Sorry LVRR, i`m not trying to **** in your cornflakes here... so dont take this the wrong way. Like you, i have 40+yrs myself as a wrench, and a auto tech instructor, and i have to disagree with some of what you`re say about oil consumption/qrt low... any new engine today thats using a qrt of oil between change`s, is DEFINATLY doing some damage over the longrun to the engine. For one, an oil level being low, it will run hotter, hence gets dirtier quicker due to burning hotter due to a lower level than the engine was designed to run at. (oil is a coolant as well as a lubicant) Number two, when oil is being burned, it cause`s carbon build up. It also plugs up catalytic converters, builds up on the intake valves etc etc etc. Todays technology is far better in engines that even 10yrs ago. If todays engines are sucking down a qrt of oil between oil changes (say 5,000 miles) then i would be sending an oil sample out to be tested and see why its consuming that much oil within 5,000 miles. If a hemi has 100,000 miles on it, i would understand it would use a slight amount between oil changes, but i`ve never seen one use a qrt between oil changes even with 100,00 miles on it unless the owner(s) were using the wrong oil in them, and also abusing them daily.

Not a bash session here, just results of my own.
For some of you guys using mobil1, i`ve sent some oil samples out using mobil1,(because i was seeing issues i shouldnt have been having) and some samples using valvoline 5w20 synthetic, valvoline won the tests all across the test results. Use what you want, i`ll stick with valvoline. Send out some samples of your own oil and see what your test results come up with. If mobil1 works better in your application, by all meens, keep using it. Just sayin my results showed me that valvoline works better in my app`s. I`ve noticed some have switched over to valvoline in this post, so it isnt just ME that saw a difference when switching to valvoline.

And for the guys that said the HEMI TICK got quieter after switching to valvoline, you`re absolutely spot on...!!! Ever since i switched, haven`t had the tick since then. That says enough all by its self.

LVRR said it best, check that oil often and admire that beautiful hemi under your hood.
In my opinion, good oil is cheap compared to damage caused by neglect or by running the wrong oil.

My comment to Mobil1 in high end auto`s....ROFLMAO
Mobil 1 "buy`s their spot" just to sell more oil, it dosent meen its better oil.

OLDJEEP,
as smart as you are, why would you ever think DINO oil could calm the hemi tick. Synthetic oil has far better film protection than DINO oil. The tick is usually a lifter. Some people get confused by this ticking, the hemi is prone to tick, one is the lifters, another tick can be the exhaust bolt issue. Until they remedy one or the other, one will never know.

 

My 09 has 129,000 on it ... I have never seen it use oil in between changes [5,000] . summer or winter . Use dealer oil ... They change for 16.48 out the door. They can do a oil consumption test .

 

$16.48 out the door...? YIKE`S...!!!!!
I guess if that works for you, great...!!!
Cant even imagine what the inside of your engine looks like.

Eventually, you`ll get what you pay for.

 

Never said it would cure it - I don't have any tick that I notice in my engine except on startup when it is below zero so I was wondering about his engine. As for oil, I'll stick with the conventional. Could care less what the inside of the engine looks like as long as it is still running well. I've got several 150K + mile engines and they all get the same treatment as the Ram - regular old oil unless the mfg says otherwise.

 

just added half a quart today. and thats after 2,000 miles since last oil change

 

Yeeup, i hear ya. I dont have a problem with what you use, everyone has their choice and opinion. I look at it this way, i paid ALOT for my truck, and i want to keep it for a very long time, so i dont mind spending money for the best oil i can get. Dino oil is perfectly fine so long as you change it often. (thats one thing i dont like about dino oil) I dont have a choice, i have no time, i drive A-L-O-T of miles everyday, so a good synthetic oil is my best bet to keep this truck running smooth & clean between oil changes. My truck is a year old, and its already out of warranty, (my 3/36 is done now) so i have to take care of it the best i can. The best synthetic oil is the key to making the engine last alot longer in my opinion.

And the answer to your question about hemi lifter tick and dino oil....
I cant speak for others, but my truck from day one had a lazy lifter that ticked on cold start up. Now we all can agree that these trucks come from the factory with dino oil in them. I put MOBIL1 in it, it STILL ticked. After the 3rd oil change, and switched to valvoline, the tick was instanly gone when the oil pressure came up. (valvoline, no tick on cold starts either) One time when i went to get more valvoline for my 4th oil change, they didnt have it where i usually buy it at. I didnt have the time to run all over town just to find some, so i settled for MOBIL1. Guess what, the tick was back...!!!! Drove my truck for 2wks with the mobil1 and ticking, hot AND cold, i changed it back out to valvoline synthetic, lifter tick instantly disappeared...!!! That told me to stick with valvoline from that point on. What works for me might not work for others. But i do know valvoline works VERY well for me.

 

Dammmmmm bro, i dont burn a drop of oil in 5,000 miles..!
Switch over to valvoline and see if the problem still happens will oil consumption.
(might take a few oil changes to get that mobil1 poison out of it...lol)
If it does still use oil, you`ve definatly got somethin going on thats not right...!
Take a look into the throttle body and see if thers alot of oil misting into it.
You may want to crawl under your truck and see if you might be leaking anywhere too.
When all else fails, do a compression test and see if all 8 cylinders read the same compression.
How bad is it smokin on first cold starts out the tail pipes (???)

 

I didn't think oil usage could be detected by compression checks, am I wrong? if there is variation between cylinders does that mean the one with the lowest compression is using oil versus the ones with highest? I thought the compression rings were for compression (and the valve guides and seats) and the oil rings for oil.

 

Oil rings carry oil to lube the cylinder walls, they are not what keeps the oil out of the compression chamber. The compression rings are what keeps you from burning oil.

 

but don't the compression rings expand when in the compression and power strokes and relax the rest of the time? I thought since the oil rings are usually 2 and the gap offset from each they other provide the sealing to keep the compression rings free of oil. I suppose that if the cylinder walls are scratched or out of round some blow by would allow some oil to get by the oil rings and by the same token the compression ring(s). I'm not familiar how many rings the hemi has.

Any way, thanks for the explanation. Now I have some learning do do.