The BEST Break for a new car. "very long"

[Miamarley]

In a auto should trac. control be off and do you use sport mode or regular drive thanks Darin this info is priceless

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by DFollis

Update: LS3 now has 160 miles and its starting to wake up.... Wow, this thing is amazing even faster than my Supercharged 350z!

Its amazing how quick you can feel them come around. I think it was just after about 50 hits when I started feeling the thing coming into some power. After 150-200miles its much better. You will feel it get more and more powerful till about 1000-1500miles. Mine has 1800 miles onit and its got all its going to get until I flash the PCM with a new tune.

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by Miamarley

In a auto should trac. control be off and do you use sport mode or regular drive thanks Darin this info is priceless

Use Sport-Mode because the shift points are higher and the Torque management is a little less. You will feel the difference. maybe not just yet, but it will be soon.

[devildoc]

Darin,

First off, I have read a majority of the posts on this thread and can't thank you enough for writing it all out. I do have several questions which I'm not to sure if I passed up or not while reading.

1. Being that I have ordered a LT should I worry about how high I go in the RPMs during break-in?

2. I know that the LT comes from the factory with standard oil....so should I look at switching to synthetic at the 1000mi mark?

3. Should I do the break-in with 93 octane or keep with the 87 since that is what I think I will be running it with?

4. Any basic mods that I should be looking at after the break-in period?

Thanks again!

[Damage]

I almost fell over when I read all of this and thought about the 800 miles of OM break-in I have already done. I went out and started that day. 2 days later I can tell a difference, I hope its not too late to get a good seating from it. Thanks for your info Darin and putting up with repeated questions.

[Damage]

I just finished my hard runs for tonight and when I got home I hear ticking now like valves or something, very noticeable. I did hit 6000 once to shift but big deal, should handle that. You think I screwed somethin?

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by Damage

I just finished my hard runs for tonight and when I got home I hear ticking now like valves or something, very noticeable. I did hit 6000 once to shift but big deal, should handle that. You think I screwed somethin?

If you already have 800miles on the car the lifters should have already went south on you if there was a problem with them. If this is an LS3 engine I will say there's a 99.5% chance that nothing is wrong with the lifters or valve train. The LS3 engne is very robust up to 6500-6600rpm.
If this is an L99 engine you have a bout a 90% chance that nothing is wrong. The AFM lifters have caused problems for some but the chance is slim. What you might be hearing is the lifter noise that has always been there but now, your listening for it so the sound "seems" louder. LOL Because your lisenting for it, you hear it. Valve train noise is always there and some is exceptable but if you hear a super high pitched tinny sound like clacking two large ball bearings together, you probably have an issue. The sound should be VERY LOCALIZED and much louder than any surrounding noise when listening for it using the stethoscope or screw driver ( see below). Any rocker or lifter that's loose will JUMP out at you when you place the screw driver/stethoscope over it on the valve cover.


I cant diagnase it over the message board of course but after following these directions you still feel you have a problem, get into the dealership and have it looked at! Valve train issues are nothing to screw with.

I use a stethoscope to hear and diagnose a valve train issue because when it comes to engine noises, they can make your mind hear things that are not there. There is another way to hear or isolate a rocker or lifter with clearance problems. Take a screw driver and hold the handle tight to your ear. Lay it on the valve cover starting at the front and moving to the back. The screw driver against your ear will amplify the local sound under the region of valve cover its touching. Once you go all over the valve cover you will hear (very noticeably) if one area is louder than another.

[Damage]

Its an LS3. I tried listening with a long metal gun cleaning rod with plastic handle(good trick by the way) and its defiantly louder all the way back on drivers side. Thats why I could hear it so well. Its not loud pinging like somethings broke. Its just a clatter sound like listening with the rod but I can hear it without the rod louder in the one area. I don't expect you to diagnose it, just sitting here by myself all night and this morning thinking about it and wanted to bounce it off someone.

[2bravo]

Darin,

Question for you; I've read the thread and don't see it answered. Why does the car need to be in gear at all for the break in style you suggest? Could you not theoretically do this in your driveway with the car in park? I realize it's a lot more fun to do it while driving, but I'm just curious.

[the rich dude]

Originally Posted by 2bravo

Darin,

Question for you; I've read the thread and don't see it answered. Why does the car need to be in gear at all for the break in style you suggest? Could you not theoretically do this in your driveway with the car in park? I realize it's a lot more fun to do it while driving, but I'm just curious.

when your car is sitting in a driveway "free" revving. There is no load being placed on the engine. Doesn't matter what rpm you zing the engine to.

[2bravo]

Originally Posted by the rich dude

when your car is sitting in a driveway "free" revving. There is no load being placed on the engine. Doesn't matter what rpm you zing the engine to.

Got it, thanks.

[DFollis]

Hey Guys,

I have been following Darin's procedure almost to the T, every chance i get (open road) i run through the gears well up to 3rd carrying the RPM's all the way up to about 6k or about 90 mph the car now has about 300 miles on and its starting to become fairly noticable on the power gains. Im shifitng pretty slow (not slammin through the gears).

Darin, do i need to be shifitng hard or just keep doing it slow? I want to thank you for all the knowledge you have passed on, it is much appreciated.

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by 2bravo

Darin,

Question for you; I've read the thread and don't see it answered. Why does the car need to be in gear at all for the break in style you suggest? Could you not theoretically do this in your driveway with the car in park? I realize it's a lot more fun to do it while driving, but I'm just curious.

LOAD not rpm breaks the engine in.

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by DFollis

Hey Guys,

I have been following Darin's procedure almost to the T, every chance i get (open road) i run through the gears well up to 3rd carrying the RPM's all the way up to about 6k or about 90 mph the car now has about 300 miles on and its starting to become fairly noticable on the power gains. Im shifitng pretty slow (not slammin through the gears).

Darin, do i need to be shifitng hard or just keep doing it slow? I want to thank you for all the knowledge you have passed on, it is much appreciated.

You do NOT have to be hard on the car at all. Just load the engine up through the gears. It doesn't have to be brutal. You dont have to yank gears spinning the rears tires up while setting it side ways and sashaying out of a billowing ball of tire smoke all the while bouncing off the RPM limiter. To put it another way, you dont have to do it the way I did. LOL