Do you believe 'run it hard' to break-in an engine?

[tweeker43]

if you saw how many vehicles were run on the test rolls at the end of the assembly line, you wouldn't be as concerned about break-in.

they will often hit red line in all gears just to be sure the engine and tranny are good to go. this is just how "infant mortality" issues are found.

i break mine by driving the way i always drive, i just don't use cruise control for the break-in period to achieve the varying speeds.

 

[digitaldrifter91]

i have a 1991 accord and we broke it in driving for 8 hours to san diego on the grape vine, which is a huge hill that requires alot of downshifting...we pushed this car to the limit.

my car now, at 178k runs like a charm...lol..it runs alot better than other 1991 accords.

perhaps newer engines need proper break in and not mine.

iono...still going =)

 

[JohnBrowning]

If you think they drive them hard on the emission rollers you should see how they drive them out to be parked in the yard for loading!!! You would think that it was the World of Outlaw Sprint Car raceing!!!!!

 

[porterdog]

quote:

---

Originally posted by JohnBrowning:
If you think they drive them hard on the emission rollers you should see how they drive them out to be parked in the yard for loading!!! You would think that it was the World of Outlaw Sprint Car raceing!!!!!

---

No doubt! As a student I had an intership with FoMoCo that periodically took me inside the Rouge facility south of Detroit. One day as I arrived I heard no end of Vroom! Vrooom! Vroooooommmmscreeeeeeeeee!. "***," I thought, looking over the wall towards the source of the sounds. Loading up new 5-oh Mustangs

 

[Chris B.]

I break in my cars in easy. Chevy says to keep it under 55mph for the 1st 500 miles and no full throttl starts or hard breaking. With 20,000 miles on both my truck and car they burn 0 oil and run smooth!

 

[TC]

I've seen both types of recommendations in owner's manuals, both the "drive conservatively" and "vary engine speed" approaches. Simply put, I'd go by whatever the powerplant engineers for that particular make recommend.