Originally Posted by j9fd3s

i just treat it like a new engine, the actual procedure is in the owners manual, which is on the Mazdausa website if you don't have it.

you wanna keep it under 4,000rpm and maybe under 40% throttle for 1000km's, after that an oil change isn't a bad idea, but you're free to jump on it.

mileage should come up to 20-22 on a road trip.

varying the rpm's is so the piston rings seat on a piston engine, but we don't have any on a rotary, basically you're just bedding the 4 bearings in and the apex seals on the rotor housings.

Originally Posted by Emery_

Welcome, you can search around and you'll find there are various ways to break in the engine. There are also many opinions, I personally decided to break in the engine through high rpm and not babying it. It is a reman, there are used parts...

I drove the first 20 miles from 4k rpm all the way to 8k rpm. 5 miles in each range from 4-8k rpm. The only thing through this method is you should watch your coolant and oil temperature. After those 20 miles I immediately changed my oil, it's also a good idea to have a magnetic drain plug. There was accumulated metal pieces, and after that I drove about 250 miles normally with varying higher rpm. Then switched to synthetic. Some people don't agree with this method, some do. Look up rotarygod's posts about this if you're interested.

Posted From RX8Club.com Android App

Originally Posted by j9fd3s

there are many opinions, but Mazda actually has a simple procedure that is actually based on reality.

Originally Posted by rotarygod

I agree with the run hard breakin. Let's face it, at the speeds the engine turns, those wimpy little springs under the seals aren't what is holding them to the walls of the combustion chamber. It is the inertia of the seals but more importantly the pressure of the gasses within the engine. At low loads and low speeds, we don't have as much of either. The seals aren't really wearing in as quickly. Any small irregularites are also more likely to be skipped over by the seals too. Running it hard at first holds pressure against the walls and allows the seals to break in very quickly and evenly. The 1st 20 miles of a new engines life are the most critical ones. None of this matters what type of engine it is.

People like to say that you are also breaking in the bearings. Untrue completely. If your oil is doing it's job properly, there is never any metal to metal contact in bearings. It can't really break in if it never touches anything. The only time you ever see evidence of metal to metal contact within bearings is when the oil system fails or when a car has been sitting a long time without being started and the oil has drained out of the engine. Any markings you see are not from breaking in but rather another source.

Breaking in an engine in this manner will result in a better sealing engine that makes mroe power. Several auto manufacturers rev their engines up to redline immediately after they warm up on the first startup. Race teams do this as well. They don't do it because they get rebuilt every so often. They do it because it makes more power and that plus reliability are what is needed to win a race. Time between rebuilds is irrelevant.

Slow gentle breakin periods that are recommended are the worst way to break in an engine. Ponder this, if something is done wrong once, and then the same thing is done wrong again and again until it becomes common practice and widely accepted, when does this wrong become right? The fact is that wrong never becomes right but rather the perception of what is wrong and right changes.

Here's how to properly break in a new engine. The very first time it is started let it warm up to normal opperating temperatures. You don't want to floor it immediately after it starts up as some oil has flowed off of the bearings and you need time for it to recirculate. Once at warm up temperature, drive hard! take it up through the gears at full throttle several times. Drive the engine hard for about the first 20 miles. Then change the oil and the filter. Yes after only 20 miles. The hard break in on the seals (not the bearings) has left some metal shavings in the system that need to be removed. Only mineral based oils should be used during breakin. Drive the rest of the first 500 miles as you normally would the car. At 500 miles change the oil and filter again. At this point you can switch to synthetics if you want to. I run them in my rotaries. I don't care what the manual says. Results say more than words in a book. Over half of your break in was done in the first 20 miles and the other half was done in the next 500 or so miles. That's it. No need to baby the car around. You'll most likely make less power in the long run this way. This is a very different way of thinking but it works.

Originally Posted by olddragger

my break in procedure--i do install my own engines

1- regular 10/40 dino oil first --prime the oil system before starting----start get the engine up to normal operating temps for about 20 minutes. turn it off and change the oil and filter. PUT A MAGNET SOMEWHERE IN THE OIL SYSTEM--on the filter--the oil pan drainage plug--it doesnt matter
2- after first oil change--drive the car normally varying loads and rpm ( no redlining but do go past 6 k)for 100 miles--change oil and filter again. still us dino oil. watch the engine and oil temps. Do not let the engine coolant get past 220F.Do not let the engine get to 210-215F on a regular basis. Do not let oil get pass 230F during this time.
3- drive for 1K miles 75% load, 75% rpm ( from redline)
4- Change the oil again--now use synthetic--you need a 40w oil or one that has the hths number of a 40 wgt such as redlines 5w/30.
5- dont let engine set and idle for "warm up" in the mornings--crank it-idle for just a few seconds--then drive in a normal manner.

This style of break in has given me the best results.
after 5K miles or so--you can redline it --full load it etc.
use this info if you think it can help.