Mike, I think you need to finally visit our shop....I want to show you in person. I will break out the camera shortly...but they look just like the rod bearings.

 

... NICE

 

OK, I broke out the camera one last time.
I also took pics of the cylinder wall, since I figure someone might ask for that as well.

 

LOl Sharif-put the camera in Macro and focus next time

 

At this distance, the cam will only focus on one spot....I am just a few inches away from the subject, so it's impossible to get the whole frame in focus.

Shutterbug.

 

Try backing up, and zooming in, I know sounds silly but it works best. Just a little FYI...

 

Is that just a little surface rust on the last pic, from being handled after the tear-down?

 

bah

pics are good enough... i think it shows the point across well that engine was well build

props!!!

 

Yes, it is.

 

Sharif,
Please share with us what oil you used, how often you changed it, your break in procedure, etc... as these are HUGELY important contributing factors to the pristine bearing condition and minimal wear patterns.

Thanks
TODD

 

Different shops have different methods for proper break in that would just work. What are yours? or you don't have a suggested method for you engine break in?

Edit. not saying what ever sharifs method will not work btw. Just saying there are other methods, and some of the "DONTs" are universal more so than the "DOs"

 

Thanks Sharif....everything looks so good after all the beatings that thing
has taken. I think your 25k is more like 75K for most boosted drivers and
the engine looks like it still had plenty of life left in it. Good job, and the
fact that you have probably learned so much more about the VQ since it
was put together will just make the next one that much better. Now I know
why I want you to build my next one, and YES, I will visit your shop soon.
My car been there, just not me yet....but soon!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike

 

great choice, anyone in a several hundred mile radius should go see Sharif!

 

+1.. I was actually over 1000 miles away and drove for a tune.. Didnt work out well because of my SC belt issue.. Ill come back for another tune in the future.. Sharif FTW!!

 

You are correct, in that there are a lot of different methods for engine break-in, so I would go with whatever your engine builder/shop suggests.

For us, we always use conventional oil (I think this is one universal in regards to proper engine break-in). We perform all of the break-in on our load based dyno, in a safe and controlled fashion. If a shop has an inertia dyno, they will not be able to break-in the motor using the method we use, and would need to drive the car on the road. Applying load, and gradually increasing cylinder pressure and heat in the engine, is my perfered method of break-in. After about 3 hours on the dyno, over the course of 2 days, the engine is ready for full power tuning. Once the car leaves our shop, the customer can drive it as hard as they wish, and simply switch to Motul 300V at about 1500miles.

 

Yeah, that's a major advantage of that load based dyno. I wish it were that easy down here.

What about clutch break in?

 

After the dyno break-in, we are ready to go with the clutch. With a new clutch, you can apply load and power to the engine, but you want to avoid slipping or launching the clutch for about 1000 miles. So no drag racing.

 

I see. So it's absolutely fine to dyno for big power as long as the new clutch is fully engaged when doing so. Good to know!

 

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

Interesting article about engine break in. Some agree, some don't, but this has been passed around and debated on several websites for a while now. I'll "assume" that Sharif's dyno-based engine break-in follows something close to what this article outlines (considering that the engine is considered completely broken in over the course of a day or two). My personal opinion is that the article makes a ton of sense... I don't want to take the thread off topic, but for what it's worth and for those without load-based dynos - it's worth a read.

 

Hmm... that's definitely an interesting read. It basically says that the main factor to engine break-in is the warm up process. After that, a series of hard bursts acceleration on the street followed by deceleration or cool down will better seat the piston rings.

I'm also interested in the fact that he states to change the oil after the first 20 miles. Also, of course, he suggests using dino oil for the first 1500.

In the end, I'd rather stick with whatever my shop or engine builder suggests. Better to base your break in on what someone with a good amount of experience with the build/motor in particular says than to trust a guy's website who builds bikes for a living.