How to Run-In an Intercooled Ford Ranger

Just drive it normally. Try not to keep the engine at the same RPM for too long.

How long is that? Maybe bob c will tell us. He's one of the resident wrenches on CR4.

I'd change the oil after 500 miles and put a MAGNETIC oil drain plug in.

I stick a couple of strong magnets on the oil pan of every new vehicle I buy. (Which hasn't been lately)

Although I don't use it, synthetic oil wouldn't hurt your engine or turbo.

Drive safely! And remember that in the USA we drive on the right side of the road.

The correct side, I might add.

Follow the factory recommendations and keep initial speed variable but low. Lynlynch's suggestions are wise but I recommend you use synthetic oil because it has much higher film strength and heat resistance than conventional mineral oil. It also has a much better additive package.

You didn't say so but I assume the engine is your Ranger is a diesel that was probably made by International Harvester. The dealer will know. If so ask IH for advice since they designed the engine.

Changing the oil @ 600 miles is unnecessary because the machining tolerances on modern engines are excellent and consequently they experience relatively little wear as the engine components "seat." Furthermore the diesel has both full flow and a bypass oil filter; the latter will remove particles down to the micon range. But you should change both oil filters frequently and make certain you use high quality oil filters.

Dennis Waller

Chances are that the shop mechanics have already wrung up 20 miles or so on a high performance engine. Don't buy it if this is the case. Eight miles is max for a new car. Driving nornally and varying speed is good advice, but try not to go over 50mph for the first 500 miles. A magnetic drain plug used to be standard, but I take my car to a good shop and they are very contientious about informing me of any anomalies.

I would use regular oil for the break in period, dump it at 500 miles and get the best oil you can afford. Synthetics are supposed to be more user tolerant, requireing less changes per mileage, but I have found excellent performance from Pennsylvania based oils. Don't know why exactly, but all the race drivers I knew used Quaker State or Pennzoil.

As a former owner I suggest follow manufacturers break in procedure if any. Or begin by drive about 20 miles at a speed just above what the auto trans will downshift at 35 miles per/hr, or if manual shift about 35 miles per/hour in third or fourth gear gear and keep RPM's slightly above lugging for 20 minutes.

Initial break-in oil should be drained at about 3500- 4500 miles, recommend refill with NAPA straight synthetic of a grade suitable to your environment and use profile.

I would do the first oil change at 500 - 1000 miles not because of run in wear be t simply because no mater how clean the manufacturing process is ther is still some residue that will dissolve or leach out of the engine metals and cause contaminants.

As far as break in I have been told by the old school engine techs to drive it like you will every day. I built a Ford 460 performance engine I set up specifically for heavy towing and rough service use. The recommended break in for that was run the fuel ratios just rich enough to get it to smoke slightly for the first 500 miles in order to get the moly rings to seat properly and don't pull heavy in OD until the engine was at full operating temp. Other than that drive it like its going to get driven every day.

Nothing special is required, but care of a turbo-charged engine is a little more critical. Avoid heavy engine loads and high RPMs for the initial 500 miles as a good , probably un-necessary, break-in shake-out.

Never shut the engine off immediately after a higher power burst as the turbo will shock cool and cause coking of the oil in its bearings. Never suddenly apply heavy loads until the engine is up to normal operating temperature--the pistons run much hotter due to the higher power out put and sudden heating can cause them to scuff and seize in the cylinders.

No need to run 'synthetic' oils as the 'hype' is advertizing. The oil molecules in modern 10W30 major brand oils is essentially identical to "M-1". Valvoline has better anti-wear and extreme-pressure performance than M-1.

M-1 is a reformulated petroleum based product not a true synthetic regardless of the 'advertising'.

Sharpen your point...

BWire is not correct regarding M-1--it used poly-alpha-olefin (PAO) as the base oil and is a 'true' synthetic. However, PAO's are essentially identical to petroleum base oils refined by hydrocracking-hydroisomerization. THe 2 molecular shapes are so close to identical the US authorities have deemed them 'the same' as far as real world performance is concerned.

So is my kid paying too much for the "special" motor oil he uses in his Kawasaki cycle?

Uh-oh tossing titles around led us to space shuttle launch failure in the sky. Let us not be fooled again by reciting rhetoric and mistaking it for truth.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/21059#comment221549

http://cr4.globalspec.com/comment/15900/Re-5w30-vs-10w30-motor-oil

You will find this very interesting: http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html

Despite their name, most synthetic derived motor oils (ie Mobil 1, Castrol Formula RS etc ) are actually derived from mineral oils - they are mostly Polyalphaolifins and these come from the purest part of the mineral oil refraction process, the gas.

Pure synthetic oils (polyalkyleneglycol)

facts do not lie:

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/21059/Synthetic-motor-oil-am-I-wasting-my-money

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/12040

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/32676

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/21059/Synthetic-motor-oil-am-I-wasting-my-money

Good info here but recall differences of diesel and gasoline engine design specifics.

And peruse comments of the following which cast doubts of credibility in the statements concerning what US authorities have determined being compared to oil company rhetoric:

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/21114/Fischer-Tropsch-Synthetic-Oil-and-Oil-Shale-Tar-Sands

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/1807/Diesel-Truck-Emissions-and-MPG

Glossary of petrochemical terms pertaining to lubricants:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=67

1] Immediately replace the engine oil with good quality mineral oil.

2] Do not put any heavy load on the engine until it is at normal running temperature (the temp gauge stops moving toward the hotter side).

3] If it's a manual, use lots of throttle (foot to the floor) in 2nd gear & higher...to about 75% of max rpm for about the first hour. Make sure that you use the gears to slow you down as well. Do not maintain a constant speed for long periods (>15 mins).

4] For the 2nd hour & only after the engine has reached operating temperature, same as step 3] except take to max rpm before changing to the next highest gear. DO NOT EXCEED MAX RPM! Again, slow down by using the gears. DO NOT push in the clutch & use the brakes.

5] Change the engine oil & filter. Replace engine oil with good quality mineral oil.

6] Only after engine has reached operating temperature, drive it like you hate it. Full throttle under lots of load (not 1st gear), using gears to slow you down. DO NOT exceed max rpm but take it to max rpm before changing to a higher gear. Do this for about 50 hours.

7] Change the engine oil & filter. This time, you can use synthetic oil.

The same procedure can apply to an automatic if you use the gears like a manual.

This procedure is similar to an aircraft running in procedure. The whole point is to properly bed the rings into the cylinder so that no combustion gases can contaminate the engine oil. Only lots of pressure in the early stages of the engine's life can achieve this.

For those who claim that an aircraft is somehow different from an automobile engine, it's not. Aircraft engines are very expensive & need to reliable as well as top performers. As a result, no aircraft owner is going to throw away money, unlike racing car owners. Racing cars are a little different...they must perform to highest level for a short period of time. Spectators pay for the engines. Aircraft engines must perform to the highest level & for the longest time (& be reliable) otherwise you & I would be paying triple for our airfares.

I'll except that post with a teaspoon of salt