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Break in period?

Rocket Man

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well that too. I just know that a car babied for the first couple of thousand miles will not reach the potential of a car broken in "more spirited"
 


Frogdog1

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I don't know why this is an issue. It's always someone else's car. They can do what they want.
 

MustangNoob

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you should take it easily for the first couple hundred miles. use the paddle shifters to downshift and let the engine brake , lift off gas for same thing. avoid driving at constant rpms. Any acceleration make it more linear. Don't exceed 4k rpms the first 100-200 miles. Then increase the limit as mile increases . I think by 700 or so miles you can be safe to open it a bit more.

At least this is what I do. Is it worth it ? who knows. At least I have a peace of mind "helping those internals sit well"
 

Rocket Man

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If you switch cars every two years, then yeah, you wont notice it. You never drive them enough to see the long term results.
Well that doesn't apply to me. Most of my cars have accumulated 75-100k miles. My record was my 1981 G30 High Cube Van with 222,000 miles. I have driven several million miles is 60+ years.
 

Rocket Man

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can hate all you want. Doesn't change a thing.
You just do you. you seem to know a lot :)
 

Katastrophe

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Interesting read for those who want to understand more about breaking in an engine:

Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power

Keep in mind, breaking in a new car goes beyond just an engine. Brakes, transmissions (gears/clutches) and other systems need attention, too. Plenty of info out there.

FWIW, I have always broken in my new vehicles (2 wheels, 4 wheels, no wheels) in a similar fashion. Not on a dyno, but methodically on a road with some gusto. Never burnt a drop of oil in any of them, even the ones that were "known" to burn oil. Anecdotally, whenever racing or playing on the street with friends, mine have always seemed to be "factory freaks". I don't think that was by coincidence...

Anyway, as always, don't stress it too much. It's your car at the end of the day, do what makes you happy. Just my 0.02!
 

robvas

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95% of new cars are simply driven off the lot and the owner goes about their day. Hopefully they make it back for an oil change when the light comes on.

You can listen to engine builders for their opinions. Don't forget you're also breaking in the CAR, not just the engine. So you've got new brakes, new transmission, rear end etc.



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