High Mileage 5.7 HEMI V-8's ??

[The Critic]

20 Ram 1500 5.7L, eTorque version.

Currently at 25K. Serviced every 3-4K using either M1 or PP 20wt oils. Might move to HPL No VII 5W-20 at 5K intervals due to the HT/HS being greater than most 30wt oils while still having the Kinematic Viscosity of a xW-20.

Our 2019 DT has 73,000km on it now (45,000 miles)
Our 2006 Charger had ~153,000km on it when we traded it on the Durango (95,000 miles)
My 2020 SRT only has 23,000km on it at present (14,300 miles)

At work, we have operated a small fleet of 1500's since ~2011, all have been maintained the same with NAPA (Valvoline) 5W-20 and NAPA filters. I'm missing a couple (the 2012's I believe) from this list, but here's what I have that's current:
- 2011 1500 #1: developed bottom-end knock and was traded at I believe 264,000km (164,000 miles)
- 2011 1500 #2: lifter failure at 266,000km (165,000 miles)
- 2011 1500 #3: 240,000km (150,000 miles)
- 2011 1500 #4: 355,000km (220,600 miles)
- 2014 1500 #1: 125,000km (78,000 miles)
- 2014 1500 #2: 248,000km (154,000 miles)
- 2016 1500 #1: 69,000km (43,000 miles)

Not exactly a large sample, but 2/7 experiencing a major internal failure before 200k miles? Can't say I am surprised, but not exactly a great showing.

 

[LouC]

2007 Grand Cherokee 5.7 with 120,000 miles, bought it used at 25,000, I have used M-1 5w/20 since then, change it every 3500-4000 miles, no mechanical problems so far.
I do want another one but hearing about the lifter/cam problems does give me pause. I think that the lifter/cam problems were more common on the updated engines that have variable valve timing from 2010 and up. The lifters were changed around 2016/2017 but I'm not sure if it made a definite difference. Everything I have read from Chrysler has said to use 5w/20 oil on engines with MDS or else the MDS may not work properly. On mine you can't even feel when it kicks in so maybe they were right!
I've driven 3 different late model Grand Cherokees with Hemi V8s in them, 2 had the 5.7 and one had the 6.4. One of the 5.7s clattered after a cold start the other didn't and all 3 ran very quietly after warm up. If I had a late model I'd use the recommended oil (Pennzoil Plat 5w/20) and change it at 4000-5000 no matter what the oil monitor says. Clean oil is your only defense against these problems.

 

[OVERKILL]

20 Ram 1500 5.7L, eTorque version.

Currently at 25K. Serviced every 3-4K using either M1 or PP 20wt oils. Might move to HPL No VII 5W-20 at 5K intervals due to the HT/HS being greater than most 30wt oils while still having the Kinematic Viscosity of a xW-20.


Not exactly a large sample, but 2/7 experiencing a major internal failure before 200k miles? Can't say I am surprised, but not exactly a great showing.

The one with the rod bearing (I assume) knock was driven like @schwinney owned it. Stone cold, to the floor, I wasn't surprised that it developed a knock. The other one was disappointing, as it was better cared for, but of course we have no control over which engines got a craptacular lifter.

 

[ChrisMU]

My newly inherited 2013 Ram 1500 has about 86k on it, and when my dad did the oil changes, he used Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20 (in Wisconsin). I’m unsure of what filters he used, but it’s likely they were Wix or high-end Purolator. I’m not 100% sure of his OCI, but in the past he’d go 6k on synthetic. The last oil change or two were done by the dealership, as his health was failing, so Mopar filters for those. For 86K, I used PP 5w-20, but will be switching to 5w-30, as I live in central Texas. For now I’ll be using up my stash of FL-820S filters, since they fit, and I’ll be selling the Town Car soon. I’m going with 5K OCIs and whatever mid-high grade oil filter is a deal. Anyways, the engine sounds great. No knocks or “Hemi tick.” The air suspension is a different story.

 

[travis8352]

My 2018 has 101k 0-55k on factory/dealer/pp/schaeffers 5w20 and 55k-99k was m1 0w40 and at 99k switched to high performance lubricants supercar 0w30

 

[rneal55555_NH]

2017 Ram 1500 abt 50,000 miles, 5000 or so OCI with 5w-20 Valvoline Full Synthetic with Mopar/Fram TG/Supertech MP Filters. Zero Issues

I had over 200,000 on a 2006 Grand Cherokee 5.7 with MDS Oil Changes same as the truck zero engine issues.

 

[AmBeRnEcTaR]

Drove a 2022 Durango Hemi R/T rental as a replacement while a work vehicle got serviced.
18,000kms on it.
Ticked like a ************, I was shocked for being a new car, first thing I did was pull into a gas station and check the oil but it was fine. Drove great, comfortable ride, would be happy to long-trip it but man alive that tick didn't inspire the most confidence lol.

 

[OVERKILL]

Drove a 2022 Durango Hemi R/T rental as a replacement while a work vehicle got serviced.
18,000kms on it.
Ticked like a ************, I was shocked for being a new car, first thing I did was pull into a gas station and check the oil but it was fine. Drove great, comfortable ride, would be happy to long-trip it but man alive that tick didn't inspire the most confidence lol.

I find the tick interesting, because I've owned 6x HEMI's at this point (2x 5.7's, 4x 6.4's) and none of them have ever ticked. In our fleet at work, they ALL ticked after a certain period of time, and on every single one of them, it was the exhaust manifolds, as the studs broke and needed replacement. When that was fixed, they were all quiet again. Amusingly, the one with lifter failure in the list I provided earlier, never ticked.

That's all to say, I absolutely believe the phenomenon exists, but it's relatively rare and I don't believe it has any correlation with the lifter failure issue. Unnerving as you note however? Yes, absolutely.

 

[LouC]

Yep, I REALLY want another one, but the prospect of doing a cam and lifters is intimidating!
The most frustrating thing even with the endless internet posts, youtube videos, etc, is the only thing we know is that there are quality problems with SOME of the roller lifters. Which ones, made by what supplier, etc we don't know.
Then on the other hand, when I did a top end overhaul on my old 4.3 Chevy marine engine I pulled out all the roller lifters to check em all, even after a bad overheat, and water in the oil, they were fine, I put a reman set of heads on it 5 years ago and it's still fine. Cam lobes looked BRAND NEW and when I took it apart, it was 29 years old and had been used in salt water for at least 15 years. Ran it on Delo straight 30 and Mercruiser 25/40. So go figure!
My inclination is to keep my old '07 Grand Cherokee 5.7 because at 120,000 miles the UOAs come back great, runs nice n quiet.

 

[LouC]

Ok found a nice one 2020 Overland, the Hemi sounds real quiet no tics but it has air suspension which I hear can be troublesome….but the Hemi in the last few years of WK2 only usually came in the top trim models like Overland & Summit, too bad. I have heard you can switch to springs but it’s a project.

 

[pantygnome]

Ok found a nice one 2020 Overland, the Hemi sounds real quiet no tics but it has air suspension which I hear can be troublesome….but the Hemi in the last few years of WK2 only usually came in the top trim models like Overland & Summit, too bad. I have heard you can switch to springs but it’s a project.

Over on RAM Forum, the common thread between air suspension being troublesome is usually the fact that service techs have no idea how to actually debug the system. They just replace (expensive) parts and hope for the best.

There is a computer module specifically for air suspension that techs seem to not bother checking the codes and/or live data from. A lot of the problems can be traced down to exact issue (height sensors, pressure sensors, etc) but instead they call for expensive compressor and/or valve replacements

 

[hemioiler]

Drove a 2022 Durango Hemi R/T rental as a replacement while a work vehicle got serviced.
18,000kms on it.
Ticked like a ************, I was shocked for being a new car, first thing I did was pull into a gas station and check the oil but it was fine. Drove great, comfortable ride, would be happy to long-trip it but man alive that tick didn't inspire the most confidence lol.

The hemi is not quiet on factory oil, that is a fact. However I've seen/heard many videos of people concerned they have "tick" when it's simply the noisy injectors they're hearing, or second most common cause is broken manifolds.

 

[LouC]

Over on RAM Forum, the common thread between air suspension being troublesome is usually the fact that service techs have no idea how to actually debug the system. They just replace (expensive) parts and hope for the best.

There is a computer module specifically for air suspension that techs seem to not bother checking the codes and/or live data from. A lot of the problems can be traced down to exact issue (height sensors, pressure sensors, etc) but instead they call for expensive compressor and/or valve replacements

Thanks my plan is to go over to the service dept; I know the manager well enough to ask him if the techs understand how to troubleshoot this system.

 

[LouC]

Here’s something interesting
Look what I found when I opened the hood on this 2020 Hemi….that’s what I’ve used the whole time I’ve owned this one….

 

[CarDoc66]

2012 Chrysler 300C, currently at 157,900 miles. Owned it since new.
I do 6000mi OCI with either 5w-20 Ultra Platinum or Castrol Syntech.

 

[The Critic]

Drove a 2022 Durango Hemi R/T rental as a replacement while a work vehicle got serviced.
18,000kms on it.
Ticked like a ************, I was shocked for being a new car, first thing I did was pull into a gas station and check the oil but it was fine. Drove great, comfortable ride, would be happy to long-trip it but man alive that tick didn't inspire the most confidence lol.

It probably had cracked manifolds. At least with the newer Rams, the manifolds crack at very low mileage.

 

[Chris142]

I know of 2 early 2000's. 04-05 I think. Both are well over 200 k. No engine troubles.

 

[wtd]

Back in 2013 a friend of mine bought a new Challenger R/T with the 5.7L and his ticked pretty loud, even after it warmed up. Not long after that, I test drove a new 2013 Challenger R/T because I was thinking of getting one and it ticked pretty loud too. It was bad enough that after the test drive, the salesman had me pull it into the service department to have the service manager listen to it. He told us it was normal and that a lot of the 5.7 Hemi's sounded like that. I didn't buy it because that ticking would have driven me crazy.

 

[travis8352]

I find the tick interesting, because I've owned 6x HEMI's at this point (2x 5.7's, 4x 6.4's) and none of them have ever ticked. In our fleet at work, they ALL ticked after a certain period of time, and on every single one of them, it was the exhaust manifolds, as the studs broke and needed replacement. When that was fixed, they were all quiet again. Amusingly, the one with lifter failure in the list I provided earlier, never ticked.

That's all to say, I absolutely believe the phenomenon exists, but it's relatively rare and I don't believe it has any correlation with the lifter failure issue. Unnerving as you note however? Yes, absolutely.

My buddy had a lifter fail and his went from a faint tick under hard accelleration to a chirp and mis fire. Mine been exhaust tickin for longer than it aint been exhaust tickin

 

[OVERKILL]

My buddy had a lifter fail and his went from a faint tick under hard accelleration to a chirp and mis fire. Mine been exhaust tickin for longer than it aint been exhaust tickin

The one of ours that packed it in went from quiet to chirping. The crazy part was that the chirp was faint, and very intermittent, and when it wasn't chirping, it was dead quiet still