Jengah

Can anyone recommend an alternative break-in oil to Joe Gibbs DRIVEN BR-40? I was supposed to receive a couple cases today for my engine installation this weekend and it never showed up.

This is for my freshly rebuilt 3.8L using Nickies. I only have my mechanic friend's help on weekends. It will be agonizing to wait another week if I can't start her up tomorrow. Is there another proven product out there like Royal Purple that is readily available at the chain auto stores (we only have Napa, Oreily and Autozone by us). Or, is using DRIVEN really worth the wait for this engine?

yaz996

Be patient, and spend the week reading the RND install/startup instructions a few dozen times. Throw on a trickle charger. Can't attest to Driven being so much better, but I did rush things once...

TexSquirrel

Personally I would wait.
I’d feel better using the same brand I plan to use after break-in.
That way you don’t have to worry about your wear package causing issues when swapping from break-in to DT40.

hatchetf15

Castrol GTX apparently. Read Bashhat’s new thread.

996.2

Many years ago used Royal Purple in our pickup truck once. When drained it did not look like oil and was concerned may have caused engine damage.

Bash Hat

Yep, GTX was in the motor when I picked up the car from Callas. According to them, they said Jake uses it as it’s basically “throw away oil for the first 3-400 miles”. Their words, not mine. Callas provided me with a case of Driven GP-1 and a new Napa Gold filter. I changed the oil the day after I got back home (drove from LA to San Francisco). FSI recommends switching to full synth after 7,500 miles.

jobyt

ouch.

Flat6 Innovations

Not so fast.. There's a reason for this, and not all Nickies/ ring packs/ ring tensions/ ring coatings are the same. I have my own profiles, and practices.
If you don't have what I have, and you do what I do, the results will not be positive. The surface finish values we use are different than anyone else. I developed Nickies with LN, and used the very first set ever made. Over this time I have determined my own protocols, and LN doesn't agree with these in most cases. My way works, for the rest of the things that are done my way. Alter one thing, and you'll wish you hadn't. If you try to copy me, your results will end up in another galaxy.

Only the engine builder of a particular engine can dictate what oil an engine must be initially started with. The builder knows the clearances, the ring specs, and etc, all of this matters.

Jengah

Hi All - Thanks for everyone that has chimed in. So rather than take a chance or rush the process, I've decided to just wait for the DRIVEN break-in oil to arrive. Imagine putting a Christmas you've been waiting for for 20 years off for another week. It's painful.

Yaz996 - what happened when you rushed things once before?

yaz996

Spun a rod bearing at 69 miles. Still need to cover the root cause details in my build thread. Follow the RND/LN instructions (definitely have a fresh battery and do NOT pre-fill the oil filter). And pay attention to your oil pressure.

hatchetf15

For what it’s worth, I get why an oil would be considered ‘throw away’ for the first 8 hours of run time. So many particles to flush out. But, I completely agree a builder uses particular internals configurations that require precise lubrication protocols. And stray from these protocols at your own peril.

Flat6 Innovations

It's frustrating these days not to be able to Google something, and just end up with the result that someone wants to hear. The same goes for forum posts.
Being an engine builder requires risks. It sucks, but you learn to just take the risks, and do what you believe is right, based on what you know, and believe. I see people who Google crap, "research" on the internet (what a joke) and make every mistake possible, because they listen to other people, rather than engaging their own brain.

Every builder has their own way of creating what they build. This is what makes us the jolliest bunch of ********, this side of the nuthouse.

Jengah

Sorry to hear this Yaz. Thanks for the tips. I will heed your advice.

turkis_tii

Driven isn’t the only oil out there, just the one sold by the site’s sponsors. Penn makes a break in oil with huge amounts of ZDDP etc. GTX is a good alternative for after the initial 1000 miles or so.

dporto

^^^ True this ^^^ As per JR, follow the engine builder's recommendation...