Here's a question for you diesel owners (I will be soon):

I've been reading here that the older these diesels get the stronger they get.

Does that mean you have to be pulling heavy loads over time for the engine to gain more power?

What if you do very little pulling, and the times you did, the loads were very light? Will the pulling power of the engine still increase with age as much as it would if you frequently pulled heavy loads with it?

Thanks, I'm still learning.

DT.

 

Yes it will increase. It's call breaking it in. It will take a lot longer, but it WILL get better.

Load it up and head for the mountains, rent a trailer, load it up.

My 5'er arrived at the dealer today! I can see the savings already. First trip, load that puppy and head up I-89 to Burlington VT, in the "Passing Lane".

 

Sweeper......why the heavy load? That sure sounds contrary to the factory recommendations! Seems to me they were saying to keep your foot out of it, use a lower gear, and pretty much baby it for the first 500 miles.
Also seems like that heavy load in the mountains is gonna be a tough way to cure in the brakes. I plan on having this unit for a couple of decades, and hammering it early sounds a bit scary to me.

 

First 500 miles or so follow the owners manual guideline.More to breakin then engine.Differantials need breakin also.After a 1000 or so miles tow what ever etc.

 

Thought you might be interested...

I emailed Cummins about breakin and they sent me the following response. I figure the builder of the engine is the best one to listen to when it comes to breakin!


Summary: Ram engine break-in

Solution:
Thanks for your Email message.

Here is what we have shared with others about engine break-in:

What is the recommended break-in procedure for my new Cummins engine?

Cummins does not publish a specific time or mileage threshold that provides when an engine is considered to be broken-in since our engines are used in such a variety of applications and purposes. Here are some general guidelines to consider when breaking-in your new engine:

INTIAL BREAK-IN PERIOD = 1000 miles or less. During this period, the piston rings may not have had a chance to seat yet, which allows cylinder pressure to pass by the rings into the crankcase, causing blowby. After the initial break-in period, the engine will need to be worked to create high enough cylinder temperature to seal the piston rings, which helps prevent blowby.

Vary the engine speed so the entire vehicle, as well as the engine, becomes accustomed to varying speeds, loads, rpm, etc..

For on-highway, automotive applications, operate the engine at 1500 to 1800 rpm in high gear for the first 80 to 160 kilometers (50 to 100 miles). However, DO NOT idle the engine for more than five (5) minutes at any one time during the first 160 kilometers (100 miles).

For off-highway, non-automotive applications, operate the engine at 75% throttle while loaded during the first three (3) hours. Again, DO NOT idle the engine for more than five (5) minutes at any one time. Also, DO NOT operate the engine at rated speed (rpm) and full load for more than five (5) minutes at any one time.

MID BREAK-IN PERIOD. After the first 1000 miles, the engine is ready to be worked, which will help seat the piston rings to avoid blowby and avoid carbon buildup to avoid fuel slobber because of light load operation. If possible, drive in hilly or mountainous areas OR load the truck with 700 - 800 lbs OR pull an empty trailer (tandem car-hauler type)*.

*NOTE: If you use a small single axle trailer, some load on the trailer is recommended.

Certainly everything with a new truck will 'loosen up' after 40 or 50k miles, including the engine, wheel bearings, brakes, etc. etc. We doubt that the engine torque or power will increase much, however. With light loading, the engine can take as high as 30,000 miles to be considered 'broken in'.

When the bearings, brakes, engine, etc. do 'wear in', the truck may seem to perform better, just because you will have less resistance from all these new components. The amount of fuel consumed by the engine may improve slightly after the break-in period, however, there are many other variables involved with the vehicle chassis that will affect MPG, more than the engine.

We thank you for your interest in Cummins products. Please let us know if you need assistance in locating the nearest Cummins-authorized Dealer or Distributor Service Provider. For assistance in locating a Service Provider, feel free to use Cummins North America Dealer Locator, which can be found on Cummins website:
http://www.cummins.com/service_locator/index.cfm

This site can be found on the "Service Locator" link, at Cummins North America website:
http://www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/index.cfm

For service locations and Cummins Regional Offices, outside North America, you may select the region of the world in which you have an interest, by using the following Cummins website and click on the "view distributor network" button:
<http://www.cummins.com/index.cfm?changecountry=true>

Please let us know if you have other questions and if away from your computer or have a time-critical request that needs more urgent attention, feel free to call us toll-free (from North America) at 1-800-DIESELS (343-7357). Customers may also call Cummins switchboard 1-812-377-5000 (worldwide toll call) and ask for the 800-DIESELS Call Center for assistance.

Cummins Email (via webpage): <http://www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/c...ance/index.cfm>

Email direct: powermaster@cummins.com

Regards,
--
Powermaster
Customer Assistance Center
Cummins, Inc.
Columbus, Indiana, USA


Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the original recipient or the person responsible for delivering the email to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this email in error, and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or copying of this email is strictly prohibited.

Cummins, Inc. is not responsible for any improper use of the information supplied with this email.

 

Excellent info!

Great post!

I wonder how long (miles) MID-BREAKIN takes?

Like if you did put 1000 pounds in the bed at 1000 miles, how long would you have to drive around to properly seat the rings?

This post could help explain the bad mileage though.

Thanks again!

 

You don't even have to rent a trailer. Buy a pallet of shingels at your local home store. Have them load it with a forklift, strap it down and head for the hills. After you put a few hundred miles on it. Return the shingles.

Get about 10 squares that is approximately 2400 lbs.

 

I think I'm starting to understand what it means to break a diesel.

Those are unusually strong engines.

 

I just turned 3000 on my 600 , I am going to run it on the dyno at work and work it hard for a half hour at least, I think most of you should take it to your local Cummins shop and have them run it on the dyno at max load. For one hour shop rate they should be able to run it for about 40 mins. on the dyno.

 

Cummins EM'ed me the same reply when I asked about the break-in and towing. They also added that I could hook up the TT and and tow it like the truck had 50K miles or I could follow their break-in procedure and have a 1,000,000 mile engine.

At 3500 miles, I put 1000 lbs in the bed. I took it out at 6500. One thousand lbs is considered a light load for the Cummins so it will probably take 30K miles for break-in. That is if the info in their procedure is accurate. I have seen no actual change in my fuel mileage. It's still around 15 mpg.

 

SharpLikeStump Wrote: "Sweeper......why the heavy load? That sure sounds contrary to the factory recommendations! Seems to me they were saying to keep your foot out of it, use a lower gear, and pretty much baby it for the first 500 miles.
Also seems like that heavy load in the mountains is gonna be a tough way to cure in the brakes. I plan on having this unit for a couple of decades, and hammering it early sounds a bit scary to me."

RILYJSI!* This ain't no Rice burn'a whined up toy, it's a CTD. Whined it up and let it loose! Get your 500 miles in, but after that don't baby it, you aren't going to break it.
My truck is three months old and has over 10,000 miles on it. This truck is more than ready for a little workout. Next week I start moving. I have a WW'ing shop that has to be moved. I got enough hardware in my barn to supply a small store. I've renting a 12' covered trailer and when I get to moving that hardware I'll be taking the long way to the new house.

*Run It Like You Just Stole IT!

 

With all these engien problems that I have had I have noticed something in the running/breakin of the engine. About 500 miles seats everything, but at around 10,000 the engine has some kind of a breakin where it runs smoother and pulls stronger. Pulling the head for a head gasket seems to start the 10,000 mile sequence all over again. Have gone through this three times on my truck.

Something else that I have not heard on this site that Cummins clued me in to. The commercial engine uses a different ring pack that has less blowby. Has something to do with the breakin proceedure where the commercial engine is constantly under a work load and the Dodge is not.

How does that translate to breakin, I don't know, but it is a different ring pack. There are several suttle differences that Dodge has specified for their engines, different than the Commercial line of engine specified by Cummins. The pistons, rings, head, major componants are specified by the CPL number on the spec plate, the accessories and electronics, gaskets, etc are specified by the serial number on the engine plate.

 

Well I was told recently that Cummins DID NOT build engines just for D.C. specs.That was one of the reasons that DODGE ETC.is not on the valve cover or any where on the engine.That Cummins builds them and D.C.puts in orders for so many.Was told this same engine 20 might be ordered for indus.use in South America or what not.

 

Well in all due respect, you were told wrong. Dodge is on the valve cover which happens to be special for the Dodges. Go look at a mid- sized engine in the common rail build like you have. The end covers and gearings for the cam are completely different. The commercial version has the gearing on the rear of the engine and an intregal SAE bell housing as part of the cover. The injection pumps are calabrated totally different.

The engines are purchased from Cummins by Dodge to Dodge specs and are purchased with no warranty from Cummins.

I don't want this to become a argumentative matter so will not post on it again. And really it does not matter to anyone unless you are going to use the features of the commercial series of engine. You may very well have been correct in the early ninties, but not today or since the 24 valve engine came out. All I can say about it is that if you compared my towing capacity to the stock truck you would realize that there is a difference. The cam timing and/or cam is different, the injection pump is different, the ring pack is different, of course the pan is lighter and smaller, the oil filter is different, even the valve covers are different if that makes a darn. The timing case is different, and the electronics are different and are Dodge.