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New Engine Breakin Info

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Hi,



I wanted to verify breakin info for my truck. It's a SO Diesel 03, 3. 73 SureGrip, with a 47RE trans. I have read some conflicting info and what to verify the best way to make my truck last. I told my wife that this is the last truck we will ever need... So with that in mind...



1. Do I do any towing during the first 500 miles?



2. Do I keep a steady constant speed when I drive or should I vary my speeds? (I. e. when on the freeway, I usually cruise at 60 - 65 with the cruise control on. Good idea or bad? Should I drive at 70 for 10 minutes, then 75 for 10 minutes. ) I usually take

a very slow start after the light has turned green. Should I accelerate hard every few times?



3. Should I take the truck above 65 during the breakin period?



4. If #1 is no, then when should I start towing?



thanks,

Thomas Schwartz

2003 slt Quad Diesel 2500 Bright Silver,E Body Hauler

70 B'cuda 318/auto (For Sale)

70 Challenger 440/4 speed/4 wheel Disc (For Sale)

70 Hemicuda vert clone - triple black 4 speed
 
Just had to get my 0. 015$ in.



1. do it if you HAFTA, otherwise wait for 500



2. take it up as high as you feel safe (tip used many times before: "run it like you stole it"). The Cummins can take it, but use discretion. I vary speed to keep the rings going all the way to the top and bottom and will keep doing it till at least 20k.



3. took mine to the max (118) a few times during the 500 and since :D



4. see #1



Agn, I need to put the hoof in da mouth



SOTSU!!

\\BF//
 
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Originally posted by Ben Stair

Just had to get my 0. 015$ in.





2. take it up as high as you feel safe (tip used many times before: "run it like you sole it"). The Cummins can take it, but use discretion. I vary speed to keep the rings going all the way to the top and bottom and will keep doing it till at least 20k.





SOTSU!!

\\BF//
 
1. I wouldn't tow a heavy load in the first 500 miles. A boat to the lake... fine. A fifth wheel... I'd wait.



2. Don't worry about varying speeds, but if you want to, it won't hurt. Accelerate regularly. There's no need to baby it.



3. Wheel speed has very little to do with engine breakin. At 65 mph, your only turning 1600-1750 rpm. The rpm is what matters. Note that to get to 65 you've undoubtedly gone higher than 1750 rpm, so why concern yourself at 65? There's no rpm limit during breakin, so drive to whatever speed limit you feel safe. Personally, I don't drive a truck above 85 mph, because that is what the tires are rated for. I have another car I drive if I want to go fast.



4. 500 miles is a good mileage to start towing a heavy load. You are encouraged to tow with the Cummins early and often, during the first 10,000 miles to speed up the break in process.
 
Not to change the subject, butt

The answer to my sig is out there in more than 1 place.



And back to break-in (no I am not trying to get into anothers property), you can always use a lower gear to get the rpms high w/o exceeding the speed limit. I drove and will do agn, in 5th @ 75 to get the rpms high. Keeps me from listening to the SO after the needle goes above HER magic #. ;)



SOTSU!!

\\BF//
 
SOTSU is in his profile:



S urge OR S crooge (or is that "scourge")

O f

T he

S outh,

U nchecked



BF is the navy acronym for Battle Force but he'd have to tell you if that's what it stands for in his signature.
 
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1. Tow after 500 miles and even then your first tow you should keep it under 60 MPH. I took a trip down the Oregon coast lucky to get above 50 on Hwy 101 and traffic. BTW I didn't have all that much power on my first Tow and the mileage sucked. That has all change I have almost 15K now



2. Yes try to keep it off the freeway for hours on end. I bought mine in Kellogg, Idaho I live in Port Orchard, Washington instead of just blow'n down I-90 I took the back roads really enjoyed the drive got to see the Heart of Washington.



3. Yes take it to at least the Fastest speed you will be cruising it at during it's life around here thats like 75 to 80 just don't sit at that speed for hours.



4. My brother swears that you should dump the rear end oil at 100 miles and refill. I did not do this but I am a carpenter and not a machinist like him.



I am planning on adding a Mag Hi-Tech rear end cover soon however that would be a great Accessory to add at 100 miles
 
Badunit,

it all depends on wether or not you gots to add the "EH" on the end of each sentence :p !



There is an "OLD" post giving all the info on my sig - the \\BF// was and still is my teletype "chops" or sig and unless the rules changed once registered, they are yours till forever. For msg tracking purposes. . couldnt send "dirties" that way... . just keeping count on the numbers (but yes Battle Force and BeeFer are a few of the make-ups).



0123456789 :D



SOTSU!!

\\BF//
 
I would get a few hundred miles on before heavy towing and keep the 1st 500 miles of towing under 60 (I believe this is for the axle, not the engine). Steady speeds and even starts, drive at different speeds. Don't baby it but don't try to break it either;) . Good luck with your new truck, it just keeps getting better:D :D :D .



Dean
 
I'm still not following this varying speed thing to get the rings all the way up and down as Ben said ... ... ..... the stroke is fixed.



Romping a new motor does help seat the rings ... ..... gas anyway.
 
How to explain... I'll try and maybe someone else could do it better.



The rings set in grooves in the piston but there is some "looseness" (mfgr tolerances create "slop"). When the piston goes up the ring is "cocked" down by the cyl wall. At higher speeds the force of the movement will "uncock" the ring an put the ridge (which could take a long time or not) a little higher. The reverse happens at the low end of the piston. By using a higher RPM these ridges will be further apart and you will have less of a chance to break the ring if after sooo many miles you do "romp" it. By breaking it in at a set speed (RPM) the ridge could be a little low for the force that will be exerted when you romp it in later years. Of course, if you NEVER plan to romp it, the chance is that the ridge will never be a problem. (The little old lady who only drives at 25mph on Sundays -never mind the rest of the week :) - has set the ridge at a low level so that when the person who drives it hard breaks things due to this)



Dont take this as the ONLY reason things break but it does eliminate one of the possible problems that could get you in later years. Towing heavy now will also help prevent this later. It might take 100k +/- some figure before the rings form this ridge, but once its there, thats where it stays till the rebuild. Also the oil ring (which should not matter) could, repeat could, get damaged from the ridge that the upper or lower ring forms. NOT LIKELY butt..... more that likely the oil ring would be damaged from the upper/lower ring breaking and putting a piece between it and the oil ring. As someone once asked me, do you polish "things" by rubbing slow or fast? I didnt take into consideration heat/expansion/contraction for this, but it also affects the process.



Just my 0. 015$ opinion (and I need to get to the bank and re-supply my funds) :D



SOTSU!!

\\BF//
 
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I think you are worrying yourself about something that doesn't exist. The ring only has like . 003"-. 005" clearance in the ring groove.
 
Not worried, just the way it was explained to me a long time ago. And was told that this was the reason not to get the "little old lady's". The rings would not be seated and the edges would be closer together due to lack of "throw/expansion". Sew take it for what its worth (no feelings either way on it) but that is why I will always run the diesel hard and take it "easier" on a gas (if I ever get a new one agn). Yes we have 2 gassers now but only 1 was bought new (hers). The y2k @102k didnt use a drop of oil nor any other fluids. Only "smoked" when I want it 2 :D:D!!



SOTSU!!

\\BF//
 
Ahhhh. I get you now!



The way a gas engine was broke to seal the rings in the old days was to romp it hard and then let it engine break, romp it hard and engine break, romp it hard and engine break etc etc ... ... ... ... . it was the romp it hard vs. speed limits that seated the rings :D
 
Sounds gud 2 me. of course we had diff speed limits in Brooklyn/Parma area :D:D



And then the cops were always looking in the wrong places, which helped ;) .



SOTSU!!

\\BF//
 
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