Hemi tick??

[Smokie possum]

OK this hemi tick thing I've heard that less than 5% of hemis have lifter problems I'm getting ready to buy a 2021 ram 2500 6.4 hemi and doing my research the internet makes buying a hemi sound like Russian roulette I can't see the problem being that bad I've never talked to someone irl that had a problem with a hemi so is it something to even worry about or just change oil regularly Pennzoil platinum and wix filter and and never look back

 

[runamuck]

there are hundreds of thousands of them on the road. besides russian roulette is more like 1/6 odds..much safer with a ram hemi

 

[PoMansRam]

I think I've known about 20+ guys with Ram 1500/2500s since the mid 2000s. Not one cam/lifter issue. I wouldn't let this issue alone scare you away from a hemi.

 

[Treburkulosis]

Mine has never had this issue. I have ran Castrol Edge which for the 5.7 is spec anyways Always on time oil changes and good oil filters. Mine still holds great oil pressure.

 

[BadHemi2014]

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another hemi.

 

[NOV87]

OK this hemi tick thing I've heard that less than 5% of hemis have lifter problems I'm getting ready to buy a 2021 ram 2500 6.4 hemi and doing my research the internet makes buying a hemi sound like Russian roulette I can't see the problem being that bad I've never talked to someone irl that had a problem with a hemi so is it something to even worry about or just change oil regularly Pennzoil platinum and wix filter and and never look back

If you're buying brand new, you'll have warranty if something happens. But if you intend to keep the truck past that, I would be using Red Line oil , quality filter and under 6k miles OCI. It appears to not happen as frequent, until it happens to you. To be fair, there are no problem free vehicles...

 

[MartyZ]

Also remember that the Hemi tick has 2 potential sources; cams, or exhaust manifold leaking.
They can sound very similar and is definitely confusing.
If its your exhaust it is fairly common especially in colder regions.
Mine started leaking at about 36k. I have at least 2-3 broken bolts and my heat shield makes noise like 2 skeletons raw-******* on a tin roof when I start it up. After it warms up it goes away, you can still hear the exhaust leak but the skeletons chill out.
That's the easiest way to determine if it is Cams or exhaust.
Cams the noise is always there.
Exhaust manifolds, only when the motor is cool and skeletons are feisty.

 

[Burla]

From what I have seen hemi tick is prevalent, we have had guys sell a truck with hemi tick and buy another and get hemi tick, what are the chances? Ten years on the board I have seen it all, but what are the alternatives? Buy a Chevy? I had three lemons in three in a row chevy purchases, one which I was successful suing GM on. But a Ford? Pay ten grand more then ram to have a transmission you have to unbolt to change the fluid? Toyota Tundra? Often tick and is not at all capable as big three off road or towing regardless of what paper says. Plenty of youtubes and testing on 4x4 channels out there on Tundras.

There is some good news on hemi tick, on the board with random ram forum members over a decade have proven lubrication strategies will work 80% of the time no bulljive. So if the number of hemi tick is low, well if you have that 80% of those can be dealt with a lubrication strategy then the number becomes real low.

Two very successful strategies (read the poll results) are redline oil and lubegard.

Redline

Lubegard

These polls were started like many years 7 or more after the long success of those strategies in effort to document if they were worth trying. Don't believe a word I say, believe what the ramily is saying on the issue. It is not some bulljive like hey I run some random oil and have this great luck, those might work in the one ram here and there, but those oils wont work against other random oils with the same % of these types of products that are backed by science, esters and high molybdenum to name two main additives and base oils used. We have guys that have tried many oils only to have these work, and sometimes they have to find specific weights of these oil to work, fine tune the strategy as you see the results. Hemi tick is a real deal and in that spot you have extreme pressures, when that occurs you need EP additives to alleviate the tick. Those products are full of EP additives and base oils not found on shelf oils I don't care what the brand is. If you want to try and use a shelf oil, look for high moly there are some, just not as high as those other products and lack ester base oil.

 

[Black64]

Before I bought my Ram I had 2 brand new Toyotas that had nothing but issues, there is no good brand anymore, just buy what you like and maintain it.

 

[14hemiexpress]

I have had 4 hemi’s now 2006, 2014, 2010 5.7ls and my current 19 6.4l so far not a single cam or lifter issue. My dad has a 17 6.4l, my brother has a 2014 5.7l, a buddy of mine has a 08 5.7l, his dad has a 05 5.7l with 300k on it and I have another buddy with a 2014 5.7 and not a single one of us have had a issue with cam or
Lifers. My 2010 went to my brother in law and he’s cracked 200k biggest issue was busted manifold bolt. Take care of it change the oil and keep a good filter on it and it will treat you right. Someone out there will get a bad egg but that happens to every manufacture. You also have to be careful on the forums because people come here to either show off there cool stuff or get help with broken stuff your average guy doesn’t show up on the forums just to say my trucks stock and I have no problems.

 

[tidefan1967]

If you want one buy one. I just bought my third new Ram last week with a Hemi. My first in 2015 lost the cam and lifters at 32K miles and I would still buy another. The Ram's superior ride and reasonable pricing will keep me going back to the well indefinitely until this EV thing really takes off and then I'm done for good. I would consider an f150 but I can't afFORD one at the same price point as my Laramie and now the 5.0 has stop/start, cylinder deactivation AND a belt driven oil pump(way too much BS going on there). The difference between then and now is that I've been educated by this forum and some of its members on how to prevent it in the future(Thanks Burla)!

 

[Quint]

My 2015 developed the tick around 60k miles. At about 112k miles I confirmed that the cam and lifters on #5 lifters were failing. I traded it in for a 2021 and love this truck even more. The dealership even talked about keeping the rpms up to splash oil around. I opted for 3.92 gears this time and am pushing it a little harder.

I was happy to purchase another Ram. I gave up on Ford, don't like Chevy, and can't justify the price of Toyotas.

 

[SOL-man]

My 2015 had the hemi tick in the morning on start up, passenger side. After it got warm, the ticking went away. It was under warranty so I took it in and it turned out to be a broken exhaust manifold bolt which was quickly fixed. Service manager said it's not uncommon. So... if it ticks only when cold I suggest you check those bolts.

As for Ford pickups, 2021 and definitely 2022 are not a good time to buy one... with the chip shortage Ford adopted the strategy to build them and store them in a field indefinitely. Thousands, perhaps 100s of thousands of vehicles will be in the weather with rodents and insects for a friggin year. When the chip shortage gets fixed, they will start finishing them. The customer/dealer has no choice to select the field stored ones or one coming off the line. Good luck.

 

[114percy]

My 2018 5.7 14489 miles since I bought it new 1/3/2019 has been sitting for a week, today I went out and started it., and for the first time I noticed a distinct ticking noise. Oil has been changed 3 times since new. Its 80f here today so the truck was not cold when I started it. After a 5 mile trip I got home and the ticking had stopped. Is it usual for a 5.7 to develop the dreaded Hemi tick with such low miles. Should I worry, should I take it to my dealership for a check up.

 

[JohnnyBandit]

My 2018 5.7 14489 miles since I bought it new 1/3/2019 has been sitting for a week, today I went out and started it., and for the first time I noticed a distinct ticking noise. Oil has been changed 3 times since new. Its 80f here today so the truck was not cold when I started it. After a 5 mile trip I got home and the ticking had stopped. Is it usual for a 5.7 to develop the dreaded Hemi tick with such low miles. Should I worry, should I take it to my dealership for a check up.

I have been thinking and reading up on this.... And have the opinion of the folks that have done my mechanical work for the last 37 years and much longer than that for my family..

I have a question... what rear end do you have?

 

[GTyankee]

I have always believed that the HEMI Tick lasts for about 30 seconds
It is from lifters draining down a bit after sitting for several hours & to shortened the length of the ticking noise, use Synthetic Oil

If the Tick does not seem to go away & you can hear it when you drive next to a wall or through a tunnel, then chances are good that you need to check the 4 Manifold Bolts that hold on the Heat shields & also the manifolds

The flattened camshaft is another issue entirely

 

[Burla]

My 2018 5.7 14489 miles since I bought it new 1/3/2019 has been sitting for a week, today I went out and started it., and for the first time I noticed a distinct ticking noise. Oil has been changed 3 times since new. Its 80f here today so the truck was not cold when I started it. After a 5 mile trip I got home and the ticking had stopped. Is it usual for a 5.7 to develop the dreaded Hemi tick with such low miles. Should I worry, should I take it to my dealership for a check up.

my hemi tick started 3500 miles new. So the real issue is warm idle tick, if it is ticking at warm idle try a lubrication strategy, learn about EP additives, read the redline and luebgard hemi tick threads on the board, read the polls, listen to the guys who all solved this. molybdenum is what manus use for dry starts, use a high moly oil.

generally speaking your engine was just dry, I would not worry, but I also would pay attention to it more.

 

[JohnnyBandit]

For whatever it is worth......I am just saying what a guy with a lifetime of engine work experience and I trust very much told me

I very briefly spoke with the guy that does my auto work before I bought my 2021.... His family has been doing my family's auto work since before I was born.... He has a four door, eight bay shop in the center of town.... Well respected from basic maintenance and tires to engine builds and re builds, mods lifts, etc. He stays super busy but handles emergencies quick....
He does all makes and models... But he is really known as the "truck guy" in town.... And we are not a small town.
Before I bought I asked him F150 5.0 versus the 5.7 Ram 1500.... He said the 5.7 Hemi was the better motor for a guy like me... ( I maintain them well but drive them like I stole them) He only said other thing he said was do not get talked into a 3.21 rear end. Get the 3.92. Dodge should not even be offering the 3.21 with the Hemi in the 1500.

So I bought my Ram... I love it.... I have added some accessories and swapped tires... I am two oil changes in.... He has done everything but the initial nerf bar installation and the spray in bedliner....

I joined this forum.... I hear more and more about the hemi tick..... I kept asking him..... He finally said.... Look... Do you still drive like you did when you were young? Like a bat out of hell with your hair on fire? I said pretty much.... Except when my wife is with me..... And she still says that I drive like a D*^$ since I got the new truck......

His response was- GOOD, Keep driving that hemi like that.... The Hemi was developed as a muscle car and street drag engine..... He rambled on about drag cars and dirt track cars he and my father built in the 1960's and early 1970's.... Then he rambled on about that he wished Dodge had modernized the 360/5.9 engine for trucks and that the Hemi was never meant to be a truck engine.... Then he came back to SOME things I understand.... He said the Hemi works well the way it is tuned for trucks. As long as it is geared and driven properly...... Back again to things I do not understand....Push rods, pistons etc......I am not a motor guy....
Then he said.... The Hemi has been modernized..... They have tried to improve fuel mileage... Transmissions have changed.... But the Hemi is still the Hemi..... It wants to run... and run hard....
IF someone is worried about fuel mileage.... The should never get a Hemi.... if someone wants to lope along and not push the engine.... They should go V6 or Diesel..... The Hemi design with always want to run... And will always do best with people that want it to RUN....

He knows I do a lot of off road driving..... I was already putting it in tow/haul mode.....But he also told me to and to not let the RPMs run under 1500 for any long period of time... even if I had to use the gear limiter on the steering wheel.....

He left me with.... Run that sick B%^ like you stol't her and you will not see any issues.....If you do and get a tick, I will fix it on me.....




I am not saying he is correct....I am NOT a mechanical or engine guy.... I only run them. I do know that he found an engine flaw/issue on a Saturn my first wife had that Saturn had den ALL I am saying is he is a 75 year old truck, engine, and racing guy that has been in this all of his life...... And he told me what he thinks and put his money where his mouth is..


I mostly know that I trust him.... He would never risk his reputation with my large family by giving me bad information.... And I know he has found an issue on a Saturn I owned that my first wife drove and found an issue on a Lincoln that my folks owned that were denied..... And after he got through both manufacturers not only covered the claim and more but also provided courtesy cars..

 

[JohnnyBandit]

I will add.... He tested me to see if I was still driving like I did when I was younger.....

He said..... Where does your speed lmiter kick in?

I said about 104.... the first time it startled me,,,,

He then asked. how many times have you hit the speed limitier.....

Me: I dunno at first a lot......And I thought this ain't this B#%# has.... Then I figured it out..... And I googled... Now I stop at about 100mph

He said good.... you are still running them hard.... Don't back off....

 

[Aelwulf]

I had a '17 6.4L with some noise but never had an issue with it the couple of years I had it. My '21 also has a noise, including the one I dislike most about the truck (sounds rather like a belt issue on any other car). Dealer said they can't tell anything wrong, but I think it's because most do it that I've heard to some extent. So aside from hearing that whine/rattle more than the engine noise, can't say I've had a problem. Hoping it stays that way.