- Joined
- Nov 21, 2018
- Posts
- 298
- Reaction score
- 392
- Location
- North Carolina
- Ram Year
- 2017
- Engine
- Hemi 5.7
Update (both on my truck and my wife):
It's been a bit since the post below.
FIRST - On my wife: she survived, beyond all expectations, a total of 12 strokes - of which most happened in the hospital between 1 Jun and 5 Jun. At the time of this posting, it was not expected for her to survive - she had been on life support for several weeks. During that time, they determined that the strokes had been cause by an infected mitral heart valve that was basically tearing itself apart. They put her on a broad spectrum antibiotic (vancomycin). However, her mental status continued to deteriorate. It was at this point - two weeks in (which felt like forever) that I remembered she has a bad reaction to vanc. I insisted they pull her off the vanc, and the next day she started showing better mental status. The following week they were able to extubate her - they did not think she would be able to breathe on her own, swallow, control her airway, walk, talk, use her limbs - basically nothing. They expected to have to do a tracheotomy. However, she DID start breathing on her own. She started talking (barely a whisper at the time). She was able to start moving her limbs. Soon she was able to stand. Then walk. The cardiologist - who did not think he was going to be able to do the surgery to replace her heart valve, personally told me it was a miracle, and scheduled her for open heart surgery the next week to replace the valve. The infectious disease doc said that had I not insisted on having my wife taken off the vanc, chances are she would not be alive, and that I had made the 100% correct call in advocating to have my wife taken off of it. The neurologist (who dealt with the stroke issue only) refuses to talk to me, because she told me that my wife would never be the same person again, and that she'd be in hospice or a full time nursing home on a trache - and that even if she came home, it would be at least 6-12 months before she would be able to even start trying to recover her swallowing, walking, etc. My wife, came home just one week after her heart surgery, with a new valve in her heart, a long scar down her chest, and a feeding tube (PEG) for backup in case she couldn't eat due to continued issues with swallowing food, but that are still improving every day. The other day, she walked around the entire grocery store mulitple times while we were shopping.
To those of you that read my first post a couple of months ago - especially those who prayed, wished well, or had positive thoughts: Thank you! To those of you who took the time to answer my truck questions, which I'll detail what I'm probably going to do in a moment, also: Thank you!
SECOND: On my truck: I've decided to swap the engine out. I was thinking I'd do one of the following, but I suspect that option 1) is going to be pretty complicated, whereas, option 2) is going to prettymuch be a yank and replace..
Option 1) Swap for a 5.7 for a 6.4L remanufactured engine, preferrably with the MDS delete on it, from Frazier Engine Company (if you know of any other really good remanufactured engines let me know). Cost is about $6000 (for the egnine - I haven't priced transmissions yet), with a $1100 core return once I return the old 5.7 engine. That being said, the (st)ealership said that I should also replace the transmission due to the amount of metal in my oil. I believe the transmission an 8HP75/II. I was thinking if I am going to do all this work to replace the engine, I should go ahead and swap the old trans for an 8HP95. I don't know if it's a direct swap, and the other questions I have are: Do I need to upgrade the drive shaft? What about the differenctial? and Last, what about the axles and 4wd, etc.?
Option 2) Replace the current 5.7 with another 5.7 - but I definitely will do the MDS delete in this case. If I go this route, should I still go with the higher gear ratio of the 8HP95, or just replace with a like 8HP75/II? Cost is about $5100, again with an $1100 core return.
What are your thoughts?
TIA!
Marc
Original post below =================================================================================================
I need some opinions - honest ones - not BS or being snarky. Here's the deal: My 2017 RAM 1500 Laramie Limited, started having a #3 cylinder misfire on the way home from the hospital, where my wife is currently in ICU. I knew this was bad. I don't have time, energy, or desire to do any repairs myself due to my wife's situation. I contacted a dealership. They came and picked the truck up. At that point, I wanted to just get the problem diagnosed. They did that - for about $800 - mainly because it involved the top end tear down. The tear down revealed that the lifters for that cylinder had collapsed. They also ran an oil analysis - lots - like LOTS of metal in it. They say that per RAM, the engine needs to be replaced - whole long block. Cost: $12,500+, not including labor, parts, and materials. The truck, in my BEST opinion, is worth under $25,000 when it was running. My wife is most likely not going to be able to come home within the next 6-12 months ASSUMING she recovers at all (she had multiple strokes). I'm not looking for sympathy, but a private prayer for her would be welcome if you don't mind. That all being said, my original plan a year ago, was to replace the engine anyway in a year or two with either a junk yard salvage one, or buy a new short block, and rebuild it from a 5.7L to a 6.2L. I think I'd still like to do this but just can't for at least many months. I have a lot of "bling" in my truck - custom covers for battery, oil, radiator, etc., Decked cargo drawers, rollbars, flood/strobe lights, etc. I'd hate to throw all that away...
Anyway, these are the options as I see them:
1) Pay the dealership to replace the engine - Cost: $15,000+. As a side note: They'd be willing to do the required work to convert the 5.7 to a 6.2 (it's basically a camshaft and pushrod change). Turnaround: About a month or two. I don't have that kind of cash, and I have other projects I was literally in the middle of when my wife went to the hospital a month ago.
2) Let the dealership have the truck and get them to give me whatever they thought it was worth in current condition (yeah - I KNOW it's going to be maybe 10% of the actual value if the truck was running), then plop what they give me + about $8,000 I do have saved into a new or used truck and finance the rest if needed. Turnaround: Take a week to do the deed, but I don't plan to buy until I need to - I have my wife's JEEP for everything that doesn't need a truck - so no hard/fast need to do it ASAP.
3) Park the truck at my house. When I'm able and willing, pull the old engine, get a junk yard salvage, and either put it in, or convert it and then put it in. It would probably sit for at least 6-12 months before I could begin the project, if not longer.
4) Get the truck to a junk yard and part it out, then take money and get replacement truck. Turnaround: several months.
Are there any other options I'm missing? What would you do (YES, I am focused on taking care of my wife - and unfortunately, I can't force her to HEAL - I am by her side every day for at least two or three hours) ?
My world is completely screwed up right now and I could use some honest thoughts.
Thanks.
It's been a bit since the post below.
FIRST - On my wife: she survived, beyond all expectations, a total of 12 strokes - of which most happened in the hospital between 1 Jun and 5 Jun. At the time of this posting, it was not expected for her to survive - she had been on life support for several weeks. During that time, they determined that the strokes had been cause by an infected mitral heart valve that was basically tearing itself apart. They put her on a broad spectrum antibiotic (vancomycin). However, her mental status continued to deteriorate. It was at this point - two weeks in (which felt like forever) that I remembered she has a bad reaction to vanc. I insisted they pull her off the vanc, and the next day she started showing better mental status. The following week they were able to extubate her - they did not think she would be able to breathe on her own, swallow, control her airway, walk, talk, use her limbs - basically nothing. They expected to have to do a tracheotomy. However, she DID start breathing on her own. She started talking (barely a whisper at the time). She was able to start moving her limbs. Soon she was able to stand. Then walk. The cardiologist - who did not think he was going to be able to do the surgery to replace her heart valve, personally told me it was a miracle, and scheduled her for open heart surgery the next week to replace the valve. The infectious disease doc said that had I not insisted on having my wife taken off the vanc, chances are she would not be alive, and that I had made the 100% correct call in advocating to have my wife taken off of it. The neurologist (who dealt with the stroke issue only) refuses to talk to me, because she told me that my wife would never be the same person again, and that she'd be in hospice or a full time nursing home on a trache - and that even if she came home, it would be at least 6-12 months before she would be able to even start trying to recover her swallowing, walking, etc. My wife, came home just one week after her heart surgery, with a new valve in her heart, a long scar down her chest, and a feeding tube (PEG) for backup in case she couldn't eat due to continued issues with swallowing food, but that are still improving every day. The other day, she walked around the entire grocery store mulitple times while we were shopping.
To those of you that read my first post a couple of months ago - especially those who prayed, wished well, or had positive thoughts: Thank you! To those of you who took the time to answer my truck questions, which I'll detail what I'm probably going to do in a moment, also: Thank you!
SECOND: On my truck: I've decided to swap the engine out. I was thinking I'd do one of the following, but I suspect that option 1) is going to be pretty complicated, whereas, option 2) is going to prettymuch be a yank and replace..
Option 1) Swap for a 5.7 for a 6.4L remanufactured engine, preferrably with the MDS delete on it, from Frazier Engine Company (if you know of any other really good remanufactured engines let me know). Cost is about $6000 (for the egnine - I haven't priced transmissions yet), with a $1100 core return once I return the old 5.7 engine. That being said, the (st)ealership said that I should also replace the transmission due to the amount of metal in my oil. I believe the transmission an 8HP75/II. I was thinking if I am going to do all this work to replace the engine, I should go ahead and swap the old trans for an 8HP95. I don't know if it's a direct swap, and the other questions I have are: Do I need to upgrade the drive shaft? What about the differenctial? and Last, what about the axles and 4wd, etc.?
Option 2) Replace the current 5.7 with another 5.7 - but I definitely will do the MDS delete in this case. If I go this route, should I still go with the higher gear ratio of the 8HP95, or just replace with a like 8HP75/II? Cost is about $5100, again with an $1100 core return.
What are your thoughts?
TIA!
Marc
Original post below =================================================================================================
I need some opinions - honest ones - not BS or being snarky. Here's the deal: My 2017 RAM 1500 Laramie Limited, started having a #3 cylinder misfire on the way home from the hospital, where my wife is currently in ICU. I knew this was bad. I don't have time, energy, or desire to do any repairs myself due to my wife's situation. I contacted a dealership. They came and picked the truck up. At that point, I wanted to just get the problem diagnosed. They did that - for about $800 - mainly because it involved the top end tear down. The tear down revealed that the lifters for that cylinder had collapsed. They also ran an oil analysis - lots - like LOTS of metal in it. They say that per RAM, the engine needs to be replaced - whole long block. Cost: $12,500+, not including labor, parts, and materials. The truck, in my BEST opinion, is worth under $25,000 when it was running. My wife is most likely not going to be able to come home within the next 6-12 months ASSUMING she recovers at all (she had multiple strokes). I'm not looking for sympathy, but a private prayer for her would be welcome if you don't mind. That all being said, my original plan a year ago, was to replace the engine anyway in a year or two with either a junk yard salvage one, or buy a new short block, and rebuild it from a 5.7L to a 6.2L. I think I'd still like to do this but just can't for at least many months. I have a lot of "bling" in my truck - custom covers for battery, oil, radiator, etc., Decked cargo drawers, rollbars, flood/strobe lights, etc. I'd hate to throw all that away...
Anyway, these are the options as I see them:
1) Pay the dealership to replace the engine - Cost: $15,000+. As a side note: They'd be willing to do the required work to convert the 5.7 to a 6.2 (it's basically a camshaft and pushrod change). Turnaround: About a month or two. I don't have that kind of cash, and I have other projects I was literally in the middle of when my wife went to the hospital a month ago.
2) Let the dealership have the truck and get them to give me whatever they thought it was worth in current condition (yeah - I KNOW it's going to be maybe 10% of the actual value if the truck was running), then plop what they give me + about $8,000 I do have saved into a new or used truck and finance the rest if needed. Turnaround: Take a week to do the deed, but I don't plan to buy until I need to - I have my wife's JEEP for everything that doesn't need a truck - so no hard/fast need to do it ASAP.
3) Park the truck at my house. When I'm able and willing, pull the old engine, get a junk yard salvage, and either put it in, or convert it and then put it in. It would probably sit for at least 6-12 months before I could begin the project, if not longer.
4) Get the truck to a junk yard and part it out, then take money and get replacement truck. Turnaround: several months.
Are there any other options I'm missing? What would you do (YES, I am focused on taking care of my wife - and unfortunately, I can't force her to HEAL - I am by her side every day for at least two or three hours) ?
My world is completely screwed up right now and I could use some honest thoughts.
Thanks.
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