By Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

There’s nothing like replacing an old, tired piston engine for a new or overhauled one. Hopefully, you chose the most power you could find for the money, and you’re just aching to try it out. By this time, the plane’s been laid up for a few weeks while the work was performed, and this is your first shot at flying the familiar bird in way too long.

Whether the engine is new, freshly overhauled, or merely sporting a brand-new set of cylinders after a top-end overhaul, it needs to be broken in. That means using the manufacturer’s recommended oil and procedures. Why? Because the piston rings need…