How-To: 4th gen hemi cam installation

[charonblk07]

Thanks for the update. I will try again in the next few weeks.

If you need a hand with anything, you can get in touch with me since I'm in Calgary as well and if I'm in town I'm normally down for helping someone else out. If you're on FB I'm also in TNR, BertaRams, etc.

 

[R.L.K.]

If you need a hand with anything, you can get in touch with me since I'm in Calgary as well and if I'm in town I'm normally down for helping someone else out. If you're on FB I'm also in TNR, BertaRams, etc.

You Sir are awesome !

Thank you for the OP & beyond !! .....Much MUCH APPRECIATEED for Sure Sir !!! !!!!!!!!

I've rebuilt engines , I've fixed engines ( mine & friends ) , I've told others what they should and or should & should Not do to save a bit of $$ ...

I certainly do confess ....

I have never been inside a 5.7L Hemi myself ....similar components ....and pretty elementary , but your pictures and explanations make it doable for most Diyers !
[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

I've helped a couple of my buddies in the past year or so and your post here has been a fantastic tool !

Sir , I've been there , done that , been an over the wall crewmember for 3 diff race teams ...,thank you for your contributions here !!

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[jonathanhudaon]

Have to say awesome write up! Do have one question though. You don’t mention if you check the degree on the cams you do or not? I’m flirting with a full stroker kit and cam from my lifted 13. Or where everything else is left stock you don’t need to check it


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[Vistaman77]

@charonblk07 Amazing post, thanks for the detail. Haven't come across anything this straight-forward.

I've got an '05 with about 240k miles on it, need to replace lifters given what I think I've diagnosed as a jammed MDS lifter. A few quick questions:

- Know that I've got the 3rd gen 5.7L - are there any significant differences that you're aware of between your walk through and the process I would need to take? I've wrenched around on a few different cars for various repairs, but this will be my first foray below headers. My fingers are crossed your step-by-step still applies to an '05.

- If key point is to replace lifters, does the cam need to be changed as well? Would plan to just replace with an OEM stock cam, as this is simply a daily driver / town car.

Thanks in advance

 

[Vistaman77]

If you need a hand with anything, you can get in touch with me since I'm in Calgary as well and if I'm in town I'm normally down for helping someone else out. If you're on FB I'm also in TNR, BertaRams, etc.

Amazing post, thanks for the detail. Haven't come across anything this straight-forward.

I've got an '05 with about 240k miles on it, need to replace lifters given what I think I've diagnosed as a jammed MDS lifter. A few quick questions:

- Know that I've got the 3rd gen 5.7L - are there any significant differences that you're aware of between your walk through and the process I would need to take? I've wrenched around on a few different cars for various repairs, but this will be my first foray below headers. My fingers are crossed your step-by-step still applies to an '05.

- If key point is to replace lifters, does the cam need to be changed as well? Would plan to just replace with an OEM stock cam, as this is simply a daily driver / town car.

Thanks in advance

 

[charonblk07]

Amazing post, thanks for the detail. Haven't come across anything this straight-forward.

I've got an '05 with about 240k miles on it, need to replace lifters given what I think I've diagnosed as a jammed MDS lifter. A few quick questions:

- Know that I've got the 3rd gen 5.7L - are there any significant differences that you're aware of between your walk through and the process I would need to take? I've wrenched around on a few different cars for various repairs, but this will be my first foray below headers. My fingers are crossed your step-by-step still applies to an '05.

- If key point is to replace lifters, does the cam need to be changed as well? Would plan to just replace with an OEM stock cam, as this is simply a daily driver / town car.

Thanks in advance

There isn't anything majorly different between the VVT and non-VVT other than you'll have to pull your EGR tube when removing the intake manifold and some hoses are in different places. If you're replacing a damaged lifter it's a good idea to at least scope the cam through the lifter hole, it's not uncommon for a failed lifter to wipe out a cam lobe. If you do have to replace the cam then you can just ignore everything I said about the VVT phaser assembly.

 

[crackerjack1957]

Thanks for this detailed write up, going to save me around $1700 doing myself.
AllData said you needed to drop oil pan for camshaft/lifter replacement.....that would have been a pain on a 4x4.
Stock cam & lifters ok just replacing with Competition Cam, Hellcat lifters, RPM springs & hardened push rods.

 

[crackerjack1957]

There isn't anything majorly different between the VVT and non-VVT other than you'll have to pull your EGR tube when removing the intake manifold and some hoses are in different places. If you're replacing a damaged lifter it's a good idea to at least scope the cam through the lifter hole, it's not uncommon for a failed lifter to wipe out a cam lobe. If you do have to replace the cam then you can just ignore everything I said about the VVT phaser assembly.

What all is involved in dropping oil pan?
Say you wanted to install 6.4 oil pump for more volume when you changed out cam & lifters?

Thanks

 

[stc315]

charonblk07, thank you for the excellent post!!! I just finished replacing cam and lifters (stayed stock unfortunately since perf cam was not in my budget) along with the rest of the valvetrain (springs, locks, retainers, seals, pushrods, etc). Your instructions were spot on!!! I had to juggle the order a little since I pulled heads, but easy to do.

One little tip to add, run by a local fastener company and pick up a meter stick of M12 All Thread Rod. Cut it to about a foot long and wrap the cut end with duct tape to make a cam installation handle. It made installing the cam a lot easier (messed with it for about an hour before I ran to store to get stuff to make the handle).

Thanks again!
Sam C.

 

[Vince2013Sport]

Hello,

New Member but have been following Ramforum for a long time.

Just completed cam/Lifter swap on my Dads Ram. 2010 5.7L VVT

Cylinder #5 roller was completely seized, ate away at the cam causing misfire.

Job took me 2 days to do. No issues. Truck runs great Post work done.

BUT....I have one issue. He is noticing an exhaust(burning smell) at stop lights.

No leaks, truck runs great but cant figure this out. it has been two weeks and 1300 miles. The smell hasn't gotten any worse or better.

I have checked into the "coolant" smell, but i dont notice any smell from the coolant. There is no smell coming into the cab from the hvac vents either. I have not pinpointed an area of the engine bay that the smell is coming from. I am at a loss.

Please give me your opinions! I appreciate it!

 

[James Sabato]

Where is everyone buying there cam, lifters, and gasket kits, ect?

 

[Wild one]

Where is everyone buying there cam, lifters, and gasket kits, ect?

Jay Greene at Greene Racing/ Matt at Moes / David Webber at MMX / and there's a new player in the field now Texas Speed and Performance and their cams are available through Matt Brown at Demon Motorsports or Chris Zelinsky at Player 3 Performance Tuning in Edmonton for the Canucks,then of course there's always the Comp Cam grinds.

 

[Scott_C]

Juts re-reading this to refresh my memory

Great right up.. THANK YOU!

Due to a failed lifter we are over half way through a CAM and Lifter swap on a 2012 RAM
(Using a Non-MDS Cam and Hellcat Lifters)

Between this and a few videos made by MMX we are almost done.

Having fun and savin' some $

Scott

 

[HammerHead]

Juts re-reading this to refresh my memory

Great right up.. THANK YOU!

Due to a failed lifter we are over half way through a CAM and Lifter swap on a 2012 RAM
(Using a Non-MDS Cam and Hellcat Lifters)

Between this and a few videos made by MMX we are almost done.

Having fun and savin' some $

Scott

Be sure to share your story with us, part numbers, miles on vehicle, symptoms you were having and of course oil selection.
Congratulations on the upgrade

 

[stc315]

I used Mopar America for most of the valve train and MMX for fasteners. Got programmer from Summit Racing when they had a Diablo Sport sale.

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[Ross Whitney]

I followed this tutorial when my diagnosis came to the lifter and cam failure in my 2011 ram with only 125,000 km. That's roughly only 78,000 miles. Misfire on cylinder 5 progressively got worse. Minimally visible valve travel on intake pushrod for #5.
Reinstalled a stock cam for my job, the truck already has around 380hp stock .
One point i will note is at one point in the torque specs i believe you have posted at 195 ft/lbs the crankshaft pulley bolt. Factory soecs i looked up say 127 ft/lbs. The bolt did hold at 165ft/lbs for the record, aboit when i went to double check.
While i was at it i planed the manifolds and installed new gaskets.
Also its slightly annoying but you dont have to drain the air conditioning system I left my condenser rad attxhed and suspended from a piece of baler twine from the hood latch at times. Ps this was my first v8 engine rebuild and i found it very helpful. Thanks so much. Fixed my issue for 1,200 CADin parts and around 15 hours give or take in the garage after work over 3 days

 

[Burla]

1200 in parts, is that because parts are expensive where you live?

 

[James OBrien]

I just finished a cam upgrade last weekend and can't thank charonblk07 enough for spending the time to put it together, I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without his detailed procedures! On my 2018 Ram 1500 Sport I installed a Greene cam (HL .5), hellcat lifters (mds delete), ARH LT headers/no cat, upgraded springs, pushrods etc. and couldn't be happier with the result. I had several small challenges that were a bit different including:

-Header install was a PIA, with the rad/condenser removed I was able to get to most of the bolts from the top of the engine. I did pull the passenger wheel and liner which helped, really recommend starting the four bottom exhaust bolts first, the header has notched bottom flange holes so you can set the header on the bolts to set it in place and tighten/install the upper bolts. Swivel sockets and ratcheting wrenches are the ONLY WAY you can do this to get the bottom bolts tightened.
-Header on the driver side, I was able to keep the existing dipstick tube, I cut the little bracket off and after a lot of cursing and scraped knuckles got it maneuvered into place, didn't end up having to pull the wheel or liner on that side.
-Initially was able to bolt up the headers, Y-pipe etc to the stock exhaust after cutting back about 6-8 inches, took it to a shop yesterday and had performance catback exhaust put on
-My AC compressor wouldn't come off without pulling the timing cover, not a big deal. Ended up bolting it back on and installing it with the cover during re-install
-Resetting the timing was painful at first. I REALLY didn't want to pull the oil pan to remove the oil pump. I read about guys being able to rotate the oil pump clockwise and somehow get the 13mm oil pickup tube disconnected, they're better men than me! With the drivers side head off you can pretty easily find TDC and set the cam timing, and you can get the chain on properly
-The special valve spring compressor tool most folks have used is invaluable, it's worth the investment and worked flawlessly; be sure to really understand what shims you need to use along with the locators. I got all of my springs on and assumed I had to pull the shock shim, then found at the bottom of the box the spring install guide where it said KEEP the stock shims AND the new shims so had to do it over
-Install spring height with new springs WILL be different, the performance springs are a bit shorter

The end result for my truck has been awesome, I need to get some 0-60 runs in but the truck runs and sounds like a beast now!

 

[RAMTRPR]

On the part where you zip tie the timing chain off to the side is this not an option if you are replacing the Oil Pump as well?

I got a bad misfire on Cyl#7 and at 241K Miles it was due for it lol. I am going with a Greene cam (Non MDS) and Hellcat lifters. Should I do a compression test before the complete tear down to make sure my bottom end is good?

 

[James OBrien]

I'll comment from the limited experience I have on this and other builds. If you take the oil pump off I wouldn't worry about tying off the chain. One you have access to the top camshaft sprocket and the crankcase sprocket with timing marks, setting the timing is REALLY easy. If you're doing a cam and lifters you have to take the heads off, so you'll be able to set TDC on Piston 1 (facing the engine the closest one to the right) very easily and get your timing set quickly to verify the dimple on the bottom of the crank sprocket.

Compression testing won't test the 'bottom' end, unless you consider the pistons and rings part of the bottom end. Doing a compression check will certainly tell you what your rings/pistons are doing and whether or not you can keep running, at 241K (WOW!) you're probably due for a rebuild anyway. Really impressive numbers!

I just did a greene cam and hellcat lifters and MDS delete, really pleased! I did a HL .5, which didn't require a cam phaser. Don't forget to do your springs!