There is one time that you can use less lubrication, and that is during the first few minutes of the engine's life.

When the cylinder is manufactured its surface is honed to a finish which, if viewed with a microscope, would look like zillions of peaks and valleys. The face of the piston ring is also not perfectly smooth.

During the first few minutes of operation the piston ring moves across the peaks and knocks off the tops, leaving valleys and mountains with flat tops. The ring rides on the flat tops and the valleys retain lubricating oil. Also the ring's microscopic imperfections wear and the ring conforms to the cylinder's shape. This is what happens when the ring seats.

If you have too much lubricity on the first run the anitcipated wear does not occur, and the ring never really seals in the cylinder. This is why manufacturers suggest mineral oil for break-in, synthetic oil can retard ring seating.

I agree that running the engine fairly hard from the start is not only permissable, it will help all those parts inside to get to know one-another more quickly.


TF