60k miles...

[FamousAJ]

The old Ram Hemi has passed usually what I consider trade-in time, but the wife says no. (I can't just hide a new one in the safe)
The engine has developed (in the last few months) what I would call a slight tapping/ticking after I start it...but only when it has been sitting awhile, like overnight or from when I park it in the morning (630am) until lunch at noon. I've read some Dodge forums where they say, "its the nature of the Hemi, no worries". I've been around cars and engines my whole life, but I've been a Ford dude..so this is new to me. The tapping/clicking does disappear in less than 5 mins.

Should I change from standard lubricant to synthetic? Standard city driving, 40 miles round trip on my daily commute, mostly highway. I hit Kansas dirt roads every other month, but that stretch is minimal. The stick this morning read perfect, dirty, but perfect. It's been 5k miles since my last oil change. This Hemi 2010 runs on 5w-20 now and I usually go 5k between oil changes, so it's time now.

So all this jib jab leads back to my first statement. Should I start looking for new or follow the advice of the dodge interwebz of, "its the nature of the Hemi"?

Do we have any Mopar experts who wanna chime in?

 

[Mr.Glock]

Clean your ears first, before you do anything.

 

[somebodyinok]

My dodge has about 70k miles on it (it's a 2005) and it does the same thing. I also had a 2004 dodge with a v6 that would do it also. I feel like on both of these trucks it has do do with the power steering. Just food for thought sir

 

[AKguy1985]

I wouldnt worry about it. Rock it til the wheels fall off.

 

[farmerbyron]

Had an 04 F150 that ticked its a$$ off from about 70k till I sold it at 117k.

 

[tyromeo55]

I'd worry more about it being a Dodge then the ticking

 

[smax]

You are probably hearing piston slap. It is very common in modern engines because most manufactures have gone to pistons with shorter skirts and ring packs that higher on the piston body. Since the pistons are aluminum and the cylinder liners are steel they heat and cool at different rates this allows the piston to kind of wobble in the liner when the engine is cold. Unless you have a severe knocking sound it probably is nothing to worry about.

 

[Spata]

I'd worry more about it being a Dodge then the ticking

So true

 

[excat]

My guess would be lifters without hearing it. Once the oil warms up it just gets a little quieter, but it's still there more than likely.

5k miles is a stretch for dino oil. The conditioners in that oil don't last that long typically. Synthetics can push the 5-6k area. I'd go to 3,500-4,000 mile changes depending on weather. Its generally not a good idea to change oil's once you've been using it a while. Different conditioners and such have been know to cause catastrophic failures. If whatever brand you generally use makes synthetic, I would keep to the same brand and switch.

Change oil a little more frequently, and rock on.

 

[71buickfreak]

You are probably hearing piston slap. It is very common in modern engines because most manufactures have gone to pistons with shorter skirts and ring packs that higher on the piston body. Since the pistons are aluminum and the cylinder liners are steel they heat and cool at different rates this allows the piston to kind of wobble in the liner when the engine is cold. Unless you have a severe knocking sound it probably is nothing to worry about.

I seriously doubt it is piston slap, especially at just 60k. Modern engines are good for over 200k, even a Chrysler. It sounds like you have a little bit of lifter noise from the oil draining and they are not pumping up all the way until they get a solid stream of oil. I would definitely switch from conventional to synthetic oil and add some Zmax into the crankcase. It really does work. Other than that, if you sell now, you are wasting about 3/4 of the trucks useable life and spending money you don't need to.