I thought only Kevin`s zero-clearance turbos need to broke in for approx 500 miles. Now a few guys are saying you need a break-in period for regular hybrid K16`s turbos. What`s up with this and how would you go about doing this??

 

Kevin gave me the following advice (and wrote a break-in ECU program for me):

...What I'd like is 0-50 no boost. No 1/4 mile drag launches.. No dyno runs, (until broken in) No hot shut downs..

50-100 miles normal driving boost levels, 0-.5 bar... 100-200 miles cruise mode, normal driving, throttle in and modulate the boost.. After 200 miles, watch your radar detector (smile)..

Small note: We do not want this to happen in one setting.. No trips to Colorado Springs.. We want to have multiple start/heat cycles. We are sealing the turbine side rings, which are similar to the function of piston rings.. If one hammers the boost before they have seated the long term life is quickly cut down due to glazing that has occurs.

 

Thanks wross but is this not for the zero clearance turbos only? I am wondering why no other tuners are specifying a break- in instruction

 

Mike....no those instructions were for my turbos...and I do NOT have ZC...the ZC break-in is much more laborious.

 

On new OE borgwaner turbo's or turbos that have been rebuilt with true OE parts... There is no break in.

This information is direct from BW. I have called them more then once on this.

This being said, I wouldn't take the car to a track day hours after a new turbo install.

 

I have beat the living **** out of my Garretts in all cars I have put them in with never breaking in the turbo. We only break in motors.

 

Same here, worked for a high performance aircraft manufacturer as a flightline crew chief and have never heard of breaking in turbo chargers...

 

I have Protomotive K24 hybrids, bolted them on and ran the **** out of them at the track. break in done.