NOOB ALERT - Tremor Break-in

TimmyTheKid17 said:
Been seeing a lot of folks throughout the various threads talking about breaking in their tremors prior to towing. Never been mechanically inclined (dont judge, lol) so I figured I’d ask; is there a ‘best practice’ for break-in. Miles, fluid changes, etc? If so, what is the reasoning and/or benefit(s) behind it? Just want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to take care of Kongzilla.

PS - kongzilla has been decalred the name of my tremor. A combo of king kong (because its all black color scheme, massive, and strong) and godzilla as a nod to the 7.3L engine.
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it's in the manual.

best practice is to just do what the manual says. Manual says don't tow until 1000 miles.

You'll find tons of diverging opinions on how to break in an engine. Some people say if you "thrash" the engine it will seat piston rings faster and prevent blow by and cylinder glazing. The manual says to kind of baby it: relatively lower revs, varying through gears etc.

In my opinion, best to just do what the manual says. I've read very convincing articles supporting the "thrash it" method (and I'm actually convinced that it's true) but I'd hate to be in a situation where something does break and have a warranty claim denied when they plug it in and see how you drove it bc you didn't just do what the manual said to do.
 
All very helpful info. Manual it is! Speaking of which, does the manual also state what type of oil to use for engine oil change, gear oil change, etc.? As folks stated, I'm sure I could YT that as well, but there would likely be varying opinions on what oil should be used as well.
 
Yes, the manual specifies oil weight, and spec.

As for recommended brands, that is a can of worms akin to arguing Ford vs Chevy.

I like Castrol Edge and Mobile 1, but prefer Castro
 
Jrod250 said:
And I don’t know if there is any truth to it or not, but apparently the oil from the factory has a break in additive. ??‍♂️
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Better have some kind of break in additive in it. I never built a motor and not used it.

I prefer redline or amsoil...anybody know what Ford uses from the factory?
 
TimmyTheKid17 said:
All very helpful info. Manual it is! Speaking of which, does the manual also state what type of oil to use for engine oil change, gear oil change, etc.? As folks stated, I'm sure I could YT that as well, but there would likely be varying opinions on what oil should be used as well.
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Make sure you check the oil spec (not just the weights). I purchased Mobil 1 full synthetic for an oil change today. I got home, opened the hood, pull the cap, read the cap, and then realized I had purchased the wrong API spec oil... Back to the store.
 
Thanks all! Do these tremors have enough clearance to work “comfortably” under them without jacks or ramps? I would think so at ~10“ but figured I’d ask so I can start looking around for the right equipment if not. I was Trying to find any examples online but most are from shops that lift them regardless. I’m determined to start doing this stuff on my own!
 
TimmyTheKid17 said:
Thanks all! Do these tremors have enough clearance to work “comfortably” under them without jacks or ramps? I would think so at ~10“ but figured I’d ask so I can start looking around for the right equipment if not. I was Trying to find any examples online but most are from shops that lift them regardless. I’m determined to start doing this stuff on my own!
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I would say yes, considering that the ~10 inches of ground clearance is measured at the lowest point of the suspension. I'm pretty sure I could slide under there easily enough, esp since the running boards are 4 inches higher than an FX4. You should be fine.
 
TimmyTheKid17 said:
Thanks all! Do these tremors have enough clearance to work “comfortably” under them without jacks or ramps? I would think so at ~10“ but figured I’d ask so I can start looking around for the right equipment if not. I was Trying to find any examples online but most are from shops that lift them regardless. I’m determined to start doing this stuff on my own!
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Yes they do, the first time I did my oil change I drove my truck up on Ramps then ended up having to raise up my oil drain pan because the drain plug was so high & I didn’t want to spill any on my drive way. So, the second oil change I just crawled right under my truck & did the whole thing comfortably without having to lift a thing.
 
DanMan583 said:
Yes they do, the first time I did my oil change I drove my truck up on Ramps then ended up having to raise up my oil drain pan because the drain plug was so high & I didn’t want to spill any on my drive way. So, the second oil change I just crawled right under my truck & did the whole thing comfortably without having to lift a thing.
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I like to change truck oil in the yard, just roll under with a pan and change the oil. If I splash or spill any it doesn't make a mess in the driveway or garage.

Now other vehicles I need the support of the concrete for my ramps.
 
Perfect. One less thing I’ll have to buy.

so I’ve searched youtube quite a bit for videos on changing both the oil/filter and differential oil on the newer super duty models and believe it or not I haven’t had any luck. Only things I can find are for early teens models. For some that’s probably more than enough but considering this is the first time I’ve taken an interest in doing this myself I’d prefer to have videos for the same setup I’ll be working with so I don’t eff something up haha.

Anyone have links they could share or suggestions?
 
I'll have my new 6.7L Tremor in Rapid Red by May 5, not sure the exact day yet, but anxiously awaiting that phone call! The only problem is I need to take a 750 mile road trip immediately after I get it.

After reading this thread, I'm thinking it would be prudent to take different types of roads with different speed limits, but I had hoped to do the drive in 1 day (12-14 hours), 2 days tops.

Am I asking for trouble doing all those miles immediately? And if so, any practical advice besides "don't do it" ?
 
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Bathroom break at work so I thought I'd comment even though it's already been talked about.

I break my vehicles in with this in mind: "drive it like you're gonna drive it". While I don't necessarily "thrash" my vehicles during break in, I'm won't go out of my way to overly take it easy either. I always change the oil after the first 500-800 miles, check for metal shavings and such (some is normal, a lot would be concerning) and then continue with the regular 5k oil changes and maintenance schedule. I use mobile 1 in all my vehicles. Like someone previously mentioned, there's evidence to suggest that not taking it easy is actually better for the rings to seat but I'll let you do your own research and come to your own conclusions.
 
When I just came back from Tenn., the way I took forced me to go up and down hills and part of the Appalachian mtns. so I figure that put various loads and throttle inputs on the engine for about 675 miles, so that should've been a good break-in run for it. Even when I set the cruise, I was still getting stuck behind trucks going uphill so the engine still never stayed in one constant rpm or power range.
 
Break-in Oil Analysis on a 7.3L at 834 miles... note the low viscosity and high amounts of molybdenum. I think they use a break-in oil blend, but some moly may be from engine assembly lube. For reference, my virgin Castrol Edge had 72ppm of Mo.

Rest of the numbers are good so far... less Fe and Al than I expected for a new engine. Si is high from gaskets, sealant, and hoses leeching into the oil. Cu is high from the oil cooler and possibly bushings.
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