Yogivette

What are you going to do to properly break in your new car. Miles, Speeds, Oil Changes?

TRAYC7

Im not one to worry too much about the first 500 miles... I probably wont get too crazy.... but wont be subtle either... I will have the oil changed at 1000 miles.... I just want it now

Corvette Junkie

I believe in breaking them in the way you're going to drive it.

TedG

Listen to me carefully, having spent the early years of my life as a motorcycle mechanic, I have literally rebuilt thousands (yes, thousands, many small one and two cyl) of engines. The engines that make it the longest and use the least oil are engines that have been broken in using the heat then cool method. Run up the engine easily, then back off, over and over. Never run the engine at one speed for at least the first 100. Don't load it hard, just run it up easily and back down fairly quickly. This tempers the rings nicely, allows the pistons to surface harden slowly, beds in the rod and main bearings properly. Then after that take it easy on the thing until the recommended mileage. Running up the RPM occasionally doesn't hurt if you don't load the engine hard. Then live long and prosper.

Lazerwolfe

Wow, one of the best posts on this subject. Thanks Ted.

need-for-speed

This topic has been covered ad nauseum in the C5 section. There will always be people who say "break it in like your gonna drive it, my grandpappy always did" ...i.e drive the crap out of it from day one. But ALL of the posts that I have ever seen from mechanics and engine builders say to break it in according to the manufacturers instructions which are: to take it easy for the first 500 miles (including being easy on the brakes), vary engine rpm, don't drive one constant speed. Going through many heating and cooling cycles is supposed to be good for annealing the ring and pinion gear (according to one of our members who worked at a plant that builds them). I had not heard of the cooling cycles being good for the rings but that makes sense. When in doubt, listen to the engineers who built the thing. You have nothing to loose by following their recommendations. With my C5, the "break in procedure" was covered on the video cassette that came w/ the car (take it easy first 500 miles, etc). And don't listen to a salesmen for such advice.

I'd change the oil at 1000 miles too. They'll tell you it's not necessary but so what.


[Modified by need-for-speed, 12:52 AM 6/20/2004]

GDP

What exactly do you mean by "Run up the engine easily, then back off, over and over. " and "Don't load it hard, just run it up easily and back down fairly quickly."?


[Modified by GDP, 1:06 AM 6/20/2004]

Beaz

Well........... it invloves smoke
Seriously though, i would listen to TedG, he definetly knows what he is talking about

Matt Gruber

in the real world a NCM buyer cruises home on the highway at steady speed.
i'm not saying Ted is wrong for motorcycles.

Corvette Junkie

To me it doesn't mean that at all. I see it as saying you want it to see a large range of operating conditions during break-in. Unless you are going to baby all the time that's what it will see in real life.

REL44

Ted, any advice then for how to drive it for us who are going to drive it 400-500 miles right upon delivery? Also, I had heard C5s come with synthetic oil from the factory. Is this true, and will it be true of the C6?

TedG

When you run an engine at any one speed it will build heat and the cooling system will stabilize the temp and hold it there. Once an engine is assembled the parts need to "embed themselves to each other" this causes friction and excessive heat (on a small scale). So the heating and cooling process is kinda like making a fine sword, heat, form, cool. The loading of the engine should be kept light because the bearings are not a perfect fit yet, they need to gently "work off their high spots". Running the engine too hard right at first, may cause one of those high spots or sharp edges to break through the oil film and cause metal to metal contact when one loads the engine too hard.
How would I handle a highway break in? Take maybe 5-10 mph above the speed limit accelerate smartly up to it then quickly back down to maybe 5 below. Use a lower gear to get more of the effect. Stuck in traffic, pull over and find a gap so as not to irritate the rest of the planet. Maybe a side trip on a twisty road. 100 miles of this should be plenty, after that just don't load the engine hard until the break in period is over. IMHO

The car is shipped with Mobil 1. Good stuff, I am sticking to it. It is even recommended on the oil cap.


[Modified by TedG, 11:24 AM 6/20/2004]

need-for-speed

I see nothing wrong with that as long as you don't take it to redline and keep your speed down the first 500 miles. When I break mine in, I do get closer and closer to redline as I approach 500 miles. I was referrring to those who advocate runing full throttle from the beginning.

Corvette Junkie

You also have to remember that every Corvette coming off the line is taken up to 75 MPH and near redline on it's test on the dyno. And they don't do it gradually.

TedG

I wouldn't think 75 is loading a light car with 400 hp very hard. Wanna bet they don't hold it there? Back it down, nice heat cool cycle to start out with.

TedG

Wow! This is the first time I have seen a thread on this topic that didn't lead to some sort of a pis-sing contest. I am impressed.

jimman

I've been told do to the Oil used today that 500 miles isn't really enough time.

TedG

Usually it is, what you are really doing is massaging the bearings into shape, not really removing material. The rings break in very quickly, the honing process leaves thousands of sharp edges to quickly seat the rings. That is where the microscopic material comes from, and it is a good idea to get rid of it early.

Matt Gruber

does the ls2 filter all the oil, or does is bypass the filter?

TedG

All oil pumped through the system gets filtered. A certain amount of the debris will sit in the bottom of the pan and hopefully will come out when the oil is drained. Remember a filter can only remove particles down to X microns, Particles smaller than X pass right on through and back through the engine.