Redline has proven itself as leader in the pack in the battle of hemi tick, but the very fact it does what it does also makes it not such a perfect candidate in some other situations, so hopefully before someone choses redline they read this thread that hopefully has forum experiences posted.
Note Risks in the COLD and with HIGH MILEAGE ENGINES when switching oils.
Fact, 5w30 redline is going to be thicker then any other 5w30 discussed and most of the 0w40's out there for most of the time in the sump. By law, a 0w40 cst has to start thicker then a 5w30, but they shear and redline wont shear as fast, so indeed this 5w30 is like a 5w40 in most brands of oil in use, and in many rams this can leave you piston slap in the cold. We have found out the proper redline to run in this situation is 0w30, this generally also keeps hemi tick away but leaves piston slap to a bare minimum. If you dont have hemi tick and you use redline for the additives, then in the cold you can even use the 20 weights like the manu says. For towing, I'd prefer 0w30 at a minimum, but that is personal choice. If you don't have hemi tick, 0w30's in many brands are great oils, pick one with moly might even flow better at start up then thicker redline. Look for pao 0w30's, again thinner is better so long as you have similar cst operating temp viscosity.
High Mileage Rams 75k miles +, if it aint broke don't fix it. This is not the time to try redline, the same thing that makes it good for hemi tick makes it a risky choice for an engine where the tolerances have widened. The places in an engine have developed their own film, and when you put the redline in the additives will compete for that surface, and until and if the redline repopulates the surface, it can be noisy. High zddp, high moly, possibly esters, all take time to film up, and the high detergency of redline will clean the other film out and then it is a waiting game for the film to come back. When you have noise from out of tolerance stuff, you have pressure, and mineral base oil is not what works in this area, that is the very reason why they use ep/aw additives in the first place. Now, using a thicker version of redline or any oil will minimize the need for additives in tolerance widened areas. So using 5w20 redline is a high mileage engine would never be what I'd recommend and haven't for some time as the forum experiences have poured in over the last decade.
So what moves can someone with a high mileage ram make IF they get hemi tick? Fix it mechanically, or use a lubrication strategy that includes heavy viscosity, how heavy is a personal choice my guess going over 40 weight wouldn't be something I'd entertain unless it was my last choice. If you try redline and I still think it is viable, understand the risk, be patient and see if the film repopulates, and use a thick version of it, 0w30 at a minimum.
Should you use redline in an engine w/o hemi tick? I wouldn't have, I don't like spending a lot of money when modern oils have gotten so cheap. Maybe if I had no money considerations or I was towing heavy, but your general commuter ram, it is a personal choice and the choice carry's risk if the engine is high mileage. Hemi's don't get their power in high rpm's, so high performance oils are only so beneficial. However, hemi tick creates a situation where the moving metal is similar to what happens in a high rpms engine, thus the benefits of redline are what they have proven to be.
Many rams will take redline 5w30 and have no ill effects whatsoever all year round, but what is the perfect choice for a hemi will depend on it's location and a specific engine, facts learned from this forum. Know the risks and if you have a negative experience be patient give it time to work, and adjust your strategy with how your engine is sounding. If you can avoid cold piston slap and hemi tick, then you win. If you have a high mileage ram, there no reason to take on risk of a high performance oil unless you have hemi tick, then proceed with caution and use the correct weight as in go thick and minimize the effects of high detergency. We all were in the deal together, I have certainly had things that happened that are unexplainable, as in my hemi ticked on 10w30 redline and not 5w30, there are a host of reasons why that shouldn't have happened, but it is what it is.
If you have a hemi with no tick and still want to know if there is any reason to try/use redline, then get a uoa. Either it will justify trying it, or it will set your mind at ease, 38 bucks well spent.
