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Guma
09-17-2009, 01:03 AM
Now the hard part begins!!! You have to break in the engine!!! And you have to go SLOOOOOOOWWWWW! Read you manual and get ready to take a couple of tours around the lake waving at the canoes as they pass you! But this will pass and you will have a blast!!

I am quoting this from another thread, because I did not want to threadjack the OP.

I was told the complete opposite of this by the SC dealer in Land O Lakes. He told me, get it and drive it like you stole right from the get go. Was also told the same thing by the Tige dealer and sales Rep.

I understand the theory of breaking a motor in, I used to race RC cars and you had to do the same thing to seat the piston, etc.... But these are the same motors that get dropped in a car, and how many people do you know who break-in their motor in a new car.

I know this is a long standing debate and if you were to ask 10 people and you would probably get 8 different answers. But I am curious as to the truth behind what the actual SC dealer told me and what the manual says to do.

Ian Brantford
09-17-2009, 01:06 AM
If you want warranty coverage, do what the manual says.

If you want to entertain the musings of some guy who has no stake in your boat lasting a long time, floor it. :-)

Guma
09-17-2009, 01:11 AM
If you want warranty coverage, do what the manual says.

If you want to entertain the musings of some guy who has no stake in your boat lasting a long time, floor it. :-)

Exactly my point, when I was looking at the Moomba, the dealer, who does have a stake in my boat lasting a long time, told me to drive it like I stole it.

moombadaze
09-17-2009, 07:42 AM
it's MY boat not the thiefs so like the manual said, it got broke in gently. and no friend's were in it till the end of breakin when i could do more-actually after 76hrs dont think i have held it wide open yet, other than getting on plane. Did the same on the truck when bought new. I believe in treating my stuff nice so that it will treat me nice.

kaneboats
09-17-2009, 11:53 AM
Why would you go against the recommendations of the manufacturer that has been making these for years?

Guma
09-17-2009, 12:05 PM
I am, for the most part, very ignorant about the process. Thus my question, do you listen to the dealer whom you are buying the boat from and works on them all the time, or the manufacturer?

Salyers
09-17-2009, 12:09 PM
After taking several auto mechanics courses in college as electives, and seeing engine wear first hand, it only makes sence to break in the engine slowly. The first couple of hours are terribly important to prevent improper seating and later oil usage. My dealer told me to go easy on the engine and follow the break in guidelines. If you have plenty of money and just don't care then its fine. But if you treat you new toy rough, don't look to blame someone else when it only lasts a couple of summers and then quits or uses multiple cans of oil. You can tell by looking at the inside of an engine if it has been treated with care or not. Just a friendly warning. Take 7 hours and treat your baby right! Boat or Car!

kaneboats
09-17-2009, 12:12 PM
I have a friend who is a fleet mechanic for a large utility company that uses hundreds of vehicles. They are extremely careful about break in and he is the same way with his new stuff. He changes the oil in a new vehicle at 700 miles and then again at 3000. He claims that most of the wear in the first 3 years occurs in the first 3 months.

Guma
09-17-2009, 12:18 PM
Ok better question, maybe...

Why would the dealer who is selling me a Moomba tell me to drive it like I stole it right from the get go? From his rep I gathered from other members he is a good guy to deal with.

squeeg333
09-17-2009, 12:56 PM
I would say they do have a stake in your boat, but it would be more of a maintenance stake than a "lasting a long time" stake. If you were to break it in, and take care of it, the maintenance on the engine should be much less. On the flip side, if you drove it like you stole it from the first time it got wet, I would assume maintenance would be much more often, and thus leading you to potentially go to them for the repairs. That would just mean more money in their pockets.
So I can see from their perspective why they'd say drive it hard.

Guma
09-17-2009, 01:11 PM
wait a minute...

did I miss something??

"the dealer who is selling me a Moomba"

Didn't you tell us just yesterday that you were getting a Tige?


who is the dealer your buying it from? .

OK, better phrased as when I was looking at buying the Moomba, and it was up in Land O Lakes, not in Orlando.

moombadaze
09-17-2009, 01:52 PM
Will the computer record the 1st ten hours, 20hrs?

Same dealer told me to follow the manufactures guidlines-fiy.

Could be wrong on this but correct craft has no breakin procedure-thought i saw that someplace.

Ian Brantford
09-17-2009, 03:05 PM
Will the computer record the 1st ten hours, 20hrs?

It appears that the computer is very aware of the first 20 hours, and changes policies after that point. Around the 20 hour mark, my fuel consumption abruptly went from about 10 GPH regardless of load or speed to 4-6 GPH depending greatly on load and speed.

The only place that I have seen promoting a high-intensity break-in procedure with apparent evidence to back it up is here:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

That's all very nice. I chose to go with the advice from the manufacturer, who can test and analyse engines as well as MotoMan can, and who would be paying for any major issues under warranty (if I used their procedures).

mmandley
09-17-2009, 03:45 PM
It appears that the computer is very aware of the first 20 hours, and changes policies after that point. Around the 20 hour mark, my fuel consumption abruptly went from about 10 GPH regardless of load or speed to 4-6 GPH depending greatly on load and speed.

The only place that I have seen promoting a high-intensity break-in procedure with apparent evidence to back it up is here:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

That's all very nice. I chose to go with the advice from the manufacturer, who can test and analyse engines as well as MotoMan can, and who would be paying for any major issues under warranty (if I used their procedures).

I noticed the same things as for gas comsumption. When we broke the boat in we went threw 2 tanks of fuel. it was costing me 50 a day to take it out for a few hours. After 10 hours we started tubing, wake boarding and it seemed i could get 2 days on the water before the tank was low. Now that im in my mid 60s i can get 3 or 4 days and its all wake boarding or surfing. Average of 3 hours of engine time a day out right now.

moombadaze
09-17-2009, 04:18 PM
After thinking back-i went thru a lot of fuel during that period-and now i dont.

maxpower220
09-17-2009, 05:43 PM
Ok better question, maybe...

Why would the dealer who is selling me a Moomba tell me to drive it like I stole it right from the get go? From his rep I gathered from other members he is a good guy to deal with.

A dealer sells boats, he does not design engines. Maybe he remembers the 70s when cars came with non-detergent oil (break in oil) and had to be changed soon. Maybe he thinks metallurgy and oil technology has not progressed in the last 40 years. Perhaps, he has friends who "race" cars, trucks, or dragsters and that is what they do. The fact is, you don't have to be an expert in anything to sell boats, cars, etc.

Breaking in engines, synthetic oil, and the "one true religion" are all topics that are formed with a lot of OPINIONS. Some break in their engine with the "drive it like you stole it" method and have years of trouble free life. Others break it in via the owners manual and have trouble free life. The only constant is that engineers are paid to develop methods to ensure that an engine will last. Deviating from that may or may not be better or worse, I am sure that it is case by case.

RobertJ
09-17-2009, 07:17 PM
I agree follow the owners manual and the Indmar guidelines for breaking the engine in.

But I doubt Big Brother is watching that closely. For example I purchased used '07 and the engine warranty transferred to me. If I have an issue they will take care of it. I truely doubt they would try and say that the original owner did not break the boat in properly so no go for you, it is not in the fine print. Also, unless you get a zero hour boat, like Martha, who knows what the dealer did on test runs. Most people want to see what a boat will do when they are trying to make a decision. I seem to remember some pictures of Martha at the factory lake getting a good running.

Enjoy your Tige' and run her like you stole her.

RobertJ
09-17-2009, 08:19 PM
Ed, because she is the most famous Moomba on the site. It is like we all took part in her birth (not in a wierd way). And she is the testing grounds for the future (Seadeck pad).

I will refrain from mentioning her as a point of reference. I mean't no disrespect and I hope none was taken.