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Just hit 500 hours on a rebuilt 6.7 Powerstroke and the oil analysis came back cleaner than factory spec
I finished the rebuild for a local farm truck back in March, using all OEM parts and a new Mahle filter. After the first oil change at 500 hours, I sent a sample to Blackstone Labs just to check my work. The report showed wear metals at less than half the universal averages, with zero fuel dilution. It proves a careful break-in with the right assembly lube and proper initial heat cycles matters way more than I gave it credit for. Has anyone else seen numbers this good on a fresh rebuild, or did I just get lucky?
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hugo_hayes16d ago
That's awesome to see those numbers! "Careful break-in" is the key part you nailed. I always do three heat cycles on a fresh rebuild, letting it cool completely between each one, before it even goes under load. It really does seat those rings right.
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miles99216d ago
My old mentor who built race engines for thirty years always said heat cycles are overrated for modern rings. He had me do a hard break in right away, like high cylinder pressure pulls right off the bat. I've done it that way on my last two motors and the leak down was better than any gentle break in I tried before. The theory is you need that pressure to force the rings out against the walls before glaze sets in. I know the heat cycle method is popular, but I've just had better results getting it up to temp and then loading it hard.
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