When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Yeah, I am being more cautions. The manual says to hold off till 2k miles, I will likely wait till 1.5k miles. Likely too long, but this is what Andreas Preuninger recommends:
Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line at Porsche, said this about engine break-in: "I can only tell you how I personally do it, or how we do it at Weissach – for the first 500 kilometres or 300 miles, we don't drive that car car ever over 5000 rpm, never. From then on, every 200 kilometres, we up the rpms by 500, so we end up at 1300, 1400 kilometres at the threshold before we can really go full throttle, at 800 or 900 miles." So this is what they use:
• Less than 300 miles: 5000 rpms
• Starting at 300 miles: 5500 rpms
• Starting at 420 miles: 6000 rpms
• Starting at 540 miles: 6500 rpms
• Starting at 660 miles: 7000 rpms
• Starting at 780 miles: 7500 rpms
• More than 900 miles: redline
Is this for the GT3 or GT4 engine? At PECLA they told me that the GT4 engine was not sensitive to break in and could be driven like you stole it as soon as you like. Of course I took it easy for the first 500 miles or so...
Yeah, I am being more cautions. The manual says to hold off till 2k miles, I will likely wait till 1.5k miles. Likely too long, but this is what Andreas Preuninger recommends:
Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line at Porsche, said this about engine break-in: "I can only tell you how I personally do it, or how we do it at Weissach – for the first 500 kilometres or 300 miles, we don't drive that car car ever over 5000 rpm, never. From then on, every 200 kilometres, we up the rpms by 500, so we end up at 1300, 1400 kilometres at the threshold before we can really go full throttle, at 800 or 900 miles." So this is what they use:
• Less than 300 miles: 5000 rpms
• Starting at 300 miles: 5500 rpms
• Starting at 420 miles: 6000 rpms
• Starting at 540 miles: 6500 rpms
• Starting at 660 miles: 7000 rpms
• Starting at 780 miles: 7500 rpms
• More than 900 miles: redline
I find it odd that to this day, for so many years, there isn't a single research proving that break-in is a thing with modern engines.
Personally, I'm gonna break in the car for the duration it takes me to get from Leipzig to the Alps, which is around 600km
Is this for the GT3 or GT4 engine? At PECLA they told me that the GT4 engine was not sensitive to break in and could be driven like you stole it as soon as you like. Of course I took it easy for the first 500 miles or so...
That was a general comment, and I don't think he was being specific.
TLDR: Don't go too soft during the run in, it's actually worse to lug your engine than it is to drive it harder. You want to properly seat the piston rings, but don't red line it straight out the dealership.
I think the Porsche manual is a good rule of thumb, but may be slightly overkill.
This is super interesting and i like the photo evidence as well. He claims the most important time is the first 20 miles. The interesting thing is that for me, the car came with 14 miles on it. I took delivery at PEC LA. Which means the miles that were put on the car had to have been done at the factory. If everything he has said is true, its possible this is what factory break-in takes care of and basically anyone who takes delivery of a new GT Porsche can probably just drive it the way they want as soon as they take delivery.
Obviously this will all be on the owners comfort levels. But we also have many many videos of YouTubers who just rip their new car straight from the dealership. While a lot of that can be attributed to "rich so don't care", if anything in the article you linked is true, then they are doing zero harm to their car by doing so.
When I rebuild my Honda engines they go on the dyno ASAP and see WOT as soon as a tune is in place to allow that to happen safely. The piston rings can be seen to seal up within about 6-10 WOT pulls on the dyno (blow by smoke gradually disappearing after each pull). You can actually see the break in happening in almost real time. After that... oil change and off to the races, with very high compression and minimal oil consumption (on engines that spin to 9,500RPM).
I was very hesitant NOT to drive the GT4 as hard as possible during the first 500 miles because a soft break in is counter to everything I have experienced before.
I was very hesitant NOT to drive the GT4 as hard as possible during the first 500 miles because a soft break in is counter to everything I have experienced before.
This topic of 'break-in' has always been one that I have fallen on the other side of the fence . . . save for a few like yourself
Like you, my approach has always been to drive it like you stole it out of the gate . . . ///M cars and P cars
I am not telling anyone to do what I do . . . just stating what you do is what I have always done
Can you share some details on your hardwire kit, installation, open fuse location choice, fuse tap, etc? I think I could do a mirror tap, but going to the fuse box is probably better. Routing the wire down the A pillar should be straightforward enough, but I'm not sure how the current flows in the box.
Whenever it's convenient for you can you share a wider angle photo, maybe showing the whole car in profile outdoors in natural light? I've done the clear markers but have been thinking they should be darker or replaced with full body color inserts. No rush to change anything but this may make for a great middle ground I think.
Here you go - best I could do given it's 36 degrees here! Holy cow we were in the low 80's 2 weeks ago.
Note that if chasing a certain look - you can choose several levels of tint. I think "Gunsmoke" that I used was right in the middle. Best news? It's $20, 20 minutes to install and very easily reversible
I also added the "low" (OK, I ordered the "low" but clearly received the "high") version of the Windschott rear screen - love it. Make sure you push it ALL the way down so the tabs on the frame "click" and lock. See images for correct vs incorrect
Whenever it's convenient for you can you share a wider angle photo, maybe showing the whole car in profile outdoors in natural light? I've done the clear markers but have been thinking they should be darker or replaced with full body color inserts. No rush to change anything but this may make for a great middle ground I think.
OK, it warmed up enough to drive the Spyder out of the garage!
Here are 2 pics that show the clear side markers AFTER I tinted them in gunsmoke (Lamin-X)
OK, it warmed up enough to drive the Spyder out of the garage!
Here are 2 pics that show the clear side markers AFTER I tinted them in gunsmoke (Lamin-X)
Those look great! The website says they're universal. Did you have to do any trimming?
Great Q and yes, two small tabs needed to be cut off. I'm guessing they are used during the manufacturing process. I used household scissors
Other than those tabs, they were a perfect fit
See the yellow circled areas in the image where I drew a red line inside that area to show where I made the cuts.
You don't need to be super precise because they are short cuts and it's easy to follow the contour/pattern of the shape
I then used the soapy water wet install method, starting at the front of the car and ending by wrapping the last qtr of an inch around and under the edge of the wheel arch
That last bend under the arch is 90 degrees so it's best if most/all of your soapy water has been squeegeed away as it makes "sticking" that 90 degree quarter inch easier - if it wont stay in place, dry it a bit more and try again.
Great Q and yes, two small tabs needed to be cut off. I'm guessing they are used during the manufacturing process. I used household scissors
Other than those tabs, they were a perfect fit
See the yellow circled areas in the image where I drew a red line inside that area to show where I made the cuts.
You don't need to be super precise because they are short cuts and it's easy to follow the contour/pattern of the shape
I then used the soapy water wet install method, starting at the front of the car and ending by wrapping the last qtr of an inch around and under the edge of the wheel arch
That last bend under the arch is 90 degrees so it's best if most/all of your soapy water has been squeegeed away as it makes "sticking" that 90 degree quarter inch easier - if it wont stay in place, dry it a bit more and try again.