Another Burning Ferrari F430

[johnnynumfiv]

Not this again. Every time I post something on UCP that is not intentionally stupid (i.e. water, terrorist and console avatars craze for example) and try to post something technical I'm proved wrong. I have nothing against that, I'm here to learn and my technical knowledge is rather limited. What I don't like is my posts being called stupid, even if it was said as a joke. I just don't like it. Now I'm now blaming you, you put a smiley and you're a cool guy, but I'd like you to at least explain your 'not really'. Please.

I always heard cars needed to be broken into, and shouldn't be pushed too hard for a certain amount of time. I also heard brand new carbon brakes have a tendency to overheat and catch fire. That's why I posted that comment.

I say that it's stupid because that's what I heard when I asked someone about it, in real life that is. Now that I know you are very sensitive, I won't say anything like that again.

My father towed his race car the day that he bought his new truck, which he was advised not to by the dealership. With 39,000 miles on it, the truck hasn't skipped a beat, gets more than the EPA mileage, and goes like a sonuvabitch.

About the breaking in thing, I was told by an engine builder there isn't a set break in period. Usually with racing motors we build, we set it in the car, let it idle, set the timing, then rev it to about 8,000rpm(usually dealing with SBC and BBC's) three times and if it doesn't blow, you are all set. Usually anything bad that is going to happens, happens within several minutes after first firing the motor, cam going flat, bent valves, etc, etc. I realize that street motors are different from racing motors, but they work on the same principles.

[Jack_Bauer]

Running in an engine for a couple of hundred kms from new, particularly high-revving, highly-stressed engines like a that of a Ferrari, is a fairly sensible thing to do. It helps to let parts wear into each other a bit, lessening the effect of any small imperfections in the component surfaces, and also helps seat the piston rings properly. These things aren't going to kill the engine immediately if not done properly, but they may add a few thousand kms to an engine's life. Not breaking in an engine certainly isn't gonna cause the whole thing to spontaneously combust like this F430!

If anything it's worth doing on a modern car because dealers can check the car's ECU and see how you treated the engine during the prescribed running in period. With some manufacturers it can actually jeopardise your engine warranty if they think you've been a naughty boy.

[johnnynumfiv]

Running in an engine for a couple of hundred kms from new, particularly high-revving, highly-stressed engines like a that of a Ferrari, is a fairly sensible thing to do. It helps to let parts wear into each other a bit, lessening the effect of any small imperfections in the component surfaces, and also helps seat the piston rings properly. These things aren't going to kill the engine immediately if not done properly, but they may add a few thousand kms to an engine's life. Not breaking in an engine certainly isn't gonna cause the whole thing to spontaneously combust like this F430!

If anything it's worth doing on a modern car because dealers can check the car's ECU and see how you treated the engine during the prescribed running in period. With some manufacturers it can actually jeopardise your engine warranty if they think you've been a naughty boy.

Can you tell me about the rings seating properly?

What companies do the ecu thing? I've never heard of that, usually the ecu's only retain several seconds of data.

[whiteballz]

"running in the engine" is an old world term generally speaking, with todays tech its not like things arent made properly. It is just from the last decade/s where machining wasnt up to the standard it is today.
Things dont require to be run in as much, if at all.

[fisetdavid26]

Do you live in the ghetto?

Hahaha, my bad

I say that it's stupid because that's what I heard when I asked someone about it, in real life that is. Now that I know you are very sensitive, I won't say anything like that again.

Well, it's not that I'm sensitive, it's just that you're not the first one who says my posts are stupids when I try to get into technical things, and it's getting a bit frustrating. I'm not stupid, my knowledge is just limited and I try to comment with what I know.

Anyway, thanks for your explanation dude.

[Balayanboy]

guyz new photos from the burned Ferrari....

[waggles]

Yeowch...

My dad's Merc needed to be run-in... Only 250kms though.

[carsnut]

Do you live in the ghetto?

Do you mean slang or the Jewish neighborhood?

[carsnut]

Owners of these cars need to take better care of them. I'm getting tired of seeing 100K + cars getting wrecked by careless owners.

[DBR9]

Ferrari's 'brake in' period is still essential to the smmoth running of the car, the mileage is not specific but the recommended time is 4-5 hours of driving in which you usee all revs in all gears to get all fluids flowing correctly and it enables any faults to be revealed before doing any serious damage. And i agree that the owners of these vehicles need to take better care however after working at one of ferraris main dealerships i have come to learn that most opf the people who own these sort of cars are the ones who dont deserve it.

[Waugh-terfall]

I'm crying...



With laughter. Inside, and out.



Anyway. So does the 'breaking in period' vary for particular cars? I know my Dad's said that it's usually just driving in lower revs and not hooning the car for about 1,500mi/2,000mi or so, and I know that in the Nissan 350Z handbook it warns of 'dire consequences' if you exceed 3,500rpm in the first 1,500mi

[Matra et Alpine]

does the 'breaking in period' vary for particular cars?

yes.
Depends on engine, transmission configuration, materials, stresses, harmonic vibrations and many other things.
Some don't need much at all - either a "lazy" low-stressed engine or a factory run-in engine.

[Waugh-terfall]

So that's why 'dire consequences' pops up in the 350Z brochure as that's a fairly highly strung engine?

What about if your car is a Manual, Automatic, CVT or Sequential, which of those would require more care when running in?

[DBR9]

i would have probably said between the manual and the sequential personally although im not too sure

[Dary]

hey at least its nice that the lights can stay on with the entire back end on fire.

yeah..! that's nice