i have a completely stock 02 ram 1500 with the gas 5.9 at 93000 miles and this last week it has developed a tick at startup and usually goes away withen 2 or 3 minutes. changed the oil cause it was due and seemed to get a little quieter. but nonetheless i will want to fix this as soon as i can scrounge up the money. i am assuming its a sticky lifter. so while i am tearing into the heads i figure i could put a new cam and rockers along with lifters.

so what can someone recommend for a cam without going to radical? and works with stock everything. and what problems might come up while doing this job. also i would like to get superchip programmer eventually along with new exhaust. thanks.

 

Aaaahh....

You have finally come down with a case of the "lifter tick". Mine has been doing this since I bought it, and it does it when I start the truck. Goes away after a minute. I have heard that 3rd Gen Rams are notorious for this. Not sure if it's doing any damage, it's just always been happening. I am not overly concerned at this point, because it's always been there, has not gotten better or worse.

Perhaps someone else can shed some light for both of us....

 

i have always ran royal purple which i was lead to beleive is a good synthetic oil. and yes i used 10w30. i barely went over 3000 miles when i heard it tick at startup. when i dumped the oil it was thin as water.wtf? i have heard that gas getting into the oil will thin it out, but there was no gas smell. i put in mobil 1 7500 and the tick went from 3 minutes to 15 seconds at startup. so its alot better but stil there. i know i dont have replace the cam but if i tear into the top end that far whats a few more bolts to pick up some horsepower. probably more than a few bolts but i am not scared. i have done several engine swaps and rebiulds, but never a dodge motor. i was hoping someone could chime in. no offense but it looks like people only talk about exhausts, cai and programmers. some people on here cant even find their spark plugs. lol.