Poll: How many Hemi owners actually experience the tick?

[etbrown4]

The number 1 topic on Ram forums seems to be Hemi ticks. It's enough to scare all owners, but yet my last hemi went 120k and no issues. Many others report the same, yet a good number report ticks.

So what might help us all could be to learn how often the tick really occurs? Maybe a poll can offer perspective as to what % of hemi owners experience it.

Do 50% of owners experience it or is it more like 5% etc?

We shall see.

 

[Riccochet]

Both my 2013 and 2017 ticked. Wasn't a cam/lifter issue though. They just ticked from day one. The 2013 had 147k miles on it when I traded it in, still ran great.

A tick does not mean failure.

 

[British Bulldog]

My 2014 had a squeal on start up cold and tick , 40k manifolds and poss lifter. Traded.
My 2017 had new engine for out of round piston and noise 30k. Fixed and got a fantastic trade( Covid time)
My 2021 had lifter tick and horrendous cold start tick 24k unless I babied it. Did all the oil/filter recommends on here. Helped but didn’t cure. Traded it in.

2025 3.0 SST HO. Silent. Hope I don’t regret it but so far, not!

 

[Sherman Bird]

Both my 2013 and 2017 ticked. Wasn't a cam/lifter issue though. They just ticked from day one. The 2013 had 147k miles on it when I traded it in, still ran great.

A tick does not mean failure.

That really ticks me off!

 

[Farmer Fran]

2020 5.7 had the tick

2025 HO quiet as can be

 

[turkeybird56]

2020 5.7 had the tick

2025 HO quiet as can be

Compare 5.7 to 3.0 not compatible. Let’s hope the new 3.0 inline 6 not have those issues.

 

[Curmudgeon]

I voted "no".

I bought my 2014 used. It was first sold in 03/2015 (2-year lease maybe?) then put up for sale by the same dealer in 03/2017. I bought it with 22,000 miles in 07/2017 and still under new vehicle warranty. All to say I haven't had it since new, but pretty close. Odometer right now is getting close to 115,000 and due for an oil change.

All dealer serviced including oil changes up to 2023, using the cheaper Mopar filter and whatever bulk oil. I asked and paid for Pennzoil full synthetic 5w-20, but who knows.

Right now I'm running a RP 20-820 filter and 5w-30 Red Line. I seem to be going through exhaust manifolds like candy, and it's noisy at first start then quiet when warm - but no tick so far.

 

[etbrown4]

Op here. I probably should have said, experienced the hemi tick (excluding manifold) but let's see how this poll works out.

 

[Wild one]

The number 1 topic on Ram forums seems to be Hemi ticks. It's enough to scare all owners, but yet my last hemi went 120k and no issues. Many others report the same, yet a good number report ticks.

So what might help us all could be to learn how often the tick really occurs? Maybe a poll can offer perspective as to what % of hemi owners experience it.

Do 50% of owners experience it or is it more like 5% etc?

We shall see.

I think it's alot less then 5%,when you consider the amount of 5.7's on the road including the cars and jeeps,i doubt if it's even 1% of them suffer cam failures.
You only hear about the few that have the failure,you never hear about the millions that don't.
One unhappy owner,is like a rabbit,they make alot of tracks /noise

 

[06 Dodge]

I think it's alot less then 5%,when you consider the amount of 5.7's on the road including the cars and jeeps,i doubt if it's even 1% of them suffer cam failures.
You only hear about the few that have the failure,you never hear about the millions that don't.
One unhappy owner,is like a rabbit,they make alot of tracks /noise

You would be surprised how many owners I have asked about that ticking noise dont have a clue, when asked they say the shop said its normal, nothing to worry about this includes my 84 year old MIL's 2014 Durango...

 

[Wild one]

You would be surprised how many owners I have asked about that ticking noise dont have a clue, when asked they say the shop said its normal, nothing to worry about this includes my 84 year old MIL's 2014 Durango...

The hemi is an inherently noisy engine,and it has ticks orginating from the manifolds / injectors etc,besides just the cam.

 

[Stavinksi]

I’m on my second 5.7. Both great trucks, no issues. both passed the factory warranty with zero problems. Guy at work tows his camper with a 5.7 also no issues though he did have the rear window leak that I have not experienced. His is early 2020 build before they supposedly fixed that issue in the design. All 3 sit outside 24/7. I do oil every 5k vs the oil meter.

 

[Ken226]

I've had 4. Two of them still parked outside.

The only tick i've ever noticed (knock on wood), is from popped exhaust manifold screws. All remedied with a few hours and a belt sander.

 

[BlueHemi1500]

All,
I had the "tic", which was due to a manifold crack on the passenger side. It was replaced under the 5/60k warranty.
Now that I have made a public statement, the engine Gods will seek me out.
I am trying to be very careful on the oil change intervals and routine maintenance, just over 60k miles, so now to do the transmission, all the diffs, and transfer case work. A few ounces of prevention, to ward off the evil mechanical demons.

BlueHemi1500

 

[Lsully100]

Full synthetic 5W30 on a tip I saw on YouTube. Quieter for sure. Purrs like a kitten

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

11. 150k, 14, 83k, 16, 90k, 24, 12k Ram 1500s none have had the tick
Manifold issues, yup, 11 & 14.
16 no, 24. Too early to tell.

Durango 15, 37k , 23, 7k no.

Jeep 3.6. 6k Nope.

I've been lucky. Perhaps I need to purchase lottery tickets

PS, I will say this. Except for the jeep which I don't (not allowed) to drive. My hemis are either stopped sitting still in a garage not running or driven at speed or greater. As my dad use to say. Stopped or wide open. I only had 2 gears.

 

[Sherman Bird]

I think it's alot less then 5%,when you consider the amount of 5.7's on the road including the cars and jeeps,i doubt if it's even 1% of them suffer cam failures.
You only hear about the few that have the failure,you never hear about the millions that don't.
One unhappy owner,is like a rabbit,they make alot of tracks /noise

True, but markets are driven by fear of loss. I.E. Some poor putz had his 2019 whatever hupmobile and the cam goes flat. Never mind that he let the engine oil devolove into tar, the air filter has it's own colony of biological life on it, coupled with nasty oil sludge.

Then, when this guy can't find that "little" meekanik on the corner willing to prostrate himself fixing the complicated problem for peon monies, he curses the auto repair trade for trying to "rip him off" and the manufacturer because the truck isn't indestructible.

Kind of cynical, dontcha think?!!!

 

[ramffml]

This is a well intentioned poll, but I fear it's not that helpful. Maybe the OP can create a new one:

"how many owners actually had cam/lifters replaced".

"tick" is way too subjective. There are at least 5:
- manifolds
- noisy injectors (but completely normal)
- lifter bleed down
- MDS can make a faint "ticking" in the exhaust when active and under higher load
- cam/lifter failure

Not to mention other noises like piston slap which is more of a knock than a tick but whatever it gets thrown in there just for fun half the time.

And to Wild One's point; forums are going to show higher numbers than on average, nature of the beast that people join to debug or complain.

The hemi is the noisiest engine by far that I've owned. But oil choice can play a role as well as this forum loves to point out. Just upping the viscosity to a XW-30 can quiet the drive train down a lot over factory fill.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

they make alot of tracks /noise

It's called a poop trail!!

 

[Ken226]

Full synthetic 5W30 on a tip I saw on YouTube. Quieter for sure. Purrs like a kitten

I'm assuming, a typo?




Out of curiousity, how many miles do you have on it since switching to 5w30? I'm moving to a state with hotter weather next year, and will be undergoing a significant change to my driving habits. I'll probably switch to 5w30 then, if not sooner.