Can you run synthetic in a freshly overhauled engine

I use to rebuild engines for a living, all kinds of class eights. I recommend you change the oil filter after the first days work, do not idle the engine longer than 5 minutes at start up and if you are stopping turn on your fan while slowing down, and then shut it off.
Change the oil at 3,000 miles and it should not use and oil. Switch to synthetic oil then or do it at about 10,000
when you should change it again to be sure it is all cleaned out.
Just a thought!
on changing oil brands I use to get the oil jugs and pails from work and would drain them into jugs and use the oil in my own engine it had every brand every type, I changed the oil when I had 36 liters that engine was as clean as, and no wear, oil is oil it is not something special it is just oil. I lived in Edmonton, they had an oil packaging plant, they would package shell oil, then they would switch to another brand in the switch period they made house brand oils, the base stock was the same the additive package may change a small amount.

 

Ask 10 different engine builders and you get 10 different answers on the “proper” way to break in an engine. Go with how the shop who did the work tells you how to break it in. If you have issues, you don’t want them stiffing you for not following their instructions, even though it probably won’t be the reason you had a problem.

The common theme is limit idle time and run it hard for the first few hours. When to change the oil filters and oil is all over the board, while it doesn’t hurt the change oil early, most builders don’t. I’ve been overhauling engines for a lot of years and I do not drain oil under 10,000 miles. I change the filters after the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] hard pull, then again ½ way though the normal oil change. Pull a sample at the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] oil change and wear metals are only slightly high, not even at a warning level. The 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] sample comes back low. They don’t burn out, we have no issues.

As far as breaking in rings, it’s nothing like it was 20 years ago. You should not use enough oil to have to add it after the first few hours of running hard. Liners are honed with a plateau finish these days, which cuts break in time drastically compared to the oil days. Using oil is not normal for a new engine, don’t let anyone tell you that. If it’s using oil, there’s a problem.

We deliver to an auction about 2 ½ hours from us. We load 10 cars using our electric pump (so we don’t have to idle for the PTO). Then send a driver to deliver them and tell him to run it hard, don’t lug it. He comes back empty, we double check everything, change the oil filters and send him on his way telling him to drive it normally. At 7500 we change the oil filters again, then the oil and filters at 15,000 (our normal).

In general a good engine builder is a smart person. They stick with what works, why try something different if what you’re doing is working? That doesn’t make others wrong, what they do works also. I have more than my share of million plus mile overhauls under my belt, so why should I change? I know people who do things a little differently, but the end result is the same, why should they change?