2017 RAM 6.7 Cummins engine knock with oil analysis results... 

I know what you mean, it seems most of these knocks are coming from the number 5 and 6 spots. That puts it right by the drivers right foot! I'll continue the UOA, per FCA recommendation. Have a good one!

Most think it's the CP3 fuel pump being in or out of sync with the engine. If my iron PPM were a little more in line, I wouldn't worry about it. Time will tell. Thanks!

Hi Diesel Pilot and thanks for the info! I'll be looking into that grid terminal. There are some good videos on RU-vid about it. Have a good one!

@@pmtips4482 did you ever figure it out?

@@austingarrett9511 Austin, not yet. Next week I'm changing oil Rotella T4 coming out and T5 going in (15W-40 both of course) and I'm sending it to Blackstone Labs, the T4 will have 2500 miles on it with half towing 12k fiver. I'll post iron PPM here in comments. Towing all in 5th gear 68RFE at 1900 RPM. Thanks for watching!

I hear you! I just hope it is injector and pump related with nothing getting damaged inside. Thanks!

I can't pin point it either. I'm using Power Service Diesel Kleen now as Cummins says it's fine to use. Lots of owners claim the knock is coming from the CP3 pump and will not harm anything. My issue is the iron content is trending up. I'll know more this time next year, the truck will be towing a fifth wheel about 4,000 miles and that should give me some good data on the UOA. Thank you for watching and commenting!

Hi and thanks for commenting! I take it that, if you cut out the injector the lack of down force from the power stroke will silence the wrist pin or skirt excess (noise)? Thats a good idea, the truck is still under warranty, I'll check with the dealer. Thanks again!

@@pmtips4482 If you cut out the affected cylinder that has piston/cylinder wall scuffing it usually will quite down the noise. Because you don't have all the combustion pressure slamming the piston skirt up against the wall. Wrist pin failure you may not hear any change in sound at all or it will be very slight.

😮​@@blacksmokin

Thanks for the info! I've heard the CP3s can have odd knocks to them. I hope it's that simple. Thanks for watching!

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Thanks for commenting! With all towing trips cancelled this spring and summer, I may not put a thousand miles on the RAM this year. We'll have to wait and see. I want to get another oil analysis as soon as possible but I don't know when that time will come. Have a good one!

Did you ever get this figured out? Mine sounds like this too. Does it do it all the time? Mine seems to do it only when at operating temp. Not sure but diesel performance shop can’t figure it out

Ever figure it out? My 2012 has 131 k miles and had been making this noise for 5+years now. Runs fine and has been across the country towing a camper

Hi Matt, my truck runs really good, pure stock of course. The exhaust brake works perfectly too. My only concern is iron is getting higher. The last lab report shows 105 PPM in only 2500 miles with half those pulling 11,500 lb fiver, truck and trailer weight is 20,000. My dealer says RAM (Stellantis) will not recognize an oil analysis report, which I understand. Too many variables. Service writer thinks it's the CP3 pump and injection timing and/or piston TDC. Time will tell...

Not yet, just got back from a 4,000 mile trip with half that pulling 12k fiver. I will extract oil from the dipstick tube this time with an Amsoil pump and hose to send off to Blackstone Lab. I'll post results here. Thanks!

Mine still thumps and knocks but she's no longer in warranty. If she throws a rod through the block, I'll just part it out and say goodbye to Cummins. I hope that day never comes. Thanks and please post your injector update.

Well I pulled the power from each injector and noise was still there, only when I pulled #2 did it start running rougher. So I’m at a loss. I’m gonna have to take it to a stealership shop and see what they can find.

I’m trying to figure this out as well since mine only has 85k. Do you guys get a rattle when accelerating 1k-1800 rpm’s but when boost hits it goes away?

That is great news! I really like this truck. Thanks!

I hope it is. On the last UOA, iron content at 3,400 miles with 1,500 miles pulling 12K, dropped from 158 ppm to 49 ppm under similar miles and conditions. Good news there! If the CP3 timing issue is there, it's not going to damage anything if I understand it correctly. Thanks!

A good scan tool should be able to isolate individual injectors to quickly solve that. I can't get enough miles on my truck to confirm anything. Thanks!

This RAM only has 21,000 miles on it.

No, it's the same at the 28,000 mile mark. No codes. I think it's the fuel pump timing combined with #5 and or #6 injectors but not sure on that. Thanks for watching and commenting!

@@pmtips4482 weird, I couldn’t tell you when I noticed it on mine. Ordered an oil analysis kit and will be sending samples in hopfully next week. But no problem, I enjoy your videos!

No, all thoughts on this engine knock are speculation. OCIs show elevated iron FE at about 50 PPM higher than universal averages of 24 PPM. I hope it's just an anomaly with the injectors and pump timing (together). Time will tell. I absolutely love this truck. Thanks for watching!

​@@pmtips4482hey, how many miles you already got with that noise? I got my truck with 73k miles and it's making that noise, i can't sleep at night because of that 🥹 but looking through all these comments i see that a lot of people have that and their trucks work just fine for long time

It still knocks like in the video, at times it sounds less. I'm thinking it has to do with regeneration. I'm out of warranty now, so I'll drive and maintain her the best I can, if she lets loose so be it. Thanks for watching!

I have a 2018 with 86K on it and I have this noise, also a strange rattling when I accelerate but no issues with power or smoke, I figure that I will just run it until something major happens, but I really hope to never get to that point. By any chance did you test the injector cutout?

Thanks!

Nothing yet, I just got my oil analysis from Blackstone two weeks ago. Truck at 15,000 miles, oil had 2500 miles on it with 1200 of those pulling a 11,500 lb fifth wheel. Iron FE was 105 PPM !! All other metal either 1 or 2 PPM. Blackstone says it looks like steel on steel wear issue going on. I'll take this info to my dealer, but I'm out of 5 year power train in 6 months. I'm hoping it's still breaking in but at this point I don't know what to think. My old 2002 5.9 Cummins was a picture perfect oil analysis machine with a perfect trend line DOWN in iron, not UP like this engine. Good luck to you and yours!

@@pmtips4482 im about to change the oil and filters tomorrow, im gonna add that friction reducer from hotshots see how it does, it has not done it after i drained my water acc. thanks a lot for the info 👍🏻👍🏻

Please see above reply. I will post updates here on the most recent oil analysis results. Thanks!

It's the same. The only thing I'm doing different now is using Rotella T5 ( semi-synthetic) 15w-40. UOA shows ever so slightly better iron FE wear PPM numbers.

It sounds exactly the same, now at 22,000 miles. Thanks for watching!

Hello, yes it does. I started using Power Service Diesel Kleen fuel additive as it's been approved by Cummins. I just can't put enough miles on my truck to realize any appreciable difference in sound. I'm hoping this year will be different. I have 13,500 miles on her. Thanks for watching!

Does your engine brake still work? I think the engine brake needs to be activated a few times a year but it's easy to forget about it when you're not towing anything. Thanks!

Ya engine brake works .I use it alot. I say its most pronounced when I level off at a speed take foot off pedal then lightly touch pedal but not to accelerate.

Mine will get more pronounced when I shift to D. Thanks!

Hi Cisco S, Please reply back about your experience when you can. I did research this a little and your service guy is telling you right going back to 10W-30 >if< your RAM will be operated in ambient temps above 0 degrees F. 2019 got the all new 6.7 engine with new valve train operation and CGI block. I sure hope my Cummins settles down on iron content. I'll check it again at about 4,000 miles. Good luck Sir!

Pm Tips I should get my truck back on Monday if everything turns out ok after the oil change. I will post on here what turns out. Thank you for your intel.

Cisco S, Did you get your truck back? What were the results?

Lance Hosea I did get my truck back last week. The noise was gone for a couple of days and now it’s back. It seemed to only be doing it at cold starts, but now it’s doing it all the time. I am going to take it back to the dealer tomorrow. Will update y’all...

Got the call today from the dealer... they are going to remove the cab to get to the engine and try and pinpoint the problem, smh. I will keep y’all posted, probably be a couple weeks from now.

I can't put enough miles on the truck to really see how it's going to trend in iron content. I'll post here if I find out anything. Thanks!

No sir, I'll keep getting oil tested every 4,000 miles and hope the iron PPM starts trending down. The knock (dealer says) is a timing thing that is fairly common. Thanks for watching!

@@pmtips4482 My Deleted 12 sounds the same! 130k Oil changed every 10k.

No, it still sounds like the video. Iron content at 3,700 miles pulling 12K fiver for 2,000 of those miles was 158 PPM according to Blackstone Labs. Does not burn, drip, or leak a drop of oil. Fuel dilution is always less than 2%. She could throw a rod any moment or ???. If she does....I'll go the Godzilla route and never look back. I've been a Cummins fan for 50 years so...it will be a tough move. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for the reply, I have a 2010 just put injectors, tubes, lines, rail, injector harness all new Bosch , air dog 165. I installed the banks monster ram with the grid heater delete/ coil heater, I have that same sounding knock. Can’t hardly pinpoint it but it does sound bottom end, it seems to be less noticeable at cold engine but knocks when warm, slight increase of knock with rpm’s and either drowned out by engine or exhaust drone with higher rpm’s or leaves I can’t tell for certain. I’ve done a lot of reading. Found everything from CP3 phasing to Cummins crimped thrust bearing, wrist pin, injector, I did a boost leak test through the turbo and the air was coming out the crankcase vent. I pulled the valve cover off and seems to be cylinder 6, I turned the crank roughly a quarter turn at a time putting more air to it thinking it could valve overlap, went from TDC 6 to TDC 1 at slight turns and didn’t make a difference. I’m at 182k runs strong builds boost, doesn’t seem to use oil, I cut open my last filter didn’t see and metal shavings. I’m puzzled and wondering if it’s valve related.

Did it throw a code by chance. I'm having the same sounding know coming from mine? What did the knock do when you hit the accelerator?

No code thrown. The knock would go away with RPM increase. I think it is a fuel pump timing issue combined with the downstream emissions status at that time. Thanks for watching!

I did get a code but only after the knocking started for a while. Yesterday it seemed like the low RPM knocking was back but not as loud as before. The cp3 pump is not timed, it's likely an injector pulse issue or failing injector causing a knock.

I had a question for you. I am kind of having the same sound problem an issue that you had. My truck sounds kind of the same not as loud and pronounced, but definitely the same dick I was wondering how did it sound when you took off with their a drop in power was there a platter like maybe thevalves Clattering?

Not yet. All vacation was cancelled so the fiver just sat all year. Truck has right at 1,000 miles on the engine oil and it's coming up on one year in October. (Did not change out at 6 months and 500 miles even though RAM insists) I'll do an oil change in October with probably 1300 miles on it, and will send it off to Blackstone. I'll post the results here in the comments section. Thanks for watching!

Hi Steve! Thanks for watching and commenting on your Cummins knock. It will cost you 38 dollars with a TBN test included, but it may save you thousands of dollars in out of pocket costs if your engine is actually damaged inside. I'm a big fan of the Cummins diesel engine, so it would take a lot for me to turn my back on them. I wish you the best of luck!!

Ouch!.....I hope not. Thanks!

Not yet Chris. I have not been putting any miles on it to speak of. I still think the engine is breaking in but not sure. My 2002 5.9 took 20,000 miles to break in and I could flat tell the difference when she did. Of course with the old 5.9, who could hear a knock in it? :)

No, she still has the knock. I'll get a used oil analysis in October and post results here. Thanks!

@@pmtips4482well it’s the end of October, you figure anything out?

@jakemetscher9354 Jake, Blackstone Lab has had my oil sample for 16 days and no report yet. When I get it I'll let you know how iron PPM is.

@@pmtips4482 lol I just finished rebuild my engine last night. I’m $3000 into it. New cylinder head, piston rings, rod bearings, main bearings, new pistons, all the upgrades I can do. Not going to lie, engine was tired because I got it from a tow truck company, like all the bearings are tired as well due to previous owner not doing good maintenance.

@@jafinjohn7367 what year is your rebuild?

Thanks Beau! I'm going to take a good look at that tensioner. I appreciate the comment!