2021 ram 1500 5.7 hemi; PP 5w-20 5k mi

[HemiBenny]

If you have an issue at 22k, it’s not because you’ve used Xw20 oil.
Have the test done again, it’s possibly erroneous,…..or just drive the truck and use it as intended and don’t let these oil analyses make you lose sleep.
My 2011 Ram 1500 with a 5.7l that is short tripped, used to haul a bed and trailer full of stuff from time to time, and still kicking with no weird noises 12 years and 71k miles later has had nothing but 5w20.

 

[1BadManVan]

No worries at all! I've seen some wild stories floating around too. I recall one gentleman who was absolutely convinced that he lost several quarts of oil to "oil burning" just because he opted for 5W-30 over 5W-20. Quite the yarn, isn't it?

Now, let's chat about 5W-20 and 0W-20. These are typically aimed at meeting Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. They're especially suited to smaller engines, where viscosity can really influence miles per gallon (MPG).

Manufacturers have a keen eye on CAFE. If every HEMI gets a 1% MPG increase by using 0/5W-20, that makes a massive difference for them, given they sell millions of vehicles each year. The EPA essentially nudges manufacturers to recommend the same viscosity they used to hit their EPA MPG numbers.

But let me assure you, you're totally okay using 0W-40 in your HEMI. Relax and enjoy the ride!

Appreciate it, I’ll certainly give it a go, especially with the way I drive it lol. Just changed my oil yesterday, debating dumping it since towing season is about to start. Has Mobil 1 EP 0w20

 

[The Critic]

Appreciate it, I’ll certainly give it a go, especially with the way I drive it lol. Just changed my puked yesterday, debating dumping it since towing season is about to start. Has Mobil 1 EP 0w20

If you have abnormal wear at this stage, it isn’t an issue that can be solved by engine oil.

Might as well run the specified oil and wait for any issues to be addressed by the warranty.

 

[1BadManVan]

If you have abnormal wear at this stage, it isn’t an issue that can be solved by engine oil.

Might as well run the specified oil and wait for any issues to be addressed by the warranty.

It’s a 2018, about out of warranty. No known issues currently with it, but spends April-September at the drag strip and a chunk of the summer towing a 5k trailer through the mountains

 

[Deleted member 89374]

It’s a 2018, about out of warranty. No known issues currently with it, but spends April-September at the drag strip and a chunk of the summer towing a 5k trailer through the mountains

"Abnormal wear" would be mid to high triple digits. You should be concerned if you saw 400~500 ppm of Fe and/or Cu. That's not the case here at all.

I didn't make the Mobil 1 FS 0W-40 recommendation to "solve" a mechanical issue, I made it so your engine may benefit from better wear protection. Even if you discount the additive package, just simple physics says that higher HTHS equals to better wear protection.

 

[1BadManVan]

"Abnormal wear" would be mid to high triple digits. You should be concerned if you saw 400~500 ppm of Fe and/or Cu. That's not the case here at all.

I didn't make the Mobil 1 FS 0W-40 recommendation to "solve" a mechanical issue, I made it so your engine may benefit from better wear protection. Even if you discount the additive package, just simple physics says that higher HTHS equals to better wear protection.

I wasn’t arguing it, I was answering the other guy talking about if it had abnormal wear. I agree that 0w40 makes more sense, especially under the conditions I use mine. Just didn’t want to piss off the stupid mds system. But I’m hoping to have a custom tune for this and disable that stupid thing lol

 

[Deleted member 89374]

I wasn’t arguing it, I was answering the other guy talking about if it had abnormal wear. I agree that 0w40 makes more sense, especially under the conditions I use mine. Just didn’t want to piss off the stupid mds system. But I’m hoping to have a custom tune for this and disable that stupid thing lol

I know you weren't arguing it, and I realize that I could have worded my comment better.

On top of running 0W-40, I also deleted the grille shutters and installed a 180F Mishimoto Racing Thermostat. And it still didn't set off a code.

The only thing it mildly affects, in my case, due to the engine running on average 30F to 40F cooler, is the VVT, which in turn gets me slightly worse MPG. However, the Durango had no grille shutters and you didn't mess with the t-stat, so it will have Zero impact on your MPG.

 

[wemay]

If you have an issue at 22k, it’s not because you’ve used Xw20 oil.
Have the test done again, it’s possibly erroneous,…..or just drive the truck and use it as intended and don’t let these oil analyses make you lose sleep.
My 2011 Ram 1500 with a 5.7l that is short tripped, used to haul a bed and trailer full of stuff from time to time, and still kicking with no weird noises 12 years and 71k miles later has had nothing but

If you have an issue at 22k, it’s not because you’ve used Xw20 oil.
Have the test done again, it’s possibly erroneous,…..or just drive the truck and use it as intended and don’t let these oil analyses make you lose sleep.
My 2011 Ram 1500 with a 5.7l that is short tripped, used to haul a bed and trailer full of stuff from time to time, and still kicking with no weird noises 12 years and 71k miles later has had nothing but 5w20.

This ️

 

[racer12306]

Is there a chance this is still washing out break-in?

 

[OVERKILL]

given how low other wear metals are, and how young the engine is, its definitely concerning. doesn't seem like a bottom end issue but rather something with steel on steel contact.

from what i've heard, these hemis can have issues with cams and lifters (due to the MDS system) in which case the cam lobes can sometimes get wiped or have lifters fail. being that those are steel parts, this may be an early warning that something in the top end is unhappy. not sure on the copper although that can be potentially something in an oil cooler.

might be worth having the cam inspected before you send shrapnel through the block far from home with a camper behind you. just my opinion though!

It has nothing to do with MDS.

 

[OVERKILL]

i'm hoping its a bad test. I do not really hear any knocking right now. Just the usual startup noises that go away quickly. The oil that was tested, it pretty much was the truck being parked in the winter with the occasional once or twice a week grocery run. In the summer it gets most of its mileage... while towing a trailer. I plan on driving it a bunch now to get some more miles on it before i take any big trips and have the oil tested again.

You wouldn't hear knocking, rod knock is the result of bearing wear, which wouldn't be indicated by high iron, that's ring, cylinder or valvetrain wear.

While it's not unusual for the 5.7L to throw higher iron numbers than other engines, this does seem a bit higher than one would expect. You can totally ignore the copper, that's completely normal.

 

[JavierH19]

When does your warranty expire.

 

[FZ1]

I'm kicking myself for not getting an oil report sooner so i had a benchmark for this truck. Yet here i am. Just got my oil report. 22k miles on my ram 1500 5.7. I've been consistent changing oil every 5k miles with either 5w-20 penzoil ultra platinum or penzoil platinum depending on what i could get. And mopar filters. Still under warranty so i'm sticking to whatever is spec at the moment.

My iron level came back at 122, and copper is 66. None of my vehicles have ever showed levels that high. I use the truck to tow a 5k pound travel trailer in the summer. And towing season has just started. Really don't want to blow an engine in the middle of traveling. Is it possible this is an anomaly. I plan on running the current oil about 3k then changing it to see what the report will come back. with View attachment 157936 or should i start worrying?

Run the 5-20 Ultra. It's a little thicker than the PP. Get it online from WM.

 

[Deleted member 89374]

Run the 5-20 Ultra. It's a little thicker than the PP. Get it online from WM.

 

[ScottyB]

It has nothing to do with MDS.

Got it, not a ram owner but based on what I've heard from the 5.7 mds tales, thought It could be related.

 

[OVERKILL]

Got it, not a ram owner but based on what I've heard from the 5.7 mds tales, thought It could be related.

It's just QC on the lifters. GM has the same issue with the added bonus of the fact their AFM lifters actually are problematic. FCA has revised the lifters like 7 times now, supposedly it has been fixed, like 2018 or 2019+.

 

[CarDoc66]

It has nothing to do with MDS.

Thank you for reinforcing this.
I've been with Dodge since before the gen 3 Hemi was introduced back in 2003. There were NEVER cam/roller lifter issues until the VVT was introduced in 2009 with the Eagle version of gen 3. Both engines were equipped with MDS in automatic transmission applications and Eagle has VVT with both transmissions. That said, I've seen non-MDS engines eat a roller lifter or two and I've seen MDS engines eat rollers on NON MDS cylinders. So MDS has nothing to do with it in my humble opinion. The problem became apparent with the introduction of VVT.
In the past few years, some of the gen 3 guys started putting the 6.2 oil pump (more capacity/volume) in the 5.7 and 6.4. Reports are saying this is fixing the issue. Is it truth? I do not have that answer.....yet.
All I can say is the WORST offenders with this issue were police vehicles, which sit and idle too much, and poor OCI practices. The failures I have seen (especially early stage failures) seem to point to a hardening issue with the cam. I've pulled cams with spalled lobe peaks and perfect roller lifters on the same lobe.
EDIT: The latest lifter revision seems to have increased clearances of the lifter, since they will tick occasionally on a cold start up in an engine that never did that before. Maybe to get more oil on to the roller and lobe areas, who knows? I also noticed they are all exclusively made in Germany now .

 

[The Critic]

All I can say is the WORST offenders with this issue were police vehicles, which sit and idle too much, and poor OCI practices.

That seems to be the anecdotal conclusion - vehicles with high idle time are most at-risk to this issue. Poor oiling at idle is the suspicion.

 

[CarDoc66]

That seems to be the anecdotal conclusion - vehicles with high idle time are most at-risk to this issue. Poor oiling at idle is the suspicion.

I also have read that the oil splash from the crankshaft at low rpm is hindered by the height of the cam in the block and by the cast-in oil galley that runs beneath it. The engine has a windage tray so I do not know how accurate this statement is but the theory seems to support the lubrication issue.....thus the reasoning for the 6.2 oil pump swap. I also suspect VVT added to the issue since it's using some of the volume of oil to fill the phaser chambers in the cam gear.

 

[Greasymechtech]

I could care less about the warranty and all the warranty fear/scare BS.

This engine is still breaking in. So, need a few more UOAs to trend but I wouldn't wait on the grade increase.

I would definitely run a thicker oil. I would not announce it to the dealer or anyone.

5w30 synthetic sp/gf6 is a no brainer. Higher HTHS 5w30's and the 0w40 are valid options. Its your choice... do you protect the engine or the MPG? Is that even something that anyone has to think about?

I don't think anyone buys a v8 truck to get super duper MPG. This will turn into another thick/thin debate.

I also wouldn't bother with the Mopar filters either.

The owner's manual uses the word "recommends". Grade and OE filter are not required for anything. Keep your maintenance records, shorten the interval any time you tow(severe service), and keep driving.

If you're stuck on 5w20 oil, then short change it a pint and use a pint of any of these which will spike your visc, and your maintenance log book/receipts will still show that ~7quarts of 5w20 purchased for each interval.

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