engine noise on a 4.7L

Hi ram4x4, This could be loose connecting rods or a worn bearings/seal causing the crank to be off-center. These noises never turn out good over time. I would have it looked at sooner rather than later. It could cost you a bunch later. Good luck!

buy a 408 stroker

its probably just lifter noise, the hydrolic lifters seem to devleop noise over time, it is normal, but if it seem like the noise is louder then that then get it looked at, could be colapsed pistons if it goes away once warm

try running 10w30 and add a acdelco product called EOS if the noise is still there its a mechanical problem and will get expensive. if the noise goes away its called piston slap and it doesn't cause significant damage my GM has 260,000 on it and it slapped from the day i got it. EOS is about $10 from any GM dealer.

Helllo, i am having the same problems with my 02 ram 4.7 . mine started about the time truck hit 60,000, she has 61,500 on her now{. nov09 1st kept get multiple codes po305 misfire #5 found a bad platium plug melted off ,replaced. week later samething pulled plug{ok} replaces coil, cleared codes again ,week later same code pulled a part again{ok} burning lean, swapped injector 1&5- and again po305 along with a evap code{replaced gas cap} cleared codes ,then 2weeks later with no codes upper rad hose blows{looked like someone sliced it on bottom side} 2week after that radiator itself blows at right seam tank{ replaced raditor, lower hose, thermostat} it's been fine up to a week ago{feb2010} with cold weather, it sounds as if the bottom end , or the valves aren't getting any oil{ she rapped,and carries on for abount a minute until she starts warming up, then noises go away .oil pressure is always good, but i have noticed the heat isn't as good,and little by little using coolant. Once in a while smell coolant burn out tailpipe once in while, not all the time . don't no what's going{no codes }showing. or pending codes. is it the oil, or head gasket, heads worped, intake gasket?

ha thats funny bc i bought my truck with 79000 and 100 miles later a lifter droped and a bunch of crape happened that made her blow up. lucky for me it was covered but this 4.7 is a junk motor they have slug problems im running synthetic 10w 30 . anyone having really bad fuel millage with their truck bc im running around 10 mpg all the time.

sounds like you got lifter noise at start up,switch to 10 w 30 motor oil.

THE ENGINE OIL USED IS TOO HEAVY NEED 5W30 WEIGHT AND CHANGE OIL EVERY 3000 MILES BECAUSE NO OIL PRESSURE IN THE FIRST TIME OR TIME IN CHAIN TENCIONER AND HEAD CAMSHAFT LUBRICATION FAIL AL HERMIDA 305 2063594

5w30 is a break in oil weight when new,you should be useing 10w30

YOU ARA CORRECT 10W30 IS THE OIL BUT NOT USE ANY HEAVY OIL ON THIS 4.7 BECAUSE THE OIL CONDUTS ON THE HEAD ARE SO LITTLE

I have the same issue with my 2004 ram. I used 20w oil and it reduced it for a while however after looking more in depth it was the lower rods in the motor needing replaced $200 job. I am looking to upgrade the motor to a 5.7 Hemi later on but once you get the rods replaced and run 20w oil the noise will go away and the motor will last a good while I have 160,000 on mine now.

just bought a 02 4.7 and i am having that noise... but if anyone still looks at this thread i would like to know if i should sell it asap or once i fix the lifter will this be a good engine. i have 132k miles on it

This is old question. But there is some really bad and totally miss information presented in response. First the weight and viscosity has a huge effect on cold start up, operating temp heat shearing protection, sludge build up, and mpg. The thicker weight oils ie 10w- have thicker cold viscosity meaning hard on engine start up and more likely to cause sludge. 10w are mainly for summer or high temp climates. 5w are for various climates and more winter temps and flow more easily overall there by giving more mpg. Infact new dodge now have 5w-20 weight to meet higher mpg requirements. The second oil weight numer is even more important than either 10w or 5w. The second number indicates the thickness of oil at operating temps. The lower the numer the thinner oil barrier. With these older dodge 4.7l and 5.9l hemi there needs to be more protection ie 5w-40. The newer 2011 and up have smaller ports where the heavier protection can actually clog engine ports / oil flow as such 2011 and up now use 5w20. If are having cam crank or lifter problems there is not good protection of engine by the oil, need to jump up to 10w/5w -40 . There are plenty of owners,myself included, who ditched the 10w-30 for 5w-40 diesel oils in older magnums 4.7l have got thier rigs to the 500,000 mark. Personally prefer rotella t6 full synthetic 5w-40. Cheap at amazon or wal mart, great detergents, excellent cold starting, higher mpg. It works across all my rigs, Cummins 5.9l, magnum 4.7l, and vw 1.9l tdi,

I have a 2001 Durango, with a 4.7 that had what I thought was hydrolic valve adjuster noise. Well after soaking the new ones in oil, I changed all 16 of them. On startup, guess what, same noise. May be an oil flow issue, I guess I will do a flush and an oil change, then see what happens.

I have 2005 Durango with a 4.7 with 126 mile and I want to know for how much I can sell it?

The 4.7L Magnum is an interference engine - meaning the pistons could tap the valves if the timing is off - or if the rod bearings start to wear, allowing the pistons to travel slightly farther, just enough to contact the valves. So far there are several possibilities for why these engines make this noise - 1) timing chain and chain tensioner wear and stretch, 2) lifters and/or valve lash adjusters sludging up, 3) worn rod bearings. People have reported replacing all the lifters, rocker arms and lash adjusters and still having this noise. If you're going to get into an engine that far, you might as well replace the timing chains and tensioner as well, or maybe upgrade to a double-roller chain and eliminate the tensioners.

Valve seats are not uncommon to fall out on these engines. Will also cause slapping noise.

I have a 1998 Ram 1500 and went out to start it the other day and wont start. can hear the fuel pump start up and engine will turn over. I checked for spark and I have it. i am at a loss, the mechanic said it turns over really fast so he thinks it could be a bent valve or a broken rod. Thoughts?

we bought our 2nd 4.7 again the ominous tic when starting dealer said it is common and not to worry about it... dealer trying to pass the buck and not fix prob while under warranty?

I have a ;2008 dodge ram with the 4.7 what all year models will fit in it.

I just had the same thing happen with my 02 ram 4.7. It was ticking on startup for awhile and then started making a loud constant tick. I flushed the engine and changed the oil and the tick didn't change. Pulled the valve cover and discovered I had a collapsed lifter. Easy fix autozone had lifters for 7.99 and the rocker just pops back in with a screwdriver. soon as the lifter built up the tick was gone.

i have 2004 dodge ram 1500 the 5.7 hemi blowed could i put a 4.7 in it or would that be hard

Hi i have 03 1500 dodge ram 4,7 i buy thr truck at 106k since then i used sludge remover auto rx then i start using 0 40w mobil one and lucas full synthetic oil add full bottle ever oilchange. I have 165k miles now and been using supergas only my enginr runs like dream i have the cold start engine noise since day one one time shop changed the oil to 10 30w then i realize engine is ruff lost hp and ticking takes forever i changed it back to 0 40 w and engine still runs great soo its about what kind of oil u use also what type .these engines builds sludge cuz oil brakes dont be cheap when buying oil and always get lucas add

I have an 03 4.7 that had a very noticeable tick but it doesn't start ticking till the truck warms up

Just fixed ticking noise would tick till engine warms up then go away it was exhaust manifold gasket,mechanic checked & fixed in about an hour.

Hi I have a 2005 dodge Durango 4.7 I changed the lifters an the noise started up again slowly .what would you recommend that I do. Should I check the manifold

Hi mikilars, It could be several different things. 1) broken manifold bolts 2) timing chain is worn out or plastic tensioner is broke or worn out 3) lifters, maybe one bad or not in right. 4) rocker arms fell off.

Very simple , just need new valve lifters $10 each Plus $280 labor ,done

I have 2003 1500 4.7 stick shift I'm at 172k miles engine.still runs.like dream got it 106k miles using 0w40 with lucas add full bottle using only 93 octane since then car is tuned gibson headers magnaflow high flow cats Gibson dual cat back coldairintake with jetscoop from airram new lots of sensors ticking still happens doesnt burn no oil whatsoever or any coolant leak but ticking still happens first 20 second other then that is great

Anyone have any idea how much it costs to fixed a head gasket on a 02 dodge ram 1500 Quad cap, 4.7 magnum engine. I have a white smoke coming from the tail pipe and a sweet smell and now the check engine light came on. I haven't drove it in 3 month and now these. I appreciate any thought on any ideas.

Hello Jose As soon as you can drain the oil. It sounds like a head gasket, and if coolant has gotten into your crankcase it will start rusting all the steel components and the cylinder walls.

I have a 2000 dodge dakota that has 198,642 miles on the 4.7 factory motor that came in it. The thing you have to remember is the cooler the motor the better viscocity you'll get from your oil. I upgraded my radiator to one that has an extra row for flow. I've changed my oil every 6000 miles. So i can't agree that the 4.7 is a junk motor. Because all motor will come apart if you don't take care of them. I drive a 2002 1500 4.7 with 164937, my wife drives old blue.

Mine also makes noise at startup,but most noise is from the polyurathane timing chain tensioners before they get oil coated.

Jose,my suggestion to you is by the time and money you'll spend to replace a head gasket youmight as well get engine rebuilt. Because that engine got hot,probably warped both heads and block. You have to remember these are aluminum heads on steel blocks. And twin overhead cams.

to all the answers above... if you check with the dealer.. the problem with noise at start up then goes away when warm is a design "flaw" in the piston skirts.. posses no problem is the engine is allowed to warm up before driving

I have a 2005 1500 with the 4.7 magnum and was told it is and overhead cam motor and my cam blew knocking a hole in the valve cover gsket. can it be fixed? and anyone know about the cost....am in arizona thanks

Valve cover gasket is an easy fix. The cam however is not, and what exactly happened to the cam? Did you lose a bearing? You can do a top-end motor rebuild without pulling the engine, but it will not be cheap, especially if you're farming it out to a shop. Go with a good neighborhood mechanic and not a chain store. Big difference in $$. If the repair cost is too high, you can always go with a replacement engine instead.

If you had a cam faliure making a hole in the valve cover gasket it might be an idea to swap the head for a remanufactured one. If you do the job your self it would cost you 350- 400 bucks. If you let a shop do it you might as well sell the truck and buy another.

Jose i have a 02 durango 4.7..i pulled a double axal inclosed trailer all over the US till 178000 miles..i was in north dekota a blew a head..i went a got a motor for 2500$ for accurate engines in Michigan..i would cost 1800 for the heads to get done if they are ablbe to be redone or not..most worp,so look them up talk to john sabb he will get you set up..ohhh yeah an the new motor has tons of power very happy with it..GOOD LUCK

I've been driving my 2002ram quadcab 4.7 since it was new . It's now 2016 & I have 143,000 on this motor . The motor dose make a slight ticking sound but not a loud knock as some talk about. At about 80,000 I started running Amzoil synthetic 10-w30 . The motor has always started & has never let me down . I've changed the plugs twice & run a k&n air filter . I've towed a small cargo trail almost Every day . Also have towed a number of campers with it with no problems. I also live in the flat land know mountains or freezing weather , but it gets up to 95% often . So far it's been a good motor to me just not enough power would be my only complaint.

I here tapping sounds from my motor

Hearing tapping noise and I have oil but low at first I put some oil in it 20w and its still tapping.

OK so I bought a flood truck from hurricane Katrina in new Orleans. It was brand new when I bought it. Dodge ram 1500 4.7L . Since it had no miles when I bought it this is from 0 miles to now 158,000. It has had a ticking noise from day one. It doesn't go away after warming up or when it's still cold. After alot of research I began to dig deep under the hood to find the problem. I searched all under the hood and couldn't find a solution. I asked a friend that is a mechanic to help me and after evaluating it for a short time he noticed the ticking even after I killed the truck. He quickly told me that I would never get rid of the ticking if I didn't take that huge wall clock off the back seat. I put it in the house and the truck is fixed but now my house ticks ...... What do I do now. Hey hope you enjoyed bit in all seriousness. I did by a dodge in 05 with a 4.7 that was flooded (completely under water). I have told many people dodge should buy it back and put it in a museum or something. I have driven this truck from 0 miles to 158000 changed the oil about every 20000 miles(cheapest Castrol they make10w30) and changed my spark plugs for the first time last night. The only thing I have ever had to fix on it was the passenger front wheel bearing. So to all those who say the 4.7 is junk. My ultimate torture test is still going to this day almost 12 years later. Don't know what y'all are doing wrong but maybe babying the 4.7 ain't the way to go...... Just saying. All Hale the 4.7 .....I'm out!

Well...I am totally done with the good ole 4.7. I have a 2003 Durango with 134k on it. I have done every thing right. I am a mechanic. Race cars and boats. I had an older Durango with a 5.9. Drove it with well over 316k...no problems. Ever. In the past year I have installed two 4.7's in this dang thing. Both times it started with the initial start up ticking. Love the vehicle, but I am done with the 4.7. If I could find the guy that designed this boat anchor I would......Now I have to decide whether to install another one, or cut my losses. I have more in this thing than it is worth.

Very Very true Hydrobear!... its my second motor I put in my 2002 dodge ram 1500 slt the 4.7L..... and still having problems with this motor... the truck drives ok,..but I dont get the proformance power as I should and its very loud also!... my best bet is to sell it!... Im just tired putting money in this truck dealing with the motor problems!

I have a 2005 Ram SLT with a 4.7 in it to and not happy with the performance either. My wife picked out the truck for the way it looks and we needed a four door to take the family and pull a boat to the lake. It pulls the boat just fine but no power driving up hills on the highway without having to downshift out of overdrive to keep up to speed. VERY ANNOYING!. I have 106,000 miles on it. I have put a K&N air filter in it, NGK Platinum plugs, changed the oil with a quart of DuraLube and Valvoline 5w30 oil. I have a performance chip I purchased as well to still put in it, that guarantees before MPG and better horsepower. The only reason why I purchased the truck was I was a few thousand dollars short from buying a newer Chevy Silverado truck like I wanted that I could not finance. I am keeping this truck for 1 year and then trading it in. Good forum and great info.

READ THIS IF YOU HAVE TICKING ON START UP. I am a professional mechanic and have had this come through my shop door countless times, typically on Chrysler 4.7s. 9 out of 10 times it is a broken exhaust manifold stud. Very easy to fix if you take off wheel on the side with broken stud. Studs are prone to rust on the studs closest to the firewall because the shield doesn't quite cover them and most dodges don't cover the engine bay in the wheel well. Noise sounds just like a bad lifter and will go away after a min or two on a cold start. Many dealers will tell u a bad lifter or 2 and charge a few hundred and just end up replacing the stud to screw ppl. Trust me on that. I don't bc I would never sink that low. Anyways, if you get to it soon enough,you don't even have to replace the manifold gasket. Trust me, before paying out the rear or tearing your engine apart for no reason... Check you exhaust manifold for broken studs. You'll save yourself money, time, and from a headache. - Andrew the honest mechanic

I bought a new 2004 Ram 1500 with manual 5 speed - no accesories - work truck. It has the 4.7 L engine. Change oil & filter @ 4,000 intervals. At 120,000 it uses an 1/8 inch on dipstick. I have use 10W 30 Pensoil since new. The only non maintence issue is that some one put the pilot bearing in backwards. Changed out bearing, clutch disk, pressure plate - no sign of wear. I never lug the engine and keep R's up while towing a trailer with two cars up hills. I would buy a new truck like if offered. Ran over a Toyota last winter and rented a new 17 - hated the truck and idiot radio and security. I was pulling a little hill in the snow and it downgeared two or more gears , engine reved and off the road I went. I went back home got my check book and stopped at the restoration shop and gave them 11,000 to restore my 04. Looking at the cost of the new truck I saved a cool 20,000 and still have a truck I love.

i have a 2004 dodge ram 1500 I drove it for over 5 months .on day i cut it off and tried to restart and it acts like it wants to start but it wont kick over . when it does kick over seems like low power . it sounds like its fighting to stay on

Probably a crank position sensor or mass air flow sensor. Before spending money, have the codes read, using advanced OBD2 scanner, available from most auto supplies. Cheap trick to diagnosis a problem with a mass air flow sensor, unplug the sensor and spray carb cleaner into the air box with the hose removed. Have another person crank the engine while spraying carb cleaner into intake box, if engine starts and runs, as long as you spray, replace the mass air flow sensor! ASE certified master machinist, and own 2 Ram 1500 trucks, 2008 with 3.7L v-6 and 2003 Ram 1500 Quad cab HEMI with 333,000 miles. The right oil viscosity is important, follow factory recommendations, and shorten oil change intervals to 3,000 if you want the vehicle to last!!!!! I build automotive engines for living, all brands can have similar ticking or rattle sounds on start-up, if regular maintenance intervals and proper fluids are not used, that is reason manufacturer can deny warranty if the schedule is not followed. I find people try to reinvent the wheel, based on info from forums or chat rooms, bad choice.

Hey people I’ve been reading a lot of the comments on here...looks like overall everyone has the same problem; rather it’s a broken exhaust manifold stud or the infamous ticking noise on the 4.7. Well, I have worked on a few of those myself; very interesting by the way. First of, I think it’s a great engine has lots of torque. Unfortunately, dodge made quite a few mistakes on the 4.7 and 5.7 hemmi although the engineering part is awesome. Problem is they didn’t think about the customers in the long run. In my opinion these engines will run great for a few years d pending on how well you keep up with the maintenance. As far as the 4.7; the one time that you decide to go longer between oil chaiges and let it get dirty or take it to some of them places that lye to you and tell you they put the right oil and filter in it or you simplify just let it run low on oil, what ever the case may be....that’s when you will start hearing weird noises. Now, from I’ve seen...once I’ve taken the timing components out (chains, guides, tensioners) d pending on how often the oil was change and the quality of the oil of course, I noticed the guides will get worn out from the friction of the chains not to mention the constant heat/cold guides are made mainly of plastic the only ones that have metal on them are ones for the tensioners but the metal goes on the back of them for that reason( the tensioners) Another thing, going back to the oil change part, on these type of engines it’s always better to use synthetic oil and do an oil change between 3000 and 4000 miles believe me it makes a big difference because synthetic oil has better viscosity and it leaves a film layer on all over the internal parts (bearings, cams, guides and chains oh! And the oil pump as well) if you only use conventional oil it’s ok but make sure you do your oil change at the right time remember these engines oil pump is designed differently and it’s driven by the crankshaft unlike the 3.9, 5.2, and 5.9 which are driven by the cam through an intermidiate shaft which also controls the distributor shaft this is called (in the pan pump) totally different systems. Since dodge/Chrysler updated to the 3.7, 4.7, and the hemmi 5.7, 6.1, 6.4 etc etc) An over the crank pump was installed which is used in mostly all newer engines in general. So, the main thing here is to keep in mind all these things. However, all parts will wear out over time an will need to be replaced, these 4.7 are a good example and it’s always a good idea to replace your timing chains, guides and tensioners you can also replace the sprockets but not necessary, a good mechanic I’ll be able to inspect and let you know. From experience, once you do all that your vehicle will be good for another 100,000 to 120,000 depending how you use it. Head gaskets are pretty good on these engines as long as you you do your homework and prevent overheating but I thing that’s self explanatory. Thanks, just my opinion

could be a lifter

p.c.v. valve, crank postion sensor, cam position sensor, run 5w20, no one seems to know or understand these engines. sludge? pcv. knock and dying, feels like driving down a gravel road at 55, cam position sensor, they do wear out and need to be replaced. truck will not throw the codes for these sensors, nor will going to parts store and using their code reader. takes a good ol mechanic to understand and figure out this problem. 257000 plus on my 2000 Dakota with the 4.7 mag. and still going strong...

Hey everybody I'm screaming for help. I have a 2008 Dodge Ram flex fuel and and I just got the lifters work going on both sides and is still shaking and the check engine light is blinking on and off can anybody help me solve this problem?

After reading what dozens of different people have given for feedback some based on decades of experience and all the way down to some that probably never even held a wrench in their hand before and almost every one having at least a little diferent take on the situation or situations of which there can never be 2 exactly the same ive come to the conclusion that part of it depends on the luck of the draw right from the start with any engine made , you could treat 10000 of brand new engines the same exact way and some will last longer than others a few conking out way early and a few lasting an extraordinary length of time all the average joe can do is hope hes fortunate enough to start out with one thats at least in the middle range for potential and use basic common sense and if your fortunate enough to have a friend thats worked on motors for almost 60 years and still puts in 51/2 to 6 days a week doing it at a pace any man in his prime would be happy with and then comes home and builds a nice garage until dusk and then maybe on sunday watches a football game either before or after he works on the garage , or one that has been at it steady for 20 years or more and is willing to spend some of the small amount of time left after a routine like that and give you the benefit of all those years along with a sense that hes giving you the best effort or opinion he is capable of like im lucky enough to be the benefactor of , treat that person like gold even pray for him and dont let him do anything for free always give him something in return along with more than just one thank you when hes helped ya and thank ngod for even one time if he was willing to help , and im not saying theres anything wrong with a friend helping na friend without the meter running so to speak because every person likes to feel appreciated and everyones time is as important to them as yours is to you , im so damn lucky right now to have the friend and neighbor i do and im also not sure ive done enough so that he knows thats how i feel so irts time now for me to do more towards that end . HAPPY TRAILS PEOPLE

https://youtu.be/p6uPGPAF-l0

Its the timing chain tensioners.....not pumping up enough oil....have exact problem now

The 4.7 is a very good and strong engine, I myself own a wonderful 2004 ram 1500 4x4, I’ve towed 40ft boats and have hauled lots of cars, and never had a problem, when my 4.7 started with the noise, I started to do the same as some of you have done, so before I started to spend a small fortune on parts, I performed all of my necessary tests, after ruling out good comprehension & timing, I decided to take apart the front part of the engine exposing timing chain and cam chains, and low and behold where the cam chain guides are located, the plastics that are supposed to be on the aluminum parts that hold tension to the cam chains were worn or gone, so to all of you 4.7 engine owners out there, do yourselves a big favor, stop listening to all of the maybes out there, go on eBay purchase yourselves an upper halve rebuild kit, include new head bolts, change the head gasket, and exhaust manifold hardware, and you guys will not regret it, as long as you doing your maintenance after all of this, this engine will last another 100,000 (MD RESTO & MODS)