Ticking in the engine...

knightjp said:

@ThunderMug95 LOL.. I don't know any college students in that field. I did manage to find out there is a company that does such testing. I contacted them to see if they do the same kind of testing as Blackstone and if the price would be similar.
Looking at your test results, do you use Lubegard as well?

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Not at the time of that sample…Thats straight PUP 5W-30. I sampled during a normal oil change interval. I usually do every 5k.
I did add Lubegard to the PUP when I refilled. I will test at the next change.

Looking through the BITOG forum, it looks like Valvoline and Havoline has more moly than Castrol. I wonder if anyone has tried these oils in their Ram 1500s. Valvoline is not available here, but Caltex Havoline is. As far as I understand, Caltex is the Asian subsidiary of Chevon - ones who produce Havoline in the US.

knightjp said:

That sounds reasonable, however I live in Dubai. The shipping might take cost a lot more.

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I would check with large diesel truck repair shops to see if they have there oil analyzed, not sure if you have a Cummins authorized dealer in your area, Cummins has oil test kits at least here in the USA that cost that on average a few dollars less than Blackstone an the Cummins test also give TBN info at no extra charge or at least they do here...

@06 Dodge Most diesel truck companies here in Dubai are not so fastidious in terms of their maintenance.
I would need to need find an alternative myself.

UPDATE: Got the truck back. It is sounding really good and smooth with the Castrol Magnatec. I will be using thicker grades like 5W30 in Winter and 10W40 in Summer (where the temps go to over 49.C) and changes at short intervals.
Hopefully this will work and prevent the tick from ever returning.
Since I also had the failed exhaust bolt issue, down the line, I will be swapping the headers for a set of flowtech ones..
Flowtech Shorty Headers

or should I get the stainless ones..
Stainless Shorty Headers

I think that a detailed report is in order as to what was my engine tick. Hopefully this will help someone else who faces this issue in future.

When I got my current truck, there was a faint ticking sound from the engine. We did a flush and put in RL. That stopped it, or so it seemed. A couple of months ago, the ticking sound came back. This when I started posting videos on here to try and guess what it could be. Hoping that it was the manifold bolt issue and not a lifter. At the time, the mechanic didn't take the manifold out, he just checked the bolts and they seemed to be OK. So we deduced that it was a lifter.
Decided on an oil change using Redline 5w40, but there was no stock. I had to use Amsoil SS 5w40. It didn't really work. The ticking just got worse and louder.
Based off a jeep forum post, I then tried a bit of seafoam, which seemed to make it quieter and until it almost disappeared and then I went in for the oil change. But just before the oil change, the ticking came back.
Using a mechanic's stethoscope, the mechanic was able to deduce that the ticking was coming from the manifold as well as the heads, on both banks.
It seemed my problem was two fold. One of the manifold bolts had sheered, resulting in one tick and another tick was coming from inside as a couple of the lifters had failed.
The manifold bolt was jammed in the head and in order to get it out, the head had to come off, so a rebuild was anyway on the cards.
The mechanic did his best to only change what needed and stuck to best recommended practices as possible. It was still expensive though.

I would have liked to use Redline, but my budgets were getting stretched real thin and the mechanic suggested using a less expensive oil, but from a known brand like Mobil one or Castrol. I had become intrigued at using Castrol Magnatec and this gave a good chance to try out a different strategy at preventing the tick. Maybe by doing this, I could help someone else.

Right now it is running on Castrol Magnatec Start Stop 5w30. Will be moving on just standard Magnatec later on or maybe Edge. I'm hoping that this would work.
I am also trying to find a local place that will do the same kind of testing that Blackstone does.

Daily Driver44 said:

I have always used 10w30 or 10w40 oils and every other oil change added only the STP brand of oil additive. I have never had a problem doing that with the conventional engine no matter how many cylinders 4,6,8.

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What is the average temperature in Winter where you live?
Do you still use 10w30 or 10w40 in cold temperatures?

knightjp said:

UPDATE: Got the truck back. It is sounding really good and smooth with the Castrol Magnatec. I will be using thicker grades like 5W30 in Winter and 10W40 in Summer (where the temps go to over 49.C) and changes at short intervals.
Hopefully this will work and prevent the tick from ever returning.
Since I also had the failed exhaust bolt issue, down the line, I will be swapping the headers for a set of flowtech ones..
Flowtech Shorty Headers

or should I get the stainless ones..
Stainless Shorty Headers

Click to expand...

Spend 15 minutes and read this article,before you buy a set of shorties.

knightjp said:

What is the average temperature in Winter where you live?
Do you still use 10w30 or 10w40 in cold temperatures?

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so i have lived in several places due to being US Army.
That said, i have never changed the way i have done my oil changes as far as brand and weight is concerned.
I haven't really thought about it really.
To answer the question though - the coldest i have lived was roughly average around -20 F
and usually around +20 - +40 F in the winters

Update:
The truck is in the shop for some minor suspension adjustment and the mechanic just told me that he heard a tick coming from the right bank of the engine.
This was worrying for me - especially after doing a rebuild. We didn't change all the lifter for new ones. To save costs, we knew the left bank lifters were really bad and so changed the whole set on the left for new ones and used the best of the old ones for the right bank.
I thought that this whole thing was behind me and I could move on using the truck for overlanding.
I've been running Castrol Magnatec 5w30 for a few weeks now.

The ticking is not continuous. It comes and goes. I only heard it once for about 2 minutes. My mechanic suggested to do an oil change immediately using a thicker oil like 10w40. He says that this should help the lifters and stop the tick. My thoughts are to using something tried and tested with proper amounts of moly, like Redline.
I've also heard good things about HPL (https://www.hploil.com/motor-oil).
I'm in the unique position in which 4 options are:
1. Use Castrol Magnatec or Edge 10w40 / 10w60.
2. Use Redline 5W40
3. Use HPL SAE 5w40
4. Use Shell Helix Ultra 0w40.

I would like to test out HPL and give it a good shakedown running HPL SAE 5w40, but the shop over here only has the Euro spec 5w40. The SAE they have is 5w30 and 15w40. Considering the mechanic suggested to use a thicker oil, I thought about 15w40 for some time and order SAE 5w40 for the next change interval.
Or just head on over to the Redline dealer and get Redline 5w40 from there.
Right now I'm leaning towards the HPL SAE 15w40.

If it was mine I would go for the Shell Helix Ultra 0w40 it should hold up well in your engine, also not all that sure about using 15w40 in an engine designed & specked for 5w oil...

06 Dodge said:

If it was mine I would go for the Shell Helix Ultra 0w40 it should hold up well in your engine, also not all that sure about using 15w40 in an engine designed & specked for 5w oil...

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I’ve heard from a couple of people on here who run 10w30 & 10w40 in their HEMI engines and are completely fine. Also when I look at this site here…
The idea is to run the thicker oil for about 5000kms and then change it again for HPL 5w40.

knightjp said:

I’ve heard from a couple of people on here who run 10w30 & 10w40 in their HEMI engines and are completely fine. Also when I look at this site here…

What Type of Engine Oil for Dodge Ram 4st gen 2009-2014

Choosing the correct motor oil for Dodge Ram (4st generation) 2009-2014, technical help and recommended by manufacturers oil types.

oilincar.com

The idea is to run the thicker oil for about 5000kms and then change it again for HPL 5w40.

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Try HPL 5w30. 5w40 if its easier for you to get

knightjp said:

I’ve heard from a couple of people on here who run 10w30 & 10w40 in their HEMI engines and are completely fine. Also when I look at this site here…

What Type of Engine Oil for Dodge Ram 4st gen 2009-2014

Choosing the correct motor oil for Dodge Ram (4st generation) 2009-2014, technical help and recommended by manufacturers oil types.

oilincar.com

The idea is to run the thicker oil for about 5000kms and then change it again for HPL 5w40.

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One of the reasons why I would not want use 15w oil is back in IIRC 2011 I was talking to a long time Dodge mechanic about why they were going away from 5w30 to 5w20 oils one of the reason was due to the oil return passages in the engine were being made small thus requiring thinner oil to be used, thicker oil was slower in returning to the oil pan and you can guess what happens when sludge starts builds up it too restricts oil returning to the pan due to the smaller oil passages, now if your engine was made to use 5w30 then 10w oil may be okay to use, but do be careful on how thick of an oil you use, I would hate to read in a few months that your engine needed to be rebuilt...

UPDATE:
The tick in the engine was getting a bit loud and I decided to change the oil to a thicker one like the mechanic suggested.
But I wanted to get something that I know has a good amount of moly so I went for HPL 15w40.

We changed the oil. The engine sounded a lot more smoother immediately. The mechanic even said so. I was happy about that. I drove the truck home. After about 5 minutes, I got back in to drive my sister to work and the ticking was back. Then it went away again.
At that point I sort of panicked and thought I was in for another rebuild. But then, I remembered that some users who had put Redline to resolve the tick said that they drove for a certain distance before the tick had completely gone for away for good (for some people).

The engine is sounding a lot more quieter than it was before. I guess that is really the difference of really good expensive oil and other stuff.
Word to the wise, Castrol Magnatec Start Stop is not a good oil for the HEMI. It did not prevent the tick. Therefore, it will not get rid of it either. This isn't a knock on Castrol as a brand or those who use it on their HEMIs. I just think that once you have had the tick, you're better of using an oil with a good amount of moly.

@Hemi395 when you have a ticking engine and you put in Redline or a good oil, how long before the ticking goes away?

knightjp said:

@Hemi395 when you have a ticking engine and you put in Redline or a good oil, how long before the ticking goes away?

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It depends on how bad it's ticking, if it's not bad it gets better within a few hundred miles. I have had it take up to 2000 miles tho....

Hemi395 said:

It depends on how bad it's ticking, if it's not bad it gets better within a few hundred miles. I have had it take up to 2000 miles tho....

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@Hemi395 Thanks for the reply. Mine is quite intermittent. It comes and goes. I would like it to go and not come back. LOL
I guess taking it for a long drive should help.

knightjp said:

@Hemi395 Thanks for the reply. Mine is quite intermittent. It comes and goes. I would like it to go and not come back. LOL
I guess taking it for a long drive should help.

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Have patience and give time for the oil to take it's effect.

Maybe HPL 15w/40 oil will do the job in quieting your HEMI. If it does, then moving to another weight(s) oil would not be needed?

Good luck and hammer down.

JHoward said:

thHave patience and give time for the oil to take it's effect.

Maybe HPL 15w/40 oil will do the job in quieting your HEMI. If it does, then moving to another weight(s) oil would not be needed?

Good luck and hammer down.

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@JHoward Thanks. I might just do that, but using the thicker oil was a plan to get the lifters cleaned and lubricated properly, which wasn't done by the Magnatec (as I had hoped). Every time I hear that tick, I;m kicking myself since I had the chance to go Redline and decided to find a "Cheaper alternative".
I'm pretty much convinced that the Hemi tick is a result of inferior lubrication by using oils specified by the company in weather its not meant to be - i.e. anywhere where temps reach well over 48.C in Summer. I will be using 15W40 for running the car in the summer months. But I would like to use a thinner one for the colder ones.

Over here the coldest in the desert is around 4.C to 5.C. Not nearly as cold as you guys have it in the US. Maybe 15W40 would work for the coldest months of the year.
I will be getting a uoa done. So lets see.