Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire For you 2009 and newer Ram 5.7L Hemi owners

Just wish to pass along some good info......

Have a buddy with a 2017 Ram 5.7L w/136K mi on it. He uses Mobil 1 oil. Mine is a 2015 w/159K mi using Amsoil.....The 5.7 Hemi motors are famous for what they call a Hemi tick because some slop can develop over time in the lifter rollers which contain needle bearings. About a month ago my buddy's Ram went into the shop about 150 miles after he first heard loud chirping noises from the engine compartment on the left driver's side engine bank. He could not get his truck to the shop any sooner. He also developed a misfire and loss of power soon after hearing those loud chirping noises. He called me up after his truck went into the shop and described the problem. My first thoughts were, that one of his lifters seized on the cam and it could be very possible that he may need a new engine IF even if a small amount or a considerable amount of tiny metal shavings were found after the initial tear down.

We met at the shop after the initial teardown and metal shavings galore in the oil pan. Looked like a galaxy cluster. Thousands and thousands of tiny metal flakes. New engine time! So he ordered a new 5.7 long block crate motor.

So while his truck was in the shop waiting for a new motor, I decided to do some research on this issue to maybe determine the root cause because I own a 5.7 Hemi as well with no issues as of yet.

Ran across this you tube video link,,,,,,,,youtube.com/watch?v=jkNOXWGXADM................"The End of the Hemi Tick?" by ReIgnited

The fix? A 6.2L Hellcat oil pump to give the lifters much better oil lubrication AT IDLE by increasing the engine oil pressure. Bolts right up to all 2009 and newer 5.7 Hemi motors. Same bolt pattern. The Hellcat oil pump with increased oil pressure will not affect the gaskets or the seals causing them to leak. Same interior dimensions, oil galleries and oil flow splash points as the 6.2L Hellcat motors.

So my friend ordered a 6.2L Hellcat oil pump at my suggestion. The OE oil pump was removed from the new motor and replaced with the Hellcat oil pump. After the job was finished, his oil pressure at full operating temp is now 39 to 41 psi @ idle where before at idle his truck ranged from 29 to 32 psi. His new motor is quiet. I mean quiet.

So I decided to spend several hundred $$$ to go with a Hellcat oil pump myself. I went from 30 to 33 psi at idle full operating temp to now 38 to 41 psi at idle. Rambling down the road at 80 mph @ about 1800 rpm my oil pressure shows 72-73 psi. My motor got a little more quiet as well.

The shop made it very clear that over long periods of time, shorter times especially with 5.7L police and highway patrol Hemi motors that idle much more, that it is the idling time that slowly takes its toll on the lifter rollers because at idle the oil psi is at its lowest and at idle the rollers get just enough oil lubrication but not quite enough with the standard OE 5.7 oil pump.

The nationwide lifter failure rate according to some stat reports the shop showed me is roughly 5% to 8% with the 5.7s.

Strongly suggest that if you own a 2009 and newer 5.7 Hemi to watch the above video as well as other videos by Reignited that cover this subject. A Hellcat oil pump installation just may save one thousands of $$$$ if done before a lifter problem arises which is why I had one installed on my truck.

Dinny said GFY

Probably why mine is a Ford, never a problem.

I owned a 2002 Dodge Ram Quad, engine went at 130K, had it for 5 years and just made the last payment, never again! Good luck.

Thanks for sharing the info. Hopefully, it helps others who currently own a Dodge 5.7. It may help sway potential buyers to choose something else.

I'm a Ford man, I love my F-150s. However, at least the Dodge trucks look good.

My uncle has one that I noticed the other day clattering a little when he first cranks it. I think its a 2017. I figured it was just one of the quirks of the engine because I always heard people talking about it. He bought the lifetime warranty that Ram/Dodge USED to sell so if it grenades they own it after the deductible which isn't much.

The oil pump thing could not hurt but if it was the answer, it seems like to me they would be having a lot higher failure rate than 5 to 8% especially when you consider cops idle them ALL day running the AC while they are sitting around waiting to write a ticket in the hot summer time. I suspect that x percent of them just probably get bad bearings from the factory that are probably made in China.

I've also heard about people using 5w-30 oil as opposed to whatever lightweight is called for in the manual...... Xw-20 wt I think. I suppose that would slightly increase oil pressure.

Anyway, thanks for the post and best of luck with your Hemi.

got to kind of laugh at all the Ford bragging. they kind of forgot about the stripped heads on the spark plug hole pandemic, followed by the broken two-piece spark plug pandemic. the EcoBoost aren't without their problems either carry on

Kind of reminds me of a video I saw the other day where an internet mechanic was making fun of "fanboys" of whatever brand while listing the problems of pretty much all of them. His advice was "buy the shatbox you like and take your chances".

Thanks, Didn't know it was a lube failure...just thought it was a funky lifter design, my son just put an engine in his Drudge, lifter/cam failure.

I hate buying cars.

Even cheap beaters are a couple thousand bucks and all I can think is "Is this POS gonna
pop and engine or tranny and leave me stuck with an expensive junkpile that requires
a repair that equals it's value?

At least for $5k you can walk away.

A buddy bought a Superduty with a "6.Oh, no!" for his business, to replace a POS that kept
shutting him down.

I hate buying cars.

Even cheap beaters are a couple thousand bucks and all I can think is "Is this POS gonna
pop and engine or tranny and leave me stuck with an expensive junkpile that requires
a repair that equals it's value?

At least for $5k you can walk away.

A buddy bought a Superduty with a "6.Oh, no!" for his business, to replace a POS that kept
shutting him down.

After a couple years, maybe, it wouldn't run. Compression, fuel....But No Go!
In frustration he bought a real truck, and shuffled the POS through multiple mechanics.
Thousands more invested and it never ran to my knowledge. It sat for another year or so and he sold it for pennies. Not sure what brand he might prefer. Darn sure what he hates.

It's an inherent design defect, the camshaft sits farther up in the engine block and the oil galleries do not supply the camshaft oil gallery properly. The Hellcat oil pump is a stop gap , the design is flawed not the pump but block design. Ram won't do anything about it and after this year the engine is no longer put in Rams.


I have met at least one guy with 75K on his Hemi and he told me it started around 60K. He does mostly highway driving and changes oil at 5k with Mobil 1. He could have been full of crap who knows.

I worry more about the MDX then I do the oil pressure. My oil pressure gauge always read low on my 2021 Ram FWIW.


Seems like any of the Big 3 will have engine issues in the 1/2 ton department.

2002 1500Ram 5.9 motor setting in the bone yard here on the ranch with 95K miles with blown engine. Never abused and always serviced. Went to a ford now and so far happy, but that could change today. Who knows? The Local mechanic says he makes a good living fixing Dodge gas engines at just around 100K miles.

+1. you could not give me a Ford . I have never seen such a cluster design from supposed engineers.

here's a question for those in the know about the hemi what about the 5.7 in a 2008 model? same defect or is it made a little different?

The engine was changed in 2009 I believe.

that's good news to me I have an 08 with a 5.7 hemi. haven't had any troubles it does seem to have a little bit of a tick now and then specially when cold but it does have about 210,000 miles on it currently

This.

And any make of active displacement management or whatever they call it, will have issues. There are kits to delete it so it runs on all 8 like an engine should.

that may explain why I've never had any issues if applicable. mine is in a 3/4 ton mega cab in the option where it turns off some cylinders for better a few mileage is not on my particular application . to my understanding over a certain GVW that is not programmed on the truck

Another issue for a design that does nothing for gas mileage but costs the owner tons to repair .