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Who knows what about the 4.7 engine?

V

volaredon

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I am getting close to needing a replacement daily driver, though I cannot stand 4 door vehicles I am needing a 2nd vehicle that I can haul my grand kids (and their pain in the azz car seats) so that means looking for another Durango. My wife drives an 01 now with a 360, and I'm having trouble finding a decent one that doesn't have a 4.7. I refuse to buy a Toyota or Nissan or hon-duh or Kia or Hyundai. Won't happen.
I remember horror stories on the early ones being "sludge monsters" dropped valve seats the first time the engine got a little warm, and the timing chain system with a chain rubbing on a plastic tensioner scares the shyt out of me. Thoughts? Experiences with them?
 
My dad's 08 ram 1500 has been trouble free. He bought the truck brand new its has around 115k miles on it now. My wife had an 06 Jeep Commander for several years we never had issues with the motor in it. Had over 91k miles on it when we traded it in.
 
My 2002 with 4.7, 4.56 gears and regularly driven hard but not abused. I sold it with 120k miles and no issues. I did use Mobil 1 and Wix filters. I changed it every 5k. When you're looking, try to start it dead cold. If it has loud drive train noise and a puff of smoke, you may want to pass. I had mine superchip. The key to this engine is regular maintenance IMO. Craig
 
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The early 4.7's had issues, the later ones seem decent. Like they mentioned, regular maintenance is key to making it last. I wouldn't be scared of getting one.
 
I had an 03 quad cab, I bought new. I sold it in 2016, when we moved, with 127,000 on it to a good friend of mine. He sold it last year to a friend with 178,000 on it. Never any issues, except 1 water pump, I replaced about three months before I sold it. Of course maintenance is a factor with any vehicle you buy.
 
65 sporty said:
The early 4.7's had issues, the later ones seem decent. Like they mentioned, regular maintenance is key to making it last. I wouldn't be scared of getting one.
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how early is "early"? I know they came out in '99. I just wound up with an 03 durango, said 4.7, 127k miles. All I could find that wasnt swiss cheese or over 250k miles....
Its scary how many Durangos on marketplace with ~115-160k miles and "blown" 4.7s..... and I dont think they meant Dyer's or Detroit blowers..... very few 318-360 ones out there in "any" condition.
I need this to haul the grandkids and "buy" time to do up my trans in my 01, 360 equipped durango. (needed bank assistance to even but a 20 yo example) but many nice ones available for close money to what many are expecting out of swiss cheese examples.
I also have a '12 1/2 ton with the 4.7. supposedly 300 hp, 10;1 CR, taht one is an utter DOG below 3k rpm. Dual plug, has been"ticky" since Day 1. I bought with 93k, now has 128k.
my "new" one is '03 durango, same 4.7, 127k, 4wd, same 3.55 gears as the truck, definitely more "ballsy" in traffic. and dead quiet, no ticks upon startup.
seems most of the responders to this post "bailed" early on them.... nobody replied with 200k+ trouble free miles on theirs.....
 
00, 01. I had a friend that had a head put on under warranty way back in 01 or 02. I don't remember the exact issue
 
So while my latest acquisition is an 03.... Not the latest and greatest ones from 08+ but would that be new enough not to be considered an "early" one?

I really hope this thing proves the "stories" wrong/ but if it don't I wonder what it would take to put the 318/360 I wish it had, in there?
 
I think by 03 a lot of the issues had been worked out. If you were going to swap it out, a wrecked donor truck would have everything you would need
 
65 sporty said:
The early 4.7's had issues, the later ones seem decent. Like they mentioned, regular maintenance is key to making it last. I wouldn't be scared of getting one.
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I bought this truck new in 2002 for $15,000....

02 Ram 9.jpg


4.7, automatic, A/C but crank windows, rubber floor mat and single CD player. Very basic but it was a great truck. I went 163,000 miles before I sold it to buy this:

06.JPG


The red truck ran perfect when I sold it. Proper maintenance does matter, so does NOT abusing the truck and knowing your limits. It isn't smart to load 2500 lbs in the bed of a 1500. Nor is it wise to tow a fifth wheel in the summer up a 20 % grade. Know your limits and don't exceed them, oil and filters and just about every new vehicle will run a long time.
 
First 4.7 I had was in a ram I bought new, towed my 68 to the track for 2 years, sold it at 140k. Had no problems with the truck. 2nd 4.7 I had, 02 Dakota, had 135k on it, sold it at 220k, other than the routine stuff, no problems. My daughters 03 jeep has the 4.7, she’s at 180k bought it at 150k, motors running fine, had trans code.

from what I hear, those motor with drop valve seats if the are overheated.
 
Yup. Which is exactly what I'm afraid of by the stories that I have heard.
And the timing chain system, whoever thought a steel chain running on plastic guides was a stupid azz
 
Well first issue was idle that wouldn't come down where it belongs, found the IAC in 3 pieces when I went to pull it out to clean the throttle body.... . fortunately a new IAC took care of it.
Next issue is gonna be the exhaust leak at the driver side manifold to head that's getting worse as we drive it ... Hopefully it can wait for winter to end before I have to deal with it. I bought the Lisle drill template kit yesterday (isn't here yet) as I've dealt with this same problem at work on a few LS engines and even more Ford Triton engines. ..
 
When did the 4.7 stop having a throttle cable and start with drive by wire? My 12 supposedly has 300hp, and is drive by wire. It is a DOG until 3000 rpm. The 03 is supposedly around 235hp, and seems much more powerful. Both 3.55 geared, both 265/70 tires, (Durango 16", truck 17", not much difference in overall height)
 
volaredon said:
Well first issue was idle that wouldn't come down where it belongs, found the IAC in 3 pieces when I went to pull it out to clean the throttle body.... . fortunately a new IAC took care of it.
Next issue is gonna be the exhaust leak at the driver side manifold to head that's getting worse as we drive it ... Hopefully it can wait for winter to end before I have to deal with it. I bought the Lisle drill template kit yesterday (isn't here yet) as I've dealt with this same problem at work on a few LS engines and even more Ford Triton engines. ..
Click to expand...
We have a drill template for the Fords, didn't get one for GM or Mopar. Most of the time I try welding to the broken stud first. With aluminum heads I don't worry about weld sticking to something it shouldn't. If I can't get it out, then out comes the drill
 
Yeah I've dealt with this on Ford's and Chevy's at work (unfortunately we don't have any dodges there). I have pulled lots of manifolds off of 318/360 and must be lucky, never broke one on one of those. I've done the weld a nut trick before, that works about 1/2 the time, about 1/4 if the time the weld don't penetrate ans the nut twists off, the other 1/4 of the time when I do get penetration it breaks the stud off even with or below even with the head surface. Then out comes the drill
My biggest problem welding these is I don't pull the heads, working on the head in the truck and not much access for the weld stinger, often the stinger and my hands block my path to see what I'm doing
 
Not much room to work on the exhaust in a Ford. Best I have found is to drop the header pipes. Still no fun get to the exhaust bolts. Know designs this stuff anyway?
 
Back to 4.7. The first one of the boys bought called and said dad my new Ram doesn't have spark plugs. So, every now and then the top half of the engine comes apart to replace spark plugs and who knows what else. But it's probably time to change 20 other parts that were not accessible anyway.
He didn't dispose of the Ram on count of the engine. After to many front end rebuilds and be stranded beside the road did that.
 
My 03 Durango has 1 set of plugs, my 12 1/2 ton has 2 sets of plugs. Both 4.7s.
And the only ones hard to get to are the lower level below the master and booster. Id still rather have a 318/360 any day of the week...... Damn them for discontinuing that series of engine.
But the only thing that has to come off on the 4 7s to get the plugs, is the individual coils themselves.
You want head up the azz design.... Any FWD with a sideways engine..... And to top that the damn intake manifold has to come off on most of those to change half of the plugs... That was. REALLY head up the azz design.....

On the 4.7, I give the head up the azz award for the cam timing system. Chains constantly scraping on PLASTIC guides every second the engine runs????? Now that's retarded.
 
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