Proper breakin procedure is crucial to piston rings function and performance. In this episode Lake Speed Jr. of Total Seal talks about numerous factors that need to be considered before and during the process.

What is the correct way to breakin a rebuilt engine?
What happens when you breakin an engine?
How does combustion cylinder pressure affect ring seal?
Why do you need a load on the engine to get the piston rings to seat and cylinders to seal up?
How does improper air/fuel ratios negatively affect breakin?
Why do you need a breakin oil?
Why should you not use a friction modified, semi, or fullsynthetic oil in a new engine?
How does a Nikasil bore differ from cast iron?
What is plateau honing?
Why do improperly honed cylinders lead to increased wear and blowby?

LN Engineering provides engine assembly and breakin guidelines for both aircooled and watercooled Porsche engines with its Nickies cylinders and sleeves. Breaking in a freshly rebuilt engine correctly is just as important as the parts used and reassembly process. If you won't break in the engine correctly, especially those with Nikasil bores, you can damage the piston ring and glaze over the cylinder bores requiring the engine to be torn down to deglaze the cylinders and rering the pistons to correct for smoking, oil consumption, and blowby issues resulting from incorrect initial runin.