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

[Cooper2010]

TC508K>>>I just got my 2ss LS3 the other day also. Has about 150 miles on it now, most of which are "easy" driving but about twice a day (before/after) work ill find a nice lonely stretch of highway and get a nice slow roll 15-20 mph and drop down to 2nd gear and give it hell. When you shift to 3rd (5500-6000rpm) you'll be very close to 80mph, take it up to 90mph. At that point I let the engine wind itself down. This is how I've been doing things for about 3 days now. Not sure if this is the cookie cutter method but everyday the car feels more responsive and powerful.

Darin>>>If i'm doing something incorrectly or dangering my engine in anyway please let me know! Thanks for the great write-up and any further help!

[tradosaurus]

Originally Posted by TC508K

OK, I'm new to the camaro and just getting started. I picked up mine on Sept. 11 and drove her back to the house that was about 20 miles away, then took it out and drove it around to run some errands and broke some of the rules you explained not to do, such as, drove with the cruise on, downshifting, not going over 3000-3500 rpms. Now that I have read this, I need some help on breaking this thing in properly. I have a 1SS with the manual and now have 90 miles on it, What advice can you give me about breaking this thing in. Honestly speaking, I'm not good enough with the clutch to go jamming through the gears. But i'm doing what everyone else is doing, ENJOYING IT and lovin to see the head turns.

Let me sum it up Darins answers to everyones questions: RUN IT HARD! AND NOW!

[BulletBob]

Darin - First, thanks for your posts. I totally would have broke-in using the OM had I not viewed your posts first. I have 5 miles on my 2SS w/ auto. I'm going to use your method to break in. Just a few questions first:

1) Here in California, we only get 91 octane gas. Do you have any additional recommendations because of this (i.e. should I buy add octane boost for a while?)

2) Just want to clarify - should I not use the manual shift paddles during break-in?

3) About how many acceleration runs do you typically get in the 20-25 mile increments?

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by BulletBob

Darin - First, thanks for your posts. I totally would have broke-in using the OM had I not viewed your posts first. I have 5 miles on my 2SS w/ auto. I'm going to use your method to break in. Just a few questions first:

1) Here in California, we only get 91 octane gas. Do you have any additional recommendations because of this (i.e. should I buy add octane boost for a while?)

2) Just want to clarify - should I not use the manual shift paddles during break-in?

3) About how many acceleration runs do you typically get in the 20-25 mile increments?

99.99% of Octane boosters on the market are a waste of money and most of the additives in these snake oils will coat the porcelain of the spark plug and other components with long term use. In my opinion, I would not use that stuff in my lawn mower much less a high performance car. Your better off just using the 91 octane and letting the enigne tune itself into what ever range it wants. Break it in like I stated. After the break inand fist oil change go get it tuned by a professional. This will optimize the timing and fuel curves to the fuel in your local area. It will also tune the knock sensor so it wont aggressively retard timing or throw the engine into a low octane fuel/timing curve entirely. Professional tuners know what they are doing. Go with there recommendations.


I would not use the paddle shifters at all becuse you WILL downshift if your not used to them and downshifting during break in is an absolute NO NO. Just use sport mode. I tell people that is they are going to play with the paddle shifters makes sure to up shift rapidly after a run so the engine wont decelerate-engine brake. Engine braking is absolutely forbidden
during break in.


In 25 miles I can get five to ten runs. It just depends on where you are ( city or country) and how close the on and off ramps are on your local highway. I found a nice secluded road in the country that was blocked off due to bridge work. Everyone had turned off due due to a closed road one mile before where my runs where taking place. I had to drive 25 miles to get to this blocked off road but I spent the entire day there. I don't know how many runs I made but I would say it was at least 60-80. I went back out the next day and beat on it again. It was pretty amazing to feel the power increase the next day and I will say it was no small gain either. If you do find a place where you can make run after run after run, dont let the trans temps get out of hand (over 190-200F) and be conscience of your operating temps across the board. If your water temp is hitting 230+F back off and let it cool down. A good thing to do is to make about 8-10 runs then let it cool a bit then go at it again.

[rcracer78]

Originally Posted by Darin Morgan

I would not use the paddle shifters at all becuse you WILL downshift if your not used to them and downshifting during break in is an absolute NO NO. Just use sport mode. I tell people that is they are going to play with the paddle shifters makes sure to up shift rapidly after a run so the engine wont decelerate-engine brake. Engine braking is absolutely forbidden
during break in.

Darin,

If engine braking is forbidden, why did you say this "sounds fine"?:

Engine is warmed up. I shift to second gear, I give a hard accelaration(not flooring it) up to 5000 rpm's, let off and engine brake back to original speed I shifted into 2nd gear in and get back on it? (the first 100 miles?)

Isn't that engine braking?

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by rcracer78

Darin,

If engine braking is forbidden, why did you say this "sounds fine"?:

Engine is warmed up. I shift to second gear, I give a hard accelaration(not flooring it) up to 5000 rpm's, let off and engine brake back to original speed I shifted into 2nd gear in and get back on it? (the first 100 miles?)

Isn't that engine braking?

I am sorry I didn't catch the "engine brake" part of your statement. I thought it said just "brake". I apologize. I just let off and coast or use the brake to slow down.


Again, sorry I didn't catch that in your statement!

[rcracer78]

Originally Posted by Darin Morgan

I am sorry I didn't catch the "engine brake" part of your statement. I thought it said just "brake". I apologize. I just let off and coast or use the brake to slow down.


Again, sorry I didn't catch that in your statement!

No problem. I just want to make sure I do it right. I thought you're supposed to use the engine to brake.(I would be decelerating, not down shifting) It seems to me that http://www.mototuneusa.com reccomends it though:
"The best method is to alternate between short bursts of hard acceleration and deceleration."

Please elaborate, cuz now i'm confused.

[Darin Morgan]

If you go back and read through it again I think it will make sense.

From the "mototuneusa.com" web site:
"NOTE: If you use a dyno with a brake, it's critical during break - in that you allow the engine to decelerate fully on it's own. (Don't use the dyno brake.) The engine vacuum created during closed throttle deceleration sucks the excess oil and metal off the cylinder walls."

"The best method is to alternate between short bursts of hard acceleration and deceleration."

What he is saying is to let the engine decelerate "FREE REV" with no load. Push in the clutch and let the engine decelerate on its own. That's why I made the statement that I put the car in neutral after the run. Autos dont have a clutch so neutral is the only alternative. I dont recommend this and I will not tell people to do it. If you do it, you do so at your own risk. Its very easy to shove the thing in reverse if you not careful. The alternative to putting the car in neutral is to let the car decelerate on its own. Your not down shifting so its not considered engine braking.

[alwayson]

Mr. Morgan,

In the first post, you mention cooling down. Why in the name of kittens and America would you cool down?

From my point of view, once you get the oil to operating temperature (and thus viscosity), you would want to take advantage of that for as long as possible by taking a roadtrip.

[rcracer78]

Darin,

Please give a detailed description of how you would break-in the LS3. I know it's probably simple, but I'm having trouble understanding. This is a quote directly from mototuneusa.com: "Remember that both hard acceleration and hard engine braking (deceleration) are equally important during the break in process."

Do I get up to 5000 rpm's in second, push in the clutch and coast to a stop? (not allowing the engine to slow the car down)

If I'm not using the engine to slow me down, why don't I just use the brakes to stop?

[chappy48]

Reading through that article, it seems he's saying that during closed throttle deceleration the vacuum created because the throttle body is closed but the engine is still turning fast, will help remove excess oil and metal bits from the chamber and throw them out the exhaust. Darin, why is letting the engine slow the car down a no no? Just want to get your opinion on this since it looks like we have two different points of view. Thanks,

Chris

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by alwayson

Mr. Morgan,

In the first post, you mention cooling down. Why in the name of kittens and America would you cool down?

From my point of view, once you get the oil to operating temperature (and thus viscosity), you would want to take advantage of that for as long as possible by taking a road trip.

To let the rings relax to the bore shape. The free gap of the ring will colapse some with the initial heat and the ring shapes itself like an oval. It must cool and heat a couple times to relax and conform to round. The thinner the ring the faster it will conform. Racing rings do this very quickly while stock rings which are thicker take a couple heat cycles. This is the THE reason for heat cycles. That and the aluminu block must get all its initial movement out of the way as well.

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by rcracer78

Darin,

Please give a detailed description of how you would break-in the LS3. I know it's probably simple, but I'm having trouble understanding. This is a quote directly from mototuneusa.com: "Remember that both hard acceleration and hard engine braking (deceleration) are equally important during the break in process."

Do I get up to 5000 rpm's in second, push in the clutch and coast to a stop? (not allowing the engine to slow the car down)

If I'm not using the engine to slow me down, why don't I just use the brakes to stop?

I did not see that part in the Mototunes web site. I apologize and will state very clearly that you should never engine brake. I don't know if he is seeing something different with his motorcycles but I will tell everyone not to engine brake. Ever.

Accelerate from a rolling start about 5-10 miles an hour and accelerate through the gear to as fast as you want to go, say the speed limit perhaps. LOL Put car in neutral and slow down then do it again and again and again. Just load the engine. Its thats simple. make acceleration runs and load the engine.

I am at 1500 miles and engine brake all the time into corners now that I am broke in and have my first oil change. Just dont do it for a couple hundred miles. After 200-250 miles your broke in, do what ever you want.

[Darin Morgan]

Originally Posted by chappy48

Reading through that article, it seems he's saying that during closed throttle deceleration the vacuum created because the throttle body is closed but the engine is still turning fast, will help remove excess oil and metal bits from the chamber and throw them out the exhaust. Darin, why is letting the engine slow the car down a no no? Just want to get your opinion on this since it looks like we have two different points of view. Thanks,

Chris

Engine braking will "unload" the ring pack and let oil up past the rings. During break in the rings need oil but not an excessive amount. To much will make the break in process longer and less effective. Just load the engine in strait line acceleration runs. Its really that simple.