2025 Ram 1500 coverage

You know what. I'll share with everyone my list of questions and you can chime in if there is something I'm missing. Another big benefit to being a forum member!!

Just to be clear, I don't normally put together a list of questions beforehand. However, the software I use, let's people add their own slides and videos. This means it is actually a better video overall if they, the engineers, can see the question and gather the relevant charts or video/s before the interview. Like the durability video I reference below. Wait until you see that one!

Questions:

History - I'd like to start with going back in time first.
- when you knew the Hemi was going away and you had a blank slate for a new engine to be developed, why go with an inline 6? Why not say an inline 4 or a V-series?
- why couldn't the Hemi V8 be updated to meet emissions?
- How long was the development process for the Hurricane?

Durability - let's see that video again he showed at the presentation!
- I know automakers don't like to talk about durability in terms of miles and I won't be asking that question. Instead, I'm wondering what can be shared about the durability process without giving away corporate secrets. For example, I know you run the engines at red hot temperatures to see how they perform. Can he speak more in-depth into that process? Also, I'm keenly interested in the turbos since their durability continues to be a big concern.

Cooling
- speaking of turbos, I know cooling is a key part of turbo longevity. And I know there has been a lot of engineering put into cooling. Frankly, I'd like to just ask the question and let Alan go with whatever charts, images and what not to share. I know I missed part of a discussion he was having with another journalist about cooling and I'd like to get that on camera. IIRC there was something about a cooling setup on the passenger side of the engine using water. Hopefully that sounds familiar.

- I'd also want to discuss cooling with regards to towing and the J2807 standard. My understanding is cooling is the really limiting factor for most engines and not HP or torque to meet the towing standard. Is that correct?

Oil type, intervals
- It never ceases to amaze me how people are ok spending tens of thousands of dollars on a new truck and then want to argue about what oil to use. Let's discuss that.

- What oil type do you recommend? I've heard the lighter weight oil is for fuel economy and I've also talked with mechanics who state the lighter oil is also due to advancements in engine design. I'm going to assume both are right and I'm wondering where Alan is with this thought. Also, maybe share what oil type was recommended when he started and discuss why the change over the years.

I'm also curious how much interaction there is between oil companies and engine engineers. Without naming names, do they come to you and try to pitch you new oil types?

- What oil interval do you recommend? Frankly, I can't believe the arguments over this item as well online. Can he shed any light on why we are doing longer intervals?

- Is there such a thing as break-in oil? What is the engine break-in process and what is the goal of the engine break-in process? For example, can I damage the engine if I tow immediately?

Starter

The concern is the starter reliability with start/stop systems.

- is start/stop bad on the engine? Will it cause the starter to die faster?

I've been led to believe the starter is a lot different than it used to be. I wonder if there's a photo of say a 2010 starter versus a 2024 starter.

Final question

This is a fun one. What is one thing Alan has seen online about old school engine thinking that just doesn't apply anymore?

Examples I came up off the top of my head:

- Carbon buildup is a massive issue and you MUST have direct and port injection to clean it.
- cylinder deactivation uses oil and is bad for the engine.
- turbochargers are a ticking time bomb
- new turbo engines don't need that much cooling
- light-weight oil will damage the engine due to not being thick enough
 
I would hit them up on the start stop, many guys keep their trucks for 10 years +, if your running around in a city, over 10 years you can accumulate 300,000 start stops easily, and with a turbo, I'd really want to know what they have done for cooling and lubrication

By the way Ive been to the Chelsea proving grounds a few times. quite the neat place, I loved their rust room, a building where they accelerate the rusting process on vehicles, then there is the guy who's job is to run a vehicle through a carwash all day/night for who knows how many times and how long. I remember seeing an all wheel drive Viper that never made it to production.
 
Rogue Rkunk said:
By the way Ive been to the Chelsea proving grounds a few times. quite the neat place, I loved their rust room, a building where they accelerate the rusting process on vehicles, then there is the guy who's job is to run a vehicle through a carwash all day/night for who knows how many times and how long. I remember seeing an all wheel drive Viper that never made it to production.
Click to expand...

Where they "accelerate rusting"? Holy crap, I think Ram is making them rust fast enough, they don't need to accelerate it anymore! For testing it would be easier and cheaper to just let the employees drive them home, they are in Michigan so that should work quickly.
 
Rogue Rkunk said:
I would hit them up on the start stop, many guys keep their trucks for 10 years +, if your running around in a city, over 10 years you can accumulate 300,000 start stops easily, and with a turbo, I'd really want to know what they have done for cooling and lubrication
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You do bring up a good point. The start/stop crap has been around long enough. I wonder what it does to long term reliability compared to not having it.
 
Dusdaddy said:
You do bring up a good point. The start/stop crap has been around long enough. I wonder what it does to long term reliability compared to not having it.
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You could say "long enough."

"The first vehicle to use the automatic on/off switch was the six-cylinder Toyota Crown in 1974 and was already claiming a 10% gas saving in traffic. In the 1980s, the Fiat Regata "ES" with the City-matic system and Volkswagen Polo "Formel E" also used similar devices."

en.wikipedia.org

Start-stop system - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
testerdahl said:
You could say "long enough."

"The first vehicle to use the automatic on/off switch was the six-cylinder Toyota Crown in 1974 and was already claiming a 10% gas saving in traffic. In the 1980s, the Fiat Regata "ES" with the City-matic system and Volkswagen Polo "Formel E" also used similar devices."

en.wikipedia.org

Start-stop system - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
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Good point but you know none of those Fiats ever reach high miles any way so no info to be had there....lol

Mainstream vehicles started using it about 2010 you think?
 
I'm particularly interested in the discussion of why Ram choose an inline 6 architecture. Primary and secondary balance are obvious answers, and it could be argued that inline engines are less complex than V-engines, but what are the other factors that pushed Ram in this direction. What compromises did they need to make. GM’s decision to put the oil belt on the back of the engine was ostensibly done so the 3.0L Duramax would fit in the 1500. Has Ram had to make their own compromises.
 
chaseydog said:
I'm particularly interested in the discussion of why Ram choose an inline 6 architecture. Primary and secondary balance are obvious answers, and it could be argued that inline engines are less complex than V-engines, but what are the other factors that pushed Ram in this direction. What compromises did they need to make. GM’s decision to put the oil belt on the back of the engine was ostensibly done so the 3.0L Duramax would fit in the 1500. Has Ram had to make their own compromises.
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That is an interesting question, why did they go inline vs V? Being an old Jeep guy where the I6 became legendary, I've always been a fan of the inline. An old I6 performance shop called Clifford has a logo "6=8". Ford 300 and Slant 6 were also great.

Like you said, balance and fewer moving parts are a plus. Another plus for me was accessibility. Plugs/distributor on one side and intake/exhaust on the other. Not a huge deal in modern engines but could still factor in as helpful. Definitely better than a Hemi. I think most stayed with the V6 because they could turn it sideways for their car lines which they couldn't do with the I6 and V6s were mini versions of the V8s as well which could cut down on parts.
 
chaseydog said:
I'm particularly interested in the discussion of why Ram choose an inline 6 architecture. Primary and secondary balance are obvious answers, and it could be argued that inline engines are less complex than V-engines, but what are the other factors that pushed Ram in this direction. What compromises did they need to make. GM’s decision to put the oil belt on the back of the engine was ostensibly done so the 3.0L Duramax would fit in the 1500. Has Ram had to make their own compromises.
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Alan (lead engineer for the engine) said they chose it because an inline is smooth and has the NVH they are looking for in a luxury type of truck.
 
GMT 900 said:
Given that Hurricane shares its architecture with a 4 cylinder engine like JLR's Ingenium engine family, is Stellantis looking at making a diesel version of the Hurricane like JLR has done with Ingenium?

https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/stellantis-rebuilding-lineup-gasoline-diesel-engines

Behind a pay wall, but maybe a hint on the possibility I raise?
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“We don’t talk about future products.” It’s the standard corporate line from video interviews. On site, in person at a bar can often yield more interesting results. 😄
 
Another engine to to look at when pondering the future reliablility of the Hurricane is the 2.7 turbo in the Silverado. It's been out 4 years now and it seems to be decently reliable (if I'm not mistaken) judging from the owner vids I see.
The engineers did several notable things for durability like iron cylinder liners, a coolant tube routed directly to the turbo and extra strong connecting rods, the newer Turbomax version also added extra webbing to the block for strength.
 
NorthskyBlue NHT said:
Another engine to to look at when pondering the future reliablility of the Hurricane is the 2.7 turbo in the Silverado. It's been out 4 years now and it seems to be decently reliable (if I'm not mistaken) judging from the owner vids I see.
The engineers did several notable things for durability like iron cylinder liners, a coolant tube routed directly to the turbo and extra strong connecting rods, the newer Turbomax version also added extra webbing to the block for strength.
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They also extended the warranty to 100k miles to reduce the anxiety over owning a small turbo engine.
 
Dusdaddy said:
Where they "accelerate rusting"? Holy crap, I think Ram is making them rust fast enough, they don't need to accelerate it anymore! For testing it would be easier and cheaper to just let the employees drive them home, they are in Michigan so that should work quickly.
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There is defiantly irony involved here, my Ram is 07, it had a couple of small issues with rust, but got fixed and thats after rust proofing, it was all good and settled, the 2014's seemed to be the kick off of bad rust, a friend of mine had many panels replaced under warranty, Im kind of wondering if the actual testing has been slowed down, Chelsea had everything, they even had radar to keep an eye for small aircraft as back then automotive espionage was huge, a car on the track were warned and told to take cover in one of their many hiding locations, my experiences visiting Chelsea was from late 1990's to mid 2000's, as for espionage today, Im sure they have drone killers. Chelsea was quite the place and very busy, perhaps they have cut back?. Back then there were 2 flat black PT Cruisers outside under Camo nets, this is before they were released and actually had a name, what was different with what was released is you could see the drivetrain was beefed up with bigger wheels, turns out they had 4.7 V8's in them, One automatic the other a 5 speed manual, but the saying is true, automotive OEM testing facilities is where the bean counter becomes boss.

​

 
testerdahl said:
They also extended the warranty to 100k miles to reduce the anxiety over owning a small turbo engine.
Click to expand...

The problem as I see it though, I don't forsee many cases where a turbo engine fails even before 100k. It's built strong, from the ground up to be a turbo engine in a heavy truck and they do seem to have crossed every T when designing that engine. But the real test is in the real world and we don't have any strong data yet for these engines when they're worked hard every day. I want to like that 2.7, as a base engine in a cheap truck I'd probably take it over the 3.6 pentastar as towing performance there would be huge in favour of the 2.7. But I'd never spend good money on it yet in a nice truck that I want to keep.

Compare that to the 5.7 hemi which did many years of duty in the 2500, abused by every high schooler on a maintenance crew or other trades people that just drive the snot out of them and it's still coming back for more (as long as they didn't get shipped a bum lifter and keep their maintenance up).

So I don't ever look at the warranty (Kia does long warranties too), it's more about the history of the engine and time will tell!
 
Rogue Rkunk said:
There is defiantly irony involved here, my Ram is 07, it had a couple of small issues with rust, but got fixed and thats after rust proofing, it was all good and settled, the 2014's seemed to be the kick off of bad rust, a friend of mine had many panels replaced under warranty, Im kind of wondering if the actual testing has been slowed down, Chelsea had everything, they even had radar to keep an eye for small aircraft as back then automotive espionage was huge, a car on the track were warned and told to take cover in one of their many hiding locations, my experiences visiting Chelsea was from late 1990's to mid 2000's, as for espionage today, Im sure they have drone killers. Chelsea was quite the place and very busy, perhaps they have cut back?. Back then there were 2 flat black PT Cruisers outside under Camo nets, this is before they were released and actually had a name, what was different with what was released is you could see the drivetrain was beefed up with bigger wheels, turns out they had 4.7 V8's in them, One automatic the other a 5 speed manual, but the saying is true, automotive OEM testing facilities is where the bean counter becomes boss.
Click to expand...

The first thing I had rust was the painted rear bumper. In two years, I could see quite a bit of rust on the inside surface. Cleaned and treated it but in three years the paint started bubbling around the back-up sensors. Chromed bumpers didn't seem to have the issue as much. The Ram fenders always started rusting because of how they are built with the exposed seams. Fender flares can help but sealing the seam would be best. Rocker panels with their exposed "pockets" were next. Just a silly design to have that area that can trap moisture.
 
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