What does these attributes have to do with the 500 mile or 5000 mile (Pending who you ask) increase power claim?


I go to lunch with a guy who has a 2016 6.7 and my cousin who has been a Ford diesel tech since '93 both claim they have no knowledge or experienced a sudden power increase at some anecdotal mileage claim.


Not sure the OP was being specific to 15-16 model's or all 6.7 PSD's when new.

 

My point is that your experience is based on a 2012 truck which will have different programming and capabilities from the 2015+ trucks.
Conversely, my experience with the 6.7 is limited to the 2015 I own.
Limiting power output via the ECU is nothing new. Drive-by-wire systems have all done it from inception of the technology and acceptance by the US Feds..
If the manufacturer wants to ensure that the engine is broken in with less than full power, it only makes sense to limit that power via the programming in the ECU.

 

I understand your points and is very believable... Having said that the 500 mile built it power limitation theory for break-in conflicts with Fords documented break in procedure for varying speeds for the first 1k miles.

 

My '16 has about 1,800 miles, half of that since Sunday, speeds 65-85mph. This last leg the truck really opened up, its making awesome power. I figured just from the motor loosening up.

 

That's been Detroit's defacto Break-In Mantra for as far back as I can remember (early 60's) .... Even limiting power output, it's a good practice - but not really necessary. Their biggest hurdle was getting the rings to break-in and that requires varying power settings. Other than the flat tappet camshaft break-in which takes place in the first twenty minutes of running. No longer an issue since everything has gone to roller cams.

 

There's plenty of new engines sold today that don't have roller cams.... 5.9/6.7 Cummins and the 3.5 Eco Boost to name a couple.

 

Overhead cam engines like the 3.5 ecoboost don't use valve lifters. The Cummins B series engine does use a large "mushroom" lifter that disperses the load across a much mor broad area than a typical flat tappet lifter. Still it does qualify as a flat-tappet. The removal of Zinc from motor oils as legislated by the US-EPA has forced most manufacturers to move to roller followers or overhead cam systems with broad-faced followers or "buckets"...

All that as it is - the rings are seated in most gas engines within a few thousand miles. A bit longer (depending on loading) for diesels.
When I dyno a fresh racing engine, we do a number of low RPM, high load - full throttle pulls to bed the rings. By the time a typical four hour dyno session is complete, the engine is fully broken in. From that point forward the engine is not breaking in - rather - it is wearing out slowly...
The engine below is a roller-cammed 10:1 331 SBF that we built for my GT40. It is putting out 415 HP / 430 TQ and fully broken in.

 

I've got alittle over 3k on my 16' now and it seems like it has gained some in power..
Hopefully I'll start getting some mpg's back also as this one isn't getting the mileage my 11' did but that truck had 3.73 vs 3.55's in this truck running the same 35" tires.


I'm going order the 3.73 gear set in the 17' for sure.

 

There is control logic in the Bosch ECM to limit certain things (such as peak flow through the aftertreatment, and peak aftertreatment system temperatures) that could indirectly limit power, but the current calibrations have these parameters at limits well beyond what would influence peak power.

In other words, even during and after break-in, the power allowed by the ECM doesn't change. The logic is there, Ford may or may not claim the ECM is altered after break-in (it was mentioned a couple of times in the PC/ED manual) but in reality, it just isn't used.

Any change you see in economy, power, and response, is simply from a reduction in friction as the engine breaks in.

 

Thanks for chiming in Matt.... Reps sent.