How to break in my new 600?

[BApple]

I will be picking up my new 600 in 2-3 weeks. I have to fly out to pick it up then drive 600 miles home. What is the typical way to break this new truck in properly? I have heard to vary the rpm's(no highway driving) for the first few hundred miles. I have heard to not let the engine idle for the first few hundred miles. I have heard not to tow for the first 500 miles. I have heard that towing with the truck (after the first 500) will help the break in, maybe 4-5000 lbs. Seeing that I have all highway miles to drive for the first 600 miles, will this be ok? Do I need the first 100 miles to be under 60 mph? All these guidelines I have read about are confusing. Can anyone simplify for me and my situation(picking the truck up 600 miles away)? Thanks

 

[DPelletier]

I Think you've got a pretty good handle on it. If you really want to make sure, then vary your highway rpm's up and down periodically and then give it another couple of hundred miles of city driving before towing heavy.



Dave

 

[klenger]

I don't see any reason to avoid freeway driving (I drove mine home 900 miles on the freeway) as long as you vary the speed somewhat. In my case the varrying terrain took care of exercizing the engine with varrying loads.

 

[HOCummins04]

My procedure was/is as follows: I held mine under 1800 rpm for the first 350 miles - all local miles. Change the oil at 1000 & 2000 miles. Check air filter. Vary the RPM on your way home. I am going to wait until 3k or 4k for towing. You have enough torque to drive the truck without using a lot of turbo or WOT acceleration - especially the first 500 miles.



My local Cummins shop advised me not to baby it or deviate from my normal driving habits. Mgr said let the truck get used to you and the way you drive. I still took it easy on mine. You only get one chance to start fresh. Now I have 940 miles and it is making more power, according to my seat-of-the-pants-omometer.

 

[jimnance]

I'm on my fifth CTD with my first a '91 so I've broken in a few.



First of all, these engines break in fairly easily and require very few precautions. Extensive idling is always bad, but particularly so for break in. I wouldn't drive it WFO for the first couple hundred miles. Varying RPM is a good idea, but it's not necessary to constantly vary the RPM. Just don't go out and run a steady 65 MPH for hours on end. Vary it some.



No reason to avoid the freeway. Just drive normally the first couple of hundred miles. After that feel free to drive it like you stole it.



We only had 200 miles on our 2003 when we took off with our big fifth wheel. Up and down the mountains and hammered down up the hills. Driving it hard at this stage helps accelerate the break in process.



Enjoy!

 

[Bill Stockard]

In the middle 80s my brother and I bought new Ford F250 diesel pickups at about the same time. I had a 4. 10 ratio axle and he had a 3. 54 ratio. I hooked our 31' Airstream up to our truck and took it to the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming with less than 500 miles on it. The engine "broke-in" using about a quart of oil in the first 1,000 miles and never used any between changes for over the 100K miles I owned it.



My brother, on the other hand, "baby-ed" his truck. He didn't tow anything with it and only drove it on the highway for short distances, which is the worse thing to do to a diesel. His truck used oil for the 200K miles he owned it! The cylinder walls glazed over from the slow short trips and the rings never seated. I warned him early to hook up to a heavy trailer to the truck and "drive it like he stole it" or he would have problems.



Engines are built much better now, but "babying" the late model diesel engines isn't necessary. These same Cummins engines are in medium duty trucks, buses, motorhomes, agricultural equipment, and construction equipment and don't get a break-in period.



Bill

 

[TFerring]

When I bought my new 600 I went and talked to the service manager, while waiting on paperwork. I asked him this same question... ... His reply... Drive it like you stole it, tow whenever you want. Do not baby this truck during the first few thousand miles. The only thing he told me to do was to change the oil at about 3,000 miles instead of the normal interval. I towed my 6,000# boat and trailer the day I bought mine. I had about 100 miles on her when I hooked up. Don't really worry about a "break in" period" I read the owners manual the morning I picked up the truck and it didn't say anything about a "break in" period. My 2002 1500 5. 9L had recommedations about a "break in" period before you towed. Remember this is a heavy duty truck. Dodge and Cummins know that these trucks are used and abused. How could they sell a truck like this and then say you need to vary rpm's on the highway, don't tow for the first 1,000 miles... . yadda yadda yadda. These trucks are built to be used the day you drive them home. Don't worry about how to break in the truck.

 

[DPelletier]

Bottom line is the precautions CAN'T HURT. If you want to risk it, hey, by all means. FWIW, I think the engine doesn't need much in the way of break-in, but after hearing all tbe rear end issues with the AAM's, I certainly think that not waiting at least 500 mi before towing heavy is less than prudent.



Dave



Oh, and do yourself a favour and take whatever advice you get from your Service Manager, Technician, etc. with a grain of salt. Your average TDR member knows more about these trucks than they ever will.

 

[KevinWatts]

Everything stated may be fine for the engine, but with all of the whining gear problems I'd pay more attention to the gear break in. After the first 30-50 miles stop and put your hand on the rear diff cover. If it's too hot to leave your hand on it, let it cool before continuing. It may take 2 or 3 of these cycles before the it stays cool. Gears usually take a couple hundred miles to lap themselves. After 500 miles you can start towing. Hook up the trailer pull it about 20 miles and check the diff. If it's hot let it cool. Again it may take a couple cycles but that's what it takes for proper ring & pinion break in.



Kevin

 

[jwilliams3]

Just drive it.



Dont pull heavy for the first 1000 or so.



--Justin