Engine Break-in

I've purchased 6 brand new vehicles over the years (3 Tacomas) and have followed this same break-in procedure:

1- Vary speed for the first 1000 miles, nothing over 60 mph.
2- At 1000 miles go out and bump it off the rev limiter several times.
3- Then change the oil and drive it normal.

This might be anal but I've never had a single drivetrain failure or burning oil on any of my cars. My .02.

RJM

 

I don't read too much into the break in period any longer. I purchased a new 2001 RX300 and drove it across the country and back. Drove it from the dealer out west. It now has 356K on it and does not use a drop of oil and still runs perfect.

 

I don't think it matters too much. I don't go balls out with a brand new car, I just drive it normal like I would around town for a few thousand miles. I'm also big into precision rifles and some of the guys at the range (especially older dudes) have absolutely stupid break in procedures that take forever. I take my rifle out and shoot the damn thing, and it shoots just as well as theirs.

 

When these things are pulled up on the roll-drum test at the factory...they spool the engine up quite a bit.

 

When your truck rolled off the lot, it was ready to go. Drive the truck normal and don't pay attention to any special "break in" procedure.

 

I'm not saying go out there and break it in like your on a track, but you definitely don't want to baby the truck along and never put load on the motor. My uncles new tundra (several years ago) was babied along and didn't really have any load put on the motor (lived in flat florida). Long story short the engine never had the rings seat properly and it ended up with low compression and burned oil. The dealer before replacing the motor tried one last thing. They put a really light grade oil in it and told him to go tow something big. So we loaded up our 23 foot fishing boat and filled it with 120 gallons of gas and towed it to key west going about 75. After the trip they changed the oil, all the compression numbers were up and it was no longer burning oil.

Breaking in is still very important! Its not always done at the factory.

 

Most engines are not ran it. The factory uses a same of one in about 10. The other nine are turned over with compressed air to check comp, bearings and so on. If it will hold air it will hold oil

 

Looks like I will not get to fish for most of the month of May. I pick mine up next week. The towing rule is one that I do follow. I bought a Ford once and drove it in the evening just to break it on so I could tow my boat.

 

Idk about most of you guys but I wouldn't baby my track car nor would I with my truck. I've had a 4 motors in my ta. That I built and no none of them broke cause of the break in period. Drove all of them about 2 miles so everything could get lubricated then WOT. If its going to break its going to break.


(Just clarify only one of the motors actually blew but that's cause it detonated cause of the crappy tune)

 

I just drive like normal; but I always break my Mustangs in hard.

 

Drive it like you stole it......

 

So the break it in like you stole it faction has been designing and producing engines from totally new castings and parts for how long? I really think that the people who build and design engines have an edge on knowing how there products should be run in.

 

Well depends who you talk to, I promise that you'll never seat the rings in an engine with chrome sleeves (high performance 2 strokes for one) by the break it in easy method, like i stated way earlier the older toyotas were ALL "broke in" this way, you started it let the oil pressure circulate once or twice & it was wide fucking open/go thru the gears & done, that was it, & most seemed to go on to rich & plentiful miles after, some people here just don't want to accept that , & thats fine they can drive 50mph for the first however miles they want, but it doesn't change the fact thats what Toyota recommended for "engine break in",, at that time..

Now do they still do this ?? I don't know...

 

My point is that breaking in an engine and drive train on a new vehicle should be performed as recommended by the manufacturer, not as recommended by urban myth.

 

I'll agree with that for warranty's sake, but certainly no urban myth, you can ask ANY qualified engine builder & if they're straight with you they'll tell you that if the engine build & machining has been properly done there is no reason that virgin motor cannot be started & run up to max operating RPM, this is no myth this is fact, I've built a few in my day & have never had one scatter on me yet, if theres a myth at all it'd be having to be overly cautious with a new motor, now with gears (like diff. gears) it IS different, requiring a "take it easy" approach allowing the gears to "burn in", maybe this is what the manu. means by breaking in, it doesn't apply to engines tho'...

 

Maybe I inferred that the OP was talking about a new vehicle with a new engine, new gears, new brakes. Building an engine from "seasoned" castings shouldn't be compared to an engine with totally new parts. New castings will have internal stresses that should be relieved by several even heating and cooling cycles. Putting excessive loads on a new engine can cause localized hot spots, uneven heating and warping of the new castings resulting in out of round cylinders, warped heads valve seats or cylinder deck for example.

A visit to the paddock at an AMA National or Moto GP finds the top tuners in the world gently breaking in new engines, blipping the throttle, warming them slowly, increasing rpms gradually.

Do as you wish, I chose to break my new vehicles in as per manufactures recommendations.

 

I work in the car and truck rental industry and I can say that there are millions of vehicles out on the road that get driven normal to hard from day one. Be curious to see how those vehicles fair in the long term?

 

When you test drove the truck did you baby it? I didn't, and neither did the other 5-10 people that drove it before me. For break in, I drove as I normally do, just without towing.

 

I really don't understand the point of threads like this. It says right in the owners manual what is recommended so why is there debate? Either do what toyota recommends or don't but its right there in writing.

 

Yes. This.