Is my engine done for?

[LXRitw]

https://youtube.com/shorts/0Ru76tkLXqk?si=rx0CoviWWpakw9jx

 

I’ve taken it to the mechanic shortly after this but the noise is intermittent. It comes and goes over the course of a few days and usually only happens when the engine is up to temperature. I don’t think the engine is toast as I don’t have a check engine light or feel much difference in the car but the noise is concerning me. Is it the dreaded collapsed rocker arm/camshaft being chewed up. It almost sounds like it’s coming from

the bottom end of the engine but I can hear it more on the valve cover nearest to the cooling fan and radiator.

[tsteves5]

It's always hard to know for sure with a cell phone video, but it sounds like it could be the rocker arm tick.  Get yourself one of these cheap mechanics stethoscopes and touch it to both the front and rear valve covers the next time you hear it ticking.  If it's a rocker arm then you will hear a noticeable difference between the two valve covers.
https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-stethoscope-63691.html

 

If you catch it early enough, the camshaft can often be saved.  There's also a cheap way to fix it and an expensive way.  You might want to see this thread: 

 

[John/Horace]

Bottom end issues I think has more of a knock to it,  hollow sound.  Great advice on cheap mechanics stethoscope. Had one for years. 

The serpentine belt can be removed and engine run for 20-30 seconds. Eliminates most noises but may generate a few engine codes. No water pump running so don’t push time factor. If necessary wait a while and do a second quicki test.

 

Like OP is saying. Need to address right away to avoid cam damage if that’s the issue. Removing cams means chain and tensioner and front of engine all apart. Huge labor costs, engine swap usually cheaper. Make sure oil pressure on cluster is in proper range when noise is present on hot engine. How many miles on engine?

 

[LXRitw]

I am dropping the car off at a different mechanic on Monday night who fixed my dads Oil Cooler leak on the same engine (3.6 in a 2014 Durango) he agreed over the phone that the other mechanic was likely lying and that he will get it in first thing Monday morning if I drop it off Sunday night. The car has 67k on it currently I just hope I don’t cause more damage driving it to work over the next couple of days until Sunday. It’s just odd to me that it comes and goes, I work 3rd shift and when I got to work last night the noise was apparent, then when I got home in the morning the noise was gone/not as noticeable. Oil pressure is sitting around 20-25 at idle sometimes I catch it at 18-19 at a stoplight. I tried to find the normal oil pressure in then owners manual but i couldn’t find anything.

 

EDIT: I just realized I never mentioned in my original post but the mechanic I took it to on Monday of this week told me the noise was normal but I was also not able to replicate the same noise as in the video. It was much quieter when I had it there and he chalked it up to it being normal “Chrysler engine noise” whatever that means.

Edited January 11 by LXRitw

[larryl]

That oil pressure seems to be about right at idle if your using 5w20 oil as it thins out as the engine warms up

I changed to 5w30 as I have almost 200000 miles on mine and the pressure is around 20-30 at idle depending how cold it is I had the cooler replaced about 25000 miles ago

[LXRitw]

Yea I’m still running 5w-20 per the manual the oil was just changed a little over 1000 miles ago. The dipstick is at the full mark still, oil is slightly dirty but that’s to be expected after 1000 or so miles especially if it’s an exhaust Cam that has the failure. I’m truly thinking of switching to 5w-30 for the next change as I hear a lot of 3.6 owners doing so and my dad also had a 2012 Journey that took 5W-30 not sure why they ever changed it. Also not sure if it matters for reference but this is a 2019 Dodge Journey Crossroad AWD. I’ll update the post Monday after I hear back from the other mechanic.
 

I’m sure my pockets are going to hurt but this is not a job I’m willing to tackle myself or trust myself to make the judgement call of whether the damaged Cam can be reused or not. I also went and grabbed a stethoscope from harbor freight this morning as suggested despite the noise being gone and was able to hear it more on the front cover as opposed to the back side near the firewall. I’m hoping that means he won’t have to dive into that rear cover because I know that’s when it gets pricey but I’d rather it get fixed the right way than just replacing a bad rocker or two.

Edited January 11 by LXRitw

[John/Horace]

Good oil pressure,  so driving a few days shouldn’t matter with intermittent noise IMO. It wouldn’t be changing a few rockers arms on the front cams. At $10 ish each mechanic will likely change them all. 
 

But if you also change front cam (s)  then timing chain, hydraulic tensioner, all front covers etc all coming off. Can’t reset timing other wise. Chain tensioner shouldn’t be reused but replaced, $200 ish part etc. So lots of work.

 

Just changing rockers isn’t a half assed repair.  If there is minimal wear and you can leave cams in place you wallet shouldn’t bleed much and engine might last as long as you need.  I agree with poster tsteve5  on this approach.

The well know hemi tick on the V8  5.7 engine is similar problem. Wear issue maybe caused by MDS cylinder deactivation set up ( forced fuel economy tec) or oil flow to top end. No one really knows why,  but changing rockers and cams often needed. Ram forum has thousands of posts talking about it.  Only affects some vehicles; not always linked to lack of maintenance. 
 

Good luck with repair,  bad time after Xmas for big expenses.