i am picking up a new 600 CTD with a 6 speed in 2 weeks and driving it about 1200-1300 miles home. i will not have time to read all the literature before i get on the road. what are my restrictions? i read somewhere 50mph for 500 miles. that will suck, but i will do it if i have to. when i set up new gears in the my off-road trucks, i drive them for 100 miles and then change the diff fluid. on previous brnad new trucks i change the engine oil after 500 miles to get out anything from the factory build. any recommendations are appreciated. how long do the rings take to seat before you can safely switch to synthetic in the cummins?

 

It's supposed to be not exceeding 50 mph for the first 500 miles of towing. I would personaly keep the revs below 2500 and keep the throttle below 50%. You'll love the truck. I would personally change the oil first thing when you get back home after you 1200-1300 mile trip (that's what I did). Other than that, have fun! Don't put synthetic in for the first few oil changes.

 

After about 500 miles, varying the throttle of course, Drive it Like You Stole It.
Chances are you did anyway
Big thing is vary the throttle and speed and oh yeah, Wipe that offf yor face while you are driving. You don't won't people thinking somthing is wrong

 

yup, it is isn't that far away for no reason. decked out exactly like i wanted it except for no block heater, but i really do not need one in houston anyway. i fly out dec 30th and am stoked.

 

You probably have the block heater you just need the cord. I believe they all come with the element in place.

 

The Cummins website says not to switch to synthetic until you've got about 20K on the clock. Of course some have switched earlier. I believe in going by the recomendations of the folks who built it. JOIBO.

I picked up my '04 one day & left the next on a 1600 mile trip (Key West to Michigan). Just drove it like normal. Didn't vary speed, etc. Used the cruise & rolled along. Got 25K on the clock now. Runs fine, gets great fuel economy, uses no oil between 7500 mile changes.

 

well im a break in failure then. i took it off the lot, drove 60 miles to the hotel i was staying in at 75mph with the cruise on, then drove 120 miles to my brothers apartment in oklahoma varying speed there but i went above 2500 RPM's quite a few times. I then drove it 700 miles home from oklahoma to colorado varying speeds by a few mph, then set the cruise after about 200 miels of driving. I went over 2500 RPM's a few times on that trip too.

No problems with it. 3500 miles i got it 5 weeks ago

 

i think you should probably leave the break-in oil in the engine for more than 1300 miles, but then, what do i know.

 

how many then? by your comment, i am assuming you know the motor well. this is my first diesel. is it truly break-in oil, and if so, when should i change it?

 

Its Valvoline 15w-40 from the factory. Change it when you feel comfortable. Some change it right away others wait awhile. I changed mine for the first time a 1k. I would have done it sooner but my filters were back ordered.

 

I believe in changing early to get out the casting sands that may remain in the block from assembly, and the huge amount of initial wear metals. Who knows what they put in from the factory, put something you know is good in there =] I'd change it when you get home from the trip. Just vary speeds and take it easy on the truck for a while. I avoided using cruise so I'd be forced to vary speeds for the first 1000 miles and then drove it like I normally would.

 

Hm. I have 3300 miles. the engine is supposed to go 15k under normal conditions. well i tow 3000lbs (light load) quite often in the winter. So i figure 7-8k in between changes is best. i was going to do the first one at 5k. Do you guys think i should go ahead and change it since its the original oil?

 

I suggest you go back and re-read the requirments for the 7500 and 15000 change intervals. If you tow at all, you fall under the 7500 interval. VERY few operators of our trucks will meet the criteria for the 15K change. My opinion? Do the first change at 5K, then use the 7500. You will get all sorts of opinions ranging from change it at 500, 1000, 2000, etc to "flush" the engine, to "I don't care what the book says, I change at XXXX (fill in whatever number comes to mind. And then there are those who will tell you the dealer says change it at 3,000. Dealers are in the business of selling you service. If they could get away with it, they'd love to change your oil and filter every 100 miles!!! I believe what the engine manufacturer (Cummins) and engine warranty provider (DC) say about maintenance requirements. Hard to argue an unsubtantiated opinion against the manufacturer's recomendations. Of course that's just MY opinion! LOL!

 

15k for normal service, 7500 for hard use