What did you do to your Hellcat today?

[drag racer]

So this was the first time I personally, and for my car, that any of this area of the engine had ever been touched. I took my time, observing and thinking about things and being careful, and it took me about 2 hours from start to getting to the point of having the left side valve cover ready for removal but the 10 bolts not removed, plus 1 #1 spark plug out just to have a look at condition. If I had to do it the second time, I could easily knock off a 1/2 hour or so. Right side....that's for an upcoming session .

So based on this first session, my conclusions about the 1.7 hr book time for a complete spark plug R&R are:

1. Any tech assigned that job is, or soon will be, broke if his income depended on it.

2. I would hate to see the condition of the car/engine bay and related things after such an attempt to meet or better the book time - it would look like a train wreck IMO, especially to those of us that love our cars like babies and try to keep things nice and organized while minimizing collateral damage.

 

[drag racer]

Drop the K-frame, then the plugs will be easy.

: p

I would love to try that someday, preferably being mentored by one that is good at that R&R !

 

[BULL]

I would love to try that someday, preferably being mentored by one that is good at that R&R !

Dropping the K-frame seems "easy"...

KNOWING what to do up top that makes that possible AND efficient... Yeah, that's not me.

 

[2ndAmend]

So this was the first time I personally, and for my car, that any of this area of the engine had ever been touched. I took my time, observing and thinking about things and being careful, and it took me about 2 hours from start to getting to the point of having the left side valve cover ready for removal but the 10 bolts not removed, plus 1 #1 spark plug out just to have a look at condition. If I had to do it the second time, I could easily knock off a 1/2 hour or so. Right side....that's for an upcoming session .

So based on this first session, my conclusions about the 1.7 hr book time for a complete spark plug R&R are:

1. Any tech assigned that job is, or soon will be, broke if his income depended on it.

2. I would hate to see the condition of the car/engine bay and related things after such an attempt to meet or better the book time - it would look like a train wreck IMO, especially to those of us that love our cars like babies and try to keep things nice and organized while minimizing collateral damage.

They only need to make it last to the end of the warranty period!!!!

I have done ALL my maintenance, I figure I am much more likely to have a long term trouble free car than lose a fight with the dealer/mfr for not meeting "recommendations".

 

[2ndAmend]

You probably should, regardless of how long the frames and bodies last.

And what do you do if it's -14? Leave the engine idling for days?

Jimmy, you are a crazy man, but that's maybe why we all love you so much!

NFW I will ever stop warming up my vehicles!!!

BTW: Both my diesels are loud and obnoxious when cold, no mater the ambient. But after a couple min, they smooth and quite down. Especially the Kubota engine in the Bobcat. It rattles and knocks like it has a loose motor mount, then warms and purrs like a kitten.

I like to think I have a connection, an understanfing of my equipment, which is probably why it all works, and works well and long. Particularly my firearms!

Be happy!

 

[Unholy707]

Idling kills the gen 3 hemi. Read about it

 

[2ndAmend]

Please help me understand, when I start the HC on a 20deg morning and it goes to 1500rpm, I'm supposed to drive right off ???

 

[Unholy707]

Please help me understand, when I start the HC on a 20deg morning and it goes to 1500rpm, I'm supposed to drive right off ???

It sits there for how long? 10 seconds. How long do you let it sit there and idle below 1500? A lot longer than 10 seconds

 

[2ndAmend]

It sits there for how long? 10 seconds. How long do you let it sit there and idle below 1500? A lot longer than 10 seconds

I'm hoping you can tell me what the best thing is. I have already said what I do.

 

[Unholy707]

I'm hoping you can tell me what the best thing is. I have already said what I do.

Buy a ford (said no one ever)

 

[covidcommander]

Idling kills the gen 3 hemi. Read about it

Like the 5.7 lifter tick problem? Or you mean something else?

 

[Unholy707]

Yes. The lifters don’t get oil to the rollers or roller pins at low rpm.

Like the 5.7 lifter tick problem? Or you mean something else?

 

[Unholy707]

It’s due to the cam being high and the angle of the lifters

 

[Unholy707]

There’s no fixing it

 

[1971demon]

Drop the K-frame, then the plugs will be easy.

: p

figure my plugs will be good to 2041...I'll make sure my son gets the Memo...all my Cats are on original plugs from "16" on up

 

[1971demon]

It’s due to the cam being high and the angle of the lifters

Hell...if I recall it took you weeks to replace plugs...begs the question...how high were YOU

 

[1971demon]

Questions for the no warm-up guys:

Do you warm up your diesels before making them work?

If idling is so bad, do you prefer the start-stop that shuts off the engine at red lights?

It was 14deg this morning. I backed the truck out and let it idle a good 5 min while I got my gun and coffee. It was still on high idle when I drove off. My feeling is, if it wants to be on high idle, it is not fully ready to work.

It seems we have varying opinions on engine warm ups...I'm no engineer...or have any expertise in the field of metallurgy....so help me out here...when a modern engine is @ idle...be it a cold start,,or an engine that is up to operating temps....the rpm's are higher till it reaches operating temps..then settles down to 500 or so...(@ least that's been my experience)....and the load on internal parts of an engine idling (@ operating temp)...is relatively low it would seem..(@ least to me)..I'm not sure I understand the issue..I would think @ idle the engine is getting proper lubrication...now I understand (during break in)..it is recommended to vary rpms..and avoid extended operation @ a constant rpm....that said...what else am I missing....asking for a friend

 

[BULL]

...stuff...

Two competing issues.

The highest wear rate is on a cold engine, AND metals improve their wear characteristics when they are hot as well as mechanical clearances shrink to correct values.

Do you want to reduce the time of "highest wear", OR do you want to reduce the load from operation (piston pressures and velocity, etc) during the period of time that the engine is cold?

You can't have both.

I choose to reduce load and gently vary RPM.

 

[jgilj]

Unfortunately put it too bed for 8-10 weeks 🙁 Foot surgery on Monday will have a boot for at least 6-8 weeks. If I only have known I could have had it done in the beginning of winter.

 

[Jimmy N.]

Please help me understand, when I start the HC on a 20deg morning and it goes to 1500rpm, I'm supposed to drive right off ???

Why wouldn't you?

Judging by your driveway photos it doesn't look like you're hitting an Interstate on-ramp within a few hundred yards of leaving the house, making me think that by the time you do have to/want to get on it a little, the oil is probably up to 100 degrees or so. If you needlessly idled the engine first, what would the oil temp be? 104?

And if you really do want to warm an engine up before driving (which is not a bad thing), that's what block heaters are for.