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4.7 motors-are they reliable?
Posted By: slantzilla
4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 01:45 AM
Looking at an '06 4.7 Dakota R/T. Been asking some of my Mopar buddies what they've heard about the 4.7 as I really don't know a lot about them. So far the responses I've gotten have been rather lukewarmm. Main thing is oil issues of some sort, but no one can really point out anything specific.
I've got 187,000 on my 5.9 Dakota R/T and it has been pretty rock solid. Will the '06 have a chance at that?
Thanks!
Posted By: 70duster340
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 02:06 AM
I've had 2 Dakota's with the 4.7L. One was a 2001 and the last was a 2007. Both were trouble-free.
Posted By: 69440
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 02:13 AM
I bought a Ram 1500 new in 07, 4.7 equipped. It now has 81K miles on it and has never had a problem. Trouble and worry free.
Posted By: 71yelladustr
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 02:24 AM
Just don't get one of them hot. Headgasket issues and valve seats comming out of the heads are common.
Posted By: Mr.Yuck
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 03:04 AM
111775 on our 99 Jeep GC no issues, still runs strong
Posted By: 440PURSUIT
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 03:09 AM
A guy that works for me has about 250K on his original engine. Still runs strong. Has had 3 trans and a transfer case though. Used the truck as a Cable TV intaller truck. I think its an 02 (Dakota)
Posted By: ahy
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 03:09 AM
I put about 70k on an early one in a Jeep. Worked well, no problems. On the lube system, the coolest point in the system is the fill hole which is pretty big like a funnel. As a result it gets condensation - looks funny when you open the cap but doesn't seem to cause any problem.
Posted By: 3ddart
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 03:15 AM
we have 1 with 105000 on it and haven't had any issues but a friend that deals with a salvage yard says they can't keep any on their racks. i did some checking and was told they have/had a tendency to sludge-up due to a bad pvc set-up so i have been adding a quart of rislone to every oil change just to be safe. dave
Posted By: dennismopar73
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 03:35 AM
02 durango 4.7 great on gas 18 mpg ave , 0 issues
always used mobile 1
Posted By: Chris2581
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 03:37 AM
153,000 trouble free miles on my 4.7
2002 Ram quad cab.I use 15w40 Mobil Delvac oil and PuroLator filter.
Posted By: Todd
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 05:34 AM
Very good engines if maintained like should. Like to sludge if not and ruin timing chain guides and tensioners. Remember the spark plugs NEED changed every 30k if not platinum.
Posted By: Hotwheelsjr
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 07:12 AM
My exterminator has a 2000 4x4 Durango with 247k on his -- trouble free!
Posted By: buildanother
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 01:29 PM
I had a 2000 and a 2001. Both ran perfect at 150k mi. Only thing I heard about is that the 3.7 and 4.7 can toss a rocker out from under cam and sometimes trashing cyl head in the process. That may just be the poorly maintaned vehicles. I dunno. I towed a bit with the 4.7's and they did job well.
Posted By: finadk
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 02:31 PM
Mine is an 02 Ram with 114K, runs great. I did have a sludge problem, probably from short trips to the commuter parking lot, and not letting it get fully warmed up. It used to let me know when it needed an oil change by ticking valve lifters. I let the dealer talk me into an engine flush, I figured it was money down the drain, but it runs good as new!!!
As mentioned, change the plugs, I let mine go 43K and one day it would not start, had to have it towed to the dealer and DUH plugs were shot. I do it every 25k now, its a 30 minute job.
Posted By: Magnumguy
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 02:32 PM
Was looking at a Jeep G. Cherokee w/a 4.0, the conversation came up about the JGC's with 4.7's, and the salesguy said the 4.7's just weren't the motor they replaced.
Occasional heads cracking and headgaskets.
Posted By: gtx6970
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 02:56 PM
Quote:
Will the '06 have a chance at that?
Thanks!
Absolutely.
Take car of it and it'll take care of you.
Just change spark plugs and oil/filter regularly
And a 4.7 will outrun a stock 5.9 
I used to work at a new car dealership,,, 
Posted By: Mr.Yuck
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 03:00 PM
Quote:
Quote:
Will the '06 have a chance at that?
Thanks!
Absolutely.
Take car of it and it'll take care of you.
Just change spark plugs and oil/filter regularly
And a 4.7 will outrun a stock 5.9
I used to work at a new car dealership,,,
I'd agree with that.
Posted By: noplanb
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 03:01 PM
120K on a 2004 Dakota. Zero issues. Mobil 1 since new, plugs and filters. Not the most exciting motor but gets it done without fuss.
Posted By: ditchdrift
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 05:39 PM
they do not like to be over heated, they will drop valve seats out of the heads. I just rebuilt a 4.7 for a 01 grand cherokee and i threw in a set of HO cams and the HO intake manifold... oh boy it rips hard.
Posted By: DCM71cuda
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 05:44 PM
Had an '03 Durango with this engine. Put about 90k on it before ex totaled it in a wreck.
Only problem I ever had was a broken exhaust manifold stud, so I had to replace the exhaust gasket. (That was the problem with the engine....I won't get into the problems with the ex...let's just say the 4.7 was much more reliable)
Posted By: Todd
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 05:49 PM
My wife totaled my '03 also. Had 145k when it died.
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Posted By: Magnumguy
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 05:55 PM
Quote:
My wife totaled my '03 also. Had 145k when it died.
They totalled that?
Posted By: Todd
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 06:11 PM
Quote:
Quote:
My wife totaled my '03 also. Had 145k when it died.
They totalled that?
Yea its alot worse than it looks. The front of the frame was shoved over and the bottom of the B-Pillar was pushed in 4" and the rear axle housing was bent. Busted the condesor, radiator, steering rack. The frame was also bent where the lower control arm attaches.
Posted By: savoy64
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 09:05 PM
well besides seeing more dead intrepids at the pickapart it seems for the dakota/durango there are more 4.7 being recycled---course maybe some people cant afford the transmission repair bill and give up---bob
Posted By: slantzilla
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/28/11 11:58 PM
Thanks for the input everyone!
I shouldn't have any trouble with sludge, I normally drive at least 25 miles every time the truck is started. I will switch it over to Mobil 1 if I get it.
I've never seen a 4.7 auto Dakota run at the track, but I had a buddy with an '02 4.7/5 speed that would eat the ass right out of my 5.9 R/T.
Posted By: ademon
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/29/11 12:17 AM
158k no problems 15/40 in warm and 5/30 in cold, i do block my grill dec to feb.
Posted By: 7D9LRE
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/29/11 12:26 AM
I had a '99 GC with 225k with no problems. Had one scare a couple years ago, we go to IA every Christmas. Checked oil before the return trip and found white sludge in the fill tube, thought it was a blown head gasket. After a quick internet search I discovered that it's a fairly common problem in cold climates.
Posted By: babarracuda
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/29/11 01:33 PM
I have a 2001 Durango with 112K. Used to tow my race car from San Luis Opispo, Ca to Vegas. It has more powewr than my 78 D200 with a 360. Only problem is I had to replace the left exhaust manifold gasket. Why do you have to replace the plugs every 30K?
Posted By: 70Cuda383
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/29/11 02:19 PM
my 04 Dakota has 75K miles, only oil changes. everything else is still original.
never any problems with it.
wasn't there a recall or service bulletin on the PCV system for the earlier 4.7s? thus why they sludge up.
it's got 3.55 gears and bigger/heavier than stock tires that are 31" tall. 2wd auto, and I average 17.5MPG with it with more city than highway driving.
Posted By: Chris2581
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/29/11 08:56 PM
Quote:
Why do you have to replace the plugs every 30K?
I went 140K on the original set in my 4.7.Gapped them every 50K and they did well.
Posted By: GO_Fish
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/30/11 01:34 AM
Quote:
I've never seen a 4.7 auto Dakota run at the track, but I had a buddy with an '02 4.7/5 speed that would eat the ass right out of my 5.9 R/T.
That's interesting. I always thought of the 4.7 as a reliable engine with no HP offerings or aftermarket upgrades? I would have put money on the 5.9...
Posted By: Dean_Kuzluzski
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/30/11 06:24 PM
Quote:
I had a buddy with an '02 4.7/5 speed that would eat the ass right out of my 5.9 R/T.
A visual I can certainly live without........... 
Got 133k+ on our 04 Durango now. I've heared that the 4.7 is good for "losing the chain" and bending the valves in the process after about 140k...............Anyone else????
Posted By: Chris2581
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/30/11 07:08 PM
Mine turned over 153K this morning,never been apart.Still runs like it did when I bought it new and still gets great fuel economy.
Posted By: MoparforLife
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/30/11 07:14 PM
Got close to a hundred and twenty K on my dak. and do a lot of towing with it and it is trouble free.
Posted By: slantzilla
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/31/11 06:14 AM
Went down and looked at the truck again today and it is a 4wd. How much does that affect gas mileage? My 5.9 I average 15/17 with, will this 4.7 match that?
Posted By: ademon
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/31/11 07:01 AM
Quote:
Quote:
I had a buddy with an '02 4.7/5 speed that would eat the ass right out of my 5.9 R/T.
A visual I can certainly live without...........
Got 133k+ on our 04 Durango now. I've heared that the 4.7 is good for "losing the chain" and bending the valves in the process after about 140k...............Anyone else????
I heard that from time to time, but think its rare, probably only happens to abused and neglected 4.7's but i guess when they approach the 200k + area all bets are off.
Posted By: silent-H-wheel
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 10/31/11 05:15 PM
You betcha the 4.7L is reliable.
I had a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 4.7L HO. It was a beast! Had 253,500 trouble-free miles on it when I sold it. Last I heard, it's still running fine. I changed the oil every 3,000 miles and the plugs at recommended intervals. Never had to open the engine up (for repair).
Great motor.
Posted By: slantzilla
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 11/02/11 12:15 AM
Traded my '04 GTO and $4500 for this today. 22,000 miles and loaded. I'm diggin' it.
Worked them down $2K on it because the sales people teamed up to rip the front fascia off the Goat in their parking lot.
Posted By: Rug_Trucker
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 11/02/11 01:18 PM
A mutual slant friend Mike U. has a 2000 or 2001. He had to replace the heads.
They were back ordered because of demand for them. I don't know all the details.
Posted By: moparsquid
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 11/02/11 05:56 PM
Posted By: slantzilla
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 11/02/11 11:07 PM
If this truck holds up half as well as my '00 has I'll be very happy.
Posted By: 70Cuda383
Re: 4.7 motors-are they reliable? - 11/02/11 11:42 PM
Quote:
Quote:
I've never seen a 4.7 auto Dakota run at the track, but I had a buddy with an '02 4.7/5 speed that would eat the ass right out of my 5.9 R/T.
That's interesting. I always thought of the 4.7 as a reliable engine with no HP offerings or aftermarket upgrades? I would have put money on the 5.9...
you're pretty much right. no stroker cranks or aftermarket heads. you wanna hop one up, you need to get stock cams re-ground which limits your cam profiles to choose from. you can also port the heads, but again, no aftermarket heads available.
stock for stock, the 4.7 trucks were about equal to the 5.9 trucks, mostly due to how the 5.9s in stock form were low RPM torque motors, and the 4.7s in stock form have a higher rev limit and need RPM to run well. Toss in a 5 spd to the mix, and a 4.7 stick truck will outrun a 5.9l auto truck if geared similar. (the 5.9 Dakota's came stock with 3.92s, most 4.7L trucks came stock with 3.55s, giving an off the line advantage to the 5.9s)
but, if you wanted to build a truck up, I'd definitely start with the 5.9, because you can get ANYTHING for them. intakes, headers, aftermarket aluminum heads, stroker cranks, high compression pistons, unlimited cam selections, etc.