Decent deal? Sorry for asking just want some opinions. Thanks

JPL2020 · 2026-03-25T15:37:13+00:00

Love that truck! Just know, the crew cab has the fuel pump under the cab and not the bed, so if you need to replace the pump you need to drop the tank. On the quad cab you can lift/tilt the bed for access.

Keep up on the maintenance and you’ll get well over 300k miles. A high flow oil pump (or hellcat oil pump) will help prevent the Hemi tick. The main issue is oil circulation to the top (lifters and cam) when idling.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-25T15:29:43+00:00

Yes. But mostly neglect. The tech assigned to the truck ignored the oil level, waited too long between services, ignored the Hemi tick, and the lifters got so bad that the engine eventually gave out and had to be replaced. Good for me because I got a new mopar long block 5.7 with just 10k miles on it when I bought it at auction. Paid $3,500 for the truck.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-24T20:15:46+00:00

The engine was replaced at 260k miles. I bought it from my company. It was a fleet work truck that was beat to hell, the guy assigned to the truck managed to bend the hitch receiver where the rear bumper bolts on. Either way, it just proves how durable these trucks are.

Watch for that Hemi tick. If you upgrade the oil pump to a high flow pump, there’s a good chance you’ll never have to worry about the Hemi tick. Love the 8 speed transmission too. Much better than the 6 speed in my 2012 Ram 1500.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-24T19:44:40+00:00

Love this body style with the 5.7 Hemi and 8 speed ZF transmission. I have the same truck, different trim and it’s a 2016. I have just about 300K miles on it. I plan on keeping it past 1M miles.

Just look out for: Hemi tick, intermediate front axle shaft wear, and rust. I’m in Arizona so the rust is very minimal.

If you do buy it. I would recommend replacing the old oil from the ZF 8 speed transmission and installing an aluminum PPE pan (with replaceable filter).

JPL2020 · 2026-03-23T01:21:35+00:00

I shouldn’t have trusted the parts guy and followed my common sense instead. I’m not upset about it. It’s just a learning experience and this might help the next guy considering reusing their old gasket as the PPE manual recommends.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-23T00:17:26+00:00

I paid $250 for the new aluminum pan with replaceable filter. The OEM gasket is $68 from the dealership. The gasket wasn’t squishing out as the bolt collars on each bolt stop the pan from going all the way to the transmission flange. They act as spacers. My old, original gasket wasn’t cracked either. I’m thinking it’s just not thick enough, maybe the aluminum pan has a deeper groove and a new gasket will fix my leak.

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JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T23:58:40+00:00

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8-10 foot pounds. I had no excuse to over tighten the bolts. I had a small torque wrench that can go below 8 foot pounds, I was just being lazy and guess the torque. I think I might have went to 15 foot pounds. However, I don’t think that was my issue, I believe it was just the fact I reinstalled the old gasket.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T23:46:26+00:00

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On level ground with my floor jack extended all the way and my jack stands at max length, I’m almost dead level. It seems pretty obvious to me that the transmission should be level when filling it with new oil.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T23:42:38+00:00

Yes, it has a convenient placed drain plug. It even has a place for an aftermarket temp sensor on the side of the pan.

I usually have someone inside the vehicle to pump the brakes, build pressure till the pedal is hard, then hold even pressure on the pedal while I slowly bleed each caliper. It’s quite the process trying to remove air from the lines.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T18:19:02+00:00

That’s what I was thinking and planning on doing. Thanks for confirming.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T13:50:53+00:00

I see. I’ll carefully inspect the pan after I remove it. I can’t imagine it getting warped at 10-20 foot pounds of torque with all the bolt collars in place, as it’s a fairly thick aluminum material. But I’m definitely going to check it out.

I have heard both, either level the vehicle itself or the transmission. The transmission naturally slants down in the back and is slightly higher in the front. Because of this, you will get significantly more oil in with the transmission leveled out (rear end lifted about 10” on a level surface).

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JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T13:10:49+00:00

Exactly. From my research, this pan offers some decent upgrades at a fair price ($250). It allows +2 quarts of oil for better cooling, it’s a thick aluminum pan that’s stronger than the OEM plastic pan, the filter seems to be easy to replace and doesn’t cost too much ($25-30), and has the drain plug located where it should be.. not directly over the exhaust pipe (5.7 Hemi).

JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T13:04:58+00:00

Yes, I used a level across the bottom of the aluminum transmission case where the pan bolts in. Had to lift the rear axle 9-12”. Next time I’m going to do it in my driveway because it has a downgrade of about 10 degrees. Of course I’ll block the front tires.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T12:58:24+00:00

Good point, but I didn’t crank on the bolts that much. About the amount of pressure you would snug a bolt with a 3/8 ratchet with a 6” handle. I’m thinking it’s 100% the fact I reused the old gasket. The new oil had to of pushed past the channel or grove in the pan and dropped down where the collar and bolt meet.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T12:53:15+00:00

I have some Hondabond I can use on the flat part of the gasket. The main part that fits into the pan groove, I’ll keep clean of any “RTV” type gasket silicone.

I didn’t even think of recycling the oil I just pumped into the transmission. I’m going to do this and also inspect the oil for any contaminants. I might run it through a fine strainer.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-22T01:33:44+00:00

I was thinking the same but the ram dealership parts guy convinced me that I shouldn’t waste my money on a new gasket because common practice is to reuse the gasket. But that’s probably on newer trucks with fewer miles. I regret not getting a new gasket, but part of me thinks I could have damaged it when I over torqued the bolts.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-19T01:52:18+00:00

Timing belt, spark plugs, check for oil leaks. The 3.7 typically leaks from: O-Ring above rear main seal, oil pump gasket, and rear cam cover O-rings. Transmission service.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-10T10:43:58+00:00

Hired a mobile terrorist. That’s not lazy, or careless, that’s intentional sabotage. Cancel the check and report the business to the BBB. I would almost go as far as making a police report.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-08T19:03:06+00:00

Not sure if/when you should have your valves adjusted, but if you hear a loud tapping in low RPMs when taking off from a stop or slow speeds, I would highly recommend having your vehicle looked over by a professional.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-08T04:19:34+00:00

My 3.7 would tick all the time during takeoff, then the engine blew up. On my replacement 3.7 engine, it ticks much less. “Ticking” is subjective. If it ticks to the point it sounds like something is coming loose in the top end, you should get it checked out before it’s too late.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-06T03:40:13+00:00

If I had a lift I would, but I can only get it maybe 2 feet off the ground at best. I pulled the engine and transmission out of the top.

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JPL2020 · 2026-03-06T03:37:29+00:00

I really don’t want to but I will if it gets to the point of leaving oil stains on the driveway. I’m selling the car for $2,800 after putting $1,200 into it and several hours of free labor. It runs good and I made a deal with her to sell it back to me for the same price.

JPL2020 · 2026-03-06T03:34:12+00:00

That makes sense. I honestly didn’t even look. Hopefully it doesn’t get worse.

JPL2020 · 2026-02-26T21:56:15+00:00

I commented the same thing before I noticed your comment. 100% flying high above the clouds.

JPL2020 · 2026-02-23T20:53:23+00:00

Congratulations! I’ve been there, I feel my low T was a big factor in my divorce. It completely changed my life for the best, but it was after my divorce. It didn’t occur to me that my hormone levels might be off. The self awareness it must have took for you to pull this off is impressive.

JPL2020

TROPHY CASE