Running in.

[Pavel]

Brian, I would be very interested in your comments about running in a re-conditioned engine with new 'pots', or a re-bore, and new pistons and rings. I note that you recommend virtually instant hard work for the FMD, whereas the modern recommendation is to bed the rings and bores in, just as one would new brake pads, by accelerating a number of times, on the road, or in this instance, in a field, mildly, before hard work. I wondered if, with a re-bore, one has to allow for the variances in the microns of honing; but with factory produced 'pots' this is un-necessary.

Pavel.

[Brian]

Every diesel engine I have come across in my career has recommended straight into hard work and thrash them kindly!

Do not over rev, do not allow to lug down too much but give them work to bed in. I have also many times, seen the result of engines that are "run in" that go on to give problems with rings not bedding in and excessive wear after a short time. Customers who bought tractors in September and put them straight onto the plough got better service than ones who bought in March and put them on light spring work for the first few months.

Dealers here now put most new tractors on a dyno. for a day before sending them home.

I practise what I preach, all my new diesel cars get the same treatment and I managed 400,000 miles out of a new Ford Sierra before fitting a "new" engine that had been sent back to the dealer, under warranty, after 1000 miles, for burning too much oil. Fords let me have it as long as I accepted that it burned 2 litres of oil per 100 miles. After fitting, the first run I did was 200 miles with a trailer and a two row potato hoover. The temperature was reading in the low red most of the trip but that engine never burnt a drop of oil between changes after that and went on to do a further 250,000 miles. The engine was originally in a new Sierra that was being very carefully driven because it was a new car.

Whether it is a new engine or one that has been reconditioned I treat them all the same and after experience of a few hundred Majors, Dextas and '000 Series that I have overhauled, the only "bad" ones are ones that were treated "gently".

[Pavel]

Thanks, Brian!
Whilst I have no intention, or need, to recon my Major as yet, I'm a great believer in experience being a better teacher than theory and shall, henceforth [if the need arises], follow your advice.

Pavel

[Jerry Coles]

If I can add my tuppence worth! I rebuilt my Dexta engine and after its first starting and checks for oil pressure and leaks etc I put it to work topping a 2 acre paddock of two year old Nettles, thistles, docks and other thick weeds. She happily went through the field with no problems and now 4 years later is an easy starter and runner and after doing quite a few hours on a cordwood saw this winter is running fine. This was after Brian's good advice as otherwise I would have run it in gently and wouldn't now have a good tough little tractor.

Cheers
Jerry