how long does it take for rings to break in?

[megaladon6]

i started driving my 383sbc this year and found that when i used full throttle the dipdtick would blow out. i got a better dipstick and blew out the rear intake seal. i have plasma-moly rings and had the block torque plated to try and eliminate blow-by but it doesn't seem to be working. i haven't been able to do a leak down test but my compression is something like 180psi and even across the cylinders.
i have maybe 200mi on the engine (odometer was broke for awhile) and no fouling on the plugs but all i can think of is the rings.
am i missing something, or do i need more time on the engine?

[cad]

It is crank case pressure....moly rings should seat as soon as the engine is warmed up. Cast rings are the ones that take x miles.
Do you have a breather on the valve cover? You NEED one....maybe 2.
180 psi is a little below what my 383 measured. I was blowing the PCV out the first couple of times I ran mine, and then, DOH, I noticed the missing link.:doh:

[megaladon6]

pcv valve hooked up to the carb and a breather. the pcv is pulling vacuum and the breather is flowing.

[Vegas69]

Cranking psi has more to do with the camshaft than anything. 180 psi is plenty. Two breathers would be my first try. How did you break in the rings? Take it out and vary rpms. Accelerate fairly aggresively and let it engine brake a bunch of times. Let it cool down and repeat.

[megaladon6]

i have a hydraulic flat tappet cam so i had the lonh break in. in park, kept the engine between 2000-2500 rpm's varying it every couple of minutes. ran it for 20-25 min ( i had to stop fairly early to fix an oil leak but it went 20 min after that). if it matters, i had problems getting the carb and i sent the headers out to get coated, so it wasn't on the road for awhile.
one thing i did wrong when i assembled the engine is i coated the cylinder walls with cam lube instead of motor oil. could this cause any problems. i figure it would have just burned off, but just in case.:dunno:

"Take it out and vary rpms. Accelerate fairly aggresively and let it engine brake a bunch of times. Let it cool down and repeat."
does it have to be in gear? i only ask because the weather here sucks and the tires spin very easily.

[Vegas69]

Definitely need to get out and drive the car to break it in correctly. Those rings need a load on them. Cam lube is not the desired lube and may be the reason for the prolonged break in. Best to wait until a day that you can drive the car and take it out for a nice long run an stop and have lunch and repeat.

[megaladon6]

:hammer:

[camcojb]

one thing i did wrong when i assembled the engine is i coated the cylinder walls with cam lube instead of motor oil. could this cause any problems. i figure it would have just burned off, but just in case.:dunno:



if you're talking about the black moly lube that would scare me; that would absolutely be the wrong lube and may actually form a coating on the rings, making ring seal poor. That's a guess, never tried it............... :scared:

I love the plasma moly rings, as they seat immediately if the bores are properly prepared.

Jody

[megaladon6]

no i meant the sticky red lube that came with rhe cam. it's the only thing that didn't get the grey moly-lube.