Big Papi's Pony

My car is not even built yet and I'm making a list of mods. The first one I want to do is a CAI and tune package. My question is: should you break in the car before doing any engine mods ?

Ltngdrvr

Not required, can if you want to.

Turboba6

I waited until ~100miles before Modding, doesn't matter, these cars are Broke In from the Factory!!

11CaliSpecGT

I have about 600 miles on mine and just put in 3rd tank of gas. Each fill up seems to be getting better mpg, so I have decided to wait until at least 1k...and maybe 2k...to ensure I can track mod performance accurately. Though these cars allegedly don't require a break in, I am convinced they change over the first few hundred to thousand miles....

Now as to appearance mods, go for it the day you take delivery!!!

Ltngdrvr

I'd want to drive it for a while to get used to all the nuances of the new car and to get a good feel for the stock performance before modding. That will give you a better appreciation for what the mods do for the car.

Driver72

I laugh when people say that.
Show proof of that claim please.
Have you ever seen how they test the engines from the factory? They are not "broke in" from the factory, if they were you'd also not smell that new engine metallic "burning" smell they produce either after even a short drive as the engine heats up.
And if that was the case why the "break in procedure" recommendations in every cars owner's manual?


As for the OP's question. I'd recommend 500 miles minimum, but like others have suggested a bit more if you can wait it out.
In my years of car ownership (which is about 40 cars so far) I've noticed that cars seem to feel at full strength around 5000 miles.
You want to make sure all is on the up and up for at least the first 500 though.
To me modding right away is like asking an 18 year old virgin to lose her virginity by doing a DP in the same hole, followed by **** a few minutes later. You gotta ease her into the extra power and pleasure. Drive your car stock for a bit, but you don't necessary have to baby the car in the process.

bob

Engines will loosen up as time goes by, but Turbo isn't far off the mark, Todays engines don't require much of a break-in period in terms of seating the valves or rings. That metallic burning smell your referencing is more than likely oil residue left over from the manufacture of the exhaust system.

I'd just follow the owner's manual when it comes to the break-in procedure.

Driver72

Which means the engine is not broke in from the factory and is recommended there be a break in.

BTW, from documentaries I've seen on engines coming from the factory, they are built and then "tested" on a computer. That seems to involve running the engine for about a minute at a few various rpms. If all is well the computer spits out the specs and says, "A OK"
The engine is then placed on the assembly line and put into a car.

True the computer specd engines these days are FAR from decades past, and there is less friction and so forth with them upon initial build, but they are hardly broken in from the factory in any way shape or form.

As I said to him, show me proof from an engineer from any factory that states engines are broke in from the factory and they (and the car's manufacturer) stands behind that claim.

Ltngdrvr

Golly, get a little graphic about it why don't you...

Driver72

Freshmeat

This.

Granted, my springs and panhard were installed eight days after I picked up the car, but those were eight GLORIOUS days.

The power is still more than enough to keep me happy, so I'm waiting until I'm fully acclimated to it so that each powertrain modification will have that whole fresh new feeling all over again.

Ltngdrvr

I would like to meet this girl though...

Big Papi's Pony

The consensus seems to be hold out on the engine mods, in the mean time I can start knocking off all my appearance mods. Thanks for the input guys!!