I have a 2003 ram 5.7 hemi was driving the other day and it stated to shake and was a little noisy so pulled over and looked for leaks nothing temp good oil good so i get it towed and thinking already about the valve spring issues we pull of valve cover and find cyl 1 spring cracked well more to come the valve dropped broken steam so now we have to pull off the head to look what damaged was done well SMASHED the piston in pieces So would like to know from members what would you do it has 195,000.00 km on it great shape dealer offered 2500.0 on a trade inn motor would cost me 4000.00 rebuild installed need advise
thank you

 

Is the truck paid off? If so, it would been more economical to spend 4,000 on a new engine rather than 30,000 for a new truck. If you say the rest of the truck is in really nice shape, throw a new motor in there and keep driving it. Just my thoughts.

 

Yes its payed but still little afraid if another major problem will happen like tranny /Diff etc whats a 2003 worth if i put a new motor in it and would it be worth if i do the motor

 

Hard to say, how long have you had it? Do you keep up on all of the maintenance?

 

Yes i am the original owner

 

ITS PAID FOR !!!!!!! Put another motor in !!!!!! It doesnt matter what the truck is worth , its what it is worth to you ..... Imo

 

Wow that is a mother of a run on sentence.
OK, if it's paid off, find another engine, they're anywhere from $900 to $2600 from what I've seen. Any 2003 to 2008 long block should work. What you'll need to do is swap your intake and all your sensors to the replacement engine. You'll also need to swap in non MDS cam and valvetrain if you got a 1500 engine 06-08 (which is a good time to put a better cam in, say a comp 260) or if your original cam/lifters are good you can use those. 2003's don't have EGR, but 04-08 1500's do, so if find a new engine than another 03 you'll have to plug the EGR (no big deal). If you took care of the rest of the truck and you just had a freak valve drop, you should be fine once you replace it.

 

you could get a 392

 

A new engine will be cheaper than one year of new truck payments.

 

That would be the direction I'd go, except if I needed it back on the road ASAP. Then again if I'm going to bother to do it I'll base it on a 6.1 block.