Break In Period
 

hey guys just got my new 16' 1SS last week and struggling to keep it below the recommended 80mph & 4k rpm on the tach until the 1500 mile break-in is reached. but i saw this on the forum where Hennesey took a stock SS to 170mph in 5th (http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=437001) - very impressive not that i'm looking to do that, but i couldn't help but notice that this car had 723 miles on it! and needless to say was still in the recommended break-in period. so, i'm guessing for normal guys like us - that would pretty much wreck the car? any thoughts or suggestions other than what's suggested by chev? thanks

That's a good question, but when I bought my new 2SS the salesman said the factory tells them to just drive them and don't worry about break-in.

On top of that, unless you buy a car right off the truck, someone has undoubtedly run them past 4,000 rpm and 80 mph on the first test drive anyway! That's one of the reasons I was so pissed when I drove mine off the lot before I realized it was a dealer trade that had been driven 285 miles from another dealership! Probably not a big issue, but didn't make me happy all the same! Made the dealership install the factory Splash guards free of charge for not telling me about the miles already on the car!

oh man, I would have been livid. yeah, I was lucky, mine just got delivered from the train-yard, so I was the first.

Yeah I'm going to follow the owner's manual before I would follow a car salesperson. :fear:

But really it's up to your discretion. You aren't going to grenade your motor by driving it past what the break-in recommends. Regardless of how you drive it, I would still change the oil at 1,500 miles at least.


For me I'm following the break-in procedure per the owner's manual. I'm keeping this car for the long haul, so anyway I can take care of it I will.

This has been discussed numerous times. Do a search and you will find multiple options on this. As far as I'm concerned they throw out the break in period so people aren't taking them off the showroom floor and drag racing them. There's nothing wrong with going over 80 or taking it to 5k. One of the best way to help seat rings is to run it to 5k in a gear then let it coast down then repeat. Get the rings hot then allow them to cool.

Some will say follow every step in the book. Some will say forget the book and drive how you want. Basically comes down to being sensible and you'll be fine.

yeah, I had seen a few articles like here: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
which sort of flies in the face of the recommended "break-in" in the manual, but 1badrwd - totally agree on the ring seat suggestion

hey - quick question for you guys. is downshifting of any sort bad? I do that from habit but really kinda use the downshift w/ the braking and it's a pretty gentle process. just curious what you guys thought? thanks again for all the good input

you have to remember that 98 pct of these cars will never get any sort of break in, as they are sold to people who don't read forums and just drive the car as an appliance.

Just use good common sense for 1500 miles or so, and go have fun with the car...worry about something else....

I've got 600 miles on mine and have been following the rules of not exceeding 4k rpm and the max of 80mph. And haven't even floored it yet by no means. I'll have this car for along time.. Im scared if I push it before the break in period too much it will start burning oil or something too early! Like right after the warranty ends lol

Drive it hard, do an oil change at 500 km and don't keep it at a constant rpm for any extended periods of time for the first few thousand kilometres.

why is this said so often? What possible reason could there be for not driving it at 2500 rpm or something like that for an 'extend period of time'?

Seating the piston rings properly.

Don't forget you're not just breaking in the engine..... transmission, rear diff, brakes, clutch if you have a manual.

That 1500 miles is so your whole car is broke in properly.

Many very smart mechanics will tell you the old school break-in process isn't really relevant to the new full roller engines of today. Even seating the rings isn't what it used to be. Additionally, most manufactures don't even recommend the first oil change before the standard oil change routine because of advancements in oil, manufacturing tolerances, materials, clearances etc.

Having said that, I'm still pretty old school and think it's a good idea to go easy on everything for the first 1,000 miles or so. Lots of heat and cool cycles, and variable rpm range. However, as I said before, how many test drives was your car on before you bought it? Have you been on a test drive in a high performance car where you didn't get into the throttle a time or two during the test drive? 99% of test drives the oil never gets to operating temp! Heck, half the Gen 6 Camaro tests you see on YouTube are some guy given a brand new car from a dealership to take out and film a review....and they always get all in the throttle repeatedly!