I'm new to diesels- and I was wondering what it the best way to break them in. I've heard no towing for the first 1000mi., but then I hear of guys hooking up there trailer at the dealership and heading out.
The truck will be an 05 Dodge 3500 SRW. Thnaks

 

You don't tow for the first 1000 miles or so to give the gears in your differential time to mesh together and "break in". There is no specific "break in" on the Cummins engine. The best thing you can do for it is find the heaviest load you can and the steepest hill and go pull it and get the temps up on it. The engine will love you for it. These engines are not made to be babied. PULL something heavy, hard and fast. I am serious.

 

I broke mine in with an 8-9000 lb haul from vancouver to T.O. 54 hours straight driving then same thing on the way back 4 days later. We went out there for the Mark Ecko car show and a magazine photo shoot. Truck actualy ran better after that. No issues at all on the trip. We hauled *** the whole way. I have the tickets to prove it. LOL total was 10 000 kms.

 

I don't know why the "1000 mile/no tow" is thrown around so much. When I buy a semi truck, I hook to an 80,000 lb. load and go like hell. I can get around a million miles out of the class 8 Cummins. I doubt the 5.9 is mush different.

I've always like the "drive it like you stole it" method.

Seriously, I doubt you will hurt a Ram by towing with it right from the dealership. On the flip side, you're not going to hurt it by not towing for the first 1000 mile.

When I bought my first new bike, a 2001 Honda Valkyrie, everyone told me to baby it for the first 250 miles. I did, right after I hit 130 mph on the way home.

 

MJK
to protect your Dodge/Cummins engine warranty just follow your owners manual on break in procedure and oil change schedule. To do otherwise puts the warranty at risk. ..........JIM

 

best way to break in a brand new engine/rebuild engine is to load it up and run it hard... not the best way to break in new gears in transmission and differential though... [but as long as you don't shock load them, they will be fine]

 

First of all you don't break the engine in any more.
For the referance to the first how ever many miles do not tow with the trailer is so that the diffs, tranny and transfer case gears/ bearings can be broken in. This is not to say that you will wreck them if you tow right away. When they come from the factory the bearings may not have been seated fully. That is why the catution is their.

As for the engine break in. Cummins runs run every engine for 10 hrs or so to break them in at the factory and do the final adjustments on the system.

All you do when you run your engine now is allow the computer to calibrate itself. That is it. The computer needs to calibrate the different parmeters with in itself to allow the engine, transmission and other electroinic gizmos to set them selves to memory.

Although better fuel milage may be attained after 10,000 miles or so. That is large due in part to the ECM/PCM attaining its calibration. Part also is how we drive the truck from new.

Just drive the truck how you plan on using it.