Casting sand in Ram 5.7 Hemi engines

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Hemi395

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The pass side block drain is easy to get at Ed,i'd pull it,then blow out the block with about 20 psi of air.You can offset any water left in the block by adding a bit more straight anti-freeze,but being as how you're in Florida,you don't need as much anti-freeze strength as us northerners need
Beat me to it Rick lol
 

Burla

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Wonder how this stuff would work on casting sand in the block.

I am bummed for a long time because they stopped selling Etidronic acid, also known as etidronate, for swimming pools. I have found nothing that helps with metal control since hth stopped selling that. Interesting as hell that is the active ingredient in that product. I can say from personal experience it does wonders at chelating metals, which means it binds them so you can capture them. I have not seen this product in years, thanks for posting it. Makes me wonder if I can order this for the swimming pool, lol. I seriously miss the stuff and cannot find it anywhere.
 

fitteenhundred

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I saw over on the Bronco Sport Forum they are having the same issues. The casting sand is taking out water pumps. The techs are flushing with Motorcraft VC 1 before replacing the pumps.
 
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EdGs

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I feel like this shouldn't be a thing in 2025?
Yeah, one would think.

I would have never known had I not decided to remove my reservoir, and found the sand in it, and then looked closer at other parts of the system.

I must not have had as much in my system compared to others, as my water pump, radiator, and heater core are original with 196k miles on them.

Getting ready to go try to flush the rest of the system out. Going to get some more distilled water as well.

Also have to fix my MIL's water heater at her house, I think one of the heater elements is bad. Trying to get my lazy ass motivated.....lol
 
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Wild one

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Yeah, one would think.

I would have never known had I not decided to remove my reservoir, and found the sand in it, and then looked closer at other parts of the system.

I must not have had as much in my system compared to others, as my water pump, radiator, and heater core are original with 196k miles on them.

Getting ready to go try to flush the rest of the system out. Going to get some more distilled water as well.

Also have to fix my MIL's water heater at her house, I think one of the heater elements is bad. Trying to get my lazy ass motivated.....lol
When you find that motivation,send some north,i'm looking out my front window trying to get up the ambition to shovel snow,lol
 
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EdGs

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Okay, Rick, will do.

@Wild one, Standing here, in front of the beast, ready to do some flushing, had more questions about hose routing, etc.
20250118_120138.jpg

There a line on the left side of the water pump that feeds one end of an aluminum tee. The branch of the tee goes to the bottom hose of the heater core at the firewall.

The other end of the tee goes to the transmission? The line from the transmission? goes to the side connection on the 3-way valve

Can/should the trans lines be flushed with air, or safer for me just to fill coolant and go from there?

The metal line near the water pump outlet goes to the front side of the 3-way valve, and the line at the rear of the 3-way valve goes to the top heater core fitting.

Just trying to get an idea of how coolant flows in the truck.
 
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EdGs

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Looks like I need valve cover gaskets, too. That will have to wait for now.
 

Ken226

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Wild one

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Okay, Rick, will do.

@Wild one, Standing here, in front of the beast, ready to do some flushing, had more questions about hose routing, etc.
View attachment 558851

There a line on the left side of the water pump that feeds one end of an aluminum tee. The branch of the tee goes to the bottom hose of the heater core at the firewall.

The other end of the tee goes to the transmission? The line from the transmission? goes to the side connection on the 3-way valve

Can/should the trans lines be flushed with air, or safer for me just to fill coolant and go from there?

The metal line near the water pump outlet goes to the front side of the 3-way valve, and the line at the rear of the 3-way valve goes to the top heater core fitting.

Just trying to get an idea of how coolant flows in the truck.
Blowing them out with air will get alot of the old coolant out,but doesn't do much for removing any crud/sand etc from the heater core,but it's better then nothing though. To remove the build-up in a heater core,you need a liquid flushing median and about 15 to 20 psi of pressure behind it
 
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EdGs

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Well, undid the bleeder screw, filled her up with coolant, closed the bleeder, topped her off, kicked the heat to high and let her rip.

20250118_153746.jpg

Took FOREVER to get near 203°, and my top hose was dead cold. Wasn't paying attention, and noticed my funnel was about to overflow. Shut her off.....

Too late.

Overflowed a little bit. Great. Was trying to be careful. Ed luck. I didn't think the OE stat was ever gonna open, then the top hose got hot. Took a while to get were it seemed like all the air was out.

Noticed when I'd see the bubbles come up in the funnel, my evic would be reading 206°. Not sure if the sensor might be weak or what.

My condenser fan seems like it runs ok as well, and I did see the temp drop to 195° as well, so it looks ok.

Gonna take her for a spin, maybe later.

Thank you to everyone for the advice and moral support.
 

Burla

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Well, undid the bleeder screw, filled her up with coolant, closed the bleeder, topped her off, kicked the heat to high and let her rip.

View attachment 558856

Took FOREVER to get near 203°, and my top hose was dead cold. Wasn't paying attention, and noticed my funnel was about to overflow. Shut her off.....

Too late.

Overflowed a little bit. Great. Was trying to be careful. Ed luck. I didn't think the OE stat was ever gonna open, then the top hose got hot. Took a while to get were it seemed like all the air was out.

Noticed when I'd see the bubbles come up in the funnel, my evic would be reading 206°. Not sure if the sensor might be weak or what.

My condenser fan seems like it runs ok as well, and I did see the temp drop to 195° as well, so it looks ok.

Gonna take her for a spin, maybe later.

Thank you to everyone for the advice and moral support.
now that is professional where did you get that set up?

sometimes the small things make maintenance fun.
 
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EdGs

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now that is professional where did you get that set up?

sometimes the small things make maintenance fun.
OEM tools brand from Amazon, was only like $20 I think.

20250118_160705.jpg

I had some small leaks at the cap until I got it on the right way.

Now I have the smell of coolant because it spilled down the radiator....lol

Ed luck
 
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Hemi395

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Well, undid the bleeder screw, filled her up with coolant, closed the bleeder, topped her off, kicked the heat to high and let her rip.

View attachment 558856

Took FOREVER to get near 203°, and my top hose was dead cold. Wasn't paying attention, and noticed my funnel was about to overflow. Shut her off.....

Too late.

Overflowed a little bit. Great. Was trying to be careful. Ed luck. I didn't think the OE stat was ever gonna open, then the top hose got hot. Took a while to get were it seemed like all the air was out.

Noticed when I'd see the bubbles come up in the funnel, my evic would be reading 206°. Not sure if the sensor might be weak or what.

My condenser fan seems like it runs ok as well, and I did see the temp drop to 195° as well, so it looks ok.

Gonna take her for a spin, maybe later.

Thank you to everyone for the advice and moral support.
I've had this happen a couple times when changing tstats. A bubble will form right near the temp sensor and just enough around the tstat so it doesn't open. Even when using the bleeder plug.

I've found you have to rev it to 1500rpm for a few minutes when its almost to 203⁰ to force that bubble through the jiggle pin. Then the tstat opens and everything starts bleeding fully.

And yeah that funnel is so worth every penny!
I've used that on multiple vehicles
 

Burla

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OEM tools brand from Amazon, was only like $20 I think.

View attachment 558864

I had some small leaks at the cap until I got it on the right way.

Now I have the smell of coolant because it spilled down the radiator....lol

Ed luck
Thanks for doing this thread, now we know with proof this issue is also in 5.7's and it seams to be trucks made in this period 2015-2018. Plus, I wonder if they ever fixed it because it seams like it takes 5-7 years to reveal itself, so we don't even know if this is also prevalent in 5 gens yet. Seams like they are literally attempting to make trucks last a decade at best? Once they start hanging particulate filters on these 5'7s, buckle your seat dorothy cause kansas is going byby.

Jay Pan man, Shaken Law wouldn't fly here, so they found a way around it, result is the same suckers pay too much for trucks that have no chance at lasting like other generation trucks did.
 
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EdGs

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I've had this happen a couple times when changing tstats. A bubble will form right near the temp sensor and just enough around the tstat so it doesn't open. Even when using the bleeder plug.

I've found you have to rev it to 1500rpm for a few minutes when its almost to 203⁰ to force that bubble through the jiggle pin. Then the tstat opens and everything starts bleeding fully.

And yeah that funnel is so worth every penny!
I've used that on multiple vehicles
That's good to know, cause it kinda scared me. This truck is my baby.

A little bit down the road, I might just preemptively do multiple drain and fills with distilled water only, then fill with straight concentrate.

I tried to remove my lower radiator hose today before I filled it, and could not pull that sucker all the way off, I finally said screw it and just filled it up.
 

Hemi395

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That's good to know, cause it kinda scared me. This truck is my baby.

A little bit down the road, I might just preemptively do multiple drain and fills with distilled water only, then fill with straight concentrate.

I tried to remove my lower radiator hose today before I filled it, and could not pull that sucker all the way off, I finally said screw it and just filled it up.
Yeah I hear you, it scared me the first time it happened. And fun fact the temp sensor does NOT read air correctly because once the bubble went thru the jiggle pin the temp on the EVIC went from 189 to 225 in about 2 seconds.

Scared the sh it out of me lol

Multiple drain and fills will do the exact same thing it will just take longer. The block drain even on the passengers side is a pain to get to and theres no way it's not going to make a mess.
 
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