Engine break-in when manufactured by VW?

[Tim Donahoe]

Does anyone know if VW went through any engine break-in procedure before installing the engines in our bugs?

I keep seeing threads where people give advice about how to break in a newly rebuilt engine. 2000 rpm’s for twenty minutes, or so many rpm’s for so long a time, etc.

Since I remember no special instructions, other than not going the same speed for the first 300 miles, I have to wonder if VW went through any special break in procedure on the engines at the factory. If not, why do folks here recommend a different engine break in procedure?

Tim
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Richard O'Brien

[2type2]

I wondered about this as I just completed the initial break in on a stock rebuild. I don't think VW would have spent the extra 20-30 minutes on each car due to cost alone. Look at today's assembly lines where the completed cars roll off the line every minute. VW would have quickly been able to determine what or how much break in was necessary, since they had their hands on every new car for post-sale warranty. If engines were suffering it would become obvious.
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[cricketseed]

One of those Doyle Dane Bernbach ads from 1961 (titled "You don't have to take it on a shakedown cruise") says: "Our air cooled engine, for example, is run and tuned before we install it. You can drive a VW at top speed the first day. The engine is so beautifully machined for low friction, you'll probably never need oil between changes. To say nothing of a break-in period or shakedown cruise."

I seem to remember seeing an assembly-line video where the workers were test-running the engines, but I don't remember exactly which video it was.

That said, Volkswagen would have definitely been striking a balance between building a product that didn't disappoint customers and making money. Someone building one engine, on his own dime and for his own personal use, shouldn't necessarily be wedded to the practices of a corporate assembly line that was spitting out hundreds of cars a day.
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[busdaddy]

1973 factory photo:

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[Tom K.]

[VW_Jimbo]

[slayer61]

Kinda looks like he's bolted up to an engine dyno, though.

[busdaddy]

Sure does, maybe that's final assembly and test run?, the build fixtures don't look like a dyno:

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[viiking]

I vaguely remember reading somewhere about the start-up procedure of the engine when it was assembled.I cannot remember now if it was in relation to the German or our local Australian plant in Clayton Victoria.

It said that in the engine assembly plant, once assembled the engine was started on "GAS" for a few (2-3) minutes to prove that it was working ok and to get it in a situation where it was close to perfect to run. It wasn't until the car was assembled and fuel added to the tank that the final tuning was done prior to the car being driven off the assembly line.

My understanding that GAS referred to a gas (methane (i.e. natural gas), propane butane etc) not gas as referred to in North America being petroleum fuel. I believe it was done with GAS by connecting a cowel over the carburettor and injecting gas without the problem of having liquid fuel spilling all over the place as the fuel pump was not connected.

Now VW would have had to have researched the amount of air fuel ratio that would be required with gas as we all know the jetting etc would need to be taken into consideration, but I assume they knew what they were doing.

The car was assembled and driven off the line into a holding yard before transportation.

No run in was required other than the abovementioned restriction for the first 300 miles. I remember when my father bought his '68 and mentioning that specifically to me. He did nothing else.

I also remember other cars of that vintage driving around with signs on the back saying " Running in - please pass"! With the VW it didn't matter, everyone tried to pass anyway.
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[jeffrey8164]

I have no knowledge of what VW did while assembling these cars but I think it all boils down to the unknowns that we’re all dealing with when we build a new engine. We’re all buying different cams, different lifters, using different sealants, different bearings, etc., whereas VW had it all worked out ahead of production time. I think it’s more of proof of concept for us just to see if all our hard work is actually going to work. As an added bonus when you change the oil you get to see all of the sealant residue, see if there’s any metal debris or anything like that in the oil just so you have a basic idea of if it’s going to last or not.
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[Tim Donahoe]

Two things: the first is the guy in the one photo appears to be tightening something on the left side of the carburetor. If you blow up the photo, you can see a fist, as if he’s adjusting the carburetor.

Secondly, I brought up the thread because I keep seeing in other threads here where owners go through a specific break-in procedure after rebuilding their engines. They seemingly start their motors, then immediately rev and for 20 minutes, hold those high rpm’s.

I realize that at the factory, VW spent a little time tuning the motor initially, but have never seen or heard of any 20-minute, high-rev procedure going on.

When I bought my first mew VW, I was told to just take it easy for the first 300 miles, go different speeds, and take the car back for the first (free) oil change. That was it. So, where did this high-rev engine break-in stuff come into play?

Tim
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[Tom K.]

The 15 minutes at 2000 rpms gets oil pressure up, which allows the oil to cover everything including the cams and lifters as quickly as possible and not over the course of days or weeks . Then the acceleration and dragging sets the rings. You could probably drive without setting rings for years and just live with a little less compression.
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[ashman40]

The description of running the engine at higher than idle rpms and varying the rpms for 20-30min has been around for decades. My understanding is the initial run break in procedure is focused on “camshaft lobe to lifter break in”. So I went looking for solid lifter camshaft break in procedures, even if not VW-specific. Here are some references I found that specifically explain WHY the engine is run at varying rpms upon initial start. Many are not VW specific, but they are the same recommendations:
https://help.summitracing.com/app/answers/detail/a...lifters%3F
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-1108-camshaft-break-in-guide/
https://www.melling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Camshaft-Break-In-Proced-Rev4-12-07.pdf
https://www.compcams.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/CompCams/FlatTappetCamTechBulletin.pdf

The common points from the above links:

Lube the camshaft lobes and solid lifter bottoms with cam specific break in lube/grease. This is specifically mention as not being assembly lube in some procedures above.

If running dual springs or springs with very high pressure, remove the inner springs or break in using weaker (stock?) valve springs to reduce the pressure applied between the lifter and cam lobes.

Use a break in oil with specific additives (ZDDP?) that allow the cam-lifters to break in and not wear each other out.

Prelube the engine by pressurizing the oil system before starting. This fills the oil passages and reduces any delay in getting oil flowing to the various engine parts.

Once started, rev the engine to 2000-3500rpm for the purpose of getting the oil pressure high across all parts of the engine. Running the engine at or near idle rpms is not enough to raise the oil pressure.

Change the engine rpms so the splashing of the oil covers all internal parts of the camshaft. Unless your engine has oil squirters (a racing engine add on) holding a single rpm may splash only some parts of the cam/lobes and not splash oil over all parts of the cam. This appears to be the primary reason for varying the rpms during this break in period.

Running the engine for 20-30min is to get the lifters and cam lobes mated together and for the lifters to rotate in their holes sufficiently for full contact pattern between the cam and lifters.

After running the engine drain the oil and replace with clean oil.

There are some comments about running the cars down the road under hard acceleration and deceleration to break in the rings. I have heard this as well but this is outside the initial 30min break in which is done in the driveway.
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[vwracerdave]

Oil.

Oil was different back then. It contained plenty of ZDDP. VW used straight weight oil in the factory and not this multi viscosity crap we have today. Gasoline also had lead in it back then. The stock cam and lifters were ground precisely for each other with compatible materials and proper heat treatment procedures were followed. When you rebuild a new engine today the high performance cams and aftermarket lifters need to be burnished together with the 20 minute break in. A ZDDP additive must be used as today's oil doesn't have enough for flat tappet cams.
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[Tim Donahoe]

Valvoline VR-1 Racing oil has plenty of ZDDP.

Tim
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Richard O'Brien

[frenchroast]

[Michael Ambrozik]

I don't know about what VW did back in the day. But, I can say with some certainty, is you do want to run the engine a certain way to seat the rings and set the cam and lifter. Before starting the engine you will need to make sure you use the proper oil. It is normally a lite oil with a high zinc content (ZDDP). I will use Lucas break in oil (straight 30 weight) or Castrol 30 weight with ZDDP additive (Lucas).

The way I have seated rings/cam/lifters is run the engine at different RPMs and loads. The rpm way can be done in the driveway (or shop) using time based differences with little to no load. The time can be 5 minutes at idle, and increase RMP's every 5 minutes till at 2500-3000rpm. This will normally suffice for ring and cams/lifters. Do not go past 30 minutes. Let engine cool complete, drain oil, re-gap valves. Re-fill engine with what-ever normal oil it will run normally (5W-30, 20W-50 (to thick for even a high performance VW engine IMHO).

Then there is the mileage way. Use the same break-in oil as above. Drive the car, getting to speed slowly using as little gas pedal as possible (very low RPM/load) and then very the RPM/load for about 20-50 miles (very speed from residential to freeway). Return, let engine cool complete, drain oil, re-gap valves. Re-fill engine with what-ever normal oil it will run normally.

Drive 500 miles (how ever it is you drive, old grandpa or race car driver) change oil and inspect. Re-fill oil and perform oil changes at 3000 miles intervals.