I HAD to tow my trailer last night. My truck had 285 miles on it. The trailer is 10,000#'s. I am worried that this could have had an adverse effect on the longevity of the engine. I accelerated very slowly, and never drove over 65. I varied the speed a little between 50 and 65. It was a 30 minute drive. Was I stupid by pulling this early? I got up to speed very slowly, and concentrated on being easy on the engine. This is my first new diesel so I am concerned as I plan on keeping this one for a long time.

Thanks
Jeremy

 

forget about it man..............it never happened right?

 

It really isn't so much the engine you have to worry about as much as the drivetrain. The manual recommends not towing for the first 500 miles, mainly to let the gears in the drivetrain, bearings, etc. settle. The Cummins engine is ready to work right away and putting a load on it will actually aid in breaking it in quicker. I wouldn't worry about a thing...these are very tough engines.

Directly from Cummins Website:

What guidelines do I follow to properly break in my Cummins engine?

The only requirements when breaking in your Cummins engine is that you keep the fluids topped off and use a standard petroleum-based oil for the first two drain intervals. Cummins also recommends not idling the engine for more than 5 minutes and to work the engine during the break-in period.


How many miles does the Cummins engine require for break-in?

In general, 5000 miles. This depends on the type of driving the truck is subject to; hauling or towing a load will shorten the break-in period. Light duty hauling or "babying" the engine can delay full engine break-in for up-to 20,000 miles.

 

Thanks a lot for replying. I know that it seems like a stupid post to most, but I needed to know that I didn't do damage to the engine. I appreciate the response.

Jeremy

 

Don't worry about it. I always fret about my toys when I don't do exactly what the manual says about break-in, or I think I may have screwed something up.

I did that with Harley when it was new. I remember I got all stressed out when, after I checked my oil using a paper towel, I imagined that some of the towel may have gotten into the oil pan from the dipstick.

And then there's the time when chipmunks decided to move into the bikes tailpipe and build a nest. I actually lost sleep over that one. Stuff like that stresses me out bigtime.

285 miles is plenty close enough IMO.

If it still bothers you, just baby it up till 800 miles.

Edited by Admin

 

Along the same subject line . . .

Mine now has about 650 miles. I figure I'll have about 1200 miles on it by the time I take off for Big Bear (CA) towing my 5th wheel. The trailer weighs close to 10000lbs loaded. It's a bit of a climb to 6700ft or so. It sounds like I needn't be concerned about the engine on this trip. How about the rest of the drive train?

Thanks,
Neil

 

My 99 Powerstroke and my 2000 Dodge went from the dealer right to work,hauling boats,myself I think it is good to break them in right off the bat,just my opinion.

 

THey are made to be worked and not babied. Hook up and pull!!!

In fact the best way to seat the rings on your engine is to pull a good load in the begining.

Just enjoy it, change your fluids and filters and it will last a long time.

All this other non-sense about botlle feeding, polishing the differential cover and waxing the lug nuts is just that, NUTS!!!!

Start it, drive it and enjoy it.

I

 

Really. What he said. Drive the darn thing. It's just a truck. Sheesh...

 

Don't worry about it. Drive it like you stole it. You need to hook up and pull that trailer some more. Didn't feel and hear the difference in the motor with the load on it SWEET wasn't it

Drive it Drive it Drive it

 

Don't worry about the engine. That is not what the 500 Mile no tow is all about, its the rear end gears. If you are really worried about it, change the rear diff fluid at 1000 miles and check the ring/pinion for any abnormal wear.

The amount of time people buy these off the lot and put them to work just shows that it is just a recommendation and not a hard and fast rule.

One of my friends just changed his gearset in the rear end and had to go through the exact same break-in procedure for his new gears. The shop told him to change his gear fluid at 1000 and to check the contact pattern.

I'd say not to worry about, but if you feel quezy about it, change the rear lube and inspect the ring-pinion when you have the cover off.

Motor on.

 

Well, since my last post the truck has 600 miles on it, all with the trailer attached. I only take it short trips (30-50 miles). I don't worry about the rear gear, just engine and clutch. Since you guys said it was fine, I quit thinking about it. I am suprised at the power while towing though. I have a six speed, and I am not extremely impressed with the power. I am not driving it hard, but it takes some time to get to 60. I heard some crap about the computer programming changing after a certain number of miles and then the power picks up, is this true? My truck is getting 11-12 MPG towing. Kind of sucks. I can't say that my truck is underpowered, just not quite what I expected. Still happy with it. I want to get more power out of it. I will start researching programmers and exhaust. Post if anyone has anything that works for them while towing.

 

If I get 11 to 12 when I finally pull my TT, I'll be happy. I think I got 5 or 6 with my 93 GMC gasser. Of course, a lot of that driving was through the windy central valley in CA. Two more weeks and I'll be loaded down and heading to Michigan, pulling the TT too. We'll see how happy I am after that

 

11-12 while towing is great unless you are towing a boat. You have to remember that you are pulling a BARN DOOR behind you and it puts alot of wind resistance behind you, besides you haven't broke it in yet I'm not going to say it's going to get better but you shouldn't complain about the mileage. I got rid of my Dakota QC with the 4.7ltr because I only got 6mpg pulling my first TT. With the Ram I got 10.5 to 12.5 mpg, I actually doubled my driving range That more per mile

 

Thanks for the replies. My PowerJoke got 13 pulling the exact same trailer and car. Just an update: Truck got 7MPG towing this weekend. Hit the scales at 14,900 #'s. Fairly flat ground (Kansas) couple of small hills. 60-65MPH, 2 slow speed sections throught towns, almost no idling other than cool down. Guess I will wait to see how much it improves.