Dr.D 9 #1 Posted January 15, 2020 Any thoughts about how to break in a NOS K181s? Lincoln at AZ Tractors suggested 5/30 to start. Run without heavy load for a few hours Then change Oil to 10/30. Any thoughts? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 29,404 #2 Posted January 16, 2020 4 hours ago, Dr.D said: Any thoughts about how to break in a NOS K181s? I know some guys who fill them up with 30wt and pull a plow through the ground for about 4hrs at 3/4 to full throttle. So far they have had good luck with this process. 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 51,772 #3 Posted January 16, 2020 (edited) Here's the honest to God's truth on breaking in a motor Doc... Mike @prondzy and his dad Tom @Shynon told me when they rebuilt a 7 hp in a 702 that I now own they hooked it up to a plow and and ran her hard. I believe them 'cause Mike is a master at building Kohlers and this 7 runs like a dream. Hopefully they will chime in on their breaking in regiment. Edited January 16, 2020 by WHX24 Speeling 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Racinbob 11,934 #4 Posted January 16, 2020 I'm thinking the same as Jim & Dan. I asked the guy who sold me a fresh rebuilt K341about break in and he just said to bolt it on and run it as I always do. No problems. I'd go with straight 30w though. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 72,707 #5 Posted January 16, 2020 I'll put another vote in for that. Both of my grandfathers were mechanically minded. My maternal grandfather once told me that he would always Break Them In Like You're Going To Run Them. Don't be afraid of it. Biggest thing with him was to try to remember to change the engine speed up and down a little more than you normally would with a small engine. I never really knew why. Change the oil sooner. That's the plan he stuck with for all of his adult life as far as I know. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,339 #6 Posted January 16, 2020 Eric I've heard the same thing even with car engines and truck engines run them how you're going to use them. There is breaking oil that you can buy at your parts stores I'm not sure what the differences are but 10W-30 will work. Whatever you use , after the first hour of run time change the oil out and put in straight 30 weight . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shynon 7,482 #7 Posted January 16, 2020 I run them 3600rpm no load, then change oil. Then the next 4 hrs run 3/4 to full throttle under normal use do not let it sit and idle. Then change oil again Always use straight 30W oil in summer. If using multi grade oil you will use oil. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prondzy 3,889 #8 Posted January 16, 2020 17 minutes ago, Shynon said: I run them 3600rpm no load, then change oil. Do this for 1 hour, your just cleaning out any machining particles left in the engine from the rebuild. follow everything @Shynon said above and youll be good to go! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex175 784 #9 Posted January 16, 2020 1 hour ago, The Tool Crib said: There is breaking oil that you can buy at your parts stores I'm not sure what the differences are but 10W-30 will work. A break in oil has extremely high amounts of ZDDP or Zinc dialkyldithiophosphates, or even easier, Zinc. ZDDP is an anti wear additive in oils that helps prevent damage in metal on metal contact situations. A standard automotive oil only has around 600 to 800 ppm (parts per million) of ZDDP in the oil due to government regulations relating to emissions systems on cars. A good break in oil will have 3x or more than that. While it isn't super critical on a small engine such as these, it is certainly not going to hurt, and will only help. I would recommend trying to find a good break in oil first, and if you can't, try to find an oil that is designed for classic cars as the good ones will also carry a higher zinc content that a standard automotive oil. I know all of this because I may or may not make specialty high performance oils for motorcycles and classic cars for a living. My job consists of selling products into these industries, going to motorcycle rallies and events, car shows....it's just awful I tell you! 16 hours ago, Dr.D said: 5/30 to start. Most break in oils are around this viscosity, 5w30, 10w30, or a straight 30w. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 66,813 #10 Posted January 16, 2020 I too have been told to run what oil you plan to run, but a little extra zinc never hurts a thing. Best of luck with that NOS engine! I think it wouldn’t hurt to pull the valve cover / breather off and anything to see into the case to make sure there’s no rust before starting it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,339 #11 Posted January 16, 2020 Rotella 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,339 #12 Posted January 16, 2020 8 minutes ago, pullstart said: I too have been told to run what oil you plan to run, but a little extra zinc never hurts a thing. Best of luck with that NOS engine! I think it wouldn’t hurt to pull the valve cover / breather off and anything to see into the case to make sure there’s no rust before starting it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldredrider 2,553 #13 Posted January 16, 2020 One thing that has not been mentioned but is extremely important, do NOT use synthetic motor oil for break in. It will never break in a small engine. Good old Rotella SAE 30 is what I use. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB ELLISON 2,981 #14 Posted January 16, 2020 @oldredrider beat me to it. Never use synthetic oils in the break in. I use it in my c160 but it's well broke in and I never use oil. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex175 784 #15 Posted January 16, 2020 1 hour ago, The Tool Crib said: Rotella 53 minutes ago, oldredrider said: Rotella SAE 30 While Rotella isn't bad, the reason that most people used to recommend it (higher zinc content) isn't viable anymore. It used to be that diesel oils had a higher zinc content than automotive oils, but now that diesel engines have gotten emission controls systems they have been subject to similar EPA regulations as automotive oils. This means that their newer formulations don't have as much added Zinc as they used to. So again, while a good oil, the newer versions of it will not offer the protection you might be looking for. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,339 #16 Posted January 16, 2020 So basically there is really nothing out there that's any good correct? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynnmor 7,823 #17 Posted January 16, 2020 16 minutes ago, The Tool Crib said: So basically there is really nothing out there that's any good correct? Not much, the new oils have a SN designation which means that additives we want are no longer in the oil. This has been brought on by the folks in charge that never owned anything like we have, but think that protecting catalytic converters at the expense of the engine is a good thing. If you can find the rare oil without the SN, you have a chance of getting the right thing. Some have moved to diesel oil, but it may not have the best additives for a gasoline engine. I found that the Kohler brand oils do not have the dreaded SN and I moved to that, hopefully it will continue. The idea of varying engine speeds is a good thing, remember the good old days when you were driving your jalopy and the smoke rolled from the tailpipe when you lifted the gas pedal? Talk about upper cylinder lubrication. Rings need speed and bearings that may be snug should not be run hard or fast so just operate the engine sensibly for a few hours. Running it like you will use it is just an old wives tale that is repeated often, metal parts only need protection from abuse. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex175 784 #18 Posted January 16, 2020 30 minutes ago, The Tool Crib said: So basically there is really nothing out there that's any good correct? That is not at all what I am saying, and I apologize if it came across that way. I am just trying to provide proper information so that people can make the best decision on what to use. There are plenty of good products for breaking in engines, as I mentioned earlier such as specific break in oils, or oils designed for classic cars that have a boosted zinc content. A modern automotive oil, or diesel oil is not designed with our engines in mind, but there are plenty of good alternatives out there. 1 minute ago, lynnmor said: Not much, the new oils have a SN designation which means that additives we want are no longer in the oil. This is very much correct, the only thing I would say is that they are not all gone, more so diminished as is the case with zinc. For Automotive oils SN is the current standard for cars, so looking for something that is SM or SL level quality will be better for a lot of our machines and is out there and available. In diesel the current spec is CK-4, a good tractor alternative is CH-4 or CI-4. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites