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2003 4.7 MOTOR

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mopops12

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ZIP 12590 NY WAPPINGERS
I HAVE A CHANCE TO BUY A 2003 RAM 2WD AUTO WITH 4.7 MOTOR--63000 MILES OLD COUPLE OWNED IT BARN KEPT WITH SHORT TRIPS FOR THE MOST PART WHAT SHOULD I BE LOOKING FOR BESIDES RUST? I HEAR ALL KINDS OF INFO ABOUT 4.7 MOTORS, GOOD AN BAD TKS
 
Never owned one but I have heard they run well and are either good or junk. With DOHC and variable valve timing there is places for issues that could be spendy to fix. THe key is good maintenance and oil changes. I don't think they are very forgiving if not taken care of.
 
With 63,000 it should be solid, if it's treated well it will treat you well. Higher mileage will need timing chains, they don't tolerate being overheated. Check how often they changed the oil and it should be a good truck, older people usually treat cars/trucks well.
 
toolmanmike said:
Never owned one but I have heard they run well and are either good or junk. With DOHC and variable valve timing there is places for issues that could be spendy to fix. THe key is good maintenance and oil changes. I don't think they are very forgiving if not taken care of.
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Totally agree. That's seems to be the key with the 4.7 (and the 5.7)....oil change! My local service manager said change the oil regularly. My 2002 Dakota 4.7 with 456 gears was always driven hard but, not abused. I used full synthetic, Wix and changed 3-5K. I sold it at 125K no ticks, leaks and didn't burn any oil. Craig
 
my5thmopar said:
Totally agree. That's seems to be the key with the 4.7 (and the 5.7)....oil change! My local service manager said change the oil regularly. My 2002 Dakota 4.7 with 456 gears was always driven hard but, not abused. I used full synthetic, Wix and changed 3-5K. I sold it at 125K no ticks, leaks and didn't burn any oil. Craig
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Why'd ya sell it?!?

4.7 isn't bad if it's been maintained, as @65sporty said. A coworker had one in his Dodge Ram, and he and his kid put tons of miles on with only the bare minimum maintenance and it lasted for some time, last I knew, two years ago, it was still in operation.
 
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LocuMob said:
Why'd ya sell it?!?

4.7 is t bad if it's be n maintained, as @65sporty said. A coworker had one in his Dodge Ram, and h and his kid put tons of miles with only the bare minimum maintenance and it lasted for some time, last I knew, two years ago, it was still in operation.
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After 17 years of good use, I just wanted my dream truck before I retired. Ram with 5.7, regular cab, 4x4, short bed, 3.92, towing pkg and night edition.
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Yup I played Hell finding a newer dodge truck with less than 4 doors... And that stupidly short bed they all have now.
I wound up with an ex Fastenal truck, a '12. It has the first 4.7 in it I have ever owned and only because I can't get a 318 in anything that new.... So far so good, but I have only added 15k miles to it from the 93k it had when I got it.... .
Goes like Hell over 3k rpm, kind of feels like it's holding back below that..... And I rarely get it over that rpm even though where I'm at I usually run it 65-70 down the road .. And if I hit 3k rpm it's only for a few seconds at a time. But I can definitely feel it really take off, for those few seconds it's revved that high.
I'd rather have tried a hemi, just to say "yeah I have a hemi" haha, but regular cab dodges new enough I could get some help from the bank are few and far between. At least it's got a V8.... The ONE thing I was really wanting to avoid but could not get away from in my search for a reg cab is white paint.... I have 3 vehicles and all are white.
And the Dakota it replaced was white. Getting tired of that.
 
There's a dude on youtube I think martin built he has a jeep with a 4.7 that he does some improvements on he also Is pretty well schooled with them. The other thing Is the cylinder head Is designed after the Poly 318. There's an article about It somewhere I just can't find It right now.
 
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volaredon said:
Yup I played Hell finding a newer dodge truck with less than 4 doors... And that stupidly short bed they all have now.
I wound up with an ex Fastenal truck, a '12. It has the first 4.7 in it I have ever owned and only because I can't get a 318 in anything that new.... So far so good, but I have only added 15k miles to it from the 93k it had when I got it.... .
Goes like Hell over 3k rpm, kind of feels like it's holding back below that..... And I rarely get it over that rpm even though where I'm at I usually run it 65-70 down the road .. And if I hit 3k rpm it's only for a few seconds at a time. But I can definitely feel it really take off, for those few seconds it's revved that high.
I'd rather have tried a hemi, just to say "yeah I have a hemi" haha, but regular cab dodges new enough I could get some help from the bank are few and far between. At least it's got a V8.... The ONE thing I was really wanting to avoid but could not get away from in my search for a reg cab is white paint.... I have 3 vehicles and all are white.
And the Dakota it replaced was white. Getting tired of that.
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Believe me I know the feeling. That's one of the reasons I ended up with a Ford. Yes a dirty word to some. But it has an eight foot bed with extended w cab. I have things that need to be protected other than people.
 
Sorry im revamping an old thread…1st ram I bought new in2002 with the 4.7 2wd, sold it with over 140k. towed my 68 to the track dozens of times, no problems. Then bought a used 2002 Dakota 4wd with the 4.7,140k. Sold it with 220k. Rust was the only issue. My daughter has a 2003 Jeep with the 4.7. Bought it with 150k, now over 180. only issue now is Evap and trans code.

I did buy a wrecked 2003 Durango when I had the Dakota. Kept the 4.7 and trans.
 
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