2014 Motor Break In Period

[Calpunk1]

Quick question, I know there is an instructed 25 hour break in period on the motor and then 50 hours. What is the initial break in time frame that you have to run the boat before you can add ballast and start surfing and wake boarding? Is the break in period, say after 5 hours include time with ballast etc? Thanks for any heads up.

[Laketexoma]

All 5 of my nautiques I break in the same way. Load it up and GO!! The new motors have been run at the gm factory and they are good to go.

[PKKup]

Just about everyone says, load em up! I'm more neurotic and will do the 30 min rpm, up and down like the manual says. I figure it can't hurt and makes me feel like I kinda of broke it in. PCM is apparently bullet proof.

[axeman]

Don't they also go through the motions at the factory during the water test?

[lucky7t]

2014 Motor Break In Period

I load it up and go but I always try to not full throttle for long periods. When cruising without pulling a person I fluctuate the throttle ever so little

[aZ`]

30 minutes with varying rpm is to break in a flat tappet style camshaft and lifters. I would be surprised if new PCM engines don't come with roller cams, can anyone confirm this? Any engine with a roller cam/lifters simply needs the rings to bed in, this occurs during the first couple of minutes anyway.

If PCM offer even one engine with the old flat tappet style camshaft setup then they would keep the old break in method in all engine manuals to avoid confusion, as it does no harm to engines that do not require it.


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[PKKup]

30 minutes with varying rpm is to break in a flat tappet style camshaft and lifters. I would be surprised if new PCM engines don't come with roller cams, can anyone confirm this? Any engine with a roller cam/lifters simply needs the rings to bed in, this occurs during the first couple of minutes anyway.

If PCM offer even one engine with the old flat tappet style camshaft setup then they would keep the old break in method in all engine manuals to avoid confusion, as it does no harm to engines that do not require it.


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that's what 2012 PCM 343 manual said. I'll check my 14 when I get it.

[Calpunk1]

OK thanks, Just ordered a 2014 and unfortunately I should receive right in the middle of summer and holidays. I was looking online at the manual and was worried I might have to service in the middle of summer during holiday time? Just wanted to get some opinions, thanks so much for the info. I cannot wait to get this thing on the water!

[DanielC]

There is more to breaking in an engine that camshaft wear, especially with roller camshafts. There is an ideal tolerance, and clearance in all the parts, bearings, pistons, all the parts in the engine. There is also a larger tolerance, that is used when putting the engine together.

But the most critical issue is seating the piston rings. The piston rings, and cylinder walls wear into each other in the break in process.

Another issue with new engines is that they are "tight" this means the tolerances are a little close, and the tight tolerances tend to make the engine run a bit hotter, not on the temperature gauge, but internal parts run hotter. Like pistons.

Try to run the engine without a heavy load. You can, and need to run the engine up to maximum RPM, and then close the throttle, back down to an idle. You need to do this a lot. This is why. Wide open throttle forces the piston rings hard against the cylinder walls. This wears the rings, and walls into a good fit. The closing of the throttle, relaxes the piston rings, and tends to suck more oil in the cylinder, and the extra oil washes the wear particles into the oil, and then the oil filter. You need to go to max RPM, because the piston actually travels farther up in the cylinder, at max RPM, than it does at slower speeds. If you never go to a high RPM, for the several hours, you are creating a wear pattern on the cylinder walls, that does not go as far as the piston does at max RPM. This hampers the ability for the rings to seat well.

Check the oil often, on your new engine. New engines use a lot more oil than well broken in engine. The 25 hour service is the most important for your boat. Remember all that wear that a new engine was having while breaking in? All that metal is in the oil filter, and oil.
The 25 hour service is also where the boat mechanic checks a lot of stuff, like engine mount bolts being loose, and other isues, that might be OK, but sometimes are not. Sorry, not every Nautique comes from the factory perfectly assembled. Not even you brand new $100,000 plus G-boat.

[PKKup]

So, do you do the 30 minute routine or high rom to low frequently?

[DanielC]

I do not know what you mean by "the 30 minute routine"

After the engine has warmed up for about 15 minuites, this is the break in routine. Do this away from people, docks, high traffic, that sore to thing. Boat in neutral, slow to a dead stop. Shift into gear, at idle RPM. Go to WOT, hold until you just "touch" max RPM. Then close throttle to idle, still in gear. Let the boat come off plane, and settle to in gear idle speed. Then part throttle, to a slow planing speed. the idea to to lightlly load the engine, do this for a minute or two, then back down to an idle, and repeat the WOT to max RPM, back doen to idle in gear, low speed cruise.

As the engine gets some hours on it, 10 or so, you can hold max RPM for a little bit, but not very long, and do some slow planing speed cruising.

If you have a new slalom boat, after about two or three hours, you can use it to run the slalom course. If you care about your new G-boat, you will not load it up with ballast for wakeboarding or wake surfing until at least 25 hours, and try to limit loaded running until about 50 hours.

[Laketexoma]

So at your rate I should be able to load it up next year? We only put 40-50hrs a year on them. These are LS motors. They have a great track record for being bullet proof. I know at the factory they get loaded down for shake down runs. If you want to be very cautious that's cool but I thing your break in is over kill. Just my .02.