Lifters keep failing in "rebuilt" engine! ADVICE?

[nicko368]

So I came across a 2015 Ram for a good deal that I was told needed a new engine. I swooped it up, and ended up taking it to a guy a few hours away from me to have a "supposedly rebuilt" 5.7 engine installed for around $4k dollars... Which seemed like an OK price... and he told me he was the "hemi guy", and had rebuilt over 200 hemis with no issues... He installed the engine, I brought it home and drove it back and forth to work for about a month, racking up almost 3k miles after the new install, when 2 lifters decided to collapse on me... I took it back to him (a 3.5 hour haul, each way) to repair it. After a couple days, I go back and pick my truck up.... he charges me another $140 for the repair which he said was 2 lifters, 2 pushrods plus the head gaskets... I paid it, and took the truck home.. Well.. now I haven't even put 2k miles on the truck and it has thrown another lifer or 2 (ticking louder than the last time they failed). I know this can't be that common of a problem, for lifters to fail around every oil change... What can this guy be doing wrong?... do I have any options or am I really just out over $4k for this ****? Anyone had an issue like this before?

 

[DILLIGAF]

If he used OEM parts hes not a HEMi guy... lol.

 

[MudSkipper]

He is using aftermarket garbage... OEM is the best lifters... And why is he charging you for a broken truck.

Which lifters was it? it could be there is a clogged rocker shaft.

He can buy 4 lifters for 50$ for the worst enginetechs but even the enginetechs should last longer than that. These hemi flippers rebuild things as "cheaply" as possible and dont clean or replace things they should.

If you have even minor mechanical skills you can do this job. I would take off the valve covers and find out which ones are bad, the pushrods are probably trashed again.

But something is wrong, those lifters are locking up or something. I would open up the bad side and take pics. It should tell you whats going on.

 

[HemiLonestar]

Stop using Enginetech lifters lol.

 

[Dirty D]

ive heard the hellcat lifters are the way to go. I think its been mentioned a few times here on this forum

 

[MudSkipper]

all new lifters since 2015 are "hellcat" lifters... they end in code AD. There was only a minor change(chamfer inside) to help with startup ticking.

I 99% believe it was due to the bankruptcy, the higher stresses put on eagle lifters(tolerances needed) and the manufacturing was not able to handle the quality (maybe the vendor switched?). They were always made in Germany... I believe in the melling plant? was melling stiffed? during the really bad years 10-13-14... i don't know why the 09's seem to be exempt but I never heard a lot of issues coming from them... 10-11 being the height.

 

[Dirty D]

all new lifters since 2015 are "hellcat" lifters... they end in code AD. There was only a minor change(chamfer inside) to help with startup ticking.

I 99% believe it was due to the bankruptcy, the higher stresses put on eagle lifters(tolerances needed) and the manufacturing was not able to handle the quality (maybe the vendor switched?). They were always made in Germany... I believe in the melling plant? was melling stiffed? during the really bad years 10-13-14... i don't know why the 09's seem to be exempt but I never heard a lot of issues coming from them... 10-11 being the height.

ahh ok, i didn't realize it was all 2015+ lifters. so to build on that, are there better options for higher quality/better performing lifters out there?

sorry OP don't mean to hijack the thread here.

 

[Lee Peterson]

Comp cam has some good lifters if going non mds
.

 

[DILLIGAF]

ive heard the hellcat lifters are the way to go. I think its been mentioned a few times here on this forum

Yup! NON MDS lifters are the only way to go along with removing all the MDS crap.

 

[MudSkipper]

Comp cam has some good lifters if going non mds
.

Don't think they make them currently... they have been "coming soon" for years now.

Just get OEM recent lifters and your good...

 

[nicko368]

I replaced all the lifters myself over the weekend. The pushrods still looked flawless so I reused them (installed them the exact way they came out). Torqued everything to spec, soaked the lifters for 4 hours before install, got it all back together, I used mopar oem lifters, and it was pretty noisy on first start up, but it quitened down after about 10 minutes of idling,, but Still have somewhat decent ticking coming from the driver side, going to pull the valve covers this weekend and see if I can find the culprit.... Can anyone explain what this Liqui-Moli actually does?

 

[nicko368]

Stop using Enginetech lifters lol.

Just replaced with new mopar lifters which ran me $650 for the set.... I pulled the cam and it looks absolutely flawless... so I reinstalled it... no cracks in any of the valve springs... my next assumption is maybe just a cheap weak oil pump? I know everyone says this is just a small percentage of hemis that do this, but the forums seem to tell a completely opposite story... I'm really blown out of my mind by these engines' problems

 

[MudSkipper]

you can easily check the oil pressure with an obd reader and a phone app

I use the laptop version or if you know someone. I seriously doubt its low oil pressure. I use a bluetooth wireless with appcar diag fca(you can do tons of other stuff with it).

So it still ticking on the one side? Okay a upper end ticking is play somewhere.

Something is wrong... i would lean towards a rocker arm...

Did you replace the springs for another 50$ while you were in there?

Honestly this is just a matter of knowledge about these engines... there is nothing strange with the hemi.

as for your "rebuilder" Did he give you a list of what he did or replaced?

Didn't you get warranty? What lifters did he uses? Did you get a 4000$ engine replace job with no warranty?

The rebuilt engines cam failed right? If it was a bad failure(your rebuild), the engine may have suffered more damage than he wants to admit, he might have gotten it "running" and flipped the real trouble onto you. I am really worried about the 3k failure... if your engine hemi "Pro" didn't clean the engine out, of rebuild it correctly it may have had bearing damage and that is indicative of 3k mileage(it was chewing the engine)... Take pictures of the lifters he took out. If he used engine techs, it shows he was cutting corners on the rebuild...

Gen 3 Hemi REBUILD ALL HINTS AND TRICKS you need!

It got long but hey... Here is everything you need to know about rebuilding your Gen 3 Hemi.

youtu.be

but back to the issue...

Is it a double tap?

Post a video?

 

[MudSkipper]

Also is the ticking "constant"... If constant... i think you got a bad engine...

try using the "reverse" long funnel trick to pin point the tick....

I use a reverse funnel up my ear (point it at engine area).

You can try this also. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R3wDh73rxI

 

[Lyle Longboat]

2011 Ram 1500 5.7 Bad Rocker Arm Noise

youtube.com

Does it sound like this? If so, check your rocker arms.

 

[nicko368]

Okay so I tore it back down, and rockers and pushrods seem good and tight, no play at all unless you try hard to slide them on the rocker arm shaft itself. The pushrods and rockers looked good upon inspection before reinstalling. Soaked lifters for a good while before installing. Once I reach 2k rpm or so, they quiten down... I uploaded this video on YouTube so you guys could possibly give me some more input. It also has a slight miss and a sort of rough idle, just enough to cause a decent vibration on the door while it is open. I inspected the cam with a snap-on boroscope while turning the engine over by hand and it looked fine, not a single etch on it... does this sound mild enough for liqui moly to take care of?

New Mopar lifters. still have lifter noise. (only uploaded for forum views)

youtu.be

 

[Lyle Longboat]

Hmm, very faint instead of a tap-tap-tap from a lifter. Is your exhaust buttoned up good, no leaks? Does it settle down once warm or does it get worse when warmed up? Could be injectors too, but I’m not all that good with engine noises as some members on here.

 

[nicko368]

Hmm, very faint instead of a tap-tap-tap from a lifter. Is your exhaust buttoned up good, no leaks? Does it settle down once warm or does it get worse when warmed up? Could be injectors too, but I’m not all that good with engine noises as some members on here.

Definitely a "tap tap tap". My phone isn't picking up the high-pitch pinging of the contact. The exhaust is nice and sealed. Checked all manifold bolts and they are good and the gasket is new, I'm really scratching my head on this one.... it remains the same once warmed up. This video was captured while coolant temp was at 185°.

 

[Wild one]

Okay so I tore it back down, and rockers and pushrods seem good and tight, no play at all unless you try hard to slide them on the rocker arm shaft itself. The pushrods and rockers looked good upon inspection before reinstalling. Soaked lifters for a good while before installing. Once I reach 2k rpm or so, they quiten down... I uploaded this video on YouTube so you guys could possibly give me some more input. It also has a slight miss and a sort of rough idle, just enough to cause a decent vibration on the door while it is open. I inspected the cam with a snap-on boroscope while turning the engine over by hand and it looked fine, not a single etch on it... does this sound mild enough for liqui moly to take care of?

New Mopar lifters. still have lifter noise. (only uploaded for forum views)

youtu.be

Open the hood and make another video from both top and bottom with the hood open this time around.

 

[MudSkipper]

did you replace all your header bolts? gaskets? Did you overtighten one and break one, it sounds kinda exhaust leaky.

A lifter or rocker, would not go away at 2000 rpm. No codes right? If something goes away that's not usually a sign of a failure.