Did you wait 15 minutes for the oil to drain down?

 

 

I would think that 12 hours would be plenty of time for the oil to drain into the pan.

I usually check the oil, gaze under the hood and adjust air pressure in the early morning hours. To hot to do it during the day here.

 

Mine burned two quarts in the first 2,800 miles. I was not a happy camper, and was almost ready to trade it on another brand (Ford dealer called it "normal"). But then I took a trip through the mountains (working it hard), and that seemed to wear in the rings properly (no more oil burning). Mine was a dealer trade, and had a couple hundred miles on it when I bought it, so I don't know how it was driven for the first few hundred miles. For those who are unfamiliar, babying a new engine is the worst thing you can do for it. It can glaze the cylinders, making it nearly impossible for the rings to seat. It needs some full throttle bursts to get high cylinder pressure and seat those rings.

Do you have the new 5L with plasma coated cylinders, or the sleeved cylinders?

 

 

I actually has a new short block put into my old '88 f-150. When I got the truck back, the tech told me to break it in like I intend to drive it. So, I wholloped the hell out of it and had no issues for the 125K that I put on it before finally selling it.

 

 

 

 

Manuals never say to "run the crap out of it". But I have seen some that said "brief full throttle bursts will contribute to proper break-in".

Seriously, drive it like you stole it for a few hundred miles; you might be surprised at the results. Or hook on a trailer and take it through some steep hills. Cruising at 72 is a very light load on the engine....unless you are doing 72 up a mountain.

 

+1. I think the number one thing you can do is to keep the RPM/load changing as much as is practical. If you're droning along at one speed, you may be causing harm. Shift up/down even if you're keeping the same speed.

 

+2. I know we all want good MPG's and all, but while driving along at 72, lockout 10th gear, then 9th gear, then 8th gear for a few miles. Let those RPM's rise...and let some heat build. While in town, put it in SPORT mode. Have a few rabbit launches at red lights.

Good luck with it!!


biz

 

Oh, 12hrs is way to long to check the oil level. The oil needs to be HOT (as hot oil expands). Just wait a good 10 or 15 minutes after the truck is at normal operating temp. Then, give it a check...


biz