Hemi tick or broken exhaust manifold bolts

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Fergeson

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How do you tell if your exhaust manifold bolts are broken, I believe they are as I've been using the same oil for quite some time and can tell a slight difference in the sound on startup. Not too worried about to but would like to check it out and take it to the dealer before my 60,000 warranty runs out and I'm around 57,000 now...
 

Kap1

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Go to the dealer, they'll take off cover and inspect the bolts and they can tell.
 

Riccochet

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Reach in there and give the heat shield a tug. Typically it's the firewall side bolts that break and the heat shield will be loose.
 

BigRed4x4

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I have/had both. Fortunately the broken manifold bolt was still covered under warranty. I did have to bring up the possibility that it could be a broken manifold for them to look into it though. I also got RamCares involved to call the dealership because the first response by the service manager was that it was the the normal hemi tick. They are different sounds. One is loud and doesn't go away = broken manifold bolt. The hemi tick is random and goes away after a few seconds and isn't as loud.
 

BWL

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There is usually a bit of start up tick with the hemis especially if they've sat for a while. I've had 3 and they all do it. However if it's become louder more time than not it's an exhaust manifold or other exhaust leak. I've done 2 exhaust manifolds and replaced Y-pipe on different occasions as cures for ticks i've had. Most of them got quieter when the exhaust heated up.
 
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tenappolee01

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Please share this with anyone you can so to reach all owners of dodge ram trucks.
Dodge ram trucks have a very dangerous defect that will result in deadly carbon monoxide fumes entering the passenger cabin and possibly causing carbon monoxide poisoning and loss of control of the vehicle.
The bolts which attach the exhaust manifold to the engine block are snapping off, due to the difference in metals being used in the design of the engine and exhaust manifolds. One metal is aluminum and the other is cast iron which have different expansion and contraction rates. The bolts being used are not "hard" enough and are snapping off. The dealerships are checking the bolts when the vehicle is in for maintenance and any broken bolts are reported to the customer. THE CUSTOMERS ARE BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF THE REPAIR WHICH IS TOTALLY UNSATISFACTORY. This is a Repair which should covered by a recall. I want to know your thoughts on a recall--this is a major defect and titanium bolts may be a fix. I contacted my MP for his thoughts and he said not to let down my guard and inform Dodge of the problem. They already know about the problem and are unwilling to recall because the problem is not widespread---i beg to differ. I know of two others that have multiple bolts broken.
 

PaPa_Brewskey

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Take it to the dealer, just tell them you hear an exhaust leak when the truck starts up.
I wasn't sure if what I was hearing was the "Hemi Tick", but I took it in at 33k miles and had them look at it and sure enough, driver side exhaust manifold bolts were broken. I thought I was hearing it again at 40k miles, and it was passenger side this time.

Not sure if it had anything to do with the exhaust leaks, but I had CEL come on shortly after, which turned out to be a bad EGR valve. Dealer replaced the EGR, and wow, the acceleration improvement and mileage was back to like new. I hadn't realized how bad it had become until that EGR was replaced. It must have been gradually going bad over a period of time, and reducing performance as it went. I never had a drastic decrease in performance, but it is definitely a noticeable improvement after it was replaced.
 

TTU14

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Take it to the dealer, just tell them you hear an exhaust leak when the truck starts up.
I wasn't sure if what I was hearing was the "Hemi Tick", but I took it in at 33k miles and had them look at it and sure enough, driver side exhaust manifold bolts were broken. I thought I was hearing it again at 40k miles, and it was passenger side this time.


Just took mine in at 64K for some recall work and asked them to check out my tick. I had a broken stud on each side. They drilled them out and replaced all of the studs and bolts with new hardware. My service advisor said the new bolts are a higher strength steel. All covered under the power train warranty.
 

huntergreen

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Please share this with anyone you can so to reach all owners of dodge ram trucks.
Dodge ram trucks have a very dangerous defect that will result in deadly carbon monoxide fumes entering the passenger cabin and possibly causing carbon monoxide poisoning and loss of control of the vehicle.
The bolts which attach the exhaust manifold to the engine block are snapping off, due to the difference in metals being used in the design of the engine and exhaust manifolds. One metal is aluminum and the other is cast iron which have different expansion and contraction rates. The bolts being used are not "hard" enough and are snapping off. The dealerships are checking the bolts when the vehicle is in for maintenance and any broken bolts are reported to the customer. THE CUSTOMERS ARE BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF THE REPAIR WHICH IS TOTALLY UNSATISFACTORY. This is a Repair which should covered by a recall. I want to know your thoughts on a recall--this is a major defect and titanium bolts may be a fix. I contacted my MP for his thoughts and he said not to let down my guard and inform Dodge of the problem. They already know about the problem and are unwilling to recall because the problem is not widespread---i beg to differ. I know of two others that have multiple bolts broken.

This has been an issue for all 4th gen with the hemi. Not sure about 3rd gen. Chrysler is aware, there won't be a recall.
 

2010 Infantry Vet

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Will be replacing mine next weekend. Wont be using the ****** stock bolts though. I am looking at a few different options. Fastenal is looking to see what they can get for me. The bolts should have been grade 10 from the factory. Not grade 8.
The problem is the diameter size of the exhaust manifold bolts is too small.
 

bruiserRAM

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So...to diagnose...you listen for a tick that isn't like the Hemi tick (lasts longer and may be louder?)...or try to move a heat shield?

Where is the heat shield?

Any other, more sure ways to diagnose? I don't have the issue, only tick I've ever hear is for about 1 second after the first start up after oil changes. Im at 13,000 miles (how did that go by so fast?!)

Seems like a good plan is to just ask dealer to examine the bolts if you develop any regular ticking...
 

Casper

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Please share this with anyone you can so to reach all owners of dodge ram trucks.
Dodge ram trucks have a very dangerous defect that will result in deadly carbon monoxide fumes entering the passenger cabin and possibly causing carbon monoxide poisoning and loss of control of the vehicle.
The bolts which attach the exhaust manifold to the engine block are snapping off, due to the difference in metals being used in the design of the engine and exhaust manifolds. One metal is aluminum and the other is cast iron which have different expansion and contraction rates. The bolts being used are not "hard" enough and are snapping off. The dealerships are checking the bolts when the vehicle is in for maintenance and any broken bolts are reported to the customer. THE CUSTOMERS ARE BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF THE REPAIR WHICH IS TOTALLY UNSATISFACTORY. This is a Repair which should covered by a recall. I want to know your thoughts on a recall--this is a major defect and titanium bolts may be a fix. I contacted my MP for his thoughts and he said not to let down my guard and inform Dodge of the problem. They already know about the problem and are unwilling to recall because the problem is not widespread---i beg to differ. I know of two others that have multiple bolts broken.
***

A bit over wrought. Fumes are not entering the cabin. Typically the heat-up expansion seals the gap unless all your bolts are gone. In fact bolts breaking ease the strain and conceivably protect the remaining bolts from being over stretched.
 

*tim*

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Reach in there and give the heat shield a tug. Typically it's the firewall side bolts that break and the heat shield will be loose.
Im on my second ram and this is how i was able to tell they both had the passenger side closest to the firewall bolt broken

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 

Fitz-0518

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Will be replacing mine next weekend. Wont be using the ****** stock bolts though. I am looking at a few different options. Fastenal is looking to see what they can get for me. The bolts should have been grade 10 from the factory. Not grade 8.
The problem is the diameter size of the exhaust manifold bolts is too small.
The bolts that most members on the forum are using are ATR or AMR fasteners
 

Fitz-0518

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So...to diagnose...you listen for a tick that isn't like the Hemi tick (lasts longer and may be louder?)...or try to move a heat shield?

Where is the heat shield?

Any other, more sure ways to diagnose? I don't have the issue, only tick I've ever hear is for about 1 second after the first start up after oil changes. Im at 13,000 miles (how did that go by so fast?!)

Seems like a good plan is to just ask dealer to examine the bolts if you develop any regular ticking...
Then you most likely do not have an exhaust leak. A quick and easy way to determine. If you get a first start screech/hiss sound (like a serpentine follower makes when the bushing is going out) when you are on high idle. When it stops, put it in gear with the brake on. If it comes back, you have an exhaust. Hemi tick is the sound of the lifter taping the push rod as a dry start. Goes away in a manner of seconds. It is a clicking sound. Not to be confused with tick or click of the fuel injectors, which is normal.
 
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