Engine tick question

[dkelly3103]

It's an exhaust leak, I'm pretty sure. Wait for it to cool down and from underneath the truck see if you can pull any of the corners of the heat shields.

Well that’s another thing lol, no heat shields on either side. Maybe the previous owner had a some studs snapped so replaced the studs and gasket and overlooked a warped manifold?

 

[dkelly3103]

There is a reason why this forum has embraced two products for this and not the others, moly ep is a classic example, it is an oil thickner with little moly and blue dye. Shaeffers moly ep might be the worse additive ever made, pretty sad they put their name on it, 23ppm moly it might actually lessen moly level. Hard to fathom, but this board has done all the work, tested all the known stuff, unless it is something new, just do a search on hemi tick and molybdenum,. Does that say operating viscosity 238? That is hard to believe, if that is true, I'd empty my crankcase if it had that in it asap.

I heard some bad things about the shaeffers stuff but it was in stock at my local parts store so I figured I’d give it it shot. Ironically enough I had a bad experience with there 9000 series oil as well, I ran there 5w30 a couple oil changes ago and I bet I probably burned through 3 quarts of it within 5000 miles. Never had a problem with any other brand.

 

[dkelly3103]

There is a reason why this forum has embraced two products for this and not the others, moly ep is a classic example, it is an oil thickner with little moly and blue dye. Shaeffers moly ep might be the worse additive ever made, pretty sad they put their name on it, 23ppm moly it might actually lessen moly level. Hard to fathom, but this board has done all the work, tested all the known stuff, unless it is something new, just do a search on hemi tick and molybdenum,. Does that say operating viscosity 238? That is hard to believe, if that is true, I'd empty my crankcase if it had that in it asap.

And as far as the operating viscosity, at the bottom is says SUS viscosity at 210° F is 61. Is that what you mean by operating viscosity?

 

[MarineBSP]

I'd encourage you to do a quick check for a manifold exhaust leak. The common broken bolt scenario can be checked on the truck when cold, from inside the engine compartment topside with the truck on the ground - might need a stool if your truck is lifted.

If heat shields are in place, a broken bolt will allow the heat shield (HS) to move (push/pull) at the rear edge. I confirmed mine this way - passenger side HS moves, driver side HS does not. I'm getting it fixed under warranty next week (57K miles on truck). If heat shields are absent, the bolt heads are visible, and with a good light you can inspect for a missing bolt head(s).

Hope this helps

 

[dkelly3103]

I'd encourage you to do a quick check for a manifold exhaust leak. The common broken bolt scenario can be checked on the truck when cold, from inside the engine compartment topside with the truck on the ground - might need a stool if your truck is lifted.

If heat shields are in place, a broken bolt will allow the heat shield (HS) to move (push/pull) at the rear edge. I confirmed mine this way - passenger side HS moves, driver side HS does not. I'm getting it fixed under warranty next week (57K miles on truck). If heat shields are absent, the bolt heads are visible, and with a good light you can inspect for a missing bolt head(s).

Hope this helps

Thanks for the input but as previously mentioned, all my studs are in place. Both heat shields are gone so I suspect the previous owner already had an issue with a leak.

 

[Rod Knock]

Thanks for the input but as previously mentioned, all my studs are in place. Both heat shields are gone so I suspect the previous owner already had an issue with a leak.

If you no longer have the shields, take a small quarter-inch ratchet and deep sockets and go over the bolts. See if any of them will feel turn while you're trying to tighten them. That should provide you with a quick answer right there.

And as far as the operating viscosity, at the bottom is says SUS viscosity at 210° F is 61. Is that what you mean by operating viscosity?

Though I'm not particularly eager to put down anyone's product, except for Lucas Oil Stabilizer (Group I bright stock sold at 5000% markup), I'm with @Burla on this one. It's probably a Group I or II base oil (high polarity) with Antimony and a minuscule amount of Molybdenum Ditiophosphate. It's meant for oil smokers/oil burners (Beverly Hills Hillbilies style). If your truck doesn't fit that description, never again use it.

 

[dkelly3103]

If you no longer have the shields, take a small quarter-inch ratchet and deep sockets and go over the bolts. See if any of them will feel turn while you're trying to tighten them. That should provide you with a quick answer right there.

I already went over all bolts and tightened them. All tightened about 1/2 turn so they are all intact and none are broke.

 

[Travis8352]

There is a reason why this forum has embraced two products for this and not the others, moly ep is a classic example, it is an oil thickner with little moly and blue dye. Shaeffers moly ep might be the worse additive ever made, pretty sad they put their name on it, 23ppm moly it might actually lessen moly level. Hard to fathom, but this board has done all the work, tested all the known stuff, unless it is something new, just do a search on hemi tick and molybdenum,. Does that say operating viscosity 238? That is hard to believe, if that is true, I'd empty my crankcase if it had that in it asap.

I didnt know anything about that additive. I just figured it would add tons of moly

 

[Rod Knock]

I already went over all bolts and tightened them. All tightened about 1/2 turn so they are all intact and none are broke.

Then it's video time. Use your phone and the YouTube app, take a video of the engine bay with the hood open when you start the truck, and film until the noise changes or quiets. Take another short one of the engine at full operating temperature. It's hard to diagnose noises on a forum where we communicate in writing, lol.

If you don't want to do anything else, do an oil change with RedLine 5W-30 and use whatever filter, though I recommend Royal Purple 20-820 or Fram Ultra XG (or Titanium FS2 if you want the extra fancy version). Do 500 to 700 miles and come back here and let us know if it sounds any differently. Try not to be overwhelmed with a placebo. Expensive stuff will do that to you, lol.

Also, I wouldn't run the stock manifolds without shields, which can harm the knock sensors.

If RedLine 5W-30 quiets your HEMI, then you have rattling -out-of-tolerance- lifters, and you can delay replacing them, maybe for a very long time. If it doesn't, you have other problems, possibly more significant than exhaust manifolds. And if that's the case, then it's time to start measuring valve lift.

I didnt know anything about that additive. I just figured it would add tons of moly

Old-school marketing at its finest, isn't it?

 

[Travis8352]

Then it's video time. Use your phone and the YouTube app, take a video of the engine bay with the hood open when you start the truck, and film until the noise changes or quiets. Take another short one of the engine at full operating temperature. It's hard to diagnose noises on a forum where we communicate in writing, lol.

If you don't want to do anything else, do an oil change with RedLine 5W-30 and use whatever filter, though I recommend Royal Purple 20-820 or Fram Ultra XG (or Titanium FS2 if you want the extra fancy version). Do 500 to 700 miles and come back here and let us know if it sounds any differently. Try not to be overwhelmed with a placebo. Expensive stuff will do that to you, lol.

Also, I wouldn't run the stock manifolds without shields, which can harm the knock sensors.

If RedLine 5W-30 quiets your HEMI, then you have rattling -out-of-tolerance- lifters, and you can delay replacing them, maybe for a very long time. If it doesn't, you have other problems, possibly more significant than exhaust manifolds. And if that's the case, then it's time to start measuring valve lift.


Old-school marketing at its finest, isn't it?

Yes it is. Ive only ever seen the stuff at a napa near me and i figured being schaeffers it was a full of moly product

 

[Rod Knock]

Yes it is. Ive only ever seen the stuff at a napa near me and i figured being schaeffers it was a full of moly product

It makes Lucas look thin in comparison, lol. I would warm it up before pouring it out. I assume it's a legacy product they keep around simply because it sells.

 

[dkelly3103]

Then it's video time. Use your phone and the YouTube app, take a video of the engine bay with the hood open when you start the truck, and film until the noise changes or quiets. Take another short one of the engine at full operating temperature. It's hard to diagnose noises on a forum where we communicate in writing, lol.

If you don't want to do anything else, do an oil change with RedLine 5W-30 and use whatever filter, though I recommend Royal Purple 20-820 or Fram Ultra XG (or Titanium FS2 if you want the extra fancy version). Do 500 to 700 miles and come back here and let us know if it sounds any differently. Try not to be overwhelmed with a placebo. Expensive stuff will do that to you, lol.

Also, I wouldn't run the stock manifolds without shields, which can harm the knock sensors.

If RedLine 5W-30 quiets your HEMI, then you have rattling -out-of-tolerance- lifters, and you can delay replacing them, maybe for a very long time. If it doesn't, you have other problems, possibly more significant than exhaust manifolds. And if that's the case, then it's time to start measuring valve lift.


Old-school marketing at its finest, isn't it?

I just got home from work so I’ll let the truck cool off for a few hours then get a cold start video. There’s a video further back in this thread that a posted of it that’s it at full operating temp idling. If it out of tolerance lifters wouldn’t I have had issues by now considering the mileage I’ve put on it or is it slow progressing? Not doubting you, just asking.

 

[dkelly3103]

It makes Lucas look thin in comparison, lol. I would warm it up before pouring it out. I assume it's a legacy product they keep around simply because it sells.

Heres the link to it idling at operating temp.

Hemi tick-lifters or exhaust manifold leak?

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

 

[Rod Knock]

Not doubting you, just asking.

I'm not a specialist, just a guy on a forum. I had one, yes, one broken bolt that got me started on this entire adventure, lol.

 

[Rod Knock]

Heres the link to it idling at operating temp.

Hemi tick-lifters or exhaust manifold leak?

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

It sounds like an exhaust leak, and though the video is short, I bet it started fading after you turned the camera off. Am I right?

 

[dkelly3103]

It sounds like an exhaust leak, and though the video is short, I bet it started fading after you turned the camera off. Am I right?

No, that ticking only starts after it warms up and at idle. It will continue to tick until I shut the truck off and let it cool down. Start it back after it’s cool and no ticking until it warms up again.

 

[Burla]

And as far as the operating viscosity, at the bottom is says SUS viscosity at 210° F is 61. Is that what you mean by operating viscosity?

cSt is 100C, or known as 212f, operating temp of an engine, the cSt 212f viscosity reported here is 250-290. Over twenty times as thick as your 5w20 oil.

 

[Rod Knock]

No, that ticking only starts after it warms up and at idle. It will continue to tick until I shut the truck off and let it cool down. Start it back after it’s cool and no ticking until it warms up again.

Bad news then, it's not an exhaust tick.

Unless you want to start taking things off the engine, it's time to give Red Line a shot. No guarantees with that one, but it's a cheap shot all things considered. It might hold you over for a while until you can afford to fix it (time and money). Something is wrong, I don't know exactly what. When one or more lifters fail you'll know it. It usually happens during acceleration and the truck bogs down, check engine light comes on. Then it will run again for a little while, more or less. Give Red Line a shot, you have nothing to lose at this point. If it was my daily driver, that's what I would do. Thank God I got a Hyundai as a backup car (yeah, not confidence-inspiring, I know, lol).

 

[Rod Knock]

cSt is 100C, or known as 212f, operating temp of an engine, the cSt 212f viscosity reported here is 250-290. Over twenty times as thick as your 5w20 oil.

It's an oil additive, so you use a viscosity mix calculator like the one I'm linking below to determine the final viscosity. By the way, he's running 5W-30, not 5W-20.

Mixing viscosities | Widman International SRL

www.widman.biz

According to his UOA, his viscosity was fine, well within spec: https://www.ramforum.com/threads/engine-tick-question.184322/post-2602337

 

[dkelly3103]

Bad news then, it's not an exhaust tick.

Unless you want to start taking things off the engine, it's time to give Red Line a shot. No guarantees with that one, but it's a cheap shot all things considered. It might hold you over for a while until you can afford to fix it (time and money). Something is wrong, I don't know exactly what. When one or more lifters fail you'll know it. It usually happens during acceleration and the truck bogs down, check engine light comes on. Then it will run again for a little while, more or less. Give Red Line a shot, you have nothing to lose at this point. If it was my daily driver, that's what I would do. Thank God I got a Hyundai as a backup car (yeah, not confidence-inspiring, I know, lol).

So you don’t think my theory earlier on a larger exhaust leak being present at cold start, then the gap getting slightly smaller from heat expansion causing a smaller leak resulting in the tick is realistic? At this point I’m really trying my best to convince my self it’s not the lifters lol. I just wish there was an answer on how it could be driven this long on bad lifters and zero other symptoms show up. I’m not easy on it either as I towed a 7k horse trailer every other weekend about 100 miles this summer. I guess I’ll try the redline like everyone else has mentioned as that seems to be the solution everyone has gave me.