2014 ram 1500 5.7 hemi whistle/high pitched grinding sound, when cold whole underload

[Fangt]

2014 ram 1500 with 5.7 hemi, 254000 kms. I have been hearing high pitched whistle (griding?) sound when the truck was cold, underload, just before gear shift at around 2500 to 3000 rpm when I started driving in the morning for the last two months.
The noise will go away after truck warms up to operating temperature.
Tried to rev up engine when it was cold and transmission in neutral, no noise. If it is the cam/lifter, will it make the noise even when the truck is in neutral?
Replaced idler pully, tensioner pully, serpentine belt, exhaust manifold and bolts on both side. Did not fix it.
Mechanic think it is the dread lifter and cam issue.
Wondering if other things might cause the noise other than cam/lifts? It will be a major bummer if I spend the money and found out cam/lifters are not the cause.

 

[BenWade]

Not sure about "grinding" but if it is a "whistle" similar to a turbo then it is the trans pump

 

[Curmudgeon]

My 2014 1500 5.7 will make a whistle sound also, but only when VERY cold outside and truck is started for the first time that day.
106,000 miles, or about 170km.

It does this at idle, and only for maybe the first 30 seconds at most. Mine is definitely a whistle, no grinding at all. Sounds just like air whistling.

I live in an area where temps can vary wildly, but below 32F / 0C is not really typical. The whistle only occurs below +20F, and even then not every time. It has done this since the first winter.
It is so sporadic and short duration I have never mentioned it to any shop, and have not looked into it myself. I bought the truck used at 22,000 miles, and it has not grown any worse over time.

I had the 8-speed transmission serviced earlier this year, by the dealer. I guess I can only wait to see if the whistle returns. I hope you are able to resolve yours without spending more than you have to.

 

[Daw14]

Check the torque on your intake manifold bolts . 108 inch pounds 8 mm. Or 5/16 . These loosen all the time ,add in the lower temps and this may be the cause. However your intake needs retorqued regardless.

 

[Fangt]

Re-torqued the intake manifold bolts and they are torqued to spec......
If it was the cam/lifter, it will make ticking noise regardless of engine temperature, correct? Also, it will tick even when the engine is not under load, basically, when transmission is in park while rev up the engine.
It was in a mechanic shop, they checked the oil control valve and and find no metal on the oil control valve. My understanding is that if they find metal in oil control valve, that mean the cam lobe /lifters begins to wear out.
Therefore, I am not 100 precent sure that the noise was caused by cam/lifter.
Now, if it was the Transmission....which kind of makes sense.....because the noise happens before gear shift. I did transmission service in July and used a aftermarket pan/filter assemble, which hold 2 liters less than stock, with OEM transmission fluid. At this stage, I suspect this is the cause. Anyway to test it our myself or I need to bring it to a shop? If it is indeed the transmission pump, how much of the repair bill am I looking at?

 

[Daw14]

Re-torqued the intake manifold bolts and they are torqued to spec......
If it was the cam/lifter, it will make ticking noise regardless of engine temperature, correct? Also, it will tick even when the engine is not under load, basically, when transmission is in park while rev up the engine.
It was in a mechanic shop, they checked the oil control valve and and find no metal on the oil control valve. My understanding is that if they find metal in oil control valve, that mean the cam lobe /lifters begins to wear out.
Therefore, I am not 100 precent sure that the noise was caused by cam/lifter.
Now, if it was the Transmission....which kind of makes sense.....because the noise happens before gear shift. I did transmission service in July and used a aftermarket pan/filter assemble, which hold 2 liters less than stock, with OEM transmission fluid. At this stage, I suspect this is the cause. Anyway to test it our myself or I need to bring it to a shop? If it is indeed the transmission pump, how much of the repair bill am I looking at?

6 or 8 speed ?

 

[Fangt]

8 speed ZF transmission.

 

[Wild one]

Re-torqued the intake manifold bolts and they are torqued to spec......
If it was the cam/lifter, it will make ticking noise regardless of engine temperature, correct? Also, it will tick even when the engine is not under load, basically, when transmission is in park while rev up the engine.
It was in a mechanic shop, they checked the oil control valve and and find no metal on the oil control valve. My understanding is that if they find metal in oil control valve, that mean the cam lobe /lifters begins to wear out.
Therefore, I am not 100 precent sure that the noise was caused by cam/lifter.
Now, if it was the Transmission....which kind of makes sense.....because the noise happens before gear shift. I did transmission service in July and used a aftermarket pan/filter assemble, which hold 2 liters less than stock, with OEM transmission fluid. At this stage, I suspect this is the cause. Anyway to test it our myself or I need to bring it to a shop? If it is indeed the transmission pump, how much of the repair bill am I looking at?

If the pump is whining because you've been driving it with low fluid (smaller pan),odds are you'll be looking at a new transmission.Whatever possessed you to put a pan on that holds 2 litres less fluid. Hopefully you haven't cooked the pump,but get that pan off there,and install the proper pan and see if it improves