What was your deciding point

[mtu1293]

I went into a transaction for a 2015 AEV Prospector Megacab w/6.4bge, knowing it had engine noise. The first time I test drove it, it was obvious, and sounded like the notorious cam issue. The next time, it had no noise. The noise is there, more often than not, but again not always, which seems odd. I can get some video up of noise later.
Oil pressure 24-32 (low yes, I know my '19 runs almost double that), but odd, when you get on the throttle it does go up any higher than 32.
On the drive home after purchasing (has a winch bumper and 9.2 vplow), noticed oil temps a smidge high at 238
Haven't pulled the oil filter, or oil pan to see if any metal in them.

My thoughts are, if it is cam, then to have shop do the work, it is about $6k

New/refurbished 6.4 is $10k installed and comes with 3yr/100,000 mile warranty. Should have mentioned, this is the option I will be doing, but curious why some would choose camshaft replacement?

lol - now onto the questions:
1. Curious, why would people still just do camshaft, when for a bit more money can get new engine w/warranty?
2. Appears not all engine sales require an engine core. With that any idea what a running, but needs work 6.4 goes for?
3. Looks like with new engine install, will need water pump, oil pan, oil pickup, valve covers - debating if going aftermarket or OEM?

 

[06 Dodge]

I went into a transaction for a 2015 AEV Prospector Megacab w/6.4bge, knowing it had engine noise. The first time I test drove it, it was obvious, and sounded like the notorious cam issue. The next time, it had no noise. The noise is there, more often than not, but again not always, which seems odd. I can get some video up of noise later.
Oil pressure 24-32, but odd, when you get on the throttle it does go up any higher than 32.
On the drive home after purchasing (has a winch bumper and 9.2 vplow), noticed oil temps a smidge high at 238
Haven't pulled the oil filter, or oil pan to see if any metal in them.

My thoughts are, if it is cam, then to have shop do the work, it is about $6k

New/refurbished 6.4 is $10k installed and comes with 3yr/100,000 mile warranty.

lol - now onto the questions:
1. Curious, why would people still just do camshaft, when for a bit more money can get new engine w/warranty?
2. Appears not all engine sales require an engine core. With that any idea what a running, but needs work 6.4 goes for?
3. Looks like with new engine install, will need water pump, oil pan, oil pickup, valve covers - debating if going aftermarket or OEM?

I would drop in a new crate engine that way you know it should hold up for a long time jmho...

 

[04fxdwgi]

Noise coming and going is strange, If cam was worn, it would be constant.
Oil pressure is quite low. My stock sits between 54-56 at speed hot. Idle I can't say because I have the idle speed at 700, but is 36-38 at that speed.

Personally, I would go with a long block from MMX, or a supplier like that, and do the performance stuff I wanted on that long block base. But that's just me. Any changes you make to the OEM crate engine "may" void the warranty.

Wish you were closer, I would buy that 6.4 BGE off you.

 

[Wild one]

The differance between $6000 and $10000 in my books isn't a "Bit" more money,that's a "$h!tpile" more money

 

[mtu1293]

The differance between $6000 and $10000 in my books isn't a "Bit" more money,that's a "$h!tpile" more money

lol - I guess. But again not knowing how long engine was like this, and for me paying another $4k on a new motor with 3yr/100k mile warranty is more piece of mind. This was all factored in at least, since knew all this going into the deal. I would hate to say, stick $6k into motor, possibly miss something, and metal find it's way into engine and damage it.

 

[Wild one]

lol - I guess. But again not knowing how long engine was like this, and for me paying another $4k on a new motor with 3yr/100k mile warranty is more piece of mind. This was all factored in at least, since knew all this going into the deal. I would hate to say, stick $6k into motor, possibly miss something, and metal find it's way into engine and damage it.

As stated if you're looking at an engine replacement look at MMX they have factory Mopar engines for sale.

 

[mtu1293]

Quick bits of info.
The noise is random and sometimes is normal. Changed oil to 5w40 and oil pressure now around 54psi cold start vs the 36

Cylinder 3 gets misfire under heavy acceleration still. Might look at valves in that cylinder?

 

[TJP440]

What's the oil pressure hot at idle and 2-3K rpm?

 

[mtu1293]

Didn't run it alot this weekend, but hot idle smidge low-ish at 35psi, and running around 60mph its at 50-54psi. Still need to look more into the misfire at heavy throttle, though the CEL has cleared.

 

[Jeepwalker]

1. Curious, why would people still just do camshaft, when for a bit more money can get new engine w/warranty?

A lot of guys have the skills/tools & can replace the cam/lifters themselves over a weekend (or two) ...for the price of the parts. Refresh the exh manifolds while they're at it and repl any other worn rotating parts. Most owners don't get paid $100/hr to watch TV or cook steaks at home on the weekend ...so it works out a lot cheaper for them. But yeah if you have to pay a shop, particularly a dealer, that's a different equation. And new engine reduces risk as you point out.

I guess cam vs engine at a mechanics depends on factors such as how deep are a guy's pockets, were they planning to trade in soon anyway ....and ...do they need the truck in a couple days (vs 2 weeks)? Let's say a retired couple are on the road from Seattle to their daughter's wedding in Miami and need to be there in a couple days. Cam goes out in their not-too-high-mile truck. "Just put in the cam/lifters and get us back on the road!!". If a guy is a concrete contractor with a beat-up Ram he'll run another year, needs his truck for summer busy job-site flat-work ...just throw in a new cam and get it back to me in a couple days.

Ram Hemi engines can run a long time if well maintained. I personally only put a few thousand miles on my tk a yr. It's one of several vehicles I own. There are other guys like me. Might take 10 years to rack up 40-50k miles.

 

[Rlaf75]

Quick bits of info.
The noise is random and sometimes is normal. Changed oil to 5w40 and oil pressure now around 54psi cold start vs the 36

Cylinder 3 gets misfire under heavy acceleration still. Might look at valves in that cylinder?

The misfire may be caused by the injector or coil. The random noise is strange. Like someone already mentioned, a bad cam or lifter would make noise constantly and not randomly come and go.

 

[mtu1293]

Forgot to add more info.
1. Cut open oil filter and found no metal contaminates.
2. Took it to work today (38 mile drive one-way), and oil pressure stayed around 52psi driving at 65mph, and at idle was around 48psi
3. So far no more CEL for misfire, haven't hit the pedal for WOT to see if it comes back on. Only noticed the misfire, is you step on the gas to pass someone (once).
4. Still have the noise on the driver side, though as mentioned, the one day I took it over to my mechanic, it sounded perfect.
5. I have the money set aside for new engine, which will keep that pocketed away for now, and continue troubleshooting.
6. Last odd question, 2015 would have MDS correct, I thought they all did from 2014? I ask because my other ones had that green "ECO" light that blips on when in MDS, this truck never has that light on.

Thinking of doing
1. compression checks
2. Leak down check
3. Obviously when we get into that then will look at spark plugs, coil pack etc.

lol - not really complaining at all, just throwing all this info out there for others. Even if the engine has to get replaced, I am still money ahead on this truck. Might try tracking down old owner, believe they don't live that far from me, mainly to see how long this noise started.

 

[Adamcr68]

Forgot to add more info.
1. Cut open oil filter and found no metal contaminates.
2. Took it to work today (38 mile drive one-way), and oil pressure stayed around 52psi driving at 65mph, and at idle was around 48psi
3. So far no more CEL for misfire, haven't hit the pedal for WOT to see if it comes back on. Only noticed the misfire, is you step on the gas to pass someone (once).
4. Still have the noise on the driver side, though as mentioned, the one day I took it over to my mechanic, it sounded perfect.
5. I have the money set aside for new engine, which will keep that pocketed away for now, and continue troubleshooting.
6. Last odd question, 2015 would have MDS correct, I thought they all did from 2014? I ask because my other ones had that green "ECO" light that blips on when in MDS, this truck never has that light on.

Thinking of doing
1. compression checks
2. Leak down check
3. Obviously when we get into that then will look at spark plugs, coil pack etc.

lol - not really complaining at all, just throwing all this info out there for others. Even if the engine has to get replaced, I am still money ahead on this truck. Might try tracking down old owner, believe they don't live that far from me, mainly to see how long this noise started.

The eco light might be turned off in your radio settings and pretty sure it’s not directly linked to the MDS being engaged.
The light comes on with >20% throttle but makes sense that under light acceleration/coasting your MDS is engaged.
I have a 15’, MDS disabled thru my tune, but still have the eco light on my dash.
There are some convincing arguments here that unless you are doing a true delete your better off to leave it on.

 

[mtu1293]

The eco light might be turned off in your radio settings and pretty sure it’s not directly linked to the MDS being engaged.
The light comes on with >20% throttle but makes sense that under light acceleration/coasting your MDS is engaged.
I have a 15’, MDS disabled thru my tune, but still have the eco light on my dash.
There are some convincing arguments here that unless you are doing a true delete your better off to leave it on.

Interesting on the on vs off. On my 2019 I've just kept in 8th gear all the time, and so far at 110k miles no issues. For the other truck my 2015, it's hard to tell what was done since it was a previous owner type stuff, and no idea what was done to the truck. Dealer had little to no interest in it either, and threw it in the back of their lot to be sent off to auction.