Breaking in a 500 Horsepower Motor
- Thread starter Intruder
- Start date
Great Question, it was something I would like to know myself. I have never owned something with this much power, I have always but about 5,000 on any new engine before running it hard. I`m first on the dealer list so I should be getting one.
run different rpms. this is the biggest thing one needs to do. letting the engine slow the car down, coasting down a hill in 2nd. i have also heard of good dyno results from running several hundred miles at a time below a certain rpm. such as - first 300 miles below 3k rpm, 500 below 4k rpms, 8000 below 5k rpms, 1000 below 6k rpms, 1200 redline the first 2 or 3 gears.
its up to you but i would not baby it.
its up to you but i would not baby it.
Just go on the highway, get on it...but not too much. Just slowly break her in and don't be afraid, REMEMBER. YOU are in control. Gradually break her in for about a month. You should do fine.
i would use regular oil, but change it every 500 miles. then at 2000 or so, switch to synthetic. dont stay at a set rpm range for too long, as this will help the rings set.(probably the most important thing to breaking in the engine) i would use the entire rpm range after a couple hundred miles. take it easy at first, dont baby it, but dont beat the hell out of it either. someone mentioned using the engine, not the brakes, to slow it down a bit..good advice, as this will also help your piston rings seal properly
01cobravortech
Banned
There's another member on here, Nazman, who seems to be on the money when it comes to mod motors. He has something interesting to consider. He's saying run it hard for the 1st 20 miles. For details---take a look fellas. I have to admit that what he is suggesting sure sounds like the way a motor should be broken in.
Naz Big Bore: 250+ Miles Up-Date
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just wanted to share with all a 250+ Miles up-date on the new motor/combo!
First off, great job Modular Performance! This motor rocks!
As you may know the motor consisted in a 304CI Big Bore, Fully Ported FR500 Heads, Cams & FR500 Intake, SLP LTs, Mid Pipe and MF CB along with all the supporting bolt-ons and such. Fuel consist of Terminator Pumps, Tank, Injectors and I’m about to install a KB BAP.
The new combo has o/a 257 Miles as of now. After initial start up I brought the motor to full operating temp and then changed the oil. I took her for her initial drive (o/a 30 miles) for break-in following the breaking procedures as listed here http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm this procedure was cleared and OK’d by John @ MP as well.
Once the motor reached 100 miles the oil was changed again and will be changed one more time at 500 miles.
Now, the car low end power production is WELL above the prior combo, TB response is insane and just pulls, pulls and keeps pulling. What really impresses me on this combo is the MID RANGE and the TOP END. Gents, the mid range on this thing is sickening. Totally blows away the old combo, remember my last combo made 410RWHP so it was not such of low hitter. The car from lets say o/a 3500-5500 pulls like a jet on take off. Pulls you into the seat and keeps you there for good! Now, once it reaches o/a 5500 RPMs and the FR500 intake has transitioned to the short runners is like a 75 shot of Nitrous! This top end pull never ends! Today, since it was dry over here in Germany I lay on the car 2 times, each time from o/a 4000RPMs on 3rd gear to o/a 7300 RPMs where I granny shifted and again on 4th gear and the RPMs move sooooooooo quickly thru the RPM range that I could barely keep up. My shift light was set at o/a 7150 RPMs and just keep on coming on! I was actually scared that the tires were to come lose on the top of 4th gear. The car has some serious cojones!
Gents, we have a Terminator Slayer!
Right now I’m scheduling for a dyno (base line) the last Friday of this month where I should have o/a 500 miles on the motor. Hope that by that time to also have the new Accufab TB for the 99-01s.
Once the car reaches the 1000 miles, the NX Nitrous system will go on and hope to have a 150 shot for the car.
The goals are 450+RWHP NA and 600+RWHP on the juice.
Will continue to keep you guys informed.
Comments?
Naz
__________________
1999 Cobra
304CI Big Bore by MP, 11.5CR, SLP LTs/Mid Pipe & MF CB, 4.30s w/Solid Axle, FR500 Intake, Fully Ported FR500 Heads, FR500 Cams & Valvetrain, 150 Shot of NX Juice, NOS Nitrous Controller, NX GEN 2, Build Diff, Fidenza AF, SPEC Stage 3+ w/Light Weight PP, JLT CAI, SCT BA2400 MAF, Dual Pumps, 39LBs, BAP and a bunch more.
"The Terminator Slayer!"
Naz Big Bore: 250+ Miles Up-Date
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just wanted to share with all a 250+ Miles up-date on the new motor/combo!
First off, great job Modular Performance! This motor rocks!
As you may know the motor consisted in a 304CI Big Bore, Fully Ported FR500 Heads, Cams & FR500 Intake, SLP LTs, Mid Pipe and MF CB along with all the supporting bolt-ons and such. Fuel consist of Terminator Pumps, Tank, Injectors and I’m about to install a KB BAP.
The new combo has o/a 257 Miles as of now. After initial start up I brought the motor to full operating temp and then changed the oil. I took her for her initial drive (o/a 30 miles) for break-in following the breaking procedures as listed here http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm this procedure was cleared and OK’d by John @ MP as well.
Once the motor reached 100 miles the oil was changed again and will be changed one more time at 500 miles.
Now, the car low end power production is WELL above the prior combo, TB response is insane and just pulls, pulls and keeps pulling. What really impresses me on this combo is the MID RANGE and the TOP END. Gents, the mid range on this thing is sickening. Totally blows away the old combo, remember my last combo made 410RWHP so it was not such of low hitter. The car from lets say o/a 3500-5500 pulls like a jet on take off. Pulls you into the seat and keeps you there for good! Now, once it reaches o/a 5500 RPMs and the FR500 intake has transitioned to the short runners is like a 75 shot of Nitrous! This top end pull never ends! Today, since it was dry over here in Germany I lay on the car 2 times, each time from o/a 4000RPMs on 3rd gear to o/a 7300 RPMs where I granny shifted and again on 4th gear and the RPMs move sooooooooo quickly thru the RPM range that I could barely keep up. My shift light was set at o/a 7150 RPMs and just keep on coming on! I was actually scared that the tires were to come lose on the top of 4th gear. The car has some serious cojones!
Gents, we have a Terminator Slayer!
Right now I’m scheduling for a dyno (base line) the last Friday of this month where I should have o/a 500 miles on the motor. Hope that by that time to also have the new Accufab TB for the 99-01s.
Once the car reaches the 1000 miles, the NX Nitrous system will go on and hope to have a 150 shot for the car.
The goals are 450+RWHP NA and 600+RWHP on the juice.
Will continue to keep you guys informed.
Comments?
Naz
__________________
1999 Cobra
304CI Big Bore by MP, 11.5CR, SLP LTs/Mid Pipe & MF CB, 4.30s w/Solid Axle, FR500 Intake, Fully Ported FR500 Heads, FR500 Cams & Valvetrain, 150 Shot of NX Juice, NOS Nitrous Controller, NX GEN 2, Build Diff, Fidenza AF, SPEC Stage 3+ w/Light Weight PP, JLT CAI, SCT BA2400 MAF, Dual Pumps, 39LBs, BAP and a bunch more.
"The Terminator Slayer!"
Here's what comes in the pan:
mrGT said:
Run the f**k out of it. Once built a 302 for my uncle's drag car (Maverick) and it had been running a total of about 20min. As soon as it hit the main-road he ran her up to a 7000rpm shift point and showed her no mercy. NEVER, EVER blew up. Rings sealed in about 15min (good old hard Ford blocks). Break in procedures are overrated. Just be sensible and use the right oil. BTW, talked to Mobil 1 tech people twice: the myths about breaking in an engine on synthetic are just that: myths. I put it to the test. My Dad's 91 Ranger is running around with a rebuilt '89 5.0 HO that has had Mobil 1 in it since the day it was started.
Rings are set in like the first 5 mins of running.
If you want to be "gentle" go easy for 250 miles and then go normal.
It'll be fine.
If you want to be "gentle" go easy for 250 miles and then go normal.
It'll be fine.
A world class engine builder once told me in regard to the break in of a new motor: "It's either going to work, or it isn't". Meaning, beat the piss out of it. For instance, they break $50k NHRA prostock bike motors in on the dyno, hard.
The rings will be seated (95% of the way anyway) by the first time you climb in the car, so consider the engine broken in. I would as already suggested vary the rpm, and try to do some mixed driving.
With that being said, since the entire car/driveline is new I wouldn't powershift for at lesat 500 miles for the sake of the trans/clutch. After that rip away.
Naz followed the mototune usa break in procedure which is backed by a few reputable builders.
The rings will be seated (95% of the way anyway) by the first time you climb in the car, so consider the engine broken in. I would as already suggested vary the rpm, and try to do some mixed driving.
With that being said, since the entire car/driveline is new I wouldn't powershift for at lesat 500 miles for the sake of the trans/clutch. After that rip away.
Naz followed the mototune usa break in procedure which is backed by a few reputable builders.
So Fourcam, should we dump the synthetic out and run regular if we are going to use the mototune break in procedure? Or, can we break it in using the procedure but running synthetic? I'm thinking, in the worst case senerio, if you swap out the synthetic, and you have a faulty engine ( nothing to do with the break in procedure itself ) it's going to be a several thousand dollar hit when Ford discovers the type of oil in the engine block?????????
If it comes with synthetic Ford has completely broken the motors in. You can still vary your rpm if you want, but forget the entire mototune procedure, and don't forget no hard shifts for the first 500 mi.
Last edited:
drive it normal, just dont beat the hell out of it, try not to keep the rpm range the same for a long time
when I bought my 03 I hammered from the get-go same as my 95R my 96 Mystic and my 514 cfrate motored Shelby and a host of other cobra I have owned they always seem to run better but thats just me and I will do my new Shelby the same NO MERCY
Fourcam330 said:
Thanks for all of your info Fourcam, you've given a lot of us a ton of confidence with respect to doing the right things with this powerful of a motor. One last question from this end. If it's running synthetic, how often would you change the oil in the first 3000mi? :beer:
Last edited:
Intruder said:
Totally depends on just how anal you want to be. Since the motors are already broken in (had dino oil in them to start), and have since had synthetic pumped in, there's little risk of anything particulate remaining in the system by the time it hits your hands.
And dont listen to the mototune method. What a crock of shit.
like whitten quoted from badboyspack and fourcam: Break it in normally. You can go up to 5000 - 6000 rpm's to break it in but back off right away. Also dont hold it at the same rpm for more than a few miles. Try to vary the rpms as much as possible.
And for all the people that tell you to change the oil right away, dont do it. Its a waste of your money. If it really needed the change the manufacturers would make sure that you changed it after 200 miles. I tend to trust engineers that build engines for a living. There recommendations are for a reason and they have a lot more experience than we do.
like whitten quoted from badboyspack and fourcam: Break it in normally. You can go up to 5000 - 6000 rpm's to break it in but back off right away. Also dont hold it at the same rpm for more than a few miles. Try to vary the rpms as much as possible.
And for all the people that tell you to change the oil right away, dont do it. Its a waste of your money. If it really needed the change the manufacturers would make sure that you changed it after 200 miles. I tend to trust engineers that build engines for a living. There recommendations are for a reason and they have a lot more experience than we do.
Users who are viewing this thread
