Help!!!! My 2004 Durango Limited has had a few engine problems lately after being mostly problem free for the 6 years we have owned the vehicle. While driving home from a fishing trip the oil light came on and I pulled over quickly and shut off the vehicle. After checking the oil lever (it was clean and full) I continued home. 10 miles later the engine started to make noise and again I pulled over but this time called a tow truck. We left the truck with a mechanic and he informed me the oil pick up tube was plugged and we spent the $900 to get it fixed. It ran great and my wife continued to drive it until the other day when a loud knocking started from the drivers side valve cover. It runs and idles good but this sound is like something is hitting the valve cover. Already replaced the broken bolts from the exhaust manifolds and am fearing that this vehicle is done for. It has 177,000 miles and still looks great. I mainly use it to pull my fishing boat and still need the vehicle (I have a 15 year old that is getting ready to drive).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

VIP:
Sounds like you have a valve train issue on that side of the engine. The 04 Hemis where known for this.
You need to get that valve cover off and see what is going on. I expect you will find one or more bad springs and possibly damaged rocker arm(s).
Don't drive it until you have checked things out, or you could end up with a dropped valve and a destroyed engine.

Don

 

Thanks Don, my Durango has the 4.7lt engine and I did have the valve cover off and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Not sure where to go from here.

 

After getting both valve covers removed a friend and I inspected the cams and rocker arms on both heads. Everything looks normal and nothing is loose which has me believing I have a broken or collapsed lifter. After watching a video on replacing the lifters on the 4.7l engine and the relative low cost of the set of lifters I have decided to go ahead and replace all 16. Any feedback on if this is the right move. Everything looks normal but the top part of the engine did go without the proper amount of oil due to a plugged oil pickup tube.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I am in no hurry to do this but I will need the vehicle in the spring for pulling the fishing boat.

Thanks

p.s. Anyone know where I can purchase or rent the tool to compress the springs?

 

I think I'd check compression before tearing down.
What clogged the pickup?

 

Sludge! We bought the Durango with 70k and I have always used synthetic oil with normal oil changes. The pick up tube was 97% blocked which caused the oil light to finally come on. The vehicle still idles smoothly but something sounds like it want to jump out of the valve covers. Inspected the rockers and everything is tight and where it should be.

The vehicle has 180k on it now but it still looks good and I need a boat puller this spring.

Cant think of anything else but the hydralic lifters going bad from the lack of top end oil.

 

Does anyone know where I can get my hands on the tool to compress the valve springs?

 

Auto Zone or NAPA should have the tool.
FF