Another Cam bites the dust...

[BLJ]

How can you tell where the engine is from?

Parts Content Info section of the window sticker. Engine origin was mexico and tranny was US for my Gladiator

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[ShadowsPapa]

Most of the 24s I looked at last year, and all of the 25s I looked at had engine USA.
Replacement cams - Mexico.

Since this one was built in September 2024, I guess we can toss FCA's TSB out the window!

Supposedly, those are the break-points in the TSB. The kit is for vehicles exhibiting the issues and built before those dates.
Hey, Jeep - I guess you were wrong!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Oil pressures always looked fine.

Oil pressure isn't a problem, and it won't matter. Pressure doesn't lubricate. Even 30 psi is more than enough to shoot oil clean over the fenders onto the floor next to it.
As far as babying - these can kick into high lift mode even below 3,000 RPM when the oil pump is in lower volume mode.

 

[FrankFrqnkFrank]

Since this one was built in September 2024, I guess we can toss FCA’s TSB out the window,

Supposedly, those are the break-points in the TSB. The kit is for vehicles exhibiting the issues and built before those dates.
Hey, Jeep - I guess you were wrong!

Toss it out and call them wrong. But just remember the cam engineers - like the oil engineers - are infallible

 

[Stan H]

Factory oil changed at 1139 miles; another oil change done at 5141 miles as I was going on an extended trip; Oil used was Mobil 1 0w-20 as per manufacture recommendations. I did the oil changes myself. Oil pressures always looked fine.
Really feel my failure was due to a defective follower or some kind of installation issue.

See again I see no oil issue this is a follower or Cam manufacturing issue as you said.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Toss it out and call them wrong. But just remember the cam engineers - like the oil engineers - are infallible

Right, nice try.

This is a supplier/materials issue. Cam engineer - that's really funny.

So you keep on following around trolling with junk like that.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

I would like to know, if any of you have the ability to check the stats....

What is the cam failure rate of the Stella 3.6 worldwide?

A little detective work and Stella could narrow it down to region, facility, and maybe even a shop lead, line employee or two.

Or is it just a hit and miss design?

Or bad cams from subcontractor A, B, or C?

I have 66K on mine and it's been perfect. I have a friend with a couple going strong in commercial RAM vans with 250K.

I think that there is a 'fly in the ointment'. A bad cam sub or head sub or disgruntled assembler.

Most of these engines are perfect and a few go bad... really bad.

There's an imposter or a bad subcontractor.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I would like to know, if any of you have the ability to check the stats....

What is the cam failure rate of the Stella 3.6 worldwide?

A little detective work and Stella could narrow it down to region, facility, and maybe even a shop lead, line employee or two.

Or is it just a hit and miss design?

Or bad cams from subcontractor A, B, or C?

I have 66K on mine and it's been perfect. I have a friend with a couple going strong in commercial RAM vans with 250K.

All great questions - however, nothing anyone, even employees of Stellantis, are likely to know unless they are in that specific role working on the issue.

We don't even know who makes the cams for them, where they are sourced as far as suppliers, if there's more than one, whatever.

Since many are sold post-warranty, you'd have to know raw replacement market sales numbers.

Manufacturing issue - wow, that really narrows it down! What step in the making of a cam? Materials of the blank? Machining the surface? Post machining treatments?
We don't know who makes them - how many suppliers they are, or who performs which processes on them.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

All great questions - however, nothing anyone, even employees of Stellantis, are likely to know unless they are in that specific role working on the issue.

We don't even know who makes the cams for them, where they are sourced as far as suppliers, if there's more than one, whatever.

Since many are sold post-warranty, you'd have to know raw replacement market sales numbers.

Manufacturing issue - wow, that really narrows it down! What step in the making of a cam? Materials of the blank? Machining the surface? Post machining treatments?
We don't know who makes them - how many suppliers they are, or who performs which processes on them.

Someone knows. Somewhere, there is a bad person or sub in the mix.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Someone knows.

Yeah, for sure.

 

[FrankFrqnkFrank]

It wasn’t an engineer

 

[Aleph]

Probably a dumb question but would a Blackstone oil analysis report be helpful to determine whether this or not this issue could be present?
The pentastar is fairly noisy at baseline and it’s hard to tell if my tick is a bad tick from other people’s videos.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

I would assume that the cams and heads are made by the same company. They should be. They should be matching sets. Matched within tolerances. And cams kept with individual heads. And labeled R and L specific.
Different subs build them, but matching sets within the sub.

Like BMW and Mercedes does.

Cost savings by a high, middle, or even low end management is, maybe, the problem.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

Probably a dumb question but would a Blackstone oil analysis report be helpful to determine whether this or not this issue could be present?
The pentastar is fairly noisy at baseline and it’s hard to tell if my tick is a bad tick from other people’s videos.

Good question. I, personally, don't give a rats ass about a ticking sound From an engine unless it gets progressively louder.

All this talk of the 3.6 cams can make us paranoid.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Probably a dumb question but would a Blackstone oil analysis report be helpful to determine whether this or not this issue could be present?
The pentastar is fairly noisy at baseline and it’s hard to tell if my tick is a bad tick from other people’s videos.

It could tell if yours is starting to go, but it won't tell if one is GOING to go. If there's no abnormal wear, nothing will show up. If it shows in an oil analysis, the cam and/or follower is already going south.

I would assume that the cams and heads are made by the same company. They should be. They should be matching sets. Matched within tolerances. And cams kept with individual heads. And labeled R and L specific.
Different subs build them, but matching sets within the sub.

Like BMW and Mercedes does.

Cost savings by a high, middle, or even low end management is, maybe, the problem.

Don't know why they'd need to be matched. You replace cams all the time and there's no matching to anything and no reason for a cam to be matched to a head.

Cams are already left and right specific due to the way each has to work on the followers - which are opposite on each head.
The heads are left or right, not both. No interchanging heads on these at all - can't be done.
Can't interchange cams left to right either, not on overhead cams on a V engine. Can't do it.

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