Hemi lifter issues

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HemiLonestar

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Dude, you need to read the 4,000 pages in the Synthetic Oil Thread instead of spouting your theories here.
What theory? I mean, you seem to be spouting plenty of them....?
 

mgturbo1

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If you have MDS, do not turn it off. And if possible, keep your RPMS at 2000 RPMS or above. And if you want the best oil put in Amsoil. Problem solved.
 

ramffml

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If you have MDS, do not turn it off. And if possible, keep your RPMS at 2000 RPMS or above. And if you want the best oil put in Amsoil. Problem solved.

MDS has nothing to do with lifter failures. You don't need to keep your RPMS above 2000, these lifters are not oiled from crank splash they use pressurized oil, and the best oil is actually Redline if you're worried about the tick.

Problem not solved.
 

Rodney Belair

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Hey there, have an '08 2500 with the 5.7 hemi for that I bought last year with around 65k miles and been reading alot on lifter/cam failiure threads in here happening on many 4th gens 1500s and I was kinda wondering if the 3rd gens were also prone to these issues? Mine has 75k miles on it right now, is non MSD equipped, and so far, no noise or tick whatsoever. Maybe very slight tick or maybe piston slap when cold, (like my '03) but very smooth and quiet as it reaches normal operating temps. Been using Castrol Edge 5w20 in winter time and 5w30 in summer when towing my 7k lbs 5ft wheel camper with Wix XP filter. I know many people mentionned to not let it idle or warm up for prolonged periods wich I pay close attention to. So, am I ok with the oil/filter brand combo I'm using right now or should I make the jump to the 5w30 Red Line oil right away on my next oil change? That oil seems like a miracle oil when it comes to fixing light roller lifter/cam issues...at least from what I can deduct in some threads I've read. Maybe you can shed some light on this. Thanks.
I run Rislone in my 17 1500 with 66K on it every oil change and havent had any lifter ticks. I swear by that stuff, been using it for years.
 

gdwill817

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Hey there, have an '08 2500 with the 5.7 hemi for that I bought last year with around 65k miles and been reading alot on lifter/cam failiure threads in here happening on many 4th gens 1500s and I was kinda wondering if the 3rd gens were also prone to these issues? Mine has 75k miles on it right now, is non MSD equipped, and so far, no noise or tick whatsoever. Maybe very slight tick or maybe piston slap when cold, (like my '03) but very smooth and quiet as it reaches normal operating temps. Been using Castrol Edge 5w20 in winter time and 5w30 in summer when towing my 7k lbs 5ft wheel camper with Wix XP filter. I know many people mentionned to not let it idle or warm up for prolonged periods wich I pay close attention to. So, am I ok with the oil/filter brand combo I'm using right now or should I make the jump to the 5w30 Red Line oil right away on my next oil change? That oil seems like a miracle oil when it comes to fixing light roller lifter/cam issues...at least from what I can deduct in some threads I've read. Maybe you can shed some light on this. Thanks
 

gdwill817

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I have a 2009, 5.7 with just over 300K and it’s still running smoothly. I’ve always had one weird problem that I’ve never taken in to have looked at since it only have very rarely and I think it has to do with the software.
 

jimmyfjk

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where does one find the synthetic oil read that everyone keeps referencing? I would like to read it.
 

Dusty

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I have a 2009, 5.7 with just over 300K and it’s still running smoothly. I’ve always had one weird problem that I’ve never taken in to have looked at since it only have very rarely and I think it has to do with the software.
Oh my God, heresy!!

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 065595 miles.
 

MontanaHandyman

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where does one find the synthetic oil read that everyone keeps referencing? I would like to read it.
In the search, type in Synthetic Oil, click the box to Search Titles Only, and enter mcclintock89 in the By Member box. Lots of interesting info there on oil for sure!
 

Dusty

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MDS has nothing to do with lifter failures. You don't need to keep your RPMS above 2000, these lifters are not oiled from crank splash they use pressurized oil, and the best oil is actually Redline if you're worried about the tick.

Problem not solved.
Kind of hard for crankshaft splash to hit the cam galley since there's a windage tray just below it.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 065595 miles.
 

ramffml

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Kind of hard for crankshaft splash to hit the cam galley since there's a windage tray just below it.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 065595 miles.

Agreed, but so many are afraid to idle their hemi and I don't know why. Many guys on YT saying keep your RPMs above 2000 etc, there is no justification for that anywhere that I can see, except using the amount of hemi failures in cop cars which idle excessively; but, how many of those cop cars get the oil changes they need? So is it the fact that they idle a lot which causes the high failures, or is it the fact they don't get the correct oil change interval (based on hours instead of mileage)?

Or maybe it's the low idle PSI that is a problem, which I could understand, my truck had super low PSI from the factory but after switching to better/thicker oil and a good filter it never sees < 40 psi even idling at temp.

Who knows, I'm far from an expert on this.
 

Dusty

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Agreed, but so many are afraid to idle their hemi and I don't know why. Many guys on YT saying keep your RPMs above 2000 etc, there is no justification for that anywhere that I can see, except using the amount of hemi failures in cop cars which idle excessively; but, how many of those cop cars get the oil changes they need? So is it the fact that they idle a lot which causes the high failures, or is it the fact they don't get the correct oil change interval (based on hours instead of mileage)?

Or maybe it's the low idle PSI that is a problem, which I could understand, my truck had super low PSI from the factory but after switching to better/thicker oil and a good filter it never sees < 40 psi even idling at temp.

Who knows, I'm far from an expert on this.
If you study psychology, you might have a better chance of understanding this situation.

Part of the problem is there are so many self-proclaimed, ego immersed 'experts' making videos with emphatic claims about what causes what. Unfortunately, many aren't very skeptical enough to think some of these claims through and/or are not fully informed on design. Or facts. Then there's the tendency to be suspicious of companies (especially auto companies) and are highly receptive to condemning them right off the bat. And, of course, nobody wants to think they may have contributed to the problem themselves in some way.

There are what, eight-to-ten different theories on the cause of lifter failures? And all of the theory promoters are stubbornly convinced their opinions are supreme.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 065595 miles.
 

nesnfred

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Just a thought, if it is a slight ticking sound at start up and then goes away, could be a leaking exhaust manifold. Mine had that at about 45k miles on both sides…and that was my symptom.
 

Antonio Mena

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Thanks. I will take a look into that. And yes it's working for me so far. Just want to make sure I'm on the right track and don't want to be headed thowards lifter/cam failure down the road because this truck has low mileage and is very clean for an '08 and I'd like to keep it for a long time.
I think it's 09 to 15.
 

BillRam07

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I am trying to figure out what my noise is Mine is opposite of most i guess, Zero noise from valvetrain at start up, but let it get to temp and i have a noise that i thought was valve train related, but using an old piece of hose to the valve cover all i hear is happy whirring, to the intake ad the block i hear nothing either, Im kinda worried may be a rod bearing since i do have 320 thousand on this 07 5.7 lol Maybe ill put heavier oil in it and see how it fares
 

Recoil

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<snip> except using the amount of hemi failures in cop cars which idle excessively; but, how many of those cop cars get the oil changes they need? So is it the fact that they idle a lot which causes the high failures, or is it the fact they don't get the correct oil change interval (based on hours instead of mileage)? </snip>

Being a retired law enforcement officer, I can tell you that comparing squad cars to the daily driver vehicle is not at all a fair comparison. The oil is changed on a semi consistent basis (but I've seen guys go more than 3000 miles over their scheduled oil change), but with whatever oil the service department uses... If it's a small shop (and yes, when I worked for the Sheriff's department we took our county squads to a one man shop), the oil going into them could be whatever Costco had on sale that month - and no matter what, it was always conventional oil and never full synthetic. When I worked for the city, we took our squads to the city garage and they also used whatever oil they had. In addition to that, squad cars are run hard on a daily basis. When I worked for the Sheriff's department, the county I worked in was about 900 square miles. When you only have 4 squads on duty, there can be a lot of running "hot" from call to call. When working in the city, it's constantly stop and go traffic with the occasional "foot to the floor" to go back up the officer in the neighboring city. Most daily driver vehicles aren't driven that way and are better taken care of.
 
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