2008 5.7 hemi ran dry but not seized.

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Idjit Dragon

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2008 5.7 Hemi Ram Mega Cab 1500

I have a high milage 320k engine that eats oil but no oil leaks. I use a high mileage synthetic but still eats oil.

One day I forgot to check the oil and drove from Odessa TX to San Antonio TX. Just when I got home the engine stalled. I was able to start it back up and drive into apartment complex to park in a spot.

I checked the dipstick and it was dry. I felt like such a dumbazz. So I filled it up with oil and turned it over. It runs but has a tick noise that escalates with the accelerator.

I am still making payments on this truck 7k till paid off and I am afraid to drive it. 4 months later the battery is dead and I can't jump it.

I need a new battery just to start it but can't drive it, just wants to warm up the engine and shut it off just to keep it fresh and to keep the moisture out of the exhaust.

I contacted a shop and all they want to do is install a remanned engine, instead of fixing whats wrong. I don't have 5k to spend.

I'd like to just fix what's wrong, on the cheap as much as possible as I have a very tight budget to survive. Any help with diagnosis and or shop suggestions that can help, would be greatly appreciated.
 
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jws123

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Any chance you can post a vid of it running? upload to YouTube or something cant tell much unless I hear it have worked on a lot of these. Also you owe 7k on something with 320k on it...I feel really bad for you truck isn't even worth that much with that kind of mileage.
 
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Idjit Dragon

Idjit Dragon

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It would be a while before I can buy a battery to start it. I start a new job next week and it will be two weeks before I get paid and my bills are overlapping, meaning I have to make two payments on each vehicle just to catch up and thats not including my other bills. It might be a month before I can buy the battery.

As I said, it starts with a fresh battery, it just has a small tick noise and when I press the peddle the tick noise gets faster.

I'll do what I can to make a video of it running but it will take a while.
 
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jws123

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It would be a while before I can buy a battery to start it. I start a new job next week and it will be two weeks before I get paid and my bills are overlapping, meaning I have to make two payments on each vehicle just to catch up and thats not including my other bills. It might be a month before I can buy the battery.

As I said, it starts with a fresh battery, it just has a small tick noise and when I press the peddle the tick noise gets faster.
Could be something as simple as a exhaust manifold or something worse bad lifter or spun bearing. I would try to see if someone can jump it for you of course make sure it has oil let it run take a vid of it. If it does turn out to be something like a bad lifter or spun bearing it does not make sense to put any money into a motor with 320k on it.
 
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Idjit Dragon

Idjit Dragon

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I was thinking it would be a lifter and or spun bearing but was hoping it would be cheaper to fix than replacing the engine.
 

jws123

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I was thinking it would be a lifter and or spun bearing but was hoping it would be cheaper to fix than replacing the engine.
You still may luck out and it not be like I said cant tell without hearing it. How is the rest of the truck is it clean and in good shape? with those miles id expect to start seeing things like wheel bearings ujoints and tons of other stuff if it wasn't replaced before.
 
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Idjit Dragon

Idjit Dragon

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Truck is in great shape aside from disrespectful apartment tenants banging their doors into my truck every damn day.

I have a series of door dings down one side like somebody is intentionally trying to hit it every day and draw dents down the side, front to back.

I am the second owner.
Previous owner was an old man and most of the miles before I got it were all highway miles.
 

3pedals

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How much oil did you have to add? Just because no oil on dipstick doesn’t mean engine was empty. Years ago my uncle ran his ‘07 suburban with a dry dipstick…took 3 quarts to fill on a 6 quart sump. I though engine would be toast…it ran great another 70k miles until sold with no engine trouble.
 
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Idjit Dragon

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Honestly at this moment I'm not sure.
Could have been 4 or 5 quarts.

I just filled it up and checked the stick and then started it.

I knew since it was not seized, that it could be fixed but didn't know how bad the damage truly is.

To be fair and I hate to make enemies here with this statement, chevrolet engines especially the 350 are beasts that can take a lot of beatings and still come back for more. There is a reason you still see square bodies still on the road today 50 years later.
 
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2012RAM1500RT

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I personally would have to get another engine, I wouldn't even want to spend the money trying to rebuild an engine run that low on oil. Kudo's to how tough that engine is with those miles and still ran that low on oil. It's probably so loose that may have kept it from locking up. Can't imagine the oil it would use now if it wasn't knocking.
 

Treburkulosis

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When you get it started back up check your oil pressure. That is going to tell a lot.
 
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Idjit Dragon

Idjit Dragon

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Yes, its an oil guzzler.
Yet no leaks.
320k miles is a testament to the 5.7's durability.
 
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Idjit Dragon

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I did check the oil pressure, it registered normal.
 

2012RAM1500RT

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Honestly at this moment I'm not sure.
Could have been 4 or 5 quarts.

I just filled it up and checked the stick and then started it.

I knew since it was not seized, that it could be fixed but didn't know how bad the damage truly is.

To be fair and I hate to make enemies here with this statement, chevrolet engines especially the 350 are beasts that can take a lot of beatings and still come back for more. There is a reason you still see square bodies still on the road today 50 years later.
I never have and never will know why anybody that feels that way about any brand and buys a Mopar product. I've witnessed this my whole life and still don't get it! I kinda figured that's where this post was headed anyway.
 
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Idjit Dragon

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I'm sorry 2012RAM1500RT

A Chevy was mentioned, so I commented.
Didn't intend to derail the conversation or offend anybody. Yes I'm a Chevy fan but, I am also a Dodge fan. It is possible to like multiple brands. Side note, not a Ford fan, only the 68 - 74 Mustangs / Shelby and GT40.

The battery is 5yrs old.
I just went out to try and jump my truck with a 2012 Jeep Latitude. Let it idle for 10mins, then revved it to 2k for 1min, then 3k for 1min, then back to 2k for 1min and let it idle for another 10mins. After all of that, it wouldn't start. Red lightning bolt symbol and the speed and tach needles shook for a second 1/2 at 0 mark when I tried to start it. I'll need a new battery, jumping didn't work.

Can't afford one just yet, it will be a few weeks when I get paid again.
 
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2012RAM1500RT

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I'm sorry 2012RAM1500RT

A Chevy was mentioned, so I commented.
Didn't intend to derail the conversation or offend anybody. Yes I'm a Chevy fan but, I am also a Dodge fan. It is possible to like multiple brands. Side note, not a Ford fan, only the 68 - 74 Mustangs / Shelby and GT40.

I just went out to try and jump my truck with a 2012 Jeep Latitude. Let it idle for 10mins, then revved it to 2k for 1min, then 3k for 1min then back to 2k for 1min and let it idle for another 10mins. After all of that, it wouldn't start. Red lightning bolt symbol and the speed and tach needles shook for a second 1/2 at 0 mark. I'll need a new battery, jumping didn't work.

Can't afford one just yet, it will be a few weeks when I get paid again.
Not a problem, nothing bad can be said to me about a Mopar I haven't heard before. Hasn't changed my mind in the least. I even have calluses made by Mopar! LOL. No hard feelings here!
 

Treburkulosis

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Chevys are decently tough. The LS especially 99-02 were some of the best motors ever made. Ford motors are dang tough. The Windsor, FE, and Cleveland motors were some of the toughest motors I have ever seen. My dad ran his BB 428 CJ motor 3 quarts low and it never missed a beat. Heck we had a 351w in a 95 F150 lose a oil pump. He drove it 10 miles to his mechanic slapped a new oil pump in and it went another 100k until it was sold. Dodge engines I am fairly new too, but they are stout. I have always believed dodge made a good motor. The 4.7 in the 02-05s were bad. Lots of head issues. My dad had a low mile 03 and it got the heads at 32k. It never did run right after that, but that was a issue dodge acknowledged and took care of.
 

2012RAM1500RT

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Chevys are decently tough. The LS especially 99-02 were some of the best motors ever made. Ford motors are dang tough. The Windsor, FE, and Cleveland motors were some of the toughest motors I have ever seen. My dad ran his BB 428 CJ motor 3 quarts low and it never missed a beat. Heck we had a 351w in a 95 F150 lose a oil pump. He drove it 10 miles to his mechanic slapped a new oil pump in and it went another 100k until it was sold. Dodge engines I am fairly new too, but they are stout. I have always believed dodge made a good motor. The 4.7 in the 02-05s were bad. Lots of head issues. My dad had a low mile 03 and it got the heads at 32k. It never did run right after that, but that was a issue dodge acknowledged and took care of.
That's one thing I never did was run an engine without oil. That's what I loved about the old big block Mopars, I had a '68 Charger that the oil pump started loosing pressure when I was on a trip far from home, I pulled into a parts store and bought a oil pump and went back out and installed it in about 15 minutes and was on my way. They bolted to the outside of the block (the oil filter screwed on to it). I think 5 bolts held it on, didn't even have to get under the car, was able to put it on bending over the hood. I always liked the water pump was held on by 4 bolts, all you had to remove was the fan. When you installed a distributor there was only 2 ways, in time or out, if it was not right the first time just pick it up and turn it 180 degrees and set it back in. The intake on them you didn't have to drain water or anything, Take out 8 blots to remove. I could change an intake in less than 30 minutes. Wow how I really miss them just remembering those simple things. Now I've been a mechanic for 45 years and the things that could put me on the side of the road is scary. LOL
 

Treburkulosis

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That's one thing I never did was run an engine without oil. That's what I loved about the old big block Mopars, I had a '68 Charger that the oil pump started loosing pressure when I was on a trip far from home, I pulled into a parts store and bought a oil pump and went back out and installed it in about 15 minutes and was on my way. They bolted to the outside of the block (the oil filter screwed on to it). I think 5 bolts held it on, didn't even have to get under the car, was able to put it on bending over the hood. I always liked the water pump was held on by 4 bolts, all you had to remove was the fan. When you installed a distributor there was only 2 ways, in time or out, if it was not right the first time just pick it up and turn it 180 degrees and set it back in. The intake on them you didn't have to drain water or anything, Take out 8 blots to remove. I could change an intake in less than 30 minutes. Wow how I really miss them just remembering those simple things. Now I've been a mechanic for 45 years and the things that could put me on the side of the road is scary. LOL
I had a neighbor that was he passed away a few years ago. He always raved about how easy they used to be able to work on. He was a brilliant mechanic. He could tackle anything. Wiring in a Range Rover was one of his best things I ever saw. Things were just simple back then. Even when I was building EFI Foxbodies, in about 20-30 minutes I was ready to pull the heads. I miss the days of a cap and rotor and being able to do a complete tune up in under an hour. I always liked how Fords distributors were up front and that made things a lot simpler. I hate doing GM tune ups.
 
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