Macattack23

Do I just drive it? Sounds dumb but what I mean is can I get on it a little here and there? Does that help or hinder? When I ask if I just drive do I just cruise around and do minimal hard accelerations/medium accelerations until a certain limit? I have 47 miles on the car right now.

Walt White Coupe

Trust the engineers. Follow GM's recommendations.

Vette_DD

From the owner's manual:

sevinn

That 55mph rule must be tough to follow for people who do museum delivery.

dennis50nj

when i took mine for a test drive my salesman was basically scared to death, when we got in side the dealership i said i would take it, he complimented on my driving skills and said he had to go change his shortsmy car runs great and i ran it hard from test drive till now

FloydSummerOf68

I agree

I picked my car up with like 11 miles on it and went WOT at least 2 dozen times that first day and was at the 1/4 mile with paper plates on it.

Mine is plenty strong and hasn't had a single issue in 70k miles.

I lol at the break-in *****. The motor is already completely broken in upon arrival. Look at the first line "your vehicle DOES NOT need an elaborate break in"

It says it'll perform better in the log run, but what the "long run" is is beyond me.

JoesC5

GM also sells crate motors and the LS9 crate motor is made side by side with the LS9 engines that are shipped to Bowling Green for installation into new ZR1's.

Here is what GM engineers wrote regarding startup and break in procedures on the GM LS9 crate engine. Note what they have to say about changing the oil.

TITLE LS9 Crate Engine Specification IR 04FE09 PART NO. 19242951 PAGE OF 21
DATE REVISION AUTH
GENERAL MOTORS
SERVICE PARTS OPERATIONS
6200 Grand Pointe Drive, Grand Blanc, MI 48439
5
PERFORMANCE
PARTS
GM
Start-up and Break-in Procedures
Safety first. If the vehicle is on the ground, be sure the emergency brake is set, the wheels are chocked and
the car cannot fall into gear. Verify everything is installed properly and nothing was missed.
1. This engine assembly needs to be filled with oil. After installing the engine, ensure the oil system has
been filled with the appropriate motor oil to the recommended oil fill level. The LS9 crate engine requires a
special oil meeting GM Standard GM4718M (this will be specified on the oil label). Mobil 1 is one such recommended
oil. Other oils meeting this standard may be identified as synthetic. However, not all synthetic
oils will meet this GM standard. Look for and use only an oil that meets GM Standard GM4718M. If using GM
12629421 oil tank, make sure that the oil level falls within the cross hatched area on the dipstick once the oil
is warm. Also check and fill as required any other necessary fluids such as coolant, power steering fluid,
etc.
2. The engine should be primed with oil before starting. Install an oil pressure gauge (the existing oil pressure
sensor location at the upper rear of the engine may be used) and disconnect the engine control system (removing
power from the engine control module is generally recommended, but check your engine control system
information for additional details). Note: Disconnecting only ignition or fuel injector connectors is not
recommended – make sure the control system will not provide ignition or fuel to the engine.
3. Once the engine control system has been disconnected, crank the engine using the starter for 10 seconds
and check for oil pressure. If no pressure is indicated, wait 30 seconds and crank again for 10 seconds.
Repeat this process until oil pressure is indicated on the gauge.
4. Reconnect the engine control system. Start the engine and listen for any unusual noises. If no unusual
noises are noted, run the engine at approximately 1000 RPM until normal operating temperature is reached.
5. When possible, you should always allow the engine to warm up prior to driving. It is a good practice to allow
the oil sump and water temperature to reach 180°F before towing heavy loads or performing hard acceleration
runs.
6. The engine should be driven at varying loads and conditions for the first 30 miles or one hour without wide
open throttle (WOT) or sustained high RPM accelerations.
7. Run five or six medium throttle (50%) accelerations to about 4000 RPM and back to idle (0% throttle) in gear.
8. Run two or three hard throttle (WOT 100%) accelerations to about 4000 RPM and back to idle (0% throttle) in
gear.
9. Change the oil and filter. Replace the oil per the specification in step 1, and replace the filter with a new
UPF48R AC Delco oil filter. Inspect the oil and the oil filter for any foreign particles to ensure that the engine
is functioning properly.
10. Drive the next 500 miles (12 to 15 engine hours) under normal conditions. Do not run the engine at its maximum
rated engine speed. Also, do not expose the engine to extended periods of high load.
11. Change the oil and filter. Again, inspect the oil and oil filter for any foreign particles to ensure that the engine
is functioning properly.

FloydSummerOf68

That is irrelevant to this thread

DSteck

Run it hard and engine brake it. That's how I do it. Don't stand on the gas pedal, but definitely let it engine brake from 3000-4000rpm or so. Coasting down and drawing vacuum helps seat the rings. My turbo motor was broken in within 20 miles. Everybody will tell you something different though... it comes down to who do you want to trust.

Corvette V

Some engines are destined to run harder than others regardless of break-in procedure or lack of...but the engine is not the only moving part in a brand new car. There is the driver too , and some need some miles to get acquainted. Maybe GM took this in consideration...
Anyways, congratulations on your new 'Vette. Mine has a little over 600 miles, so I know the feeling...have fun...

Bill Dearborn

The engine is pretty good to go from the get go but the rest of the drivetrain isn't. You need to break in the gears as well. Avoid any sudden acceleration until you have at least 250 miles on the car. When I took delivery of my 97 at noon on a Thursday I had over 250 miles on it by 7 that night and hadn't gone more than 40 miles from home. On Friday I was running it around a Go Kart track where we used to autocross and on Saturday with just about 450 miles I was competing with it.

Bill

sallen619

The break in is for other compnents. The engine is dry fired at the plant to seat the piston rings. (at least that's what I remember). A few good heat cycles for the diff and tranny and you should be good to go.

P0234

Gradually increasing loads/power is the way to go. How long varies by your level of patience. Never beat on it when the oil/water is cold. While that may seem simple, I can't count how many idiots pound their cars on an ice cold engine.

Gearhead Jim

Post #3, JimTN's copy from the manual, has been changed for the newer cars. Or at least it was different on our 2009 LS3. The breakin was not considered complete until 1,500 miles.

Like JimTN would say, read your manual. The first ~50 pages of how to wear a seat belt are anesthetic, but after that you will find some surprisingly good info buried in there.

And enjoy your car!

JoesC5

Why? The crate LS9 is the exact same engine as the LS9 installed in a new ZR1. Also, the exact same break in and oil change instructions are given for a LS3 crate engine.

dennis50nj

because in the car from the factory, its been test driven and started many times. and FI would be a lot harder on the motor

Harbinz51

Drive it like you will always drive it. The car has been run and driven before you ever get the car. Dont drive it any harder than you will drive it but for sure dont just take it easy. Also for everyone who says trust GM engineers on this is very wrong. Those drive easy statements come directly from the warranty department to try and save GM money. In no way is that an engineer statement. The crate engine is a little different story as it hasnt had the runtime a production car engine would have.

Red86Cfour

Break it in hard.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

bearman95

FloydSummerOf68