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

[chipsf16]

Originally Posted by Darin Morgan

I have covered this a couple time in previous posts. My opinion is, dont worry about it.

Darin, I have been doing loaded accelerations and went on a Dyno last week, the LS3 is really awake. After Dyno I changed the oil at 500 miles.

Next day, started the car and letting it come up to temp, after about 4-5 minutes, heavy black smoke starts coming out the back and coats the car with dusty soot. I took her out and she performed well (so to speak) and haven't seen any more smoke. I am thinking maybe the Cat was clogged or something, haven't seen any oil. Ideas?

I have the Roto Fab CAI installed, and I am about to install American Racing Headers with High Flow Cats and a Borla Cat Back. I was planning on a tune at the same time---should I wait and drive it awhile before tuning?

[tradosaurus]

Originally Posted by chappy48

People, it's not rocket science!! Load the engine with quick acceleration runs to whatever speed you're comfortable a bunch of times. Let it cool and repeat. Seriously it's that easy. At about 500 or so miles, change the oil and you're good to go. Do what you please with your broken in car

AMEN Brother!

[1977and2010]

Darin, did you experience any of the driveability issues with the new era cai I've heard about. Really leaning toward it. By the way thanks for all the great info on this thread.

[Infern0]

I have a general curiosity question. I only found this when I was at 480 miles, so I beat the hell out of it with high rpm runs through around 900 miles. I figured whatever was done, was done at that point. Accurate? On to the curiosity, since loaded runs seem to be the theme here, would making these acceleration runs with the A/C on provide any added benefit? Besides making you cooler in the cabin. The A/C does add load to the engine right? Thanks. Great read all the way through btw.

[rebelliondog206]

Originally Posted by 1977and2010

Darin, did you experience any of the driveability issues with the new era cai I've heard about. Really leaning toward it. By the way thanks for all the great info on this thread.

I have the New Era CAI as well on an L99 A6 (and axle back LM II's). I think there are some driveability issues associated with it. I was happy with the noticable extra power I experienced at first. At the same time though, I noticed my idle being a little rough and at times a hesitation in acceleration.....very slight. The car acted like it had to think to be sure what I wanted it to do.

Darin has stated previously that he did not have any issues....maybe that is due to the other extras he installed. I do not know.

Janetty's CAI "showdown" (or whatever they called it) ended with them saying they found driveability issues with the New Era and recommended a tune to go along with it. You could check that thread.

[1977and2010]

Thanks rebellion dog that's what I was interested in. I also saw from the janetty testing that new era is working to improve their design.

[FNKNSTN]

Originally Posted by Darin Morgan

“DISCLAIMER” Do not use the break in procedure below. Do not do hard acceleration runs and load your engine hard. You don't need this much power. I am not responsible for any damage, breakage or massive power increase caused by this crazy break in procedure. Just because every professional engine builder uses this procedure is no reason you should.


IMHO
The manual is written by people following “Corporate procedure” in order to mitigate the company’s exposure both legally and financially. If you don’t do what is outlined in there little manual they have ammo in court and for warranty if they so choose. It has almost nothing to do with how to properly break in an engine.
Some guy takes a new car out and turns the traction control off. He lays the coals to it like he has in his little import and WAMMO, he raps it around a telephone pole. Now what do you think the legal implications would be if the manual said to do 20 -30 hard acceleration runs and something like this happened. The manual has far less to do with break in and much more to do with legal exposure.

For over 25 years I, my family and every single person I am friends with, hang around with and work with build, test, tune, design and race for a living or sport. My brother and I have built some of the fastest engines in the world for just about every form of motor sports you care to name. Engines costing well over 100k-150k. I don’t say this to toot my horn but to give some measure of my background and experience. I do so because the statements I am making in this post will no doubt be controversial for those who have no experience with engine building, component design and high end research and development.

Ask 100 professional engine builders what break in procedure they use (no matter the form of motor sports) and I would venture that 100% would say LOAD them hard and change the oil often. It’s the ONLY way to properly break in an engine and anyone who says otherwise has not a clue what they are talking about. Why do you load the engine? The main reason is ring seal. From a metallurgical stand point both the rings and cylinder walls must “relax” and “conform” in order to properly mate and seal. If this is not done properly, quickly and in proper form the chances of a proper ring seal can be lost for ever. Your rings and cylinder wall wear could increase; the engine will use more oil and make less power. The worst the cylinder hone and free roundness of the ring are, the harder you better load the engine or you don’t have a chance in hell of getting the rings to seal. Some people are worried that they may break something. That may happen then again it may not. It may happen if you don’t use this break in procedure and then again it might not. For me, if its going to break its going to do it in the first thirty minutes of my taking position of the vehicle I assure you! I will find the weak link now, not later. The break in procedure here is the way ALL engines are being, and should be broke in.
When I say to make hard acceleration runs and load the engine I am not proposing you drop the clutch at 4200+rpm. The consequences of this could be a dropped drive shaft, input shaft, output shaft or the trans itself. Acceleration runs are not the same as drag racing the thing from stop light to stop light and acting like a 16 year old behind the wheel.. You must be in a rolling start and in the middle of low gear you floor the throttle and let the trans shift all the way to what ever speed you wish then let out of the throttle. DO NOT down shift, not ever, not even once during the course of these runs for at least 250-300miles. I put the car in neutral and release all loads after the run but that me. I don’t propose anyone doing this. Its dangerous and you could throw the thing into reverse if your not very careful. If you do not have professional driving experience, don’t do it. If you need more info go here

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm



Here is what I do and what I am doing as well as the results from doing so.

Just drove mine off the lot. Has 21 miles on it. The dealer REFUSED to fill it with 93 octane. I told him that it was no big deal just leaves what fuel is in it from the factory and I will fill it at a station across the street.

I had about 25 miles on it when I laid into it with all it had and man oh man what a fricken pooch! It would not even begin to bark the rear tire from a dead stop/full throttle up to 30-35miles and even BOGGED the engine from a dead start.

I have kept doing hard acceleration runs then shift neutral when it hit 90mph. Its got 50miles on it and you can feel it coming around with each additional run. I let it cool down for a couple hours before I took it out again.

After the cool down I went back out. 50miles on the odometer and acceleration runs then shift neutral when it hit 90mph. She is starting to get a little life in her. You can feel the difference about ever five runs or so it gets a little more power.

At about 60miles of acceleration runs to 90mph. It will spin the tires up to second and the ass end will shimmy around a little now. I will let it cool down over night.

80miles on the odometer. Acceleration runs then shift neutral when it hit 90mph. . I can feel it pulling better and better after each acceleration run. Its finally started coming into some power and I mean right fricken NOW! It still feels a little sluggish on the shifts though.

135 miles on the odometer. Its really coming around now! It really wants to fry the tires all the way through low gear but wont quite do it. The traction control and stabiletrac are off but it won’t light them up and accelerate through low gear like a 400hp car should. I will let it cool down over night and lay into it in the morning and see how it goes. I have also noticed that the rear end is starting to squat when I accelerate from a dead launch. Good weight transition for the street but feels a little weird.



165miles on odometer and after overnight cool down. ITS ALIVE !!!! She will fry the tires anytime, anywhere all the way through first, shifts at 6200rpm and turns the tire some in second. Now this is what I wanted and hoped I would wake up to! It flat ass rips up the street all the way through the gears. I have driven a host of low 13, high 12 second cars on the street and this thing will do a low 13 second quarter right now, hands down, no question, no problem. I have driven a plethora of 10 second and 11 second cars as well so I have a good indication of where this stands. I was nothing short of shocked at the power increase. I should say that I was nothing short of shocked at the total lack of power for the first 50 miles or so. It didn’t have 250hp when I drove it off the lot and now, it’s a total animal!! I am loving this!

I now am driving it like I stole it and loving every single second. It’s unbelievable how the throttle response and acceleration has come around. It’s a whole new animal and what a mean little nasty animal it is. You hit the throttle and the power is right there, right now. When you hit the throttle it growls and barks, spins the tires and just hauls ass. I now have a perma-grin that a plastic surgeon could not hope to erase! This is, by far the neatest street car I have ever owned.


http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Have you broken-in one of these Camaros "following 'Corporate procedure'" to compare the differences?

For a while now I've wanted to see some numbers from a track with a professional driver driving two Camaros... one broken hard and fast, the other long and easy... the driver not knowing which is which.

I have no doubt that your car rips now. But a lot of people are being fed a "placebo" and are imagining things. Kinda the same way your old car runs and sounds better when you give it a good wash and interior detailing. I've seen an improvement in my performance... but I couldn't say it was from the break-in, the fact that it has some miles on it, a fresh oil change, cooler weather, or just the fact that I'm comfortable driving my Camaro and that I understand the way my Camaro runs.

[chappy48]

Just spent the first day breaking in my new Camaro! Made 10 runs in a row, up to 60mph on a isolated road behind my office. Drove around a little, went to the highway, did about 4-6 60-80mph runs, took an off ramp and an on ramp, ran it up to 80mph, then one more time on the way home. This is the most fun I've ever had braking in a car!! haha. Put about 26 miles on it, while breaking it in and called it a night. More for tomorrow!!!

[tradosaurus]

Guys, this is not rocket science and I'm amazed that there is so far 10 pages of questions and answers.

I've been breaking my Camaro in since I received it on Wednesday. I have 100 miles on it so far but basically I made sure the Camaro is warmed (either idling for 10 minutes or driving easy for 10 minutes) and then perform hard accelerations wherever I go.

I changed the oil at 60 miles and will change it again at 500 miles. I will be focusing on the hard break in during this period.

[FNKNSTN]

It's no science at all.

Ask 10 different people and you'll get 10 different methods.

If it were a science, then EVERYONE would know that the apple falls down to the ground instead of flying off into space.

[chappy48]

Originally Posted by FNKNSTN

It's no science at all.

Ask 10 different people and you'll get 10 different methods.

If it were a science, then EVERYONE would know that the apple falls down to the ground instead of flying off into space.

Are these 10 people master engine builders and mechanical engineers? Or just 10 random people you find on the street? I have a feeling if it's the former, you'll pretty much get the same answer.

[chappy48]

Originally Posted by tradosaurus

Guys, this is not rocket science and I'm amazed that there is so far 10 pages of questions and answers.

I've been breaking my Camaro in since I received it on Wednesday. I have 100 miles on it so far but basically I made sure the Camaro is warmed (either idling for 10 minutes or driving easy for 10 minutes) and then perform hard accelerations wherever I go.

I changed the oil at 60 miles and will change it again at 500 miles. I will be focusing on the hard break in during this period.

[EdRedCamaro2]

Originally Posted by chappy48

Are these 10 people master engine builders and mechanical engineers? Or just 10 random people you find on the street? I have a feeling if it's the former, you'll pretty much get the same answer.

+1

[Darin Morgan]

I dont want this thread to "Jump The Shark" and its just about there. I wil not be answering any more questions about break in because its all been said.

I would love to answer any other questions you may have in the form of a new thread or a PM.

Thanks,