Hi all -

Bought a new SD that is located almost 600 miles from home. Does anyone have any advice on break-in? I've heard you do not want to keep it at the same speed constantly (ie, highway miles), but is just varying my speed on the interstate between 55 mph and 75 mph every 25 miles or so ok? Or do I need to stop off in some towns and do some start and stop driving?

 

It won't matter. There is no break-in period on engines today. Ford recommends a break-in period before you tow, but that is for the differential gears, not the engine.

Just get her home, and then do a fair amount of combined city and highway before you pull any heavy loads. You'll be fine.

 

I always just try to vary the rpms a bit and no WOT. No heavy load right away and no towing.

Gas or PSD? What year?

 

Sorry, it's a 2011 with the 6.2L gas engine.

What is WOT? Weight on tongue?

I won't be towing anything for the first 750 miles or so and then it will only be a 2700# boat for a distance of 10 miles or so to the local walleye lake.

 

WOT=Wide open throttle.

Congrats on the new 6.2!

 

The easy way is to just change gears, my understanding of the 6 speed is you an select gears so run it from 3rd all the way to 6th on the highway and you can vary the rpms and not be varying the speed so bad. I would take it a bit easy for the first 100 miles or so then drive it however you are going to drive it and I run them up to redline well before 1K miles.

 

For best break in you should take the engine through several heat/cool cycles. Over that 600 mile trip stop every so often for an hour of so and get a meal. The truck will have cooled down a bit by then.

 

Check the Owners Manual but my 2008 said it needed a 500 mile break in break in before towing.

 

Ford increase the break in period for maybe 09 but certainly 2010 to 1K miles.