Hi Folks!
Just occurred to me there's a break in period for the new F350 7.3 gasser. Don't want to just pick up the truck and go get the new TC!
How long/KM's is it before it's read for that kind of load?

Thanks!

 

From the 2021 OM:

”BREAKING-IN

You need to break in new tires for approximately 300 mi (480 km). During this time, your vehicle may exhibit some unusual driving characteristics.

Avoid driving too fast during the first 1000 mi (1,600 km). Vary your speed frequently and change up through the gears early. Do not labor the engine.

Drive your new vehicle at least 1000 mi (1,600 km) before towing a trailer. Make sure you use the specified engine oil...

Do not add friction modifier compounds or special break-in oils during the first few thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. These additives may prevent piston ring seating.”

I’m also gentle on new brakes for the first couple of hundred miles, and I change the engine oil and filter somewhere in the first 500 - 1000 mile range.

HTH,
Jim / crewzer

 

Thanks Jim. Looks like I got a lot of driving to do before picking up the camper. Good to know about the 500-1000 mile oil/filter change. If it adds to the initial break in, I'm happy to do it. I have see people talk about the break-in being very important and to them a big factor in long term durability and reliability so I won't chinz on it. Thanks for the quote from the OM. Was interested if people varied much off that or did anything else.
Guess the dog will be going on some deluxe road trip adventure walks for quite a few days/weeks! LOL!

 

Sounds like a new side hustle, "certified break in mechanic"

I had to drive 500 miles on my new clutch before I could load the camper back on the truck, it made for a good excuse to drive places we haven't gone before.

 

I've read that the break-in period is for the rear differential. But there's no mention of that in the owner's manual at all. Break-in is almost as contentious a topic as oil viscosity/brand/type. Some guys say tow with it as soon as you want, others say follow the owner's manual because Ford knows when you're towing. I waited for 1,000 miles to tow heavy, but towed light well before that.

I did my first oil change at 5,000 miles and then every 5,000 miles after that. My truck is on the severe duty cycle due to how much time it spends towing.

 

TC is the only heavy load the truck will see. Next to that would be a metal order, but that's only 2-400 lbs. The only reason for getting it broke in, in a timely manner is picking up the TC from the dealer. They've been gracious enough to store it until the new truck is delivered and I don't want to take unnecessary advantage of that. Day trips with the ol' Finn should be a good way to clock the KM's.

 

I have found with new trucks that the first oil change .. Should be the severe service change interval ..
The engine needs some impurities in the oil to fully seat the rings .. New pickups I have bought over the
years 6 so far the first 2 were changed at 500 miles .. Used about 1/2 to 3/4 qt. per change after that ..
The next 3 were changed at the severe service interval, 3000 or 5000 depending on the year of the
truck .. They all used less oil on a change even in severe duty for there service life, with Me as owner/driver ..
the 6th pickup is a new 2020 that I changed the oil first time yesterday 5000 miles I expect this engine 7.3L
gas to be another low oil consumption engine for Me ..

 

Never really understood changing the oil early. I've asked people why they do it and all the answers have been some form of getting metal shavings out of the engine. Now I agree there may be some shaving that come out during break in, wouldn't they be picked up by the filter, are these people expecting that the filter will be filled and clogged with metal shavings? None of the people I have asked changed any of the fluids that are not filtered which could have metal shavings not being removed, or the transmission fluid. Ford does not suggest or require oil to be changed earlier than the standard interval on the first oil change. The oil is certainly not broken down any faster when the new engine is being broken in. I would love someone to give me a good reason to change it early and I would, just can't come up with a single reason to do so.

 

There are many ways to look at this. One way is this: If this engine were in a truck sold to a landscape company or U-Haul, it would get something slightly resembling the owner's-manual maintenance schedule right from 0.0 miles. Nobody would worry about metal shavings, it would get no sympathy from the driver, and it would start off mostly unloaded then get loaded and work hard. Then later, just about all of them will still be running fine with 200,000 miles on them. If the engine found itself in a motorhome instead, it would never get relief from all that weight and frontal area for however long the motorhome lives, and will still be running fine many years later.

By "work hard", I'm not necessarily talking about abuse. I'm more thinking about that poor thing loaded to 14,500 pounds gross weight, with a car on a trailer behind it, climbing some big grade with the cruise control on and an oblivious driver.

Having said that, I'm still nice to new engines. In fact, I recently rented a brand new (lucky!) SUV for a week and was nice to that too. Well, it had 6 miles on it when I got to it, so I'm calling that new. I bet it's already had more terrible things done to it since I returned it than any of my cars ever had. Later, when it is on the lot at Carmax I bet none of this treatment will show, even the part where I was nice to it.

To summarize my take on this: Worry if you want. I can't imagine it would hurt any. At the same time, not worrying is okay too.

 

These are all very reasonable things you've said. And do echo my inside voice logic path. I'm so not a car guy, so I like to hear from those that are. Then it's a matter of parsing between good and reasonable points and the stuff of golf course locker room legend.....

 

This is a great summation. Have owned gas and diesel trucks for the better part of 25 years. My last car was a built 2002 Mustang GT (500rwhp) which the oil was changed after cams and what not were installed then every 3k depending how many passes at the track. A true 'break-in' for the motor. All my other vehicles were gas at 3k and diesel at 5k despite the owners manual recommendation. I would follow the manual for towing though especially heavy loads that way if something did go wrong Ford couldn't pass the blame on to me. For me and the current truck it's easier to remember that 5k is about up with the odometer right there. Plus I don't like the little stickers on the windshield.

Cheers!

 

I'm a manufacturers scheduled maintenance program kinda guy. Cheaper to prevent then break and fix. And piece of mind is very high on my value list.

 

Thanks!

Yeah, I do the same. I would do 3,000 for the diesel also, but there's so much oil there, and I know the same engine will go many hundreds of thousands of miles with regular beatings without excessive oil changes. All of my cars end up with hundreds of thousands of miles on them without ever having oiling-related issues, while I watch the same models often have various oiling-related issues, usually with much fewer miles than mine. Knock on wood. Is it the interval? . . . and/or the quality of the oil? . . . and/or luck? . . . and/or something else? I don't know. In the meantime I'll continue. It's cheap insurance . . . and accidentally causes me to inspect things more often than I would otherwise.

I just do a little 3/8" P-touch label tape with just the odometer reading of the next change. It's tiny, and it fits in the silkscreened part of the windshield of every car I have that has the black silkscreen. On the ones that don't have the silkscreen, I never notice the label.

 

Pleased to say I now have the truck. Had to chuckle at the very vague "Don't drive to fast" in the manual break in section. What exactly is "too fast"? 150 in a 100 zone? 35 in a 30 zone? LOL.
Got about 370 on her now. Going for a long drive tomorrow.
Heart breaking though, Finn left us on Monday and never got his ride in the new truck. Then Tuesday, Tako had a stroke and died. Just too much to bare.

 

There are two kinds of truck people.
1. The ones that buy a new truck and worry about everything. How long to break in? What oil to use? Is this or that going to hurt it?
Their trucks go 2 or 3 hundred thousand miles with out issues
2. The guys that buy a truck for truck stuff and don’t worry about it. Just do regular service and mainanence. Their trucks only make it to 2 or 3 hundred thousand without issues.
Just choose which person you want to be.