Is the 5.9 Dodge a sludger? I need feedback asap

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JDD

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I am close to buying a 1999 Dodge Durango with the 360 CID/5.9 L motor and I need to know if it is considered a sludger. Any other known issues with this engine or transmission or anything else with this year of Durango, your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
 
Originally Posted By: JDD
I am close to buying a 1999 Dodge Durango with the 360 CID/5.9 L motor and I need to know if it is considered a sludger. Any other known issues with this engine or transmission or anything else with this year of Durango, your feedback would be greatly appreciated.


JDD,

I suggest you try and get the 4.7/318 CID motor cuz the version you mentioned is a gas guzzler unless the prices in your neighborhood are significantly cheaper than Los Angeles CA prices. The 4.7 motor can get almost 22 MPG depending on the weather conditions.

On other forums I've heard nothing real bad about it being an oil sludger except for it being a poor MPG motor. Can't say anything about the transmission though.

My 01' Durango has given me trouble free miles since bought new and currently I ahve almost 80K including the tranny.

Durango
 
No, the 5.9L( 360 gas )Dodge engine is not one of the sludge prone engines. The 4.7L is the main V8 while the 5.2L( 318 ) had some issues as well. A few V6's had some major issues( 2.7L especially ).

The 5.9L/360 is actually a good engine. I had a 1997 Ram and a 2001 Ram with that engine and they are very reliable. Not powerhouses at least compared to the V8's we see in trucks and suv's today( back then they were pretty stout )but a good dependable engine if taken care of.
 
Originally Posted By: Durango
Originally Posted By: JDD
I am close to buying a 1999 Dodge Durango with the 360 CID/5.9 L motor and I need to know if it is considered a sludger. Any other known issues with this engine or transmission or anything else with this year of Durango, your feedback would be greatly appreciated.


JDD,

I suggest you try and get the 4.7/318 CID motor cuz the version you mentioned is a gas guzzler unless the prices in your neighborhood are significantly cheaper than Los Angeles CA prices. The 4.7 motor can get almost 22 MPG depending on the weather conditions.

On other forums I've heard nothing real bad about it being an oil sludger except for it being a poor MPG motor. Can't say anything about the transmission though.

My 01' Durango has given me trouble free miles since bought new and currently I ahve almost 80K including the tranny.

Durango


Durango, thanks for the post. I really don't care about MPG difference btw the 5.2 and 5.9, since this is going to be a 3k to 4K mile a year vehicle. Just for snowy commute days and pulling a trailer for camping weekends. I just don't want to buy a sludger problem since I don't know a lot about the maintenance history on it.
 
Bill in Utah said:
No it is not.

The 360 is not the most advanced motor but works.

A lot of them on the road here, would not be my first choice for a SUV but people seem to be ok with them.

Some light reading for you;

1999 Dodge comments

And a video ([censored] audio)

Motor Trend comparison of 99 Ford vs Dodge

Take care, Bill

Bill, thanks for the info/links.
I agree-- yeah, not the most advanced engine or vehicle. I just need an SUV that will hold 6 and pull a travel trailer. The Durango is pretty cheap compared to other 6 pass 4WD vehicles. If it was a daily driver, I would not consider the Durango under just about any circumstance.
 
Not hardly a nickels worth of difference in the 318 Magnum or the 360.The 318 Magnum is a gas hog also.Some difference in power but not a whole heck of a lot.Both of those engines are prone to sludge if the lower section of the intake leaks.Try http://www.Amsoil.com they have a LIST of known sludge puppies.These engines are ON the list.With proper OCIs and the intake sealed correctly its not a issue.Intake has a internal belly pan.Two different metals and expansion rates.It sucks oil up through and hinders proper operation of the PCV system.All the Magnums are prone to this.Pull the air cleaner assembly off.Have a flash light.Crawl up over the radiator and open the throttle plates.Look down to the floor of the intake.If its got oil in it and tons of these engines do, it needs to be pulled and resealed.There are several seal kits out there to correct this issue.Not all leak but a high percentage do.For LOTS more info on these try http://www.dodgetalk.com This site is FREE to join.Techs that I have known to buy used trucks with any Magnum pull ONE valve cover to check for sludge.1/2hours worth of work and simple tools to get the easy cover off.
 
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It is really amusing sometimes to read threads like these and see the "no it isn't - yes it is" answers.
LOL.gif
Especially when you have owned the vehicle/engine in question and the responses go so much against what you saw you just wonder what is up?

I owned a couple 360 Ram's( not Durango's but same engine )and they were very reliable engines. Never had sludge issues. I also have been a member of Dodge forums for ever and never heard of sludge issues with them either. Some with the 5.2L( 318 )and a lot wiith the 4.7L( due to the PCV system ). No issues with the 5.7L.

As to power. There is a HUGE real world power difference between the 318 and the 360. The 318 is a good motor don't get me wrong but the 360 is much better suited to the Ram and Durango( especially the Ram - ask me - I had a 318 powered 94 that couldn't get out of it's own way ). Especially if it will be used to tow as the OP mentions.

As to MPG I actually found, in my Ram trucks anyway, that the 2 360 powered Ram's saw better MPG than the one with the 318. The 360 Ram's were 4WD as well while the 318 Ram was only 2WD. Still got better MPG. Now, that MPG was horrendous so don't misunderstand. Just not as horrendous as the 94 w/ 318. This has been Dodge's achilles heal forever. They consitantly return the worst MPG in V8 full sized trucks and SUV's. Even their mid sized V6 offerings are on the low end MPG wise.

If you are going to drive a Dodge truck or SUV better plan on getting real friendly with the local gas stations. And I made that plural on purpose because you will have to stop at each one as you driive by to fill up again.
LOL.gif
The OP said this is not a concern however.

The OP should be fine with this 99 Durango 5.9L as long as the previous owner(s) toook care of it. That applies to any used vehicle purchase however. Buy used, and especially used with a lot of miles, and you never know what you are going to end up with.
 
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I was a a SERVICE MANAGER in a pretty big Dodge store(35 techs)with a large truck volume for several years.I think I kinda know these vehicles a little bit.There is a reason the Magnum engines are on a known sludge list.I'd pull a valve cover and check that intake especially after having THREE owners.You can pull and reinstall a valve cover in 30 minutes.It has a reusable gasket.I would not hesitate to buy a used one if in good condition but just trying to answer the posters questions with facts that come from more then having owned a couple of them.
 
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Originally Posted By: JDD
I am close to buying a 1999 Dodge Durango with the 360 CID/5.9 L motor and I need to know if it is considered a sludger. Any other known issues with this engine or transmission or anything else with this year of Durango, your feedback would be greatly appreciated.


I have a 95 ram with a 360 Magnum. They evolved a little bit in the next couple of years before they hit your Durango R/T. My engine runs great, has 107k on it. I had the oil pan off last summer to replace a leaky rear main, and everything looked clean in my engine. I use it primarly to pull my boat, which it does a fine job. However, like people are saying. It uses fuel like it is going out of style. I know that the Durango's that had 4.7l engines in them are much faster than the Durango's with the 318(5.2l) but I've also heard that those R/T's are pretty fast.
 
I've had Rams of various years for about 15 years now and haven't had any sludge issues of any kind ever. I did however have an oil pump pickup screen plug up on a 1995 with 318 I have. It was due to carbon and not sludge. The carbon build up almost looked like tiny grains of sand. I just cleaned off the pickup screen and it's been fine for about 8 years now. The truck has 290,000 on it and is my plow truck/wood hauler/hunting rig. I did valve covers a month ago and it was super clean in there. This truck spent the first 200,000 on TropArtic and the last 90,000 on Maxlife blend. If it were not so rusty It would still be my daily driver. I love that truck.

These trucks have a very fine pickup screen on the oil pump and tend to clog after like 150,000 or so. I wonder how many of the sludge problems were actually carbon clogging up the pickup screen? It's a known problem on the big Dodge websites like Dodgetalk, But no one ever says anything about sludge at least on the Ram forums. I have however heard a little more about sludge on Durangos. I would be it has to do with smaller cooling capacity. Compare a Durango radiator to Ram radiator and you will see exactly what I'm talking about.

Pulling a 33ft trailer up cajon pass near San Bernadino california in 100 weather with the A/C on didn't case my Ram to go over 210. I would bet in a Durango it would have run much hotter if not overheated. The Durango radiator is literally like 2/3rds the size.
 
One of the reasons the 360 is such a gas hog is the software program in the pcm. I had a 2001 Ram and after a visit to the dealer for some warranty work my mileage went from 14 mpg to 10.5 mpg. It took awhile and a lot of reading on the Dodge forums to find out that they had done a software update commonly called the "death flash". It retards the timing so the engine does not knock if it gets the oil leak in the intake as mentioned above. I was in the process of getting the pcm reflashed when I decided to replace the truck. As to the sludge problem, I had a small amount of sludge on the underside of the valve covers, but I think it was because of all the short trips I took with that truck.
 
Originally Posted By: hounddog
I was a a SERVICE MANAGER in a pretty big Dodge store(35 techs)with a large truck volume for several years.I think I kinda know these vehicles a little bit.There is a reason the Magnum engines are on a known sludge list.I'd pull a valve cover and check that intake especially after having THREE owners.You can pull and reinstall a valve cover in 30 minutes.It has a reusable gasket.I would not hesitate to buy a used one if in good condition but just trying to answer the posters questions with facts that come from more then having owned a couple of them.


Don't want to get into a pee'ing contest with you. I worked in the auto field( aftermarket parts )for a lot of years myself and did so during the time frame that the 5.9L 360 we are discussing was being used. Wasn't at a Dodge dealer but sold a lot of parts for all makes including Dodge. The 360 had minimal issues at best.

I have work experience as well so your views are no more important nor valid than mine( or anyone else's actually ). I also owned a couple 360 powered Ram's( have you owned a 360? )and even have friends who owned Ram's and Durango's with the 360. A lot of these guys got 100K+ with less than ideal maintenance. That doesn't happen to sludge prone engines.

The 360 having issues with plenum gaskets does not make it a sludge prone engine. Makes it an engine prone to gasket failure. To me anyway they are two different issues. A sludge prone engine gets that reputation for it happening without a failure by another part like a coolant gasket failure. The plenum failure while common is not even at a 25-30% rate. Common but not common. The 4.7L V8 and the 2.7L V6 both can become extrememly sludged without any kind of failure at all and with proper maintenance done. To me THAT makes an engine a sludge prone engine.

Due to the unknown maintenance of the vehicle however I agree the OP should check out the engine for sludge and anything else he can think of. Isn't because it is a 360 however. JMO.
 
You are making it a peeing contest.Its laughable.AFTERMARKET.I was in the darn trenches everyday with a hundred plus customers a day! That "carbon'issue is what rains down and stops up the oil p'up screen.If the screen has crud the underside of the intake and valve covers do also.No the Magnum don't sludge as bad as the 2.7 but enough of a issue to be ON PAPER of known sludge engines.I didn't MAKE UP THE LIST.Others did.The V6 and BOTH V8 Magnums all do it to some extent.There isn't a 10 cents worth of difference between the 318 and 360.I have seen the innards of dozens upon dozens of these engines.I found that crud in MY valve covers when I installed the Harlan Sharp rockers.Not a lot but it was there.Mine has had BETTER then ideal maintenance.Oh by the way they are also prone to cracking heads and valve guide wear.
 
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The 4.7 is not a good engine and I have seen proof from valve seats dropping out and blown head gaskets.Have a 2001 Dakota with a bad 4.7,blown headgaskets and both heads are junk,valve seats came out.The 4.7 does not have much for an interchange,2001 is by itself and it goes by the number of teeth of the relucter ring on the crankshaft.I also know a very good customer that has a 2004 Dodge Ram with the 4.7,blew the headgaskets twice and the second time was a Jasper reman engine put in by a dealership in Colorado.
 
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