I just rolled over 800 miles on the .020 over 350. Engine is running good but I have noticed it's using oil. I have used cast rings in the past and they seated pretty quick but this set of speed pro's uses a moly top ring which I haven't used before. The rings were given to the shop who bored the block so the finish was done for the rings.

During initial fire up and cam break in I used GM EOS and 15w-40 Rotella. I ran @2k (+/- 300 rpm)for 25 minutes. Changed the oil and filter, added fresh 15w-40 and filter then drove the car under 3k. Again, runs good but I have topped off the oil twice so I'm guessing it was down 1-2 qts in during this period. I don't see any smoke driving and have not pulled the plugs to look yet.

So what experiences have you had with these rings? I haven't done anything different from previous break ins except for the ring type and oil. We used to use 30 wt for the first 1000 miles years ago and didn't have a problem. In fact still have a 350 with cast rings that does not burn oil.

During a drive at 30 mph I punched the gas 3/4 throttle to chekc for smoke but couldn't see anything but sis get a faint odor of burning oil.
Fed Mogul said the rings should have been seated after cam break in and they were not aware of the Rotella usage. They really didn't have any recommendation other then that.

 

I still use 30 WT for breakins. Stupid question but......... is it possible that the oil ring gaps are not 180 degrees from each ther perpindicular with the the thrust face? I have seen rings positioned with the gap directly over one another that lets alot of oil by to the compresion rings. It usually fouls plugs quick and will burn blue like it had too many miles on it. Oil rings usually have little problems seating.

 

Sounds like you did everything right. Have you made sure it's not sucking it in via intake gaskets? Valve covers are baffled?

You could see the consumption is slowing down or not. Top it off everytime it uses 1/2 quart and write down the miles.

If it is slowing down you may be OK. Even though rings should seat fairly quickly, sometimes they do not. I know many GM crate engines burn oil until you take them out and do an "Italian tuneup". The Italian Tuneup is to get the engine nice and hot on the highway and then repeatedly slow down to 20 mph or so and punch it up to redline and the gears and as fast as your wallet will let you go. 20 minutes of this treatment has cured many crate engines' oil appetite.

 

Do some runs where you build cyl pressure,after warming up take off full throttle in a high gear from low rpm and run it up to about 4K rpm or so and then continue to drive normally, then try to engine brake as mucha as you possibly can (I know, you have an automatic) and repeast these a couple of times, that should seat the rings. You don't even have to rev it to redline, just build cyl pressure to force the rings into the cyl wall.

 

Good points and ones I was thinking about. The ring gaps were spaced correctly- I'm positive.
I didn't want to push the engine too much the first 1000 miles so I will monitor it. I was very careful with the intake install also.
I'll drive it some more and see how much it uses. A buddy at work had similar problems with one of his engines and it didn't fully seat in for a few thousand miles.
Interesting that the Fed- Mogul tech didn't hear of the 15w-40?

 

gtr1999 you have a PM on Shell Rotella 15-40

 

Got it thanks for the tip
Gary

 

Mobil Delvac 1300 15w-40 diesel oil.

 

you know my new rebuilt engine uses some oil approximately 1/2 qt per 1000 miles maybe a little more if its really hot outside.....but its not visibly burning it and its not leaking.....I think its sucking it in through the PCV system since i have it hooked up to manifold vacuum and in the original set up it was plumbed to the air cleaner base .....i'm using 10 w 30 and i am pretty much ignoring it....the engine has 4500 miles on it now and it runs great....maybe for ****s and grins this winter i will add another breather element in place of the PCV and see if the oil consumption goes down

 

bob: The original setup had the drivers side hooked to manifold vacuum (like you have it) and the passenger side to the aircleaner. Replacing the aircleaner side with a breather does not really change anything.

 

oh well so much for that Brain storm....... how did that work if both sides had vacuum applied ???? or was the side vented through the air cleaner only there for getting "cleaned" air piped into the valve cover?

 

The passenger side hookup that goes to the aircleaner is just to get filtered air. Also, if the engine is worn out it will start to puke oil out at WOT (since there is no intake vacuum to suck it from the drivers side) and puking the oil into the aircleaner is safer than it going onto the exhaust manifold. Of course that not a problem on your engine but that's why the factory hooked the pass side to the aircleaner.

 

interesting, thanks bob

 

My fresh rebuild (5000 Mi.) is doing the same thing... 1qt.per 800 miles. Come to find out, the builder did not install valve seals on the intakes. He tells me... he dose not install the seals on the intake or exhaust if he thinks the engine is going to be run hard!!! Ummmm. We will be installing the seals on the intake next week! Just a suggestion, on what happened here... Muddy

 

Same symptoms here, freshly built 383, used lots of oil. My PCV valve was the culprit, I still need to figure out the "right" PCV valve set up so it stops sucking so much oil. I temporarily eliminated the PCV and lots of my problems cleared up ( poor idle, high oil consumption).