Vague Break-in Language in Ford Owner Manual

[LoneRanger]

Under new engine break-in the manual that came with my new F-150, it says not to "drive too fast", or "labor the engine", and to "vary your speed" during the first 1000 miles. They get a free pass on "vary your speed", that one doesn't need to be any more granular. However, what do they suppose constitutes "laboring" the engine?

 

[caprice_2nv]

There's going to be lots of different opinions on this one but my way of doing it would be no more than 80% throttle (maybe less from a stop with low engine speed), but don't baby the engine trying to get better gas mileage like you normally would. Slight changes in throttle position will keep it under slight load enough to help in breaking it in. Maybe towing a heavy load would be better to wait until after the break in also.

You don't have to go crazy about it but keeping these things in the back of your mind for the first 1000 miles could contribute to a slightly better engine in the long run.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I would say no towing up steep grade at mid to low rpm under high boost.

No Stump Pulling should be in there.

I;m sure you know how to break it in.

NO high rpms, no heavy loading for extended periods.

Normal -but not hyper miler - driving.

Good luck How the trans doing? Learning?

 

[Audios]

I always considered laboring lugging the engine, down low, high boost and cylinder pressures. Theyd probably prefer low pressure, high rpm over that.

 

[Linctex]

Just drive it normally -
but once a month, give it some full throttle action when fully warmed up.

Don't be afraid - every "test-driven" vehicle gets a bit of this.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Under new engine break-in the manual that came with my new F-150, it says not to "drive too fast", or "labor the engine", and to "vary your speed" during the first 1000 miles. They get a free pass on "vary your speed", that one doesn't need to be any more granular. However, what do they suppose constitutes "laboring" the engine?


Don't lug it.
Don't accelerate WOT.


That said...

...I lived near a GM plant near a railway. Those things got driven sideways that 1.1mi to the rail car.

 

[LoneRanger]

Originally Posted by Audios
I always considered laboring lugging the engine, down low, high boost and cylinder pressures. Theyd probably prefer low pressure, high rpm over that.


Unfortunately, that very operating condition seems to be what the 10-speed auto trans tends to do. Motor wants to pull pretty brisk (good torque) even when around 2K rpm. Only way a 2,7 going to achieve that is if one or both of the turbos is boosting quite a bit? I believe that is how they are getting the fuel efficiency of 19/24, 22 combined out of this combo in a 4805 lb curb weight truck.

I'm just going to drive it fairly normal. Won't exceed 75% of max rpm rating, try not to lug it to the extent the transmission programming doesn't already lug it, and won't be hauling any payloads or towing anything first 1000 miles.

 

[skyactiv]

Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Under new engine break-in the manual that came with my new F-150, it says not to "drive too fast", or "labor the engine", and to "vary your speed" during the first 1000 miles. They get a free pass on "vary your speed", that one doesn't need to be any more granular. However, what do they suppose constitutes "laboring" the engine?


Don't lug it.
Don't accelerate WOT.


That said...

...I lived near a GM plant near a railway. Those things got driven sideways that 1.1mi to the rail car.



Short video for those who've never seen how they load rail Autorack rail cars.

 

[Hall]

Never realized they "bridged" between multiple cars like that but it's so much smarter this way obviously.

 

[Fawteen]

Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Under new engine break-in the manual that came with my new F-150, it says not to "drive too fast", or "labor the engine", and to "vary your speed" during the first 1000 miles. They get a free pass on "vary your speed", that one doesn't need to be any more granular. However, what do they suppose constitutes "laboring" the engine?


Just drive it normally and enjoy it. Don't fret over the minutia.

 

[demarpaint]

Trust me odds are the lot boy moving it around the dealership beat the snot out of it. The lot boys where I worked at did. Many times cold engines were hammered seconds after they were started.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Under new engine break-in the manual that came with my new F-150, it says not to "drive too fast", or "labor the engine", and to "vary your speed" during the first 1000 miles. They get a free pass on "vary your speed", that one doesn't need to be any more granular. However, what do they suppose constitutes "laboring" the engine?

Laboring is applying the gas pedal to the floor quickly, thus kicking-in passing gear. Don't rev the engine to the point where the engine is hitting above 4 in RPMs.

Break-in all parts of that new vehicle without extremes. That also includes avoidance of slamming on the brakes at high speeds. But the one I laugh at the most, is seeing a new, engine-running police car assisting a motorist and their windshield wipers are on High and it stopped raining five minutes ago.

 

[oldhp]

Remember your also "breaking in" the trans and ring & pinion gears also. I worry more about the ring gear than the engine.

 

[caprice_2nv]

Originally Posted by oldhp
Remember your also "breaking in" the trans and ring & pinion gears also. I worry more about the ring gear than the engine.


As someone who has had several rear end issues over the years and no engine or transmission failures yet I would have to agree. Most of them were with the weak 7.5" axle that came in a lot of the 80s gm b bodies and g bodies, which I've since upgraded both my cars to the 8.5" that came in the grand national and 442 but I still ended up having to half rebuild the (used) 8.5" I swapped in the Cutlass. I guess if you saw the car it came out of you would expect it, but I've driven some really beat up cars with 305s, 307s and now my indestructible 350 Oldsmobile and nothing bad ever happened to the engine or transmission despite the way I drove back then. I'm 35 and finally a bit more mature. During the worst times I shattered a ring and pinion and in another car shattered the spider gears.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

4800lbs on a aluminum body truck. Pretty heavy. I think the old steel body fords were about 4300 for 2wd w/t std cab six. But I dont know for sure.

And that was before insane use of plastics.

 

[SeaJay]

They mean to not drive it like you stole it, as some of our new pickup truck owners do from the second it leaves the dealer's lot.