Breakin question

[dutch6]

OK, so I've listened to all of you (I am very pleased with all of the responses - thank you!) and am leaning toward a new 3500 6. 7, auto, 4x4, DRW, CC. Provided, that is, the eBay dealer listing the new '08 is a valid (no surprises) deal. If I buy the truck out of state the return trip will be on interstate highways. If this deal goes as planned, I will pick up the truck on the way to FL to pick up the 5er. Since my Jeep G/C is part of the trade in for the 5er I can use that to drive down (from NJ), get the truck and tow the jeep to FL. On arriving in FL the truck will have approx. 500-600 miles on it. The plan then is to tow the 14k 5er back North, 1200 miles.

Now that I've explained this, the question is will any of this be detrimental to breaking in the new truck?

 

[Coalsmoke]

Go the first 500miles without towing and then for the next couple thousand try to avoid setting it on cruise for long periods of time and be nice to the skinny pedal. After 3000 miles you should be good to start to really open it up, as everything should have calmed down. Complete engine break-in should take 10-15,000miles.

 

[AllianceDiesel]

yep what coalsmoke said

 

[donnandon]

We did basically what Coalsmoke said... except when we towed our 13k 5er after 505 miles of no tow breakin, we used the cruise control and just kept changing the setting. We towed on Interstate highways between 50-65mph for approx. 1000 miles and many times slower due to highway construction zones. Our engine is not really broken in yet (only 8500 miles) but it pulls like a bear!

Go the first 500miles without towing and then for the next couple thousand try to avoid setting it on cruise for long periods of time and be nice to the skinny pedal. After 3000 miles you should be good to start to really open it up, as everything should have calmed down. Complete engine break-in should take 10-15,000miles.

 

[phxpsd]

Drive it like you stole it

What else can I say

 

[DPKetchum]

Biggest thing that needs break in is the differantial.

 

[jimnance]

OK, so I've listened to all of you (I am very pleased with all of the responses - thank you!) and am leaning toward a new 3500 6. 7, auto, 4x4, DRW, CC. Provided, that is, the eBay dealer listing the new '08 is a valid (no surprises) deal. If I buy the truck out of state the return trip will be on interstate highways. If this deal goes as planned, I will pick up the truck on the way to FL to pick up the 5er. Since my Jeep G/C is part of the trade in for the 5er I can use that to drive down (from NJ), get the truck and tow the jeep to FL. On arriving in FL the truck will have approx. 500-600 miles on it. The plan then is to tow the 14k 5er back North, 1200 miles.

Now that I've explained this, the question is will any of this be detrimental to breaking in the new truck?

Absolutely not! I've had a trailer behind most of my CTD's within 500 miles. Don't get it hot, but don't baby it either. Putting a load behind it early will speed up the break in and help the rings seat nicely.

 

[Simplysmn]

DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLD IT FROM THE GET GO . That way it is broken in with your normal driving habit's and won't freak out if you baby it . thats what i did to mine and so far I have a grin from ear to ear still to this day .

 

[phxpsd]

Just do yourself a favor and install an EGT guage as a minimum to keep from overheating the turbo. A boost guage is nice as is an auto transmission temp guage if so equipped.

 

[phxpsd]

Nice reply Simplysmn!!!! I can't agree more, the bad news is diesels don't really get "broken in" until around 80,000miles. Good news is they just get better with every mile.

 

[Coalsmoke]

Nice reply Simplysmn!!!! I can't agree more, the bad news is diesels don't really get "broken in" until around 80,000miles. Good news is they just get better with every mile.

With modern engine technology that is a complete fallacy. That may have been the case in years past but there is an entire engineering segment now incorporated for rapid break-in intervals on new engines. After 10,000miles there is no reason for one of these engines to not be fully seated.

 

[phxpsd]

Whatever dude. Talk about negative posts!!!

 

[dutch6]

EGT, etc guages

Just do yourself a favor and install an EGT guage as a minimum to keep from overheating the turbo. A boost guage is nice as is an auto transmission temp guage if so equipped.

I think I agree that it would be nice to know what the engine, trans, etc are doing especially since I will be towing 14k in the mountains.

I had the Silverleaf engine mgmt system loaded on a laptop in the M/H and it was great. However, I don,t want a laptop (required to run Silverleaf) floating around in the Dodge. So any suggestions/comments/links about guaging would be appreciated.

 

[phxpsd]

Look for Autometer or Isspro from Genos Garage. I use the Autometers and them seem to work fine. You can do an A-pillar mount, dash top mount or steering column mount, whichever suits your needs and what you like.

 

[Coalsmoke]

I think I agree that it would be nice to know what the engine, trans, etc are doing especially since I will be towing 14k in the mountains.

I had the Silverleaf engine mgmt system loaded on a laptop in the M/H and it was great. However, I don,t want a laptop (required to run Silverleaf) floating around in the Dodge. So any suggestions/comments/links about guaging would be appreciated.

The Edge Insight is a pretty good setup, it will be better once they get some software bugs out of it. You might want to look into that. Occasionally synching it to a laptop is still handy, but not a necessity. I bought a cheap laptop for a few hundred for this purpose, so it doesn't matter if it is stolen from the truck.

 

[Cattletrkr]

The '04. 5 that I recently got rid of jumped in mileage at 6K and again at 160K.

My '07 was at 3500rpm before it ever had 1000 miles on it.

Drive nice, but that doesn't necessarily mean low RPM.