Excellent article on an engine break-in procedure designed to maximize ring seal:


http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

My snowmobile dealer always said break it in like you are going to ride it. WOT for somehttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif, strait to the bar and parked for others!

after about 250 miles of easy driving ................foot to the floor drivin it like i stole it..................

Michigana_Joe!
Did you break in your LB7 that way? I have a company vehicle (non diesel of course) and I did not care much how to break it in like the book says - it runs like a charm! I was actually wondering why its running that good after that abuse. Seems there is some truth in that article. Don't know yet if I will follow that arcticle when I get my new Dmax (where the engine alone costs more than the whole company vehicle...hope I have the guts to do it!)

Frank

I have always been a big believer in breaking it in like you are going to drive it or ride it. Years ago my cousin and I bought the exact same dirt bike on the exact same day. I rode mine hard form day one and he followed Honda's break in procedure. My bike would literally kill his all day long from day one. I firmly believe that it it just a way for them to cover there ass. I say drive it hard from day one and you will have a great performing truck. I had my last Duramax dynoed stock before doing some mods and the guys doing the testing said I had the best performing stock Duamamx that they had seen.

mahalkita: No, I hadn't read the article yet, but I did do some 0-60's when it only had 100 miles or so on it -- hopefully I abused it enough! If I had it to do over again I would pull something heavy ASAP.


White Duramax: Speaking of snowmobiles, I do plan on trying this procedure on a new F7 this winter. I have never really babied anything during break-in, but this will be the first time I set out to intentionally flog a brand new motor.

I broke it in nice and easy until 1000 and then I dropped the Hypertech in. I have heard drive it like you would in the future. So, thats what I did and I have had no problems. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Evil Smile.gif

I don't see how you can possibly HELP anything by running the crap out of it before its broken in (or any time, for that matter) Its just a gut feeling, but it seems to me that when an engine is built, and the parts are freshly machined and ground, and some may be too tight because of the tolerances involved in producing anything, that they are going to create more friction, heat, and wear as they break in. So ragging the heck out of it too early is just going to make that worse. I don't see why how you break it in and how you drive it normally have to be the same. I say its yours, rag the heck out of it if you want to, but at least give it a chance to break in first. I wouldn't listen to the guys that say "drive it like you stole it from day 1." They are not thinking long-term.


Here's an experience I'm having: I bought a 2-stroke 4 wheeler that everybody says you have to rebuild the top end on every year. I broke it in easy ( and I don't really ride that hard, either), and I have had it over 3 years and haven't rebuilt it yet.


My friend bought a 4-stroke, that's supposed to last a lot longer, drove it like he stole it from day one, and he's had it less than a year and he's about to have to rebuild it.


Does that mean anything? Not necessarily, but even if the break in didn't make the difference, it shows that how you use it every day does. Under normal use, anything can last a long time, or if all you know is "Put it on the floor until stuff starts breaking" none of them are going to last.

All I can add to this is my experience with a quad:


(Generally, I break engines in pretty easy and step up through the process)


BUT!~~~


I bought a brand new Honda 400EX Quad and decided to give the "break it in like its gonna be ridden" method since I wasnt too attached nor worried about its longevity..


I brought it straight from the dealer to a buddies house and three of us proceed to drag race over and over and over again. I litterally warmed it up and lined up with the buddies! http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif


Well, it started leaking oil and, IMO, it never started well or ran as strong as I would have thought.


Never again.

Brake_Torq


You are correct,


The drive it like you stole it, WOT attitude is destructive. a perfectly machined and blueprinted engine lessens break in time, even then I recommend some gentle break in time mainly for rings . If you could manage to aquire a perfectly built engine from the factory very little break in is required. Rings will break in usually within about 10 minutes to 1/2 hour of running time.


Most mated parts do not have the "polish" straight from the factory that can only be aquired by Heating and cooling cycles. Some study of metalurgy will explain things and change the minds of the WOT crowd for break in.


I built engines as a hobby, not a profession, but I get to see whats going on inside,


Rob

IMHO, that 'run 'em hard' break-in may make the rings seat better/faster, but it will play hell with all the bearings. To each his own, but I'll never break one in like that.

How do farmers break in there tractors??? Do they drive around the farm just waiting for that magic number on the hour meter, or do they put a plow on it and put that b!tch to work. What about a semi, do they bob tail around for a week or do they put a trailer and load on and put her to work??? I don't think i have to tell you the answer.


When i first got my truck i was late for my spray in boxliner appointment, so i drove of the dealers lot and drove 1 hour at the speed limiter to make it there in time. Haven't had a problem yet(other than injectors), and it runs strong. I've only got 65,000miles on her though, but i don't forsee any problems that won't be self inflicted due to performance mods http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Evil Smile.gif

My buddy and I bought duramaxes at the same time he broke his in nice and easy and i put an ass woopin on mine from day 1.Mine runs a lot better than his does http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif

Pehaps it's high speed that kills. How fast does a piston move @ 1,000 RPM? Our trucks limmit out around 3,200 RPM and the gassers around 5,500, roughly. Maybe that's why the skirts are different, piston worble? Our trucks have about 17.5:1 and the little gassers have around 9.5:1 compression....that could make a difference. I don't know the real story. I do know that of the many big diesels we have had, the ones that were "used" hard from the get-go seemed to hold up better in the long run.


......... How is the Duramax made? What type of casting?





Burner----------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif

My entire living for 18 years has been overhauling diesels, performance, stock, and sometimes even purposely castrated. Tomorrow I start #1460 (BTW, big blowout at #1500 next year sometime. Live band, whole hogs/ beef BBQ, much liquid refreshment, etc. All welcome). Everyone is instructed to sufficiently warm engine, no idling for more than 2 minutes without idle up (900r's or so) to 10,000 miles, then 3 minutes for life of engine, and cool down pyro before shut-off. The rest is simple. Hammer it. The guys that baby it around thinking their doing good use 2 to 4 gallons of oil in the first 10,000. The guys that pound it don't use any. The guys that baby it run 680,000 to 720,000 miles until next overhaul, the hammered guys run 750,000 to 850,000. The baby guys start springing up leaks all over in a year or two, the hammer guys don't leak at all, unless it's a part or product prone to leaking anyway (Cummins acc. drive seals, Cat rear housings, Detroit cam holes and VC corners, etc.). This, of course, is all big truck stuff, but the little brothers seem about the same. With all the anecdotals on quad motors (doin my 300 next), it's the same thing with a grain of salt. Break in as per book, then pound it to pieces emmediately. The smaller the motor (especially N/A's), the tighter the piston to wall clearance, guide clearance, etc. and the less surface area is available to disperse and even out heat. The smaller it is, especially super tight rice burner clearances, the easier it should be broken in. The bigger it is, again vice-versa. Pretty much all 60 series Detroits in Northern climates during the winter go from the wash bay to the dyno to be full loaded for as many hours as they can afford on the clock. I've seen 3 to 4 a lot. They drink oil 'til spring if ya don't. Construction and mining equiptment getting a slow break-in. Not. I guess all I'm saying is the bigger it is, the more it likes power from the git-go. One other obvious consideration on our stuff is OBDII. If it reads power-and-go from the start, it gives you power-and-go until reset. I drove mine from the dealer to the hitch installer (65miles), home to the trailer (75miles), and full pull for the next 150,000 (trade time, unless I fall in love for a change). Done that forever with every diesel I've owned (extensive list. This is vehicle #53). Never a prob until parts lacking structural integrity start giving way under severe HP upgrades, which has nothing to do with break-in anyway. Having said that tho, I don't think I'd put a hot OJ or stack on a brand new engine. That, I believe, is asking for a nightmare. Just my .02. Have fun guys...T

Thanks,


Well said





Burner

From what I understand, GM runs each engine at the factory, with a decent load, while evaluating engines. That should at least be a start to seating the rings, etc.


If what everyone is saying is correct, then running the snot out of the engine with a stacked Hot OJ and NOS will make the engine last longer. I'm not buying it. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif


And the observant owner should know if they were using 2 to 4 gallons of oil in the first 10,000 miles. That's a bunch of oil. At 4 gallons every 10,000, that equates to one quart every 2500 miles. I haven't heard many, if any, reported cases of that. Edited by: Ray403Dmax

Ynot was talking about big rigs, if you didn't catch it.

I have to admit I didn't read the whole post, but I could tell initially by all those 0's attached to the odometer readings.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Approve.gif

I heard that the duramax's come pre-broke in from the factory to eliminate human error in the breaking in of a new motor. One of the techs at the dealership said that the rings should already be seated by the time you even take it for a test drive.


Don't know how much of this is true but it makes sense that if they are going to warranty a motor alone for 100,000 they would make sure all us lead foot wackos with our own opinion's on break in's wouldn't be able to blow them up too easy!!! http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Rock On.gifbut this is just my opinion on what makes sense. to one his own.

I think alot of the old ways are no longer applicable to today's vehicles. If I remember correctly the corvettes come off the assembly line with synthetic oil in the crank, so those high performance, higher spec'd engines don't need additional break in. For the most part, engine design and manufacturing is far better today.

You have to build good pressure to seat the rings.That is easy to do going up in rpm but to do it on the backside you need to do a few runs in 3rd so when you back off the throttle it builds pressure on the backside of the rings.


Idling is harder on the the engine than anything else, cool the turbo then shut it off.


My dad was a diesel mechanicc all his life. When he overhauled John Deere tractors he would warm them up for a bit then put it on the dyno with some load. After about 30 minutes he would put the screws to it for about 4 hours. Then letit cool down and it was ready to go.


At Navistar where I worked for 11 years they ran every engine off the assembly line and ran it hard in a test stand for a couple of minutes. It was from idle to full throttle 10 or 12 times in a row under full load.


Drive it like you stole has always worked for me.


Greg

Ray403Dmax


Don't kid yourself about factory fills with Mobil 1, that is a win/win situation for mobil and GMC.


Mobil supplies it cheap to them in turn for advertising. Mobil also managed to bring Porche and BMW aboard.


It is true however that some engines are built to far better tolerances than others. But I can tell you for fact that rings will not seat in properly with the use of full synthetics prior to breakin


Rob

I'm not surprised that engines are run hard for a little while at the factory. They have to test them. As far as the farm tractors and big rigs, part of the reason they are not borken in slowly is because its just not economical. They need to be making money all the time they are running. I bet even they come with instructions to take it easy for a while before you really stomp on it. Its just that nobody ever does it.


Anyway, they don't have much to do with our trucks. Those engines have a lot less power per cubic inch, so running them wide open isn't pushing them very hard. It would be like getting a chip that turns your Duramax down to 160 hp, or something, for break in.


The "drive it like you stole it" stuff just doesn't make sense. Why would the manufacturers suggest that you break it in if it HELPS it to be run hard from day 1?


I bet most of the "wide open" crowd don't plan on keeping their trucks past warranty.

Don't kid yourself about factory fills with Mobil 1, that is a win/win situation for mobil and GMC. Mobil supplies it cheap to them in turn for advertising. Mobil also managed to bring Porche and BMW aboard.


No surprises there, that's the way things are manufactured with different manufacturers providing tires, seats, radios, and shocks. There is nothing wrong with this concept, it keeps costs down for the consumer. The alternative would be GM purchasing everything at Autozone and the vehicle costing two to three times more. I'm notsure where you are going with this thought, I hope you aren't suggesting that GM or Porche would do this with disregard for engine longevity.





It is true however that some engines are built to far better tolerances than others. But I can tell you for fact that rings will not seat in properly with the use of full synthetics prior to breakin


Rob


Exactly, again, there is no question about that. And therefore you can assume the engines have been properly broken in. IIRC, some Cadillacs also have long oil change intervals from the factory. This isn't planned obsolence.

I hope you aren't suggesting that GM or Porche would do this with disregard for engine longevity.





No, I'm not suggesting that at all, not even close, But don't think that an engine with a factory fill with Mobil 1 will not require a breakin. I was commenting on your post regarding, "corvettes come off the assembly line with synthetic oil in the crank, so those high performance, higher spec'd engines don't need additional break in".


Even a blue printed engine will perform better (and I know longer) after breakin. Factory fills with synthetics is for the most part hype and advertising.


Rob

Just drive the damn thing like you will every day.

I don't know about the Vett but the Porsche says 25 to 30k for break-in.Edited by: Burner