tick, yep, again, another

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0x00

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Ticking, badly, history:
2003 1500 5.7 bought new
Tcked lightly from new. Forever, almost.....Never an issue.
At some point, exhaust manifold hardware was replaced with custom stainless parts. They thereafter remained attached and so did the tin. (I STILL NEED TO VERIFY NOT THE ISSUE but the new tick is really bad and metallic)
267,*** miles and #1 intake spring broke. I had to drive it several hundred miles before......
Replaced all springs and began the 270K service (plugs). NO OIL OR FILTER YET.
Engine was PERFECT no more light tick, sounded and ran great.....for a while.
Now, there is a VERY PRONOUNCED METALLIC tick from the #1 area. So bad it bothers me an I have a lot of experience and I don't whine about little noises.....
It really bothers me that it was perfect after spring replacement for at least a couple hundred miles then got a tick worse than ever.
I don't drive it a lot but I 'think' there was no tick upon new springs, then I noticed a tick and now its so bad I am considering tearing it down to have a looksee. Probably 10 - 20 trips since springs, some up to 60 miles.

Thoughts? wiped lobe? bent pushrod(hard to explain), bad lifter, damaged by spring breakage (maybe explainable? maybe running a while with less spring load did something to it?)

If thoughts are towards cam/lifter, does anyone know if dirver side head can come off/out with engine in car? (crying at the thought of it).
 

RamDiver

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Does this noise ever change in loudness or tonal quality from a cold start to warm or under significant engine load?

You may very well have a case of the famous Hemi tick but it would be prudent to eliminate the simple easy fixes first.

Have you checked the exhaust manifold bolts? They're notorious for working themselves loose and driving users crazy with the racket.


And, welcome.gif to Ram Forum. :cool:

.
 
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0x00

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Overall I think it is getting louger over time (from not audible to OMG) I 'think' it was louder after warmup last drive cycle (but I moved it from outside to garage and rolling indoors would make echos). I'll monitor more and look at exhaust hardware (was a PITA to make stainless stepped studs but it lasted forever afterwards-unless one just broke). It looks like it was March 2015 when I bought M6 and M8 stainless flanged serrated locknuts, so that's about when I made the stainless studs.

THANKS FOR THE WELCOME!
 
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0x00

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It's also there all the time, I think. At idle, cold, warm and low- mid- power cruise I can hear it and I have studded general grabbers mounted. At high power I can't hear anything but intake and exhaust, as expected. After some high power then idle at a stop light/sign, it's a bit quieter but becomes obviously 'every other revolution.' That is, it is very slow tick that clearly 'sounds to me' like one rocker-rod-lifter-lobe issue.
 

CanRebel

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As @RamDiver said check the easy things first. I'm going go with it's cam/lifter issue though. For 2003 and 270K that's not too bad to start having issues.

Could be something else. Are you noticing it being slow, getting any codes, bad gas mileage, etc...
 
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0x00

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Faster than ever, probably the new plugs. It eats plugs, about 0.009-0.010 inch every 30K (cheapest copper OEM spec).
For anyone curious, after driving for quite a while with the broken spring (to get it home) it took quite a while after repair for the fuel trims to correct themselves. Maybe 10-15 miles in 20-30 minutes of mixed easy driving. Then it was super perfect and quiet for a short while (200 miles or so) then loud, metallic tick. I will definitely remove the tin on exhaust and look around assuming the SS hardware didn't gall-weld together.
Maybe also swap oil filter and cut open.

thanks!
 

jws123

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Upload a vid of it running will help alot to determine what is making the noise. 3rd gen hemis are not known for lifter and cam issues however you have a very high mileage truck.
 
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0x00

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There are three 5-second videos of the LH head cover front, in timestamp order:
earliest: immediately after cold start, approx 45F in garage, 670 r/m, temp at low end of scalen not moved yet.
middle: after some warming, temp needle beginning to move, at low end of scale, 620 r/m
latest: fully warm after driving around the hood a little, 620 r/m, temp at normal (1/8" below center mark, had been there at least 10 minutes).

Let me know if the google drive doesn't work.......I couldn't find any other way to post video.
 
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G-Ride990

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There are three 5-second videos of the LH head cover front, in timestamp order:
earliest: immediately after cold start, approx 45F in garage, 670 r/m, temp at low end of scalen not moved yet.
middle: after some warming, temp needle beginning to move, at low end of scale, 620 r/m
latest: fully warm after driving around the hood a little, 620 r/m, temp at normal (1/8" below center mark, had been there at least 10 minutes).

Let me know if the google drive doesn't work.......I couldn't find any other way to post video.
Toss it on youtube. That link made me request access to your google drive. Don't think you want that.
 
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0x00

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So, I don't have a youtube account so I thought I would double check the link and make sure the share permission was 'anyone with the link' for the second time I checked that box. But I can't see the link in my post to edit. strange. Here it is again:

 
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0x00

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I think moderator stripped the link? Can you still see it in post #8? I cannot.....it says edited by moderator. Anyway, that is fine, thank you.
I see I got the link wrong again, only one clip. trying again:

 
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0x00

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link to folder works for me, should be wide open to all.
 
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0x00

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FWIW, it was a quart low. I added some. but as expected, no change. I might: pull head cover and look in (I can measure the lift of several intake valves for comparison and discussion), and/or, fill oil with 15W-40 for testing.
 

jws123

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So, I don't have a youtube account so I thought I would double check the link and make sure the share permission was 'anyone with the link' for the second time I checked that box. But I can't see the link in my post to edit. strange. Here it is again:

after you check and 100% confirm you have no exhaust leaks at the manifold well then yes it sounds like its time to tear it down and do a full rebuild wouldnt make sense to do a partial rebuild on this or just go find a guy on facebook or a junk yard get a used engine cheap usually 800-1300 depends on miles.
 

wlsx551

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My "tick" on my 5.7 was a failed needle bearing on the roller rocker. Ate the cam lobe and required rebuild.
 

Mark47ak

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Ticking, badly, history:
2003 1500 5.7 bought new
Tcked lightly from new. Forever, almost.....Never an issue.
At some point, exhaust manifold hardware was replaced with custom stainless parts. They thereafter remained attached and so did the tin. (I STILL NEED TO VERIFY NOT THE ISSUE but the new tick is really bad and metallic)
267,*** miles and #1 intake spring broke. I had to drive it several hundred miles before......
Replaced all springs and began the 270K service (plugs). NO OIL OR FILTER YET.
Engine was PERFECT no more light tick, sounded and ran great.....for a while.
Now, there is a VERY PRONOUNCED METALLIC tick from the #1 area. So bad it bothers me an I have a lot of experience and I don't whine about little noises.....
It really bothers me that it was perfect after spring replacement for at least a couple hundred miles then got a tick worse than ever.
I don't drive it a lot but I 'think' there was no tick upon new springs, then I noticed a tick and now its so bad I am considering tearing it down to have a looksee. Probably 10 - 20 trips since springs, some up to 60 miles.

Thoughts? wiped lobe? bent pushrod(hard to explain), bad lifter, damaged by spring breakage (maybe explainable? maybe running a while with less spring load did something to it?)

If thoughts are towards cam/lifter, does anyone know if dirver side head can come off/out with engine in car? (crying at the thought of it).
Look for video on you tube about 6.4 lifter noise, roller bearing clasped and scored cam shaft. VIDEO well done.
 

Clarks Customs

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It sounds more like a lifter. If you have a stethoscope (you can get a cheap one at Harbor Freight) place the probe on the engine block just under the head and manifold. Move the probe around until the ticking is the loudest. This will give you an idea of which bank and cylinder to focus on. If you can remove the valve cover, have someone crank the engine over while you watch the rocker arm movement on the suspect cylinder. If you notice a significant difference in rocker arm motion relative the other rocker arms, you are probably looking at 1 of 4 possible issues.
1) Broken valve spring
2) Bent push rod or broken rocker arm
3) Collaped lifter or damaged roller on the lifter.
4) damaged lob on the cam

No's 1 & 2 can be repaired with engine entact.
No's 3 & 4 will require removing the heads and replacing the cam and lifter(s)
 
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0x00

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BAD NEWS:

The springs I put in are the new 'shouded' design. The shrouds are riding up the coils and at least one (#7 intake) is touching the rocker. A couple others are 'partially riding up' but not interfering yet.

Stand by for pix of driver side rocker train.

Bad, but maybe not as bad as removing the heads. ANYONE KNOW if there are special install techniques for the shrouded springs? I didn't do anything special, just put them in. Is there something on the bottom to 'index' the shroud into a fixed position? Googling now :(
 
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0x00

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Enginetech valve springs fail. Shrouds 'ride up' on springs, cut into rockers doing damage. Have to tear down and replace with reputable parts. don't do it. Their support contact only says 'we can't help.'
 

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0x00

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EngineTech failure
 

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