Advice Needed...New FiST, First 1k Miles on Interstate

[skold]

I posted this in another thread but for the sake of not hijacking that one further, I started a new one. I'm picking up my new FiST next week FROM ANOTHER STATE and will be immediately driving it home, 1k miles on mostly interstate. I've read the break in period threads and wonder how I should handle the drive home. Since most of the trip back will be on interstate, I figured I'd vary speed within about a 15mph range, adjusting every 5 or 10 minutes by a few mph, changing between 5th and 6th gears. I thought about stopping every hour or so and also free revving in neutral while coasting every now and then too. Would that do it, or do I need to do other? Is that overkill?

Your input is appreciated!

 

[Shikari]

I had the same concerns when I first got mine, but quickly got over it. Mine currently has 4100 miles of beat to hell. I've changed my oil 3 times and every time there was no metal.

It's honestly opinion based more than fact. If you did a break in the way paranoid people work then you'd have to break in your brakes, tires, clutch, diffs, engine, etc. Just drive it like it's meant to be driven and change the oil frequently if you're hard on it. I run 5w-40 in the summer and 5w-30 in the summer (valvoline full synthetic).

 

[skold]

Thank you for the replies so far...I edited my OP to mention I am buying out of state and immediately driving it 1k miles home on the interstates. Specific considerations for this trip home are what I'm interested in hearing opinions on. Thanks again!

 

[JDG]

Hop off the interstate every 100 miles or so and do some stop and go or back roads. I would say the most important things have been mentioned here. Don’t lug the engine, don’t free rev, and don’t go WOT in the first 500 miles. Also, change the oil when you get home.

 

[kivnul]

I drove my new car 500 miles home. Had to go over a couple mountain passes and that helped vary the load on the engine. I did not vary my speed from what I normally drive. I did not push the engine much and I changed my oil right away afterward. I have had zero engine troubles after 47k miles or so.

 

[Zormecteon]

No steady state driving. No cruise control. Constantly vary the rpm. Don't be afraid to make others on the freeway think you're a dick.

Don't be afraid to take it to redline, but ONLY AFTER it's thoroughly warmed up. On the freeway that means you may need to go to third gear. Hopefully traffic will not be heavy and you can drive as slowly as 45mph and as fast as 85.

Change the oil when you get home and again at 3000 miles. Don't be afraid to make others on the freeway think you're a dick.

YMMV
My 2¢

 

[skold]

No steady state driving. No cruise control. Constantly vary the rpm. Don't be afraid to make others on the freeway think you're a dick.

Don't be afraid to take it to redline, but ONLY AFTER it's thoroughly warmed up. On the freeway that means you may need to go to third gear. Hopefully traffic will not be heavy and you can drive as slowly as 45mph and as fast as 85.

Change the oil when you get home and again at 3000 miles. Don't be afraid to make others on the freeway think you're a dick.

YMMV
My 2¢

This is along the lines of what I was thinking. It is going to be tough doing that for 1k miles. I've even been tempted to just have the car shipped to me but I can drive it home for about $300 including decent hotels vs. $600 to ship it. I'm also leery about having it sit on a truck potentially with other cars for that trip and arrive with any damage and have to deal with that hassle.

 

[Ford ST]

As car enthusiast we like to make things more complicated than what they are.
I've never had a mechanical engine problem in my life from lubrication problems, so maybe I just have extremely good luck. I don't mess around with driving all over the place to break in an engine. I'm actually more concerned with breaking in a lawn mower engine than a car engine because they are not built nearly to the same standard and can shed a lot of metal.
I'm not knocking anybody but I think stressing out over how to break a engine in is just absolute insanity. I love these cars but are engines are not special at all.
Don't take it to the racetrack and you will be fine.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

 

[JDG]

This is along the lines of what I was thinking. It is going to be tough doing that for 1k miles. I've even been tempted to just have the car shipped to me but I can drive it home for about $300 including decent hotels vs. $600 to ship it. I'm also leery about having it sit on a truck potentially with other cars for that trip and arrive with any damage and have to deal with that hassle.

Just drive it, more can go wrong with shipping (ask me how I know).

I think the item I value the most in this thread is don't go WOT and change the oil when you get home. If you need an oil recommendation, I recommend running Amsoil:

https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-prod...ies-100-percent-synthetic-motor-oil/?code=ALM

You can even run 5W-30 given you are in Texas.

 

[skold]

I appreciate the input. I'm hoping to find a balance. I really do want to enjoy the first two days of ownership.

 

[WutApex]

IIRC, you're heading back to the west coast - watch the weather on I70 over the Rockies. They keep it pretty clear, but can still get nasty at times. If they start dumping sand, it may be a good idea to cover the front with painters tape to keep the chips to a minimum.

 

[skold]

IIRC, you're heading back to the west coast - watch the weather on I70 over the Rockies. They keep it pretty clear, but can still get nasty at times. If they start dumping sand, it may be a good idea to cover the front with painters tape to keep the chips to a minimum.

Heading south to TX so I should be fine...might even catch a tailwind.

 

[EKFiestaST]

700 miles here from when it had 10 miles on the odometer. Cycled through the gears some and went between 50-80mph keeping the revs under 3k. Also did not hop on the freeway until it was warmed up. But after 200 miles I pretty much forgot about it and what not. At that point I'd say its fine. Changed the oil when I got back. Car runs great. No issues. These modern cars aren't as picky. Break in is still good - but way less than it used to be.

 

[FocusedSlayer]

I was told to drive it like I stole it and I just hit 8200 on my 19 and have had zero issues. And I'm finally due for my 2nd oil change in about a week.

 

[green_henry]

Just alternate between 4th, 5th, and 6th if you're on the highway; no need to vary speed in my opinion

 

[XR650R]

Just alternate between 4th, 5th, and 6th if you're on the highway; no need to vary speed in my opinion

Vary RPM, vary load. Keep the RPM fairly low. Don't punch it hard.

You're not just breaking in the engine. You're breaking in all the moving parts, even the brakes. None of them are perfect, and they'll all eventually wear out. Be gentle and vary the load.

Change the oil when you get home. Then, consider it broken in, and drive it how you want.

Change your tranny fluid for Ravenol at 5000. Use 2.1 quarts, not liters.

 

[scooter123]

I would suggest your forget about the interstate and drive home using the state routes and county roads. Varying your speed by 10 % or so is NOT at all recommended for breaking in a new engine. When the manual states that you should drive at varying engine speeds and varying load conditions they mean you need to vary the engine speed from idle to mid range. Yeah it will likely double the time for the drive but back road driving is the PERFECT type of driving for breaking in a new engine.

 

[Silfister]

When I bought my little beast new a few years ago, I got the best deal from a dealer over 100 miles away; when I drove it home, I did like scooter123 suggested - I took the back roads (at varying engine speeds in each gear: ~1800-2500 rpm), also went easy on the breaks, etc.; it took an appreciable time longer to return to my house..but that was just more time spent enjoying my new FiST. Back then, Pelotonracer was active in this forum - he's an engineer who built lots of engines, etc., and actually posted a Break-in 101 on this site (I think it was this site, maybe another FiST one). Anyway, I'm no expert, but I figured I'd follow someone who supposedly is. Since my FiST is pretty much a weekend car, I was able to follow Break-in 101 exactly the way he suggested. I've had my little monster over four years now with absolutely no issues. Did following Break-in 101 actually help? Who knows - but it didn't hurt. When I got home and changed the oil, I did see metal particles in the "old" oil just like Pelotoracer said I would from a new engine, so from that perspective - he was spot on. Obviously, if a new FiST is one's daily driver, it's much harder to stay with break-in parameters, but some type of break-in is a good idea in extending engine/parts life.

 

[skold]

Well, I made it home and without any issues. I did vary the RPMs a lot on the way home. I did take it to redline a few times on purpose and probably stayed in the 2500-3500 RPM range most of the way. I can't imagine I did anything to hurt or shorten the life of the engine. I'm at 1400 miles now and am about to change the oil. I assume I'll be good to go with anything after that.