Breakin flames

[John Larson]

I'm also of the old school.  My initial experience was in air cooled
engines, even prior to my formal training.  I've always assembled them
without ANY oil on the rings.  In fact, I clean the pistons and cylinders
with carb spray before putting them together.  Turning the engine over
throughout the assembly process and cranking the finished engine (plugs out)
until the oil pressure comes up generally fully seats the rings without
rishing any bearing damage.  Fingers crossed, I've NEVER built a leaker or
an oil burner in the 35 years I've been doing this. Water cooled engines get
bathed in oil during assembly.  I pour it on the rings before inserting the
pistons in the bores.  I've built one that didn't want to seat the rings,
and it was my own Volvo 240.  Took about 5K miles to seat, and that happened
all of a sudden on a 5 hour each way trip to San Diego in real hot weather.
Actually (now that I think about it), my last Jetta burned more than I'd
like for about the first few thousand miles too, but not anywhere like the
Volvo.  Funny, the same guy, my ex brother in law, honed both motors.  Only
ones he ever did for me.  Full on 'Murrican Iron machinist.  I use only
Kendall GT1 20w50 in all my cars, and most customer cars as well, and never
use a "breakin" oil of any kind.
John