Break in

[EgDude]

Just wondering how everyone here broke in their 5.0. I have heard over the years quite a few methods and time lengths. Just curious what everyone's general consensus is here.

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[SrqGT]

Break in is done in the first 20 miles for the motor. You are going to get every opinion in the book. You bought engine that likes to rev so rev it a lot.

 

[Dominant1]

My car was a dealer trade from a north carolina dealership. When they made the transfer they drove the car up here instead of putting it on a truck. So i bought it with 448 miles on it. Already broke in!...

 

[SpeedLu]

Drive it hard. Go WOT often, vary your rpms while cruising. Babying it won't break it in worth a crap.

 

[EgDude]

Interesting. I've heard 1000 miles of easy driving on it and that's about it. But have seen a lot of people beating on it from the start. Only reason I ask other than just hearing people's opinions.

 

[BmacIL]

Vary speed as much as you can.

Do:
Take it to redline once in a while
Go WOT once in a while
Practice some engine braking when slowing
If you go on a long trip, vary your speed (i.e. go 70 for a while, then 65 for a while, then maybe 73, you get the idea)

Don't:
Go on a long trip with cruise set at one speed
Track the car
Drive with extended periods of WOT
Let it rev to redline all the time
Drive it like a grandma in an old Crown Vic

Everyone has their own best time for this, but I'd recommend the first oil change between 1000-2000 miles. I did mine at 1500. My used oil analyses are excellent and my engine consumes essentially zero oil (I can't measure the little it consumes via the dipstick).

 

[EgDude]

Vary speed as much as you can.

Do:
Take it to redline once in a while
Go WOT once in a while
Practice some engine braking when slowing
If you go on a long trip, vary your speed (i.e. go 70 for a while, then 65 for a while, then maybe 73, you get the idea.

This is about the standard in my book. Was going to do this for about 1000 miles. That's what I did with my other car. Seems too be just fine. I'm sure other methods work. Just a big investment for me to be impatient. Meh if not then I just saved some gas over the course of a thousand miles.

 

[BmacIL]

Interesting. I've heard 1000 miles of easy driving on it and that's about it. But have seen a lot of people beating on it from the start. Only reason I ask other than just hearing people's opinions.

Easy driving doesn't put any stress on the components you're trying to wear in properly. Here's one example: if you keep the engine below say, 4000 rpm, the rods and pistons never see the accelerations they'll see when at 6500+ rpm. Rods stretch under those pretty extreme forces and the honed area of the cylinder at the very top and bottom of the stroke won't get contacted by the rings without those accelerations.

 

[SpeedLu]

As always BmacIL does a great job with the details. The main thing is don't baby the car, drive it and have fun.

 

[EgDude]

Took some advice here on the drive home and gave it a little more than I have since picking it up (only 350 miles ago). Don't think I've had a bigger smile since riding in my buddies terminator.

 

[Road Dog]

Lots of opinions

on breaking in new engines. IME there is only one thing that signals when an engine is broken in. It isn't a magic number of miles as some suggest.

To be fair I admit that modern engines have a very light crosshatch pattern cut into the cylinder walls to aid the piston rings in wearing a slight bit and therefore sealing against the cylinder walls. It is thought that this crosshatch would only be effective for @20 miles and the engine would be considered broken in then.

I don't think that happens in 20 miles. At least not when you are running synthetic oil or semi-synthetic oil. I tried that years ago with a newly rebuilt engine. It didn't work, the rings didn't seal, and it was only after I drained the synthetic and replaced it with dino oil that the engine finally had the rings start sealing correctly.

My method for the S550 is simple, changed the oil right after delivery. No Synthetic or semi-synthetic. Regular dino oil was used with a new filter until I had just over 500 miles. Then I had another oil change to semi-synthetic and have been using that ever since.

 

[jasonstang]

Just drive it like you normally would.
I would avoid redlining in the first 1000 then you can go to redline after that. Change oil between 2000-3000 miles.

 

[Randy954]

As soon as I left the dealer I burned rubber up the whole street letting it bounce off the limiter a few times. Then I proceeded to get on the highway and banged all the gears to about 130ish. Then later that night i went on a cruise with some homies and did donuts/raced in the car for a couple hours that night. I literally beat the shit out of it. Car only had 13 miles on it when I drove it off the lot.. I just changed the oil at 3200 miles and not a single drop of oil burned. Even my catch can was damn near empty.

I figure I got 60k power train warranty so if I break anything nows the time to do it lol

So my advice... don't be no punk! Drive it like u stole it!

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