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Engine Break-in Service???

Phil

Phil

Well Known Member
Does anyone know of a company that you can send your new engine to and let them perform the break-in on a test stand??

The idea of test flying the airplane and trying to break in a $45K engine is a bit scary... It sure would be nice if I could get someone to run it over a period of time prior installing it in the airframe.

Just curious to know if anyone does such a thing?

Phil
 
probably most all engine builders do... I'm guessing you just didn't ask when you bought your engine :) They almost all include some time run in the test cell.. you'd just pay a little extra for gas so they run it a bit longer..

I'd expect it to be very expensive to do it after you receive your engine.. since shipping and setup will add up to thousands of dollars. IMHO, it'd be cheaper to hire a test pilot for a few hours. Remember that you're looking at 40 hrs fly-off time... plenty of time to break in the engine and test the airframe.
 
Radomir said:
I'm guessing you just didn't ask when you bought your engine :)
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Fortunatly, I haven't done that yet. Finding an engine builder who's willing to run the break-in time off would be a huge perk and worthy of spending a little extra cash before it gets crated and shipped to me.
 
Phil said:
Does anyone know of a company that you can send your new engine to and let them perform the break-in on a test stand??

The idea of test flying the airplane and trying to break in a $45K engine is a bit scary... It sure would be nice if I could get someone to run it over a period of time prior installing it in the airframe.

Just curious to know if anyone does such a thing?

Phil
Click to expand...

We purchased a new engine, O-320 from Aerosport Power and asked them about the amount of "break in" time they provided with each new engine. They told us that each of their engines had almost 2 hours of break in. We asked them to add 4 more hours to our engine break in, (about 6 hours total with several cool down cycles) and had to pay extra for that service.

We feel this is the best thing we could have done for our engine. We have an engine that uses NO oil (140 hrs TT) and the compression is excellent with all cylinders at 79 or 80/ 80.
This is the best engine we have ever operated and feel it was the proper break in that made it possible.
We have built 5 homebuilt aircraft and have found it almost impossible to break in an engine on a new airframe, (too much other stuff needs to be taken care of)
 
Phil said:
Fortunatly, I haven't done that yet. Finding an engine builder who's willing to run the break-in time off would be a huge perk and worthy of spending a little extra cash before it gets crated and shipped to me.
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Maybe I am missing the point of your question. In my experience most engine builders run their engines in a test cell for a time. Which ones have you talked with? I know Barrett, Aerosport, Mattatuc all do and they will run them for al long as you want for additional $.

Gary Specketer
 
Hey Gary,

I wouldn't really be looking for them to test the engine. More specifically I'm looking for them to run it through the break-in period.

I'd like to have the rings seated and everything broken in before doing multiple stalls, slow flight, multiple take offs and landings, and various airframe testing through out the complete range of the operating envelope.

Those maneuvers aren't friendly to a new engine. So getting the break-in time off will let you protect your engine in a controlled environment; then you can go on to testing the airframe and behavior of airplane in various configurations.

Phil
 
Oddly enough the issue of Light Plane maintenance that I received yesterday had an article on this topic. Their suggestion was to perform the break-in in a test cell and avoid doing it in the airframe.

If any of you get the publication, it might be worth looking through.
 
I don't agree with the need to do the entire "break in" on the ground. Maybe we're talking about two different things. An initial initial 1-2-hr run would be best done on a stand (with proper loading and cooling).

Then when it's inspected and shown safe, move ahead with the remainder of the break in on the plane. This may take another 10, 20 hrs, or maybe even more for complete break in. Do all this on a stand? Overkill and adds risk of improper break in unless cooling is right and loading is sufficient.
 
Low Pass said:
I don't agree with the need to do the entire "break in" on the ground. Maybe we're talking about two different things. An initial initial 1-2-hr run would be best done on a stand (with proper loading and cooling).

Then when it's inspected and shown safe, move ahead with the remainder of the break in on the plane. This may take another 10, 20 hrs, or maybe even more for complete break in. Do all this on a stand? Overkill and adds risk of improper break in unless cooling is right and loading is sufficient.
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My thoughts exactly! Over the course of 15 years, I've known many builder/owners who have successfully "completed" the final break ins of their engines while in flight. My Lycoming was run for 2.3 hrs on Lyc's test stand. I finished the procedure & changed oil accordingly. I have a strong engine with little oil usage. As to using oil, these air cooled aircraft engines should. As to how much..... can easily be "googled" for a lot of information.

L.Adamson
 
DIY

You can pay somebody to do just about anything you want- it's only money:). It is not a significant thing to do the break-in. For my phase I, the first 10 hours were designated as break-in time only. Manufacturers will tell you the total break-in time can take up to 25-50 hrs, but I have found that most knowledgeable people will agree that the first 10 hours are really the most critical. For those first 10 hours, just plan on flying for the fun of it, keeping power at 75% to get the rings seated. My plane essentially had 90% of the seating done the first hour and things changed very little after that. Experiment a little each flight with slow speed handling and stalls, but save the real testing for after the first 10 hours. I had 30 remaining and only needed half of that realistically for actual testing.

Enjoy those first 10 hours of break-in, put your saved earnings toward fuel and don't pay someone for something you can easily do yourself. Doesn't sound consistent to build your own airplane but pay someone to break in the engine:D.
 
I agree with what.........

Trib said, but if you don't want to do that send it to me, I'll go buy an RV10 kit and throw it together real quick.:cool:
 
Same question I think . . . .

I think I'm in the same situation, a fresh engine I built, wanting to find a semi-local cell and experienced people to run it. I'm in NE Ohio. Alternately, I could ship it, but would rather have the option to be there.

I'm hearing the general agreement that 'run-in' for the first hour/two/three in a cell is the best, but the core question - where do those of us that built our own - find such a service? It's easily worth $1000 to me to have it done and have data.

Rick 90432 OH H2AD on the stand.
 
Most of the breakin occurs in the first sixty seconds of running the engine. The hone on the cylinders is there to wear the rings in. As soon as the sharp edges of the hone are history, it becomes more difficult to break the engine in. The higher the cylinder pressures the better the rings will break in during this critical period. Excessive idling will cause the sharp edges of the hone to wear without maximum cylinder pressures holding the rings against the cylinder walls, resulting in a longer break-in period. If you don't do the breakin properly...expect blowby and oil usage. Follow the ECI breakin instructions, which involves a few ground runs, and you will be fine.
 
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Rick,

Mahlon sent me a run-in schedule he has used and I performed the run-in with no issues on the airplane with the prop installed. 25 hrs so far in phase I testing and no engine issues. Uses about a quart of oil in 15 hrs- still in break-in. I can forward the schedule if you'd like.
 
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