So i recently got rid of my 2005 dodge magnum rt awd. Reason i got rid of it was because it ended up having a valve seat drop. I googled this issue and saw that many other people have had this issue. I was wondering what possible ways to avoid this from happening. I know trying to keep it cool will help but im wondering what type of heads to get if that prevents this issue. Maybe aftermarket heads and if so any other things i can do to avoid it. When my magnum had this happen i went about boring out the cylinder and getting a single piston set, brand new heads, brand new intake. But it still had deep scarring on the cylinder wall causing me to sell to avoid any other problems. I really like the magnum and want to own one and not worry about the valve seat dropping. Any help is appreciated!

 

It's not a consistent thing, it happens randomly. You could replace the heads with a remanned set, they fix the seats in them; problem is you'd be paying for all that and there's no guarantee your originals would ever drop. One thing for sure is that these engines (and especially packaged in the cars the way they are) make ALOT of heat. A 180° thermostat (stock is 203°) goes a long way to helping this issue. I have 180's in all 3 of mine. No issues.

 

Yeah ive tried the 180 tstat but for some reason temps were still reaching around 215. I guess another question would be how often do the valve seats drop on this gen Hemi? I wonder if the only way to prevent this issue is to get 6.1 heads on the 5.7 block or getting aftermarket heads for the 5.7 would help. So you have a magnum and charger and youve never had any problems with the motor? and how many miles do they have?

 

I have an 03 hemi (154,000mi), 05 hemi(110,000mi) and and an 06 hemi (175,000mi). No problems whatsoever. You only ever hear from people this has actually happened to; people don't post when their stuff is running just fine. It's a small percentage and is directly related to the retarded owner not taking care of the cooling system and overheating it.

 

oh thats awesome. How else are u keeping ur cars cool? Just the 180tstat?

 

Just Got One Too. Wanna Know And Learn How to Maintain And Keep Her On The Road Longer

 

im also thinking on how turning the fans on at an earlier time to help maintain lower temps instead of at over 200°.

 

180 stat and altering the temps the fans come on to match with a tuner, except for the truck, it has a mechanical clutch fan.

See above

Also see above lol

 

wow this site has really changed. i was a member when it first started no ads just forum when i bought my 98 ram back in the late nineties. i know this is an old thread but i wanted to put my 2 cents in. i have an 05 magnum with the hemi motor. i've researched this a lot and it is related to over heat or hot engine temp. i have had zero problems with my hemi motor. the thermostat change that a lot of you talk about is nonsense. the 180 is for opening the thermostat not the engine operating temp. these engines are designed to run above 203 and then the fans come on at different temp about that. the best thing you can do is not shut your motor off immediately after driving it a while and stopping for gas or whatever. let it idle for a little while.. heat soak or an over heated engine is the problem. i always idle my engine for about 30-60 secs after running it for a while that allows the coolant to remove the heat and the internal temp to equal out. i also keep mds off as that can create uneven cylinder temps. i have always run 93 octane gas as it prevents engine knock and engine knock is a engine killer with the added heat of the unwanted pre detonation. engine knock damages the engine the knock sensor kicks in to adjust the timing to help prevent knock, but by then its too late as the damage is done. knock stresses the cylinder heads and pistons and generates more heat inside the combustion chamber. read /google it. i have always been really good about changing the coolant and tranny fluid before the recommended maintenance since that stuff is cheap and goes along way in keeping your engine cool and transmission in good shape. i have always used mobile 1 full synthetic oil in my car and change it every 3 k... i know it goes longer but i have the funds to do it and like the clean oil oil. also on really hot days be nice to your engine and work with it as far as the a/c goes. the a/c adds a lot of heat in the small engine compartment. i rarely use my a/c as i prefer windows down and sunroof open. my car drives like it did when i bought it in 2008 with 11k on the odometer. as i am coming to a stop i shift the tranny into neutral and that is part of my cool down.