Okay, run4cvr, FarOutKucki and myself all got together this weekend to do some rebuilding with taloniized. I'm not going to steal his thunder by saying what was installed from where, but I will ask for him since we're all kind of wondering this:

He runs a Star Stage 2. How the hell should he break this thing in? We want to say no boost for at least a couple hundred miles, but how should he go about setting that up? Also, when we did my high-comp rebuild NA, I made a point to vary the RPMs as well as to load the rings in accel and decel. So Paul starts to see boost by 2500rpm. We could hear the HKS chirping when he shifted. While he could be fine to drive like a granny for a month or so, shouldn't he also get that thing would up higher?

We need 0 miles, turbocharged break in advice please. (And besides, it never hurts to post this sort of stuff anyways.) :P

Oh yeah, and we could'nt have done it without 2GNT imo. :thumbsup

I don't think that you can avoid SOME boost. Just no WOT or crazy driving on it till the rings set. I'd say 750-1k miles. You're right to vary engine load. City driving is the best.

Drive it normal. Don't beat it like a redheaded stepchild, but don't drive it like it's dying either.

I'd keep it at 5psi and only hit 0 vac at the most til break in is over. Only using enough throttle to hit 0 vac is usually enough acceleration for me in normal driving conditions but I have a s16g which spools quicker.

Wait this guy has a star kit and spools by 2500 rpm? You mean he gets to 0vac by 2500 right? If he is getting more than that at 2500 I want to talk to him...lol. When I did my break in I tried to keep it out of boost until 1000 miles. It's not all about RPM it's also about throttle position. If you keep the throttle light you can go to redline and not build boost. That's pretty much what I did. I never went more than 50% throttle and that way I didn't really build boost. Like the other guy's have said though, a little boost is ok just not a lot.

City driving with no boost for 1000 miles is what I did. Then at the 1000 mile mark I started to ease it into boost a little at a time. By the time I reaeched the 1500 mile mark and 3 oil changes I went back to synthetic oil and was fully boosting. I have not had any problems since, about 7000 miles later. Just my opinion.
Patrick
96 GS
14.14 @ 96.5 mph on 8psi 8 Nov.02
HRC kit, S20G, FMIC, Howell bottom end 8.6 pistons, S-FMU, Blitz BOV, P&P head, SS valves, lots more little goodies

The first time I started my motor I went out to a road that had no stop lights, pulled from 30-60 mph in 3rd gear about 20 times, took it home and shut it off. Took it out for another drive and made a few pulls (never letting the turbo spool up!) and drive normal, never boosting until 200 miles. As soon as I hit 200 miles I was boosting about 12 psi, and by the time I got it onto the dyno at VT I had about 300 miles and we were running 16 psi. Since I hit 1k I have been running 18 psi. I checked my compression after dynoing at VT and its rock solid. shit, it was rock solid before the motor even started, but I still need to give some time for the rings to wear in. so far so good! :thumbsup

I would suggest making some 3rd gear pulls after your first start, just dont' give it enough throttle to spool the turbo.

Thanks guys!

I was wondering about the ability to bring the rpm up without spooling. And yes, he would hit 0 vac about 2500rpm if I saw it right. You could hear the snail start to sing about 2200 imo.

His car is gonna be so sweet after break in...

VT Engines machined block- Had 180 PSI compression at 50 miles, and no boost. At 150 miles, same compression numbers, and then let it rip through the boost! Absolutley no problems or issues. Perfect compression still, 5,000 miles later...

i went to 5000 rpm's and 5 psi on my first drive with my new shortblock last february... after the first 100 miles i would go up to 5000 rpm's at 10 psi. after exactly 1000 miles i went to redline at 13 psi. no problems.

I just plan on driving it normally. not like grandma, but also not like a madman. It should be alright.