Not just another Engine oil thread.

[Truck132]

Let me start with this:

2018 ram 1500 5.7 hemi four-wheel-drive. I’m the second owner.

I bought the truck with 27,280 miles on the odometer in 2021…..

At 31,000 miles the rear end had to receive new bearings , races, and seals


At 39,880 the engine had to be replaced with a long block because they found heavy metal particles in the oil pan.IE….. hemi tick sept. 2023.
All work was done under warranty.

Now, the new engine within the last 1000 miles has developed the hemi tick again with the new motor… at 46,351 miles.
I took it to the dealer at the specified oil change, explain the problem to them, and they checked it out before the oil change.
They said any noise that was there was normal. They changed the oil and I got the vehicle back in a couple of days.
After reading through this forum, several times on different oil threads, it seems people have gone to one different type of oil or another.
The majority of the people that I have read about on the oil forms have all went to a 5w/30 oil instead of a 5W/20 oil.
I thought I would try a little heavier, weight oil and see what happened.
In my case, it made the tapping sound louder from a cold start, and you could still hear a slight noise when it was warmed up.
Also, the oil pressure went up higher than it ever did before. Like 62 to 64 psi cold when idled up above 1500 RPM.

It took much longer for the tapping noise to quiet down from a cold start with the heavier oil.

I drove around for a little while, a few short trips over the course of the next few days, maybe 25 miles total, and I replaced the heavier oil with the lighter oil. Still using the factory 399 oil filter.
I can say with 5W/20 PUP and a small bottle of lube guard, at about 100 miles the cold start tick isn’t there if you drive the truck every day and you don’t hear it when it’s warm.

My question for whoever reads this is:

Why would heavier oil make the tick worse instead of better?

It doesn’t make any sense to me.

 

[Riccochet]

A tick doesn't necessarily mean there is a lifter/cam issue. A lot of these engine tick and go 150k+ miles issue free. My 2013 had 147k miles on it when traded, ticked it's entire life, engine had zero issues.

 

[Truck132]

A tick doesn't necessarily mean there is a lifter/cam issue. A lot of these engine tick and go 150k+ miles issue free. My 2013 had 147k miles on it when traded, ticked it's entire life, engine had zero issues.

I’ve read that here on this forum in several different places.

Thanks for your input.

I guess I’m curious as to why just a small amount of viscosity or whatever is called would make that much difference as far as the tick goes.
I mean, it ticks a lot louder at start up and takes a lot longer to quiet down. Like it takes at least 30 to 45 seconds to start quiet and down. And then when it’s hot, with the heavier oil, you can hear the tick all the time…

Go back to the lighter weight oil and it only ticks. It started for 5 to 7 seconds when it’s cold and then it’s pretty well quiet once it warms up?????

 

[Wild one]

I’ve read that here on this forum in several different places.

Thanks for your input.

I guess I’m curious as to why just a small amount of viscosity or whatever is called would make that much difference as far as the tick goes.
I mean, it ticks a lot louder at start up and takes a lot longer to quiet down. Like it takes at least 30 to 45 seconds to start quiet and down. And then when it’s hot, with the heavier oil, you can hear the tick all the time…

Go back to the lighter weight oil and it only ticks. It started for 5 to 7 seconds when it’s cold and then it’s pretty well quiet once it warms up?????

You sure you're not hearing piston slap,instead of lifter tick,as what you're describing sounds more like piston slap,which is also a known issue.
If you read through the oil threads,you'll also find piston slap mentioned.

 

[Truck132]

You sure you're not hearing piston slap,instead of lifter tick,as what you're describing sounds more like piston slap,which is also a known issue.
If you read through the oil threads,you'll also find piston slap mentioned.

I’ve heard a piston slap on small block Chevrolet’s, and the twin Harley‘s, it doesn’t sound like what’s going on with my engine. It’s just different sound.
I have three year 100,000 mile warranty on that brand new long block.
I’ve just never heard of a heavier oil making the engine louder.

 

[Tulecreeper]

A tick doesn't necessarily mean there is a lifter/cam issue. A lot of these engine tick and go 150k+ miles issue free. My 2013 had 147k miles on it when traded, ticked it's entire life, engine had zero issues.

My Silverado 1500 4x4 had a 'tick' from Day #1. Sounds strange, but I could only hear it with my window down when driving by a wall or center divider on my left and it echoed off the structure. Standing next to the truck you couldn't hear anything. Did it for 200,000 miles for over 23 years.

 

[bluecheese]

5W/20 PUP

Forgive my ignorance, but does PUP stand for Penzoil Ultimate Platinum? Or something else?

 

[Daviddnv]

I've read some of the tick threads, lifter threads, oil threads, etc and I can't help but think it's all related to a weak oil pump. I'm no machinic, so feel free to correct me, but the oil has to make it up to the lifters, and that's the pump. A weak pump and less oil gets up there, thicker oil and less oil gets up there. Just seems logical to me. I check my oil psi at start up (2022 5.7 4x4) and it's around 50 psi at cold start with Moble1 full synthetic. No tick/issues so far at about 55k miles.

 

[Daw14]

Forgive my ignorance, but does PUP stand for Penzoil Ultimate Platinum? Or something else?

Yes . I like 5w30 redline , as it has made my hemi quite and smooth.

 

[Riccochet]

I've read some of the tick threads, lifter threads, oil threads, etc and I can't help but think it's all related to a weak oil pump. I'm no machinic, so feel free to correct me, but the oil has to make it up to the lifters, and that's the pump. A weak pump and less oil gets up there, thicker oil and less oil gets up there. Just seems logical to me. I check my oil psi at start up (2022 5.7 4x4) and it's around 50 psi at cold start with Moble1 full synthetic. No tick/issues so far at about 55k miles.

The lifter rollers are not oiled that way. There's no pass through in them to allow oil to flow to the roller. The rollers and cam lobes are oiled via crank sling.

A more powerful oil pump won't make a difference with lubrication. It will keep lifters pressurized at higher RPM's if performance is your goal.

 

[Daviddnv]

The lifter rollers are not oiled that way. There's no pass through in them to allow oil to flow to the roller. The rollers and cam lobes are oiled via crank sling.

A more powerful oil pump won't make a difference with lubrication. It will keep lifters pressurized at higher RPM's if performance is your goal.

Ah, thanks for the correction. So is it still a lack (for a lack of better term) of oil or lubrication? or is it a tolerance flaw in the parts? Seems like it has to be one of those two things. Either it's lubed correctly, and the parts are out of spec or it's not lubed correctly, and the parts are in spec. I'm sure this has all been hashed out in the 1000s of other comments, but I don't think it's just luck or bad luck. For now, I'll call myself lucky since I don't have any issues, lol.

 

[bluecheese]

A more powerful oil pump won't make a difference with lubrication. It will keep lifters pressurized at higher RPM's if performance is your goal.

Thoughts on this video?

YouTube - Reignited - Hemi Oil Pump

 

[Riccochet]

Thoughts on this video?

YouTube - Reignited - Hemi Oil Pump

I've commented on that video and the guy has no idea what he's talking about. There is a galley that feeds the lifters, but the lifters do not have any pass through to oil the rollers. None. Those galley's are only there to pressurize the lifters. There is also a galley directly below the cam that is used for MDS. The other issue is the lifters are at such a shallow angle that they don't allow for run down of any oil that may get past them.

I went down this rabbit hole on my 2017 when I Whipple'd it. I had the block torn apart. This wasn't the first 3rd gen Hemi I've taken apart, replaced cam/lifters and entire rotating assemblies.

The only way the rollers and cam lobes are lubricated are via crank sling. The other option is to install Johnson axle oiling lifters and a high pressure oil pump.

edit: If you go with a high pressure oil pump you have to take some things in to consideration. You're going to risk having oil seal failures, carbon issues via burning it and blow by, possible bypass of the oil filter if pressure gets too high. Plan accordingly.

 

[Burla]

Was the starting temp lower then 40f? 25 miles you certainly didn't give it anytime. If it is literally cold not just cold start, most likely thing we see over and over is piston slap with 5w30 and higher. Going into winter in cold place I wouldn't even try 5w30 first just from the 100's of reports on the board, the choice should have been 0w30 in that situation. Another aspect of oils and hemi's one thing is FOR SURE, not any given strategy is the answer for all rams, just accept what is and find a solution for your truck, which is what you did. Two parts to any strategy, finding the correct visc and/of finding the right additive or the right oil based on it's additive pack. My question would be before dumping why not try the biotech? or did that have biotech?

 

[Truck132]

Well, let’s move forward.
I just wanted to know why when I put a little thicker oil in there it compounded, or, made the tick louder, it took longer for the loud part of the tick to go away, and when the engine was finally warmed up, I still had a little of the tick there versus using the thinner oil, I would have a little tick and then it would finally go away once it was warmed up

 

[Truck132]

Thanks for all the replies

 

[dchapma1957]

Let me start with this:

2018 ram 1500 5.7 hemi four-wheel-drive. I’m the second owner.

I bought the truck with 27,280 miles on the odometer in 2021…..

At 31,000 miles the rear end had to receive new bearings , races, and seals


At 39,880 the engine had to be replaced with a long block because they found heavy metal particles in the oil pan.IE….. hemi tick sept. 2023.
All work was done under warranty.

Now, the new engine within the last 1000 miles has developed the hemi tick again with the new motor… at 46,351 miles.
I took it to the dealer at the specified oil change, explain the problem to them, and they checked it out before the oil change.
They said any noise that was there was normal. They changed the oil and I got the vehicle back in a couple of days.
After reading through this forum, several times on different oil threads, it seems people have gone to one different type of oil or another.
The majority of the people that I have read about on the oil forms have all went to a 5w/30 oil instead of a 5W/20 oil.
I thought I would try a little heavier, weight oil and see what happened.
In my case, it made the tapping sound louder from a cold start, and you could still hear a slight noise when it was warmed up.
Also, the oil pressure went up higher than it ever did before. Like 62 to 64 psi cold when idled up above 1500 RPM.

It took much longer for the tapping noise to quiet down from a cold start with the heavier oil.

I drove around for a little while, a few short trips over the course of the next few days, maybe 25 miles total, and I replaced the heavier oil with the lighter oil. Still using the factory 399 oil filter.
I can say with 5W/20 PUP and a small bottle of lube guard, at about 100 miles the cold start tick isn’t there if you drive the truck every day and you don’t hear it when it’s warm.

My question for whoever reads this is:

Why would heavier oil make the tick worse instead of better?

It doesn’t make any sense to me.

The heavier oil made mine tick after a fresh Cam/Lifter rebuild! I immediately switched to the recocmmended 5W-20 and the tick went away and has not come back.

 

[Mrblonde]

Did you ever get a diagnosis? I had a tick that turned out to be the exhaust manifold. It goes away after the manifold heats up a bit but ya its ridiculous because it turns out to be such a common thing in these trucks. They use cheap bolts that break. Mine broke around 50k miles.

 

[Truck132]

To answer two questions with one reply, in the 25 or so miles, yes. I let the engine heat up completely each time I went to drive it. A minimum of 185 to 190° before I ever left the house. It ticked worse with the heavier oil then with the 5W/20.
And yes, I did get it diagnosed. The dealership said it was normal noise, not to worry about it.

Seeing as I have three year unlimited mileage on the motor, I’m just gonna do my oil changes, keep the documentation, and let it ride.

 

[Riccochet]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. The tick is normal. Every one of my Hemi's has has a "tick" from new. None of them have failed. It's when the tick turns in to a loud clatter you have to be worried.

Hemi's tick. Sometimes oil gets rid of it, sometimes not. It didn't on mine. I ran Red Line for years, tick remained.