silvyZ31
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2025
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 2
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- 1
- Location
- Silverthorne, CO
- Vehicle(s)
- 2018 JLU
- Thread starter
- #1
Howdy! Having a terrible time getting my the 3.6 in my 2018 JLU to behave and need some advice about what could be causing my repeated lifter issues.
Late last year, my 3.6L began to tick, slowly getting worse until earlier this year, I discovered that both intake cams were badly damaged from the classic Pentastar rocker arm failure. I found metal shavings a few millimeters long in the filter and the oil was full of glitter. Since it took months to get cams earlier this year and there was a ton of metal floating around this engine, I decided to have it rebuilt. The car only has 97k miles and I own it outright, so the logic was spend the 7k to have a fully paid off vehicle that I love for the next 5-7 years with a 7 yr/unlimited mile warranty on the engine.
I am regretting that decision. I worked with a large, well known engine shop in Denver to have it rebuilt,. While it did take four months, it did get done once cams started flowing from Mopar.
More importantly, since it was completed in August, I have had to return it for ticking twice and now I will be doing it a third time. 700 miles after the rebuild, I was told that's normal. A week later it's even louder and I drop it off to have lifters replaced. After the drivers side exhaust lifters were replaced it quieted down, but after 400 miles, it is back just like before. It's very difficult to record engine sound by phone, but you can hear the ticking from 1500RPM.
I would like to know if there is anything I should suggest they check. Particularly anything that may affect oil flow to the drivers side exhaust valvetrain. It is VERY strange to me that this would happen twice, so now I'm concerned there may be an underlying cause.
Thank you for whatever insight you might have! After 8 months, I just want this nightmare to be over.
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Late last year, my 3.6L began to tick, slowly getting worse until earlier this year, I discovered that both intake cams were badly damaged from the classic Pentastar rocker arm failure. I found metal shavings a few millimeters long in the filter and the oil was full of glitter. Since it took months to get cams earlier this year and there was a ton of metal floating around this engine, I decided to have it rebuilt. The car only has 97k miles and I own it outright, so the logic was spend the 7k to have a fully paid off vehicle that I love for the next 5-7 years with a 7 yr/unlimited mile warranty on the engine.
I am regretting that decision. I worked with a large, well known engine shop in Denver to have it rebuilt,. While it did take four months, it did get done once cams started flowing from Mopar.
More importantly, since it was completed in August, I have had to return it for ticking twice and now I will be doing it a third time. 700 miles after the rebuild, I was told that's normal. A week later it's even louder and I drop it off to have lifters replaced. After the drivers side exhaust lifters were replaced it quieted down, but after 400 miles, it is back just like before. It's very difficult to record engine sound by phone, but you can hear the ticking from 1500RPM.
I would like to know if there is anything I should suggest they check. Particularly anything that may affect oil flow to the drivers side exhaust valvetrain. It is VERY strange to me that this would happen twice, so now I'm concerned there may be an underlying cause.
Thank you for whatever insight you might have! After 8 months, I just want this nightmare to be over.
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