US_Army_Z28

iTrader: (3)

So the camaro i jusst bought is a 2000 z28 and the motor minus the heads and intake manifold only hhas 500 miles on it. Previous owner boughht the car with a blown motor and had it replaced. Car runs likke a dream jusst kind of gun shy about getttin on it too hard before everything is set like it should be. Im up to about 2000 miles on the motor now and im just curious how many more is a ssafe bet for a full break in period.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

The engine is already broken in. "Rings" are the only part of an engine that gets broken in right off the bat......if it wasn't broken in properly in its first 2-3 miles, its too late to do it right.

So you have what you have.

As far as the rest of the engine. Its all about keeping the oil VERY clean for its first 1,000 miles as the new internal parts shed metal shavings into the oil and circulates those shavings through your engine.

Oil changes at 50, 100, 200, 300, 500 and 1,000 is a good way to do it.

Hopefully when that engine was brand new......the owner got on it HARD CORE right off the bat. Otherwise the rings did not get broken in properly.

There's no reason you can't go WOT all day long with that engine.....its already broken in as good as it can be.....so have fun.

Proper engine break-in is put it on a dyno, or the street, and do an 80% throttle run. Then another 80% run, then WOT a couple times. Thats it.....then its ready for the track or whatever. No such thing as breaking an engine in for 2,000 miles.

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autogeek23

iTrader: (13)

just tach it out. have fun, i miss mine. garaged.

US_Army_Z28

iTrader: (3)

Wow. Ive always heard like 5k to properly do a break in to get the rings and valves seated the way they should

SWEET98SS

iTrader: (8)

I had 300 miles on mine before it was on the dyno. I have 2000 miles on it now, no problems.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Rings seat in 2-3 miles......NO MORE.....or 4-5 hard dyno pulls.

When the hatch marks are gone.....you lost your chance to properly seat the rings. Hatch marks go away in a few miles of driving.

Thats it.

Every LSx engine that ever left the factory, as well as all engines in all cars, was on the engine dyno for 3-4 hard WOT pulls right after they were built...brand new engines. Then they installed them and shipped them to the customers. No auto manufacturers sell cars with break-in instructions for the new customers, no need. They are fully broken-in. RING-wise.

Manufacturers should however...tell the customers of BRAND NEW cars to change the oil at 50, 100, 200 and 500 miles. But they know people won't. Doing that would extend an engines life for sure.

Read this, its all you want to know about proper break-in of any engine.
http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

You're car is WAY WAY past its due time to run HARD.

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LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Not saying if you don't run them HARD CORE right out of the gate that the rings won't seat pretty good and that you a person will have problems.....But they won't seat as good as they COULD seat unless you do run them hard core right out of the gate. You will have a better seal and make better power for the life of the engine.

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US_Army_Z28

iTrader: (3)

Well so far no problems and i did run it up to about 140 about 2 days after i bough it bc some punk kid in a mach 1 mustang wanted to show off withh his girl in the car on the interstate.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Thats cool. The prior owner probably broke it in good.

Have a ball with it....its ready for abuse.

When i picked up my car back in 2002......when this same 427ci was installed.....they dyno tuned it brand new. Then on the ride home I probably did about TEN 50-160mph highway runs with it. 170,000 miles later and its still running like a champ.



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US_Army_Z28

iTrader: (3)

Well thats great to know. Kinda sucks knowin i been puttin off goin to the track for fear of messin up my motor, and turned down more than 5 oportunities on the street

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

hahahaha.......start *** raping Mustangs......lol

Your engine is dying to go WOT.......

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US_Army_Z28

iTrader: (3)

Ohh i fully intend on it. But i know this is supposed to be "internal engine" but you seem pretty knowledgeable so maybe you can answer another thing ive been curious about ive only ever owned 2 cars before this one. Both of which were trans ams so im curious whats the difference in thhe transmissions? (Automatic) why iss the trans am 1,2,3, then drive and the camaro is 1,2, drive then overdrive? And ive hear people say its okay if you downshift from od to d for a launch from a high mph rolling start for a race? Any insight for me there?

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Trannys are 100% identical. 4L60E. The DRIVE is the 3 for the Trans Am. Its all the same....3 speeds with an over-drive gear.

My car.....feels like a 6 speed automatic. Because the lock-ups in both 3 and then again in OD....hit like gears changing. Pretty awesome.

You should start from a roll in 3 (drive). Not Over-Drive. By starting in 3 (drive) the engine is already at a higher rpm, waiting for you to nail it. Instead of being in OD, then having to downshift and then nailing it.

But all cars and their drivers need to find their sweet spots. My car....I start in 2nd gear when going fro ma 40mph roll. Rpm's are kind of high but right in the sweet spot. My car launches at 40mph like I'm doing a whole shot from a stop. If I start in 3 it will then waste time downshifting, then building that rpm back up.

So its all about practice and learning your car. Stock cars, or lightly modded cars, might be a little too high of an rpm to start at 40mph in 2nd. Not sure. I can't remember. My 427ci has been in my car for 10+ years....lol

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US_Army_Z28

iTrader: (3)

Lol i can understand. But hell im not even old enough to have owned a car for 10 years lol. But i thought they were the same trannys just the difference in labeling threw me off, but i was wondering if the gearing is any different between the two of them bc ive hearrd running it in overdrive will help gas mileage and then ive turned around and heard driving in it will burn up the tranny. But the reason i asked about the downshift is well obviously if its a planned rolling start id be in drive or second but i was referring to an unexpected encountter like the mach 1 i ran if doing that and kicking up the rpms will hurt the trans

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Oh.....if you're just cruising in OD and someone comes up on you......its ok to just hit the throttle and let it downshift from OD to 3 or 2...on its own. It won't hurt it.
Just keep an eye out......if you see someone coming or you're slowly passing by someone....drop it down to 3, unless you're doing like 70+mph because then you'll be winding out the rpms pretty high.

As far as driving in OD......yes, you will get better gas mileage in OD when you're going long distances. It won't shift into OD if you are going to slow, I think somewhere around 35mph, it will stay in 3.
But if you're cruising steady right at that certain speed...the tranny could shift in and out of OD, don;'t let that happen. If its on the fence...keep it in 3.

I personally put it into OD if I know I'll be cruising steady for 2-3 miles or more....or anytime I cruise at a steady speed over 45mph. I'm basically always in OD.

Its also not good for these trannys, unless they've been modded some....to do WOT shifts from 3 to OD. Allot of people say thats the weak point of our trannys. If you race......keep it in 3. Keep it out of OD. Thats fast enough.

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US_Army_Z28

iTrader: (3)

Yeah mines bone stock. Hell my entire car is almost completely stock witht eh exception. of a spintech muffller an slp air lid and smooth bellow and the stb that im waiting on to get here. But i generally drive 12 to 20 miles when i go somewhere drivin anywhere from 45 to 60 mph except when i first start drivin here in town where the speed limit is 35. The tranny has about 120k miles on it it wasnt replaced when the engine was.