ex2003]

yes break in the cam properly by varying the rpms just like you would while breaking in your engine.

Directions for cam breakin:
Upon initial start up it is very important you DO NOT let the engine idle. The engine must run for at least 20 minutes at 3000 rpm or better, constantly changing the rpm level (a nice light test ride is best to keep the engine cool). Only light engine loads are to be used. No excessive rpm or lugging. Let the engine cool completely. Restart and continue riding for an additional 40 minutes using the same criteria. Let the engine cool completely. Check your valve clearances, reset if necessary.

engine breakin:
Warm the engine up completely:
Do one easy lap to warm up your tires. Pit, turn off the bike & check for leaks or
any safety problems. Take a normal 15 minute practice session
and check the water temperature occasionally. The racetrack is the perfect environment to break in an engine !! The combination of acceleration and deceleration is just the ticket for sealing the rings.
Go For It !!

have fun, they are pretty close to the same as i stated earlier in the thread.

steve