Running in tips - Pinto

I fired up a motor I've slowly been building tonight for the first time.
Ran it at around 2000-2500 rpm for about 10mins.

Anyone got any specifics they do when running in a Pinto?

I was planning on firing it up again tomorrow night and getting the timing light on it then it should be ready for a drive.

Rhys

Hello 2lt_Scort,

Really depends on how tight you have built the engine.

After the warm up that you have already done, check the head gasket manufactures instructions as you may need to retorque the head gasket.

After this has been done just give it a good tune up and drive around as you would in normal day to day traffic without over reving.

Be sure not to keep the engine at the same revs for a long time, vary the revs as you would normally in everyday traffic.

Drive around for 1000km then do an oil change, and another at 2000km
(originally when these cars were new Ford Specified 1500km for the first oil change then 5,000km (I think) then 10,000km etc.

The 1500km to 2000km mark appears to be the time they loosen up properly.

Other people will have their own recommendations, so listen to them also.

Great luck and enjoy!

Most run ins are the same principle. Take it for a drive on an open road. Load the engine from low in the revs to mid rev, ie WOT in 3rd or 4th gear. After some time(depens on people oppinion on how long but i would say about 10 min)do the same but take it to 3/4 rev. Once you have done 500km i would drive it fairly normaly and over rev it (red line) untill about 1000km. Like stated above, retention head gasket at about 1000km and change the oil.

Thanks for the replies. I've got it booked in for an exhaust
Monday so after that I should be able to do the road run in process.

Rhys

The best way guys is to take it straight to a dyno as I normally only fire up the engine long enough to make sure everythings ok and then it goes straight onto the dyno as running under as much load as possible to bed the rings into the bores in most engines it will be done in 5-10mins maximum as I usually do it with the breathers off and you can notice the blow by ceases very quickly with enough load. Once the rings are bedded in we normally take it easy on the camshaft for another 10 mins if it's a new shaft and then into as my own engine will be at full noise within 15 mins.
The trick is to bed the rings in properly with as much load as possible as it literally like driving out your driveway and drive straight up the steepest hill you can think of in the tallest gear you can pull!
On a tour of FPV once through the 5.4lt engine assembly line they were doing just that wheeling hte engine up to the rig plugging in the pre heated fluid lines and pulling the cord and the engines were running alot higher load and rpm than I imagined and thats all the running in they get!

Danny

The other thing guys is don't bother with the majority of light running in oils as they will do more damage than good especially to bearings and camshafts as the old wives tale was you needed the lght running in oil to help the rings bedding in and to bed the bearings in becsause they're tight, THIS IS CRAP!
Bedding in rings is a load issue and not because of light weight oil, if yu don't put any load on the rings they won't bed in no matter what oil you use and bedding in bearings is nonsense as all they are there for is to provide a path for the oil because as soon as you have a metal to metal contact you're screwed!
The only running in oil I've found thats been worth using is the Joe Gibbs Racing Bed-In oil as it's a full 10W50 mineral oil with added phosferous to help seat rings and added zinc to decrease any camshaft wear.
Do not run in on any synthetics especially the Motul, HKS and Redline ester based synthetics as they are far too slippery and will make it difficult to seat the rings. Most guys will bed the rings in on a normal mineral based oil and then change it, I myself do it afte the dyno session with the Joe Gibbs

Danny

Yes as danny said, Load the car up make it work.
Fill it up with people or sandbags etc. People are better as they can help you push if it breaks

Thanks to all for the abnove responses, I've followed your advice though not yet got to dyno.

Ok, I got the car running again and was able to drive it to the exhaust shop, did alot of loading it up etc on way there. Gave it more of a work out on the way home. its got some go.

Taken it for a decent drive in the hills yesterday and its pinging it head off unless I baby it up the hills.

Its smoking very mildly on idle and when coasting along (blue/whitish smoke). No smoke under load.
So far it has probably 100km under its belt....is this normal? Been about 6-7years since I've run a motor in.

Thanks,
Rhys