Chrysler HEMI (third generation)

Chrysler's modern HEMI V8, in 5.7, 6.1 and 6.4 litre forms — the engine of the 300, Charger, Challenger, Durango, Ram and Grand Cherokee, and the name that carries more brand weight than any other in this catalogue.

Its characteristic fault is the lifters, and the Multi-Displacement System is why. MDS deactivates four cylinders under light load using collapsible lifters, and those lifters fail — producing a persistent misfire on one cylinder and, when left, a wiped camshaft lobe beneath it. The failure is common enough that a tick from the top of a 5.7 is the diagnosis, and a load-dependent misfire on an MDS engine should point here before ignition or fuel.

The second recurring item is the exhaust manifold bolts, which shear and produce a cold-start tick that fades as the metal expands — routinely mistaken for the lifter noise above, and vastly cheaper. Distinguishing those two ticks is the single most valuable diagnostic skill on this engine. The 6.1 and 6.4 SRT versions omit MDS in most applications, which removes the lifter concern and leaves the manifold one.