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New engine, really?!?!

Hopping in here to share my recent (ongoing) experience. Recently hit 60,000 on the odometer of my 2020 5th gen 1500 5.7 Bighorn, cursed myself and made several jokes that something was sure to fail right after I hit it (I did knock on wood haha). Sure enough shortly after my wife was using the truck and calls me that it was making a knocking sound while backing into a parking spot. A few days later I was dropping the kids off at school and it started making it again while at low speeds (less than 15mph or thereabout) and stopped at the dealer on the way to work because I did not want to drive it in that state for fear of doing damage. Dealer was accommodating, and though busy was able to get me in that day, and replaced both exhaust manifolds which were cracked. I wasn't sure how that accounted for the noise but they did it under warranty even though I was just outside of it. Didn't even make it home and it started making the sound again so I was back the next day. They had it for 2 weeks and replaced the lifters and followers on both sides, went to pick it up and tech noticed it was still making sound so they took it back and said the lifters could still be at fault and they were replacing them again, after another couple of weeks they tell me the cams need to be replaced as well, and another week later they tell me if just needs a new engine due to heavy scoring and I am playing the waiting game once again for approval from district manager.

It has been over 7 weeks, I have to nag the dealership for updates, and they never return my calls (have been using texts to communicate). I keep asking for pictures or transparency into the process but those requests fall on deaf ears. Not really cool with them deciding that something needs to be done and jumping into it without a phone call with me first, but I should be grateful I guess because it has all fallen under warranty which I am just outside of (but still in the grace period), and they have given me a loaner. I assume that the CDK hack hit this dealership. I am also worried about a water ingress issue that I also asked them to look at (both front drivers floorboard and rear passenger, but not looking like the highmount light and it has rained here a lot.

I have no idea what happened to my engine, I always changed the oil either at dealer or reputable oil shop every 6k miles, I think I let it go a little over 7k once. Engine was broken in properly as well, but never sounded quite as nice as the 2018 5.7 bighorn that came before it. IF they do approve the engine swap, I am curious if I still get a warranty on it, and what I can do to make this one last. I live in Michigan, so the body is going to unfortunately start to rust, but I want to drive this thing another 100k miles (well new engine, maybe another 160k haha). Thanks for listening to me rant, irritated and thankful. Can't wait to do truck stuff again, several projects at home waiting on my truck, and currently typing this from my bumper pull travel trailer that I had to tow with my wifes SUV (it's within the the weight range and we made an extra trip to get all of our stuff and kids up here so as not to max it out, but still was not fun. They gave me a Jeep Compass as a loaner and that really did not make getting all our stuff up here any easier due to the size)
 
Hopping in here to share my recent (ongoing) experience. Recently hit 60,000 on the odometer of my 2020 5th gen 1500 5.7 Bighorn, cursed myself and made several jokes that something was sure to fail right after I hit it (I did knock on wood haha). Sure enough shortly after my wife was using the truck and calls me that it was making a knocking sound while backing into a parking spot. A few days later I was dropping the kids off at school and it started making it again while at low speeds (less than 15mph or thereabout) and stopped at the dealer on the way to work because I did not want to drive it in that state for fear of doing damage. Dealer was accommodating, and though busy was able to get me in that day, and replaced both exhaust manifolds which were cracked. I wasn't sure how that accounted for the noise but they did it under warranty even though I was just outside of it. Didn't even make it home and it started making the sound again so I was back the next day. They had it for 2 weeks and replaced the lifters and followers on both sides, went to pick it up and tech noticed it was still making sound so they took it back and said the lifters could still be at fault and they were replacing them again, after another couple of weeks they tell me the cams need to be replaced as well, and another week later they tell me if just needs a new engine due to heavy scoring and I am playing the waiting game once again for approval from district manager.

It has been over 7 weeks, I have to nag the dealership for updates, and they never return my calls (have been using texts to communicate). I keep asking for pictures or transparency into the process but those requests fall on deaf ears. Not really cool with them deciding that something needs to be done and jumping into it without a phone call with me first, but I should be grateful I guess because it has all fallen under warranty which I am just outside of (but still in the grace period), and they have given me a loaner. I assume that the CDK hack hit this dealership. I am also worried about a water ingress issue that I also asked them to look at (both front drivers floorboard and rear passenger, but not looking like the highmount light and it has rained here a lot.

I have no idea what happened to my engine, I always changed the oil either at dealer or reputable oil shop every 6k miles, I think I let it go a little over 7k once. Engine was broken in properly as well, but never sounded quite as nice as the 2018 5.7 bighorn that came before it. IF they do approve the engine swap, I am curious if I still get a warranty on it, and what I can do to make this one last. I live in Michigan, so the body is going to unfortunately start to rust, but I want to drive this thing another 100k miles (well new engine, maybe another 160k haha). Thanks for listening to me rant, irritated and thankful. Can't wait to do truck stuff again, several projects at home waiting on my truck, and currently typing this from my bumper pull travel trailer that I had to tow with my wifes SUV (it's within the the weight range and we made an extra trip to get all of our stuff and kids up here so as not to max it out, but still was not fun. They gave me a Jeep Compass as a loaner and that really did not make getting all our stuff up here any easier due to the size)

Without knowing the cause of the failure, there's not much advice that can be given to prevent this from happening again and it make not (probably isn't) even be anything that you did or did not do.
 
Forum has been good, no complaints. Motor speaks for itself and 2 to 3 month speaks for Ram.
What is taking 2-3 months? Just installed an engine in a 150k mile fleet truck, took 5 days for the part to arrive.
 
What is taking 2-3 months? Just installed an engine in a 150k mile fleet truck, took 5 days for the part to arrive.
Currently at 6 and 1/2 weeks. In the hands of Ramsey CDJR, NJ. I can't speak for them Ram, Stellantis or the lifetime warranty.
 
Oh yeah, add Ram Cares to the list.

Ugh. This is not good. They are known as a decent dealer as well.

I just emailed my dealer about a "knocking issue." Waiting to hear back.
 
I had my engine replace at 29k miles for same issue as OP. Now I have 6k miles on the new engine now I'm dealing with a corrosion to the starter wire that they claim is not covered by power train warranty. They want me to pay $1200 for parts and labor. I'm really done with my truck. It's sorry that the worker already know who I am cuz I've been visiting the dealership often. Does anyone know if the wire should have been connected with new engine?
 
So yeah, I have 24 Limited with 20,000 miles. I took it in to the dealership a few weeks ago because of an ominous ticking sound. I thought it was the exhaust manifolds at first since my 2019 had that issue at 80,000 miles. In fact, I traded it in for the 24. I advised the dealership the ticking noise was loud during a cold start. I was asked to leave the truck and given a loaner. It took them 3 days to tell me it was NOT the exhaust manifolds, but rather the lifters and that parts were already ordered. Well surprise surprise, today I get the call that as they were working on replacing the lifters, they found metal shavings. I about fell over when they said they needed to order a new engine as they mentioned something about cam being chewed up. Well of course i brought myself over to the dealership. I was looking to trade it in already as something is just bugging the crap out of me. I was told engine would be brand new and the warranty would be reset for the engine. A new engine mated to a tranny with 20,000 miles on it makes me nervous. Am I being paranoid??? To be honest, if the HEMI was being offered in the 25's then i probably would have just traded it in. But sine the Hemi is no longer offered in and of the Ram's and i certainly do not want the hurricane engine, im kinda stuck!! Wish me luck!
 
So yeah, I have 24 Limited with 20,000 miles. I took it in to the dealership a few weeks ago because of an ominous ticking sound. I thought it was the exhaust manifolds at first since my 2019 had that issue at 80,000 miles. In fact, I traded it in for the 24. I advised the dealership the ticking noise was loud during a cold start. I was asked to leave the truck and given a loaner. It took them 3 days to tell me it was NOT the exhaust manifolds, but rather the lifters and that parts were already ordered. Well surprise surprise, today I get the call that as they were working on replacing the lifters, they found metal shavings. I about fell over when they said they needed to order a new engine as they mentioned something about cam being chewed up. Well of course i brought myself over to the dealership. I was looking to trade it in already as something is just bugging the crap out of me. I was told engine would be brand new and the warranty would be reset for the engine. A new engine mated to a tranny with 20,000 miles on it makes me nervous. Am I being paranoid??? To be honest, if the HEMI was being offered in the 25's then i probably would have just traded it in. But sine the Hemi is no longer offered in and of the Ram's and i certainly do not want the hurricane engine, im kinda stuck!! Wish me luck!
Nothing wrong with getting a new engine. These ZF 8-speeds are pretty reliable. Especially compared to the 10-speeds Ford and Chevy use
 

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