break in new truck?

curtwalk · 05-25-2007, 03:04 PM

Im new here , been on ford truck forum last 5 years. Had a woderful F350 2002 crew cab 4x4 with all the mods etc. it pulled heavy loads very well. Tax credit ran out on it so had to get a new one. I bought a 2007 silverado 3500 crew cab 4x4 today with the new 360 hp motor. I will get it tuesday after goose neck drop hitch, repalacement bumper etc. installed. Anyway, thursday I need to take a 400 mile roundtrip pulling a 10,000 lb trailer. Wandering if that will affect the motor since it has not been broken in.
I hope to here good things about this new truck from others that pull trailers.

dmaxalliTech · 05-25-2007, 04:19 PM

No better way at all to break in a motor then with a load behind it. Vary the speeds you are going, keep the RPM range broad, dont set the cruise if it all possible. Let it run through many RPM ranges. Check the oil every fuel stop just to be safe, things are not seated yet and it may use a bit, dont be alarmed if it does.

cavenderlbz · 05-26-2007, 10:10 AM

I personally wouldn't go faster than 65-70 before you reach 500-600 miles but other than that go for it. I towed my other truck home when i bought mine just to see what it would do. With 9 miles on the truck it had around 8500 lbs and i never had any problems. The funniest thing was me installing my brake controller, and hooking up to that trailer right there in front of the show room. I had salesmen and other customers alike just staring at me like i had lost my mind!

Oh and by the way, congrats on the truck!!! You just bought a pulling monster. I pull with my truck 5 days out of the week for work and with 27,000 miles on her I have never heard a peep!

fenmor · 05-27-2007, 10:09 AM

If you read the owners manual , they recommend that you dont pull for the first 1000 miles. ( if I remember correctly )

Of course , some people follow the owners manual and some dont.
Best of luck either way.

cavenderlbz · 05-27-2007, 01:44 PM

In a perfect world i wouldn't tow that heavy either, but follow the directions that dmaxalliTech said, and you should be fine. If not you have a day inbetween delivery and thursday, put some miles on the truck before hand.

will0316 · 05-27-2007, 02:04 PM

every diesel i have owned farm tractors and two petes with cat power said to break them in pulling heavy and why this doesnt apply to these trucks i dont know but i can tell you this i broke my LLY in hauling a cat 420 backhoe

**TYREBOYZ_DEMAXIN** · 05-29-2007, 05:28 AM

all i can say is get-r-done..i wouldn't worry to much if you did see high speeds and tow heavy but i would recommend after 5k miles to switch to fully synthectic oils verses the stock oils..

curtwalk · 05-29-2007, 06:48 AM

Thanks for all the replies. I should get the truck today hopefully. Looking forward to seeing how well it pulls. When is the tow haul to be use. Not familiar with that.

curtwalk · 06-13-2007, 01:53 PM

Pulled trailor to Amarillo Tx and back. Pulled so easy I did end up just setting it on cruise at 73 mph most of the time. Really did not feel it back there much. Even got 10.5 mpg, if the computor was right , did not hand calculate.

cavenderlbz · 06-14-2007, 06:49 PM

I'm glad everything worked out okay for you. How do you like the truck so far?