Purchasing Truck in Need of Lifters and a Cam?

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jedslack

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How much would you expect the price to be discounted if the high mileage vehicle was worth $9k BEFORE discovering lifter failure? Considering the truck was valued with 238k miles, would the value even change at all? Buying a truck with 238k, aren't you expecting to replace an engine?
 

TotallyHucked

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Yeah I'd go into that expecting to throw an engine and trans in it immediately. And if it's 4x4, transfer case and possible front axle (or at least seals/components). Can't say I'd pay much at all, maybe $3-5k depending on trim level and options. You're looking at probably 10k+ for an engine if a shop does it and another several thousand for a transmission. Personally I'd pass and keep looking. There's better money to be spent unless you're specifically looking for a project and can do all the work yourself.
 
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jedslack

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Im asking for a friend lol...I paid 9k before we realized the damage. It was bought from family. Im wondering if Im too late to try and renegotiate.
 

Dodge 1500 4X4

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Run and keep running from that truck, what else is destroyed, if thay let the engine run like that chances are there are metal fragments from the chewed cam and lifters that gets into the lubrication system through a VVT solenoid, you don't know what damage there is, they should give you the truck, that's what family does!!!
 

jws123

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If the truck is clean with those miles it would be worth about 7kish With needing lifters ect its worth $3000-4000.
 
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Dean2

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Whoever sold you that, being family, hopefully it was in good faith and they didn't know about the issues. I would be talking to them about they take the truck back and you get your $9,000 back. It is not worth the cost of the repairs unless the rest of the truck is absolutely pristine. I take really good care of my stiuff, but at 250,000 miles on most gas jobs, you have pretty much rung out all the value. Everything you get over 250,000, without spending a lot of dollars, is free miles.
 

David James

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How much would you expect the price to be discounted if the high mileage vehicle was worth $9k BEFORE discovering lifter failure? Considering the truck was valued with 238k miles, would the value even change at all? Buying a truck with 238k, aren't you expecting to replace an engine?
I’m not “expecting” to replace an engine just because it has 238k, or 23k. I am expecting to perform due diligence prior to purchase, do a good once over possibly with the help of a competent mechanic, to ascertain the good, the bad, and the ugly before closing a deal. At least your eyes are opened and there can be some wiggle room. Personally I’d not have pulled the trigger on this deal without the suggested inspection.
 

Black1500Ram

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I'll jump in from the other side as someone who had cam and lifter failure and repaired it myself (albeit at 100k).

Knowing you got it from family and IF you have the ability to do the repair yourself... it may not be all that bad. My total cost for my repair was in the high $2xxx range and I did a bunch of extra stuff (valve springs, hellcat oil pump, timing stuff, water pump, etc... I have a build thread if you'd like to avoid my mistakes!).

There may not be that much metal shed.. My truck had barely any shavings in the VVT and I had 1 cam lobe destroyed. I did have a magnetic oil drain bolt.

At the end of the day if the truck otherwise is well kept, I don't see what it can't be salvaged in a weekend and a few thousand dollars of work. If they're willing to cut $2k off the price I'd personally consider it still a deal amongst family.

There's plenty of people with 1500 hemis in the 3-400k mileage range.
 

Bandit1859

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How much would you expect the price to be discounted if the high mileage vehicle was worth $9k BEFORE discovering lifter failure? Considering the truck was valued with 238k miles, would the value even change at all? Buying a truck with 238k, aren't you expecting to replace an engine?
I would pass.
 
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jedslack

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Took it into the dealership today, and since there is no Check Engine Light on they told us there is nothing they can do and said the truck is running like a top. I had cleared the initial code myself so that I would be alerted if it happened again... I wasnt there for the appointment, but prior to the appointment, I specifically asked them to remove the valve covers to rule out cam failure. They wouldnt do it because the CEL wasnt on.
 

GRKN

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You haven't even confirmed it needs a cam/lifter job? Just cause it ticks doesn't mean it needs rebuilt. Hundreds of thousands of Hemis are ticking away and still going.

Also, don't listen to the people who think vehicles fall apart after 200k unless you replace every single mechanical component. That truck has lots of life left.
 
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jedslack

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You haven't even confirmed it needs a cam/lifter job? Just cause it ticks doesn't mean it needs rebuilt. Hundreds of thousands of Hemis are ticking away and still going.

Also, don't listen to the people who think vehicles fall apart after 200k unless you replace every single mechanical component. That truck has lots of life left.
Its never ticked. But the truck throws the code p0303 (cylinder 3 misfire) under heavy acceleration. Its not plugs, coils, or injector. I hope im wrong, but my guess is that a truck with a misfire may not have "lots of life left".
 
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