2014 Ram ProMaster 2500 Van Camshaft
About this episode
Bernie Pollock walks through diagnosing and repairing a 2014 Ram ProMaster 2500 with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 after a severe tapping noise from the rear/front cylinder bank. The culprit was badly worn cam lobes caused by seized roller rocker arms, with other cams showing early wear and pitting. Because the job is labor-heavy on the transverse V6 with tight timing covers, they replaced all four cams, rocker arms/lifters, spark plugs, and stretched timing chains (four total). OEM parts were used, and Bernie warns against cheap kits. Afterward, the engine runs quiet and reliable—assuming regular oil changes.
Ram ProMaster
"So today's guest is a 2014 Ram ProMaster 2500. What was going on with this vehicle? So this vehicle had some pretty severe tapping noise in the engine."
They’re working on a 2014 Ram ProMaster 2500 van. The van was making a loud tapping sound from the engine, and the shop is figuring out which internal engine parts are worn.
The hosts are diagnosing a 2014 Ram ProMaster 2500 van. The issue is severe tapping noise localized to the engine’s cylinder bank, which leads into a camshaft/valvetrain inspection and parts replacement.
camshaft
"I was definitely coming from the rear cylinder bank, probably a camshaft or rock arm issue we figured, which is common on these vehicles."
The camshaft is a rotating part inside the engine that times the opening of the valves. If its surface is worn, it can cause a tapping noise and poor valve timing.
A camshaft controls when the engine’s valves open and close. In this case, the tapping noise is suspected to come from the camshaft (or related valvetrain components) on the affected cylinder bank, and the worn cam lobe is later shown in the teardown.
rock arm
"I was definitely coming from the rear cylinder bank, probably a camshaft or rock arm issue we figured, which is common on these vehicles."
The rock arm is part of the valve system that moves the valves when the camshaft turns. If it wears out, it can make the engine sound like it’s tapping.
A rock arm (valve rocker) transfers motion from the camshaft to the valve. When a camshaft and its mating surfaces wear, the rock arms can also develop problems that contribute to tapping noises and uneven valve actuation.
cylinder bank
"I was definitely coming from the rear cylinder bank... This vehicle had over 200,000 kilometers, but we see it at much lower mileages."
On a V6 engine, cylinders are split into two sides. Finding which side (front or rear bank) is making the noise helps the mechanic figure out what part is worn.
A cylinder bank is a group of cylinders in a multi-bank engine layout (like a V6). The hosts localize the tapping noise to a specific bank (rear vs front), which helps narrow down whether the camshaft/rock arms/lifters on that side are worn.
3.6 liter Pentastar
"But which engine is this? It's a 3.6 liter Pentastar. Very common, I'll say Chrysler, but I guess it's a Stellantis."
The 2014 Ram ProMaster 2500 in the episode uses a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. The Pentastar is a widely used Chrysler/now Stellantis engine family found across multiple brands, and it’s the platform where this cam/valvetrain tapping issue is described as common.
lifters
"The cams, rock arms, lifters would need to be replaced. Possibly the timing chains as well."
Lifters help the camshaft’s motion get transferred to the valves smoothly. If they’re worn, the engine can start making tapping noises.
Lifters (often hydraulic lifters in modern engines) sit between the camshaft and the valve train. If they’re worn or not maintaining proper contact, they can amplify tapping noise and accelerate wear on the cam and rock arms.
V6 engine, transverse mounted
"So what we're looking at here is we're looking at the front cylinder bank. It's a V6 engine, transverse mounted. So this is not an easy job to work on."
Transverse-mounted means the engine is turned sideways in the engine bay. That can make it harder to reach the timing parts and cam area.
A transverse-mounted engine is installed sideways across the vehicle, which changes access to the timing components and valve train. The hosts explain that this layout makes the job more difficult because the timing covers sit close to the engine’s side structure.
timing covers
"The timing covers sits right next to the side frame rails of the engine. So it's finicky to get stuff in and out."
Timing covers are the protective panels over the timing chain area. They can be awkward to remove because they’re tucked near other parts.
Timing covers are protective housings that enclose the timing chain area. In this job, the covers’ position near the side frame rails makes removal and reinstallation finicky, contributing to labor complexity.
spark plug tubes
"There's two camshafts. You can see the timing chain on the left side and the cam gears, spark plug tubes sit in the middle, those are those round bits."
Spark plug tubes are the channels that hold the spark plugs in the engine head. They’re part of what you see once the cam/timing area is opened up.
Spark plug tubes are the passages/bores that guide the spark plugs into the cylinder head. The hosts mention them while describing what’s visible on the front cylinder bank during the cam/timing inspection.
spark plugs
"We did change the spark plugs while we did the service as well."
Spark plugs create the spark that lights the fuel in each cylinder. If the engine is already opened up, it’s often easier to replace them at the same time.
Spark plugs ignite the air-fuel mixture in each cylinder. The shop notes they changed the spark plugs during the service, which is common when the engine is already partially disassembled for access.
roller rocker
"but as things wore down, the rocker arms, it's a roller rocker. It's seized up and started wearing it cam in a pretty bad way."
Some engines use a rocker arm with a little roller on it. That roller helps the engine parts slide with less friction. If the roller seizes, it can start rubbing badly and wear down the camshaft.
A roller rocker is a rocker arm that uses a small roller bearing to contact the camshaft lobe. The roller reduces friction compared with a flat tappet-style contact, which helps the cam and rocker surfaces last longer. When a roller rocker seizes or wears out, it can start grinding the cam lobe and accelerate damage.
rocker arms
"but as things wore down, the rocker arms, it's a roller rocker. It's seized up and started wearing it cam in a pretty bad way."
Rocker arms are the link between the camshaft and the engine valves. They help move the valves at the right time. If the rocker arms wear out, they can start damaging the camshaft too.
Rocker arms are part of the valvetrain that transfer motion from the camshaft to the valves. In roller-rocker setups, the rocker arm’s roller bearing rides on the cam lobe; if the roller wears or seizes, it can start damaging the cam surface. The transcript emphasizes that the rocker arm condition directly correlates with cam lobe wear.
engine seizing up
"So it's good the owner did this when he did. It didn't wait much longer. Here we have a brand new camshaft. And you can see the lobe on this one is very nice."
If an engine “seizes,” it means internal parts stop moving and the engine can get stuck. When valvetrain parts wear badly, they can bind or fail, and that can lead to the engine locking up. That’s why catching it early matters.
“Engine seizing up” means the engine can lock up internally because moving parts stop turning freely. Severe cam/valvetrain damage can cause components to bind or fail in a way that prevents normal rotation. The transcript notes that a worn rocker arm could “pop out” and potentially lead to seizure, which is why the repair was done promptly.
replace the one cam vs doing the job fully
"There was pitting on the cam lobes in various spots. And if someone wanted to go really cheap, you go, well, let's just replace the one cam and the rocker arms and that one. But for the amount of labor involved in taking everything apart, it's hardly worth doing that."
The transcript discusses a common repair decision: replacing only the most severely damaged cam and rocker components versus replacing the full set. Because multiple cam lobes show pitting and other rocker arms show wear, partial replacement may leave other damaged surfaces to fail soon. The host’s point is that valvetrain labor is expensive, so it’s usually smarter to “commit” to a complete repair while everything is apart.
OEM cams
"So are these aftermarket cams? No, these are OEM cams. So I will say that this is not a cheap job. The parts are all Mopar original parts that we put in."
OEM cams are original equipment manufacturer parts made to the same specifications as the factory components. The transcript contrasts OEM parts with cheaper aftermarket kits, arguing that OEM quality and fit are important for long-term durability. Using the correct cam profile and materials helps prevent premature wear of the valvetrain.
Mopar
"So I will say that this is not a cheap job. The parts are all Mopar original parts that we put in. I actually looked on Amazon."
Mopar is the brand name used for Chrysler/Stellantis factory parts. The shop is saying they used original Mopar parts instead of cheaper alternatives. That can help ensure the parts match what the engine was designed to use.
Mopar is the Chrysler/Stellantis umbrella brand for factory parts and service components. In the transcript, the shop uses “Mopar original parts,” meaning they’re using OEM-equivalent components rather than generic aftermarket replacements. For wear-prone valvetrain jobs, part quality and correct spec are especially important.
timing chains
"the bottom right of the picture, that's the crankshaft. And there's actually four timing chains ... The one that goes downward drives the oil pump. And then there's one that goes up ... That's a tensioner."
Timing chains keep the engine’s moving parts timed correctly. They connect the crankshaft to the camshafts, and tensioners help keep the chains tight so the timing doesn’t drift.
This engine uses multiple timing chains to synchronize the crankshaft with the camshafts. The downward chain drives the oil pump, while other chains route motion up to the camshafts, with tensioners helping keep chain slack under control.
tensioner
"with a little, you can see sort of a clearish whitish plastic piece. That's a tensioner. That drives from the camshaft to an intermediate shaft."
A tensioner keeps the timing chain tight. As chains wear and stretch, the tensioner helps prevent slack so the engine timing stays accurate.
A timing chain tensioner is a device that maintains proper chain tension as the chain stretches with age and mileage. In this case, the tensioner is shown as a plastic/clearish component that helps prevent slack and timing problems.
oil cooler housings will leak oil
"I think these engines do have other problems like the oil cooler housings will leak oil, which is not nearly as expensive a job as this, but that's kind of an inherent problem."
They mention the oil cooler housing can start leaking oil. It’s usually not as expensive to fix as the bigger internal engine issues, but it’s still something to address.
The hosts call out oil cooler housing leaks as another issue that can occur on these engines. They also note it’s generally less expensive than the cam/lifter-related work, but it’s still an “inherent” problem worth watching for.
head gasket problems
"And some of them over the past have had head gasket problems. Many covered under warranty."
They state some engines have had head gasket problems, and that many cases were covered under warranty. A head gasket failure can cause coolant/oil leaks or overheating, so it’s a major reliability item even if warranty coverage reduced the impact for some owners.
change your oil regularly
"The solution, change your oil regularly. This engine didn't look like it had been neglected, but it's hard to know. Regular oil changes are just critical in modern engines."
They strongly recommend changing the oil on schedule (and even a bit more often than the manual says). Clean oil helps protect internal engine parts and can prevent expensive problems.
The hosts emphasize that regular oil changes are the key solution they recommend, especially for preventing or reducing wear-related issues like lifter problems. They also argue that even if manufacturers extend oil-change intervals, owners should change oil more frequently to protect modern engines.
Pentastar gasoline V6
"You're looking for service for your Dodge engine that's got a Pentastar gasoline v6. The guys to see in Vancouver at Pollock Automotive..."
They mention the Pentastar gasoline V6, which is the engine type in many Ram/Dodge vehicles. The point is that this engine family has known maintenance-sensitive issues, so oil changes matter a lot.
The hosts refer to a Pentastar gasoline V6, which is the Chrysler/Dodge engine family used in many Ram vehicles. In this segment, it’s the engine type they’re discussing in relation to the timing-chain, lifter, and oil-maintenance reliability concerns.
Pollock Automotive
"The guys to see in Vancouver at Pollock Automotive, you can reach them online at PollockAutomotive.com. You can book your appointment"
They recommend Pollock Automotive in Vancouver for this kind of engine work. It’s basically the shop they trust for these repairs.
Pollock Automotive is mentioned as the shop to contact for service on the described Dodge/Pentastar engine issues. For listeners, this functions as a practical “where to go” reference rather than a technical topic.
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