When you get all of those things done, come back and let us know how the truck reacts.......

 

Will do plugs/air filter/oil change/maybe some other cleaners on Saturday; thanks y'all for the advice.

Also getting a stethoscope to help narrow down the noise; a quick check indicates it's coming from the left side of the motor. Can't escape the gut feeling it's valvetrain noise, and I read and re-read the two threads of those two unlucky guys with the same VIN "N" motor as mine ...

Adam

EDIT just picked up some Chysler CC cleaner. Looking forward to creating huge clouds of white smoke (condo association should love it)

 

let us know how it turns out with the tune up!!

 

OK, Saturday, mileage 69,781:

1. Replaced plugs. Old plugs were Champions (i.e., they had been replaced once); 6/8 were worn about 1/2 down. 2/8 on the RF bank were worn down to the porcelain. New plugs are Autolite 5224's gapped @ 0.050" (oops, above the factory recommendation of 0.040"). Sprayed down all related electrical connections with contact cleaner, sanded/cleaned battery connections. RESULT: it cranks an almost imperceptible hair quicker. No other changes.

2. Added 1 qt of Solder Seal GUNK Hi Mileage Motor Flush to old oil and 12 oz STP Complete Fuel System Cleaner to 5/8 full gas tank. Ran for 5 minutes per recommendations. Drained oil; it was black and thoroughly non-viscous. Replaced oil filter with Fram PH16, added 1 qt Lucas HD Oil Stabilizer and 4 qts Havoline SAE 5w-30; 3/4 of cold max level.

3. Cleaned TB as best as I could with STP Carb Spray and a toothbrush. Start vehicle, warmed to idle temp. Empty entire can of Chrysler Combustion Chamber Cleaner directly into TB while running engine @ ~1000 rpm. RESULT: big puff of white smoke out of exhaust; also white smoke out of rearmost left exhaust port/exhaust manifold connection. Hmmm.... Shut car down for 30 minutes.

4. Start car back up and idle normally (~625 rpm) for 35 minutes; smoke/smell visually dissipated after 15 minutes.

5. Replaced dirty air filter with Fram CA9401 element, cleaned excessively dirty airbox. Check oil level 15 minutes later; added 1 more qt Havoline 5w-30 to bring level to cold max. Total of 6 qts oil (5-5w-30, 1-lucas).

6. The soft ticking/clatter from LF valvetrain continues as if nothing changed.

7. Drive car for 150 hard miles, i.e. high speed, stop and go, lots of shifts, etc. Ticking/clatter seems to go away long into a drive (i.e., an hour) when engine at its hottest, midpoint of the temp gauge; once the car parks and cools for a little bit, on thenext drive, the softclatter picks right back up again, and continues for the whole drive -- IF it's less than hour, give or take.

8. This morning: check for oil stains on pavement under vehicle -- none. Check for oil stains near leaking exhaust port -- none. Check oil level -- now actually 1/16" above cold max.

OK: decision time. Mileage: 69,928.There is only a day or two before the [possible] warranty coverage vaporizes, which, as I may have mentioned before, would at a minimum involve $150 warranty transfer charge, $100 deductible,and taking the bus while not having the truck around for work.

Any thoughts on what this is? Think the exhaust leak and the valvetrain noise are related? Is this worth spending $250 (+ bus fare, ugg) just to have the dealer look at it ... or should I just wait it out?

Thanks for all the advice so far and thanks in advance for any more,

Adam

EDIT: I keep on mentioning the noise is coming from the "LF valvetrain" but I was not able to locate a stethoscope or something equivalent to confirm, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

Look i'll give you my .02 worth. I would take it to the dearlership before the warranty expired, just to be on the safe side. Like this, if they examine it, and tell you everything is ok, and something happens at, lets say 70,100 miles and it's connected to what you brought it in for initially, then you're covered...But again, i am no expert...I suggest you send the following individuals a PM to get their opinion.
-HemiYellow, Hammerz71....there are a couple of others, but those two come to mind at the moment.

hope this helps.

 

Almost all engines with some miles on them you will hear a slight clatter from the valvetrain, if you could get a vid of it running that would help a ton. Btw, You should have went with the autolite 3293's, they are a heat range cooler than the 5224's and will give you better mileage.

 

1. The 5224's are all the autozone parts counter guy said they had in the store.
2. Unfortunately I don't think I have access to a digital video camera.
3. I fear the dodge dealer will give me the same cop-out, "oh, it's just got some miles, old enginesare gonna make some noises." This is not the first 70k+ vehicle I've had. It's the 6th, and none IIRC made these particular sounds.
4. Glk21c and h2o_man1 posted detailed threads about theirVIN N 4.7's of the same years as mine. Some of my symptoms are the same. Pretty much everything in their long blocks were replaced.
5. PMs sent to HemiYellow, Hammerz71.

Adam

 

Adam,

PM sent...

 

OK, after all the aforementioned oil/filter/plug stuff on Saturday, with no change in the LF "lifter clatter", I took it to the dealer bright and early Monday morning. Told them all I had done verbatim, told them about the exhaust port leak, and stressed that I did take a "stethoscope" (OK, a large roll of shipping paper) to the left cylinder bank, and heard lots more noises out the left valve cover than the right. Also told them, that if nothing was going to be done, at least change out the power steering fluid, and the gearbox and diff oils. Mines well get SOMETHING done for this hassle.

RESULTS:
1. Got the gearbox oil changed ($150). Shifts significantly smoother.
2. Got the power steering system flushed/bled ($110). No whines, but wasn't making much noise before anyway, but I know I put a lot of stress on power steering systems ...
3. Got the diff oil changed plus some "Sealer" (code 82300234) ($150). Again, diff wasn't making nosie, but why not.
4.Both exhaustmanifold gaskets were changed out. No more exhaust leaks.
5.The crux of all this ... theleftvalvetrain: they didn't even pull the valve cover despite me imploring them. Theysaid a little lifter clatter was normal, none of their techs heard anything out of the ordinary. They said if I was comparing it to the 2007 4.7/auto Ramwe rented, "there have been numerous internal changes to quiet them down since yours",and nothing was actually wrong with mine. I made SURE they put something on the service ticket about the noises I heard and WHERE. Unfortunately I found out at 6:55 PM when I came to pick up the truck and everybody but the clerk had left, they didn't put"left valve cover", but whatever.
6. After various fees and charges and deductibles and tax, I left with the vehicle last night, drained of 572 freaking dollars and 28 friggin cents.
7. After driving it last night and this morning, there is one new, minor, fast-paced rattle or buzz, but the valvetrain clatter is conspiciously absent. And, in a freak of nature, yesterday and today's morning, it got 20 degrees colder than it EVER gets (53 F), so if any cold-temp related noise were to show up, it would be now.

So yeah, I could have done 1,2,3, and 4 MYSELF for WAY less than $572.28, in my parking lot, but considering the mess I made on a borrowed parking spot just doing an oil change, I wasn't looking forward to spraying/dripping around the much trickier diff/trans/PS pump flushes. The diff/trans and PS will be extra stressed when I finally get a trailer and project car to tow around next year, and at 70k-odd miles they should be done anyway.

But as far as the valvetrain clatter...? Maybe the exhaust leak somehow did it (DOUBTFUL), maybe the Lucas "worked itself in". I don't know. But hopefully I'll get another 70k out of it without any major work. Right now the truck drives great, and next weekend I get to moveon to the fun stuff (Gibson Super Truckexhaust, sidemount diamondplate box).

Adam

 

Very good. Ihad a feeling when I pm'd you that the leak was gonna be either a loosened bolt or bad gasket. I'm glad everything is resolved. Despite all the little stupid crap that goes wrong with these vehicles, I still believe that Chrysler engines, across the board, are among the most bulletproof in the industry. Now that all your fluids, gaskets, filters, etc. are new, you should have trouble free operation for quite a while. Now if Chrysler could build a tranny as reliable as their engines...