Engineer Deep Dive: 3.0L Hurricane Engine - Turbo Life, Oil and Intervals and More 

There's been some questions about direct injection and carbon build-up on engines with this technology. I have asked about this with various engineers over the years and they have responded that the higher PSI of the spray nozzles, it atomizes the fuel better and removes this concerns. Here's an example of this explanation at the 3.28 mark of this video with a Chevy engineer. He is talking about the 6.6L gas engine, but this same information applies to most other gas engines. If you check out the spec charts online, you'll find the gas pressure spray PSI level for most is well above 2,000 with some being higher. The Hurricane engine has a "single high pressure pump providing up to 5,075 psi (350 bar) to a single fuel rail." ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-A_VaFCpQ9nY.html

I don't care what anybody says, removing a physical dipstick to check the lifeblood of the engine is a stupid move. And honestly it's a slap in the face to the consumer.

Nobody will ever be able to convince me that start/stop technology is a good thing or actually saves a material amount of fuel or emissions.

So glad I bought a 5th gen Ram when they first came out. 5.7 hemi, no etorque, anti slip, 3.92 rear axle, 4x4. Everything I wanted in a truck.

I have a 2005 Neon SRT4 that still has the original turbo and close to 175,000 miles. Still runs great

As a retired Chyrsler mechanic I've cursed engineers most of my working life. They can say what they want about this engine being the greatest thing since sliced bread. Heard it before. Remember the 2.7. Only time will tell if that's true. Wouldn't touch one with a 10 ft pole for at least 3-4 years of production and real world use. Only then will we start to learn of what they didn't think of or cheaped out on. No offence but I'm not being the guinea pig.

There is one thing that is positively true. You won't have turbo troubles on a normally aspirated engine.

I just want to know why that rubber coolant hose was placed way in the back of the engine that would require engine removal to replace. 🧐 😊

My '86 Saab turbo 900 went 180k miles with an oil cooled turbo. No water cooling. I changed the Mobil 1 oil religiously at 3000 miles. It was perfect until it was crashed by the biggest deer I've ever seen. No reason a turbo can't last for a long long time.

At the end of the day there's no replacement for displacement👍🏿

Great to hear directly from an engineer, thanks Tim.

Great interview. I'll have to give it a second listen, got a bit distracted in the live chat. Cheers to Alan for taking the time to do this.

Very informative 👍 but I'm still not going 10k on oil changes, oil is cheap.

I have been a truck driver for 27 years. I have seen all kinds of crazy stuff at auto plants. My personal favorites were delivering to a chrysler engine plant in indiana and the guy on the dock was drunk annd qorking on a tallboy in a bag on the dock, and watching vans come out of the chevy van plant in MO with only one bolt on the Power steering box because they were running low on bolts and the line never stops...

I notice whenever engineers are discussing new vehicle/engine designs, they rarely talk about longevity in terms of 5-10 years down the road.

Once again some very good information regarding the 3.0 L Hurricane Engines, directly from one of the Engineers who designed the engines. Thanks again Tim, for your ability to get this kind of information directly from the source!

Thank you for this content. Alan did great job explaining their process. Hopefully the hurricane engine is a big success.

Good stuff! Thanks for all this, love hearing from the people behind these vehicles!

Thanks for this interview Tim. It was interesting how they came up with developing of these engines and whats behind the decisions that they make.

Thanks for the interview with the gentleman. It answered some questions I had and others I didn’t have as well.

I wonder when the EPA will crack down on engine's after they are 3-5 years old. Modren direct injection engine's are very clean when they are new. 3-5 years later will all the soot and carbon build up, they end up significantly dirtier than older style port injection engine's.

Thanks for this excellent interview, Tim. It would be great to see a Part 2 with Alan in the near future.

Nice interview, Tim. Thanks👍

Informative interview. Thanks Tim.

Oil is cheaper than an engine. First Generation 3.5 turbo charged Ford had problems with soot build up with the direct injection. The end result was the 7 ft timing chain they had in their stretched and the cam phasers quit working properly also. But for those that stuck with a 3-4,000 mi oil change interval they didn't experience those problems and get much more longevity out of their engines.

Great interview, I like that we get to hear from engineers now instead of just marketing departments

Looking forward to this, thanks Tim and Jill

Funny thing is a lot of mechanics will show motors that people changed the oil every 10K miles that are destroyed and say to change your oil every 6 months or 5K miles

Great interview. Very interesting detail on longevity, start/stop technology, starter life and advances of oil. Thank!

Questions for Alan (Charger / Challenger installations) : 1. Did you eliminate the dreadful displacement on demand system 2. How did you ensure that the lifter tick problem does NOT happen with this engine. 3. Is the water pump buried inside the engine 4. Is the water pump driven by the serpentine belt or perhaps its an electric water pump (which is it) 5. How long (hours) does it take to replace the water pump AND is it easy or difficult to remove & replace it. 6. How long (hours) does it take to replace the alternator & is it easy or difficult to remove / replace 6A. Same question for the starter 6B. Same question for the battery 7. How can the owner physically check the engine oil level & transmission oil level. 8. Is the transmission oil cooler integrated inside the engine cooling radiator & if so is their a guarantee that engine coolant cannot mix with transmission oil due to breakdown of this arrangement 9. Since its direct injection, how frequently (in mileage) does the accumulated carbon have to be cleaned off of the intake valves or did you also add port fuel injectors in addition to the direct injectors to alleviate the problem altogether.

This is very interesting and very impressive. I been a fan of turbo engines for years. I been driving commercial trucks for years and followed in my dads steps. This "Hurricane Engine" is very impressive

Great informative interview. Thanks Tim.

Great interview I listened to it several times

I enjoyed this alot more than I thought I would. This engineer seems like a mans man. A true American that is keeping combustion engines alive. I think the turbo diesel engine is a fair argument for turbo reliability. Of course with gasoline engines your going to have smaller lifespans, but thats always been the way its been for years. Very insightful and informative. Great job fellas

Iron sprayed Cyl liners. Can’t overbore, intended to be a throw-away block?

excellent information from a truly reputable source, great video.

Excellent interview, Thanks!

Thanks for getting Alan to do this interview. If we're lucky, maybe we'll get more engineers on the channel. I also have to give Alan a tip of the hat for doing the interview with a Chrysler Turbine right behind him. That was classy and cool. I noticed Alam said pretty much exactly what Tim said about radiator size for towing and oil changes at 10,000 miles! Wow! How hard is it to change out the oil level sensor? Do you have to dig to get at it?

I liked this video along with the GM engineer responsible for the 2.7L in the Colorado. All good stuff, but the answer about oil quality alone was worth the watch. Thanks, Tim!

Great information, thanks Alan!

Absolutely awesome interview Tim!

They only warranty engines for a certain time, so any recommendations reflect that. I would never exceed 5000 miles regardless of what they recommend.

Tim, I understand that most people outside of your forum and similar forums are likely not as meticulous about their vehicle maintenance so the engine not having a dipstick is not something they would even miss, but there is no way I would ever buy an ICE vehicle without one. Given what you experienced with the LZ0, I cannot imagine owning a diesel powered vehicle without an oil dipstick.

This interview with Alan was great! He knows his stuff and articulates the complex details very well. 👍👍

Great video! More like this - it’s good to learn.

My first turbo car was an 86 Dodge Lancer ES turbo and it was one of the most reliable vehicles I have ever owned. I have been driving turbos ever since. In fact, I still have an 86 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z that I drive hard the first 5 years I had it and it had a 145K miles on it with the original turbo when the transmission lost second gear drag racing it. I also have a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe with the Hurricane 4 and love it. So I completely trust their durability.

Hi Tim, I use Amsoil and have for 45 years now. I have been practicing extended oil change intervals against my mechanics wishes. I live in Ontario where there's lots of salt. Cars usually rust out before they wear out. I easily put 400,000 km on a vehicle. I get rid of them because they're rusted out. Not because they're worn out. So I could not agree more with the advanced technologies of oils of these days. Great video!

Great interview. We had the opportunity to rent a 2024 Wagoneer with the inline 6 and I was really impressed. Smooth as butter, with tons of power. We were seeing around +2 MPG over our 5.7 hemi for combined driving.

Great interview , very informative interview with Allen thanks

I'm pretty proud of myself for often knowing what the engineer was going to say next. Especially since I was fired as a mechanic.. best thing that ever happened to me. That job was replaced with a career.😊

I like the engineer not selling BS.

Thanks very informative and appreciated

Super interesting. Great interview.

In trucking I would always let my semi truck idle for a couple minutes with fan on to cool the turbo before shutting it off.

His opening statement could have been, Washington designs our vehicles not us. It has nothing to do with what our customers want.

Great video Tim. Very interesting how they adjust the recs for oil viscosity with turbo psi as well as the electric coolant pump that keeps the turbos from rising in temps after the engine is shut off!

I enjoy getting facts for the engineers!

Very refreshing to have not only an engaging topic and subject expert, but to pair that with a host that knows how to ask a question...and then shut up and listen!! I hope other channels that conduct similar interview formats learn from this vid regarding how to conduct a great interview, great job!!

Good stuff, Tim! To have the chief engineer explain some of the questions that everyone has about this new engine was so cool. I'm glad that you asked about the durability in relation to turbos. I'm not a Ford guy, but one thing they proved is that turbos engines in trucks do have durabulity and longevity, as witnessed by their Ecoboost V6s. That will likely be even more true for Hurricane due to its straight-6 design requiring fewer parts. It is concerning that yet, another automaker has 10K mile oil change intervals. So many automakers have gone to this standard and it is so aggravating. On a boosted engine, the oil is doing so many things to lubricate the engine. That causes oil breakdown due to many heat cycles. I don't care what any engineer says, ask any race engine builder and they'll tell you the truth. On top of that, investing $100 in an oil change w/ quality filter at 5K miles max is one of the best ways to ensure longevity. And WHYYY NO ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK?!?! Ugh... That Chrysler Turbine on Alan's back drop is still one of the coolest concepts that was never built.

Great interview...

Excellent interview

Great video..thank you...I was hoping to see a chat about fuel type as well...does this new engine require premium fuel? if not, what would be the performance penalty if you use regular fuel?

What about the carbon build up on the valves?? They didn't adopt a dualport injection system, what have they done to avoid carbon from building up on the valves?

thanks very nice interview ,very informative

Great video!

My 2017 F150 has their 2.7L. EB that was designed from the start to be a turbo engine, and shares elements of a diesel engine construction. It’s been reliable for 56k miles so far, but I don’t abuse it either. I think this hurricane engine will do fine in the long run.

I like the OilGeek's channel and he tests the oil in the first 3k and shows the metal variance in the oil from break-in. So you can lower initial ware on the engine by changing the oil a few times in first 5k.

Very informative, excellent discussion. I'm more in touch with new tech and more confident in these new systems, tech, oil, etc.

Great program. Raised in an engineer family, and it is so good to hear them share. Great job. I wish he could address after market hype, like an air cleaner gives more HP, and better gas mileage. If this was the case it would be the easiest way for engineers to make the numbers they need. Maybe this was already covered. These are the best and brightest, listen to them and follow their advice, for homeopathic automotive engineering is a gimmick.

Tim, excellent interview. Thank You. Though he was from Dodge/Stelantis it’s very encouraging to hear what the industry is doing now in regards to engine design and testing, turbo chargers, cooling systems, oil contamination mgmt, and OCI. I’m very confident my trucks manufacturer is doing the same and more.

The inline six is a cool engine and I have had them in a GMC van and it was a 230 and 2 speed auto and them things would run for ever so excited to see this new motor and I hope the wild build this motor the right way with exhaust on one side of motor and intake on the other side and Iam sure that they will do it the right way and with turbos it almost has to be like that .

That was an eye-opening and enjoyable video. I know that my naturally aspirated 2.4 Hyundai and go to five or 7000 miles between intervals but I’ve been changing at three but I also know that it’s semi synthetic so I will try changing my oil at five now. And it makes me very happy to hear that the manufactures are building the blocks and the lower end handle the boost on these new turbo engines. I was really concerned about that.

As someone who has had engines apart that followed recommended maintenance schedules, I will still be changing my oil every 3k miles.

i have 4 vehicles and check my engine oil weekly /sensors fail which means so will this engine without a dipstick

Cylinder deactivation- Does this motor have it? If so, how does this play out in the overall engine’s long term durability? We all seen what the technology has done to the Hemi engines. The other manufacturers also have issues: cams and lifter failures.

I can appreciate Alan's comments on turbo engines from the 80s and 90s. Today's engines are designed with turbocharging in mind to try to mitigate the past reliability issues. However, turbos always bring more complication over a naturally aspirated engine. They are more mainstream because of the power expectations of customers and the CAFE targets of the government, plain and simple. Real world function over extended time will be the only real test for success. I'll be very interested in how a work Ram truck or a Grand Wagoneer that does a lot of towing will fare in ten years with this engine. I bet the electronics wig out before Alan's engine does.

That engine sounds MEAN on that short dyno video!

I wish you would have asked him about the many Hurricane Engines that have seized up in Grand Wagoneer SUV's.

I wonder during the testing of engines do they have a way to incorporate the heating and cooling intervals and the effect that causes. Thermal expansion and contraction rates that may fatigue components of a engine due to frequent cold starts. I usually get longer engine life when I let my engine rise to operating temps during idle. I see people start their cars then pedal to medal immediately. Is that a real concern for long term jeopardy of engine or I just being too cautious?

Alan seems like a good dude… I’d love to have some beers with that guy. Engineers have a tough job… build an engine that isn’t the best get roasted. Build the engine that is the best, never hear their name. Lol I6 turbos are the GOAT

Was hoping we’d learn about the power outputs when using regular unleaded. It’s my understanding that all the hp/tq numbers provided by Ram are when using premium. Is premium required? If not, what’s the hit on the performance? Can’t find those answers anywhere even though the engines have been in the Jeeps for a while now.

I'm concerned about direct injection vs port injection with respect to the carbonizing of the valves and the valve seats. I have a 5.7 hemi with port injection. The valves remain clean. As for stop/start. My concern is NOT for the durability of the rotary portions of the starter or the brushes. It's for the clutch/pawl mechanism.

Two sides of the coin: I had a 2.2L with a liquid cooled turbo in a 1984 Dodge Daytona and it worked well, no real reliability issues, all the way through 100k miles. There were some sensor issues and I did have to replace a cat, but overall, the powertrain in this car--which was a beater, a salvage car--ran pretty well, never burned oil, never broke anything internally until I sold it somewhere north of 160k miles. I did also replace the turbo, which didn't fail, it just got a little noisy, but the job was easy, so I did it to be safe. On the flip side, the air-cooled turbocharged Continental TSIO 360 in my airplane, not so great. These engines have turbos to maintain power, not boost it, so the engine will still put out plenty of horsepower as we climb higher or fly on hot days. They've changed little since the early 1960s and are not intercooled, still don't have EFI, ECMs or electronic ignition. We added an engine analyzer so I always know what is going on internally, but still, we have to baby this $60,000 engine so it doesn't grenade early and expensively. The engine has to have low-lead avgas, and like a dirty gray tsunami, the eco-woke are going city by city to ban the sale of this fuel.

Dose it matter with oil on how long you have it in the engine or just mileage

Thanks, nice interview of engine designer thoughts. There are many durability problems with needle bearing roller lifters, what have they improved? There is no check engine light with dipstick, it's between your ears !

Don't know why they couldn't build a non turbo version to replace the pentistar. Should still have the power of the old v6

Great interview . I have bought 5 New Rams in my life . All hemi’s. Had to sell my Power wagon last year ,for reasons that better left alone . Hoping to get a new 1500 in a few months . Was half thinking of going to the Chevy 6.2 , but I really like my Rams . On the oil topic , I wonder why not use the 0-40 on the lower output Hurricanes , if it’s better for the HO ?

If the high output oil is 0W40 for film strength / thickness due to increased pressures / bearing loads, would it not be better to use the same 0W40 oil in the non high output instead of 0W20? Also I get the joke about checking the oil but I think you don't give enough credit, I would argue many more people check the dip stick than you think. My truck gets checked at least every two weeks as well as looking for drips on the driveway where I park. That is how I found a rust hole in my diff cover and replaced it before it became an issue. I have had a couple sensor failures on engine over the years, not many, but never a dip stick failure. Sorry, I will get off my soap box now. Very good video thanks Tim and Alan.

As he said, small displacement boosted engines can be reliable if they are designed from the ground up with boost in mind. I sure like my 5.7 HEMI in my RAM but I have also had ecoboost engines and they were reliable. I think maybe a boosted engine may be a little bit more sensitive to regular maintenance being done on time. I am certain that the new Hurricane I6 will be a success once the initial kinks are worked out. I give them 2-3 model years before I would buy one.

Could you find out what the designed service life in hours are of the Hurricane engine and will the turbo chargers last to this designed life expectancy goal also?

I use the amsoil oil filter and signature series oil, change it every 25,000 km or 16 miles.

Great interview. One thing I wished you asked him about how this engine deals with carbon build up since it’s direct injection.

He mentioned crankcase contaminants being flushed out of the crankcase and burned. So now instead of the oil carrying them away and the oil being changed, the oil lasts longer but the contaminants end up on the valves and they need an expensive cleaning in the end costing a lot more money.

Wow they figured out a straight 6 will work. Toyota Land Cruiser and BMW have been using this motor normally aspirated and turbo charged for decades

Great listening to the man directly without talking head filters. It's not lost on me that the engineer behind this latest engine is using wallpaper of Chryslers most famous engine experiment of their Turbine engine cars.

I like that you go to the source. I'm not sure why others don't ask the actual design engineers. I've loved my Hemi's, but the turbo element with the increased horsepower and torque IN THE MOUNTAINS is attractive.

Great Vid thank you. I had one question. When you do a lot of short trips ie: around town should you use the heavy use oil change schedule in the manual? I’ve heard this debated due to the impurities not being boiled out because the oil does not get to full operating temp. I know the real solution is to take your car for a longer drive every 2 weeks or so. But, I know a lot of people like me don’t do that.

You asked good questions. Im ok with start stop as long as i can disable it. Did i hear him say there is no dipstick? Im ok with no dipstick as long as i have access to the oil level gage or data. I would have also asked him if they have ever explored some of these opposed piston engines that seem to have high efficiency and output per liter and why we dont see something like that

Fill for life and transmissions is horse hockey. Cool interview though, thank you.

Not a bad interview. Wish you would have touched on the hemi lifter issue if he has the inside scoop. Some things I would have brought up would have been the fuel octane and performance vs heat. I'm seeing 91 octane recommended and car and driver did a test with the new hurricane and it only got 20mpg vs a 5.7 hemi getting 19mpg. The difference of 1 MPG vs a minimum of $0.50-$1.00 per gal can easily mean the 5.7 could get better range for the money if you run it with 87 and use the same amount at fill up. Oil change 10k is no biggie as I run that in my Hemi but turbo engines run at richer A/F ratios which translates to more fuel in the oil so they should technically have a lower mileage oil change. I would have also asked about oil film strength on any stop/start as the bearing oil pressure drops to zero on stop, this puts more stress on the bearing as there is no oil pressure to create a cushion and all you have is film strength. Your biggest issues with turbos is oil seals and oil temperature. A water cooled turbo is always best like he stated but doesn't change the issues with turbos which is seal life. Would have been nice to know if they are ball bearing or journal turbos as both have there benefits. Forged pistons due to boost levels (20-26psi)? Are they running a colder spark plug? Are they incorporating a electronic wastegate and recirculating BOV system? Not a fan of a direct injection due to the high pressures, failure rate and expensive to fix but also a traditional injector also provides IAT cooling as the fuel is introduced early enough which benefits turbo engines big time.