I have an 02 Ram Pickup with a 4.7, 115k miles on it and owned since new. It has had regular oil changes every 3-4k. at about 80k it developed a valve lifter tick. Sounded like a diesel in the morning. Took it to the dealer and they said that my 2 mile drive to the train station every day was not enough to sufficiently warm it up and it developed sludge. I let them perform an "engine flush" (which I thought was total BS) and WOW it came back running better and the lifter tick went away after about 500 miles.

Well now a few years later the valve lifter noises have come back. Does anyone know what a dodge dealer would have used to do the engine flush? My local dodge dealer closed down and Id like to do it myself. I tried Seafoam in the crank case for 100 miles then changing the oil but that just seems to have pissed it off and made it louder.

Any input is appreciated.
Scott

Go to your local dollar store and ask for a quart of transmission oil run it for a while, get it good and hot, then change the oil and filter. Or try engine oil flush. I beleive Gumout makes a good product. Do Not leave this in there. Follow the instructions on the package. In the future, take it out for a good run at free way speeds, about once a week. This will help keep it clean.

My 02 with the 4.7 does the same thing. I took it to the Dealership and they told me it was a pretty common thing . No advise as to how to fix it , just told me to use the lightest oil possible. Ya, I get the diesel sound in the morning also

As said... 1 qt of trans fluid

Timing tensioners ????

logan426

IF it is all sludged-up ...and that process loosened-up alot of it .. you best pull the oil-pan and clean that out.

I will bet you have LOTS of loosened-up-sludge in-the-pan and maybe is blocking the oil pick-up-tube.

A N D ... a vehicle like yours - driven mostly "2 mile drives" WILL sludge-up a motor ...furr-sure.

How long do you leave the trans. fluid in ?. Let it idle or can you do some driving ?.

My wifes dakota with the 4.7 did the same thing too. When I had to change the head gasket( which many 4.7 motors blow sooner or later), There was a ton of sludge in the head, mostly towards where the oil filler cap is bolted to. The plastic filler cap doesnt heat up like the rest of the head, and it always has condensation in it, causing that milkshake sludge in the engine. Every 4.7 i have seen has this problem. The irony, once i fixed the head gasket, the other side blew 1000 miles later. Then I got rid of the POS!

My 2001 4.7 Durango had a lifter tick on really cold mornings. When it warmed up it went away. I just couldn't find the lifter so I took it to a friend's shop. It turned out the left exhaust manifold had a small leak. I was embarrased because I didn't hear the difference between the two sounds

Every 5th oil change, I run Rotella or Delo diesel rated oil. It is higher in detergents than passenger car oil. This came from the owner of an auto machine shop and seems to work. Trans fluid is high in detergents also, but the oil change lets you keeep on top of it easier.

I use diesel oil spring to late fall, i also completely block the grill and bumper openings in the winter. 160k here