Breaking in New Truck

[TJay74]

I drive them like I am going to drive them, never had an issue. Granted they are WOT from start up to parked, but I also am not afraid to put my foot into them some either. The engines are ran on a dyno at the engine plant to redline several times and at the plant as well when the vehicle is going thru final assembly.

[HawkeyeSierra]

I always just drive them like I normally would, which is like I stole it.

Agree. Balls to the wall.

[mookdoc6]

The factory pumps em up to seat the rings before you get it! Just change the oil after 1000 miles and obviously don't go on the interstate at 65 mph for 5hr's straight.......These are not performance strokers built out of the garage and need the proper performance break in people.

 

They are dime a dozen 4.3's 5.3's 6.2's all from the common block so to speak and broken in at the plant!

[George C]

It ain't a Ford George and I didn't read anything about it being a diesel in the OP. I know from personal experiences that the trucks and cars that I broke in by running them hard gave much less problems and outlasted the ones that I babied.

Yeah, screw GM. What do they know. I'm going with your advice.

[wuznme]

All the new vehicles we have purchased, we drove them the same off the lot as the vehicle we just traded in. No issues with any of them. This started back in 1988 when i purchased my first new vehicle. Have had 5 new vehicles since then.

 

 

 

Oh my, I've probably had over 50 since that time; had 6 different ones in last 2-3 years.

[426ted]

I wonder if it's likely more the drive line that needs to be broken in. I doubt any manufacturer today would rely on the owner to properly break in an engine.

[Boardmember]

...I doubt any manufacturer today would rely on the owner to properly break in an engine.

A more unfortunate truth may never be revealed.

[Black02Silverado]

What would you say the average percent is of individuals out there that purchase new vehicles that really care/understand vehicles and want to follow the owners manual? 20% or so and the rest just don't care?

[mookdoc6]

Honestly, American drivers.....20% would be the absolute max that any have even read the owners manual?

[CbrownGT]

Not knocking anyone's methods, do as you please, but tedious break-in methods and oil changes after only 1k miles is overkill IMO. I drove it like I normally would which included some highway miles, and change the oil til the oil life hit 0%. I've had zero issues after 36k miles.

[tnchevy]

You are wasting your time if you are worried about "break in" steps. When myself and my employees get a new work truck we usually go about 5 hours away to pick it up. We then drive it well past the speed limit for the trip back home. We then continue to drive the snot out of them, crawling around in 4 lo one day to doing 80 down the interstate later that day for 3 or 4 years and then they get traded at 150k to 200k miles. Never had an engine go out or have problems in 20 years of doing this. Also a big chunk of you will get rid of your truck in 5 years or so anyway.

[George C]

Not knocking anyone's methods, do as you please, but tedious break-in methods and oil changes after only 1k miles is overkill IMO. I drove it like I normally would which included some highway miles, and change the oil til the oil life hit 0%. I've had zero issues after 36k miles.

Old schoolers like myself still change at 3-4K, mostly because we are stuck in the 80s mindset. Now, engines run so much cleaner due to advanced electronics, and oil and filtration technology is exceptional.

 

I'm not sure why I'm still anal about service, I never keep a vehicle much past warranty expiration anyway.

[Badass69]

I purposely hook to a trailer and drive the piss out of it.... did it twice now and got 2 excellent performing trucks with no blow by ( unlike half the slews of oil you guys get in your intakes) and good performance. Engines are not broken in at the plant.... go watch a manufacturing video of them. They run a certain amount for quality control but that's it. Your rear end and everything else is fresh too... but with diffs I just try and not let them overheat.... that's all. In the end nobody really cares how they break it in...... if you screw it up badly enough and have one that eats enough oil they will replace it and the second engine comes with instructions for the tech to break it in correctly for you before you get a chance to drive it again.

 

The catchcan guys like the ones with lots of blowby.... keeps them in business!

 

Basically drive it however you want because that's all you are going to do anyway lol.

[L86 All Terrain]

Does your engine come with break-in oil? No, rings were seated with break-in oil at the factory on a stand. Drive it how ever you want to, you also have warranty if something major is going to happen and it will most likely do so in the first 50k. All my fresh built sled motors get driven like an animal. High varied RPM and semi syn. mix oil will ensure a great ring seat and provide a reliable powerful engine for years to come. Drive it like a rental.

[Badass69]

Does your engine come with break-in oil? No, rings were seated with break-in oil at the factory on a stand. Drive it how ever you want to, you also have warranty if something major is going to happen and it will most likely do so in the first 50k. All my fresh built sled motors get driven like an animal. High varied RPM and semi syn. mix oil will ensure a great ring seat and provide a reliable powerful engine for years to come. Drive it like a rental.

 

Got proof of that? Because GM doesn't have the time or the money to fiddle around breaking in every single engine they manufacture on a stand.... "Break in" oil is pretty much irrelevant on a roller cam engine..... heat and load seat the rings to the walls.... not the oil the oil they put in them. I do build engines in cars... and I don't have break in issues nor use anything special for a roller setup..... you don't need too. Regular old synthetic blend like they use will do just fine.

 

 

 

Everyone should watch that little gem.