An introduction, a thank you, and a request for advice.

[bardownski]

Firstly- a big thank you to all the fellas (and ladies!) on this site. I just, and with limited mechanical experience, completed a cam and lifter job on my 2012 Ram 1500 Big Horn with a 5.7 Hemi. Probably could not have done it without being pointed to this forum. I found lots of helpful tips and tricks here. So thanks all!

About me (mostly relating to this truck- I'm a 37 year old male nurse, with 15 years old carpentry in my background. I fix my own stuff, wrench on mountain bikes on the side, and generally enjoy making a mess in the garage with wood or other random small mechanical projects. I built my own home a few years back, and bought this truck when building to have something to haul materials and trailers with. Anyway, a few weeks ago, I decided that it was time to sell the truck. I have a smaller SUV that I mostly drive, and my plan was to sell the truck and buy a beater truck to have around the house for the random times I need to haul something. The RAM has 147k on it. Minnesota truck, so has some rusty rockers, but nothing crazy (actually, during my cam/lifter job, I didn't have a single bolt snap or strip to my surprise! Under side of truck had less rust than I woulda thought). So I made appointment at a local dealer to see what they would give me for it. I was about 1/4 mile from the dealership when there was a loud clunk and the truck started ticking/clacking like mad! Brought it home, did some research, and figured must be a lifter. When I got down to pulling lifters, all were perfectly good but one, which had no bearing left on it. One lobe of the bad was beat up from that lifter, but rest of the cam looked great. Found every piece of the bearing in the oil pan (I took apart a good lifter bearing and counted the needle bearings, which matched what I found in the oil pan). The outer shell of the bearing was in 2 pieces- one small piece in the oil pan, the rest of it came out with the lifter. I washed the block with carb cleaner, used a magnet in the pushrod holes and Cam shaft hole. No metal found. New cam, lifters, headers (found the typical broken header bolts when doing this job). Seems to be running good now!

My question now is- I still don't need the truck, and still plan to sell. Can I expect to sell the truck for more with all of this work done? Part of me thinks yes- there are new parts and the truck should last for another 100k at least. But I also wonder- all this work was done by me, an inexperienced mechanic. I believe I did everything correctly, but I wouldn't blame someone for not trusting that it's done right when it wasn't done by a "pro". Gimme your opinions, good or bad! Thanks everyone!

 

[Harley Harrold]

 

[Rlaf75]

Welcome aboard and good job with the work. As far as getting more money for the truck some people with think great, all the BS has been taken care of and it'll be fine for many more miles. Others will think the engine was damaged and I'll have nothing but problems with it. I personally think getting your money back for the work you just did will be difficult. The market will dictate what the trucks worth.

 

[Papa Red]

Welcome to the forum.

Red

 

[4xdad]

Welcome from Edmonton Alberta Canada

 

[Daw14]

Did you inspect the oil control valve for metal glitter ?

 

[Jeepwalker]

Welcome...and CONGRATS on the successful repair ..and building your OWN house!!

I would drive it a couple weeks to prove the work is great (maybe you have been??). Then sell it. Yeah, I would price it a touch higher due to the engine work, but not too much higher. If you want to really sell it, don't get greedy. After everyone has seen it and if they determine you're 'dreaming' ...you lost out on a lot of potential buyers. Price it like you want to move it down the street, and not waste too much time trying to sell it (time has value too).

To me there would be value in knowing an issue was resolved. Esp with the miles. And shows you kept the tk up. Most interested parties are probably going to be oblivious to the lifter/cam issues of these engines. You might point out the common issue, in your ad.

I would note that the work WAS performed, and avoid noting that you did the work. Or if pressed, you can state you did it with help by mechanics who knows these engines well (the Forum..but keep that to yourself). Some people are completely cool with work performed by "Owner Mechanics". However, engines are like voo-doo to most people these days and a lot of home 'mechanics' are youtube morons. Many people believe ONLY a qualified mechanic or shop can do good work. That can be true and false at the same time. Regardless, get a clearly written "Sold AS-IS No Warranty" statement signed and dated by both parties that includes the VIN and have a witness of yours there, before the deal is completed. That's just smart selling (I'm sure you're on top of that anyway). Best of luck!


So what are you thinking of replacing it with? You said older beater truck. You could always buy a small/medium sized trailer too (cheaper to own). Or maybe keep the Ram since you already know what it is. Cheers!

 

[Jeepwalker]

PS: Don't discuss or offer any kind of warranty or downstream support at ALL. Never. Even if buyers ask. That's a common mistake some sellers might mistakenly make, trying to be nice. And you know, people in Mn are so darn nice as it is.

Buyers always want to know why a seller is getting rid of a vehicle. They don't want to buy a Lemon. Makes sense. Just state what you mentioned in your original post. Don't discuss or even brush upon any whiff of downstream help should something go wrong, which might cause a buyer to think in their own mind you implied "Don't worry, I'll take care of any cam problems if they come up". Or they'll be knocking at your door if the tire valve stem starts leaking ..and want a brand new set of tires ..and new wheels!

The truck is a machine made up of tens of thousands of components sourced from countries around the world, with miles of wiring and a million lines of code ...subjected to more than 10 years of corrosive salt, bumps, vibration, extreme temps, thousands of heat/cool cycles, ..and wear. We all hope for the best, but it's far from new ...there's always risk. Just make it a clean sale in writing. That's just my opinion. Others might have a different approach.