March 29, 2024, 06:55:40 AM

News:


Signs of oil on plugs, new build

Started by waltcentral, October 07, 2020, 09:03:59 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

waltcentral

1983 Shovelhead 300 miles on break-in.  I was getting signs of oil front and rear plugs. Not wet with oil just that shiny black crust. Will brush off with a wire brush. It looks as if the rear cylinder is cleaning up but front cylinder still has some deposits after a 40 mile run. 
S&S top end kit installed (heads jugs and pistons).
I know the break in is not done but I thought rings will seat within 50 miles.
Am I just being a little too anal?






Burnout

Steady state operation may glaze the rings and they may not fully seal.

The rings rely on cylinder pressure to push the rings out against the cylinder.
Steady state riding does not produce higher cylinder pressures.
You need to make some power to push the rings against the cylinder.
Depending on the clearances you may want to limit the time and RPM at WFO.
What you don't want to do is heat the rings so much they expand and and close the end gap.

At 40 miles it should be broken in, but if you baby'd it they may not have.
So If the ring end gaps were not set tight and the pistons have good clearance (not tight).
Ride it like you stole it to seat the rings. Really!   :bike:
They don't call me Ironhead Rick just because I'm "hard headed"

kd

KD

JW113

 :agree: too. But with a little caveat...

Before doing the full power pulls, I typically heat cycle the engine a few times. As in, fire up, run for a few minutes, shut down and let cool off. Then a few very short rides around the block, come back, shut down and cool off, each ride a little longer. Probably don't rack up more than 10 miles or so like this. The point being, at fresh build, internal friction is high especially at the ring/cylinder interface. Heat cycles let the two wear against each other, but not long enough to get super-heated. But then, as Burnout said, time to get it on the highway and do some full power pulls, coast back down, repeat 8 or 10 times. Not to redline, but maybe 2500 to 4500 WFO pulls. After that, ride it like you're going to, but personally I don't beat on 'em hard until 500 miles or so. I think the S&S break in procedure is far too cautious, but then they are looking to avoid warranty costs due to dumb ass gorillas taking fresh engines and beating on them.

JMO,

-JW
2004 FLHRS   1977 FLH Shovelhead  1992 FLSTC
1945 Indian Chief   1978 XL Bobber

kd

That sounds about right to me.  The initial starts are your opportunity to find leaks. hear sounds and maybe even go over the exhaust etc.
KD

crock

Quote from: JW113 on October 08, 2020, 08:35:50 AM
:agree: too. But with a little caveat...

Before doing the full power pulls, I typically heat cycle the engine a few times. As in, fire up, run for a few minutes, shut down and let cool off. Then a few very short rides around the block, come back, shut down and cool off, each ride a little longer. Probably don't rack up more than 10 miles or so like this. The point being, at fresh build, internal friction is high especially at the ring/cylinder interface. Heat cycles let the two wear against each other, but not long enough to get super-heated. But then, as Burnout said, time to get it on the highway and do some full power pulls, coast back down, repeat 8 or 10 times. Not to redline, but maybe 2500 to 4500 WFO pulls. After that, ride it like you're going to, but personally I don't beat on 'em hard until 500 miles or so. I think the S&S break in procedure is far too cautious, but then they are looking to avoid warranty costs due to dumb ass gorillas taking fresh engines and beating on them.

JMO,

-JW


And here is where I do the first oil change
Crock

kd

 :agree:

Initial start-up series oil a high ZDDP but lighter 10-40 oil like Rotella T. I then would change filter and oil to a regular 20-50 grade for tuning and the first 250 to 500 miles.  Next change filter and oil to what you will be using and carry on as normal from there.
KD

waltcentral

Road around 200 miles today,and before that around 40 miles. So I figure around 240 to to 250 miles since checked plugs. Rear is normal and front around half what I was getting riding 40-50 miles and nothing on the part of the plug with the flat surface at the end of the threads like before. I put a set on NGK ZGR5C. I have been using all long reach plugs.
Upper 60's here today and I got it out on the Highway and did a series of repeated pulls 50-60, the 55-65, then 60-70 with rests in between.
I need to drop my main jet down from a 74 to a 72 seemed a little fat and not quite crisp.



waltcentral

*********** WARNING ************
If you are running the extended reach plugs on your Shovelhead 80 the above mentioned NGK plugs ( ZGR5C) can contact piston tops.  On my bike the rear cylinder contacted the ground electrode at the top enough to close the gap. Autolite's are fine.

Burnout

They don't call me Ironhead Rick just because I'm "hard headed"

waltcentral

  The Autolite 4345 is what I usually ran with good results and is what is in there now. When I ordered some plugs I saw the NGK's and thought of giving them a try.
I wish as in the good old days we were privy to spark plug specs as heat range and reach.