Wow!!!! Like the rest said. I would be getting estimates from the local dealers and it would include a rental truck for the period of time the dealer thought the truck would be down. IF you have a new motro installed at the dealer then you will keep your warranty.
Get the check and decide what to do after that. I would do an oil sample, if no abnormal noises are heard. Then bank the rest so that if or when you need a motor, you have it.

 

For sure there WAS damage done. Ya just don't know how much. On my truck the "check guages" light lights up and a warning chime dings when the oil pressure gets low.

 

I would verture to say that the bang you heard was the motor seizing, then after it cooled down and the oiston shrunk it moved again. One scratch on the wrist pin, you just smoked the motor. The wrist pin will fail and then you will have a nice new window through the block. Kind of cool to look at though. So if you dont have them swing in a new motor let me know how the window looks.

 

the bang was something breaking, the oil light on is less than 4 lbs of oil pressure.
no short block for you. you need a long block. as the valve guides, rockers, ect. were dry as well.

 

The pickup has gone to the local dodge dealership to be checked out. When it was pulled over by the side of the road it was a block away from this dealer. The service manager at the dodge dealership saw the whole incident. He said himself and another employee watched the lube place crawl under the pickup to replace the plug and proceed to fill it up. He also said this isn't the first time with this lube place and the previous times he knew about their insurance paid for a new motor. So he says there should be nothing to worry about, the insurance will pay.

So it is looking pretty promising that this will come out ok in the end.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions, really helped out a lot.

 

Get a sample of the oil from your truck and get it analyzed. A report could detect if some damage occured like bearings and stuff. I normally send a sample after 4k miles on my oil. I send it to Blackstone labs but there are other places that could do the same thing. Kind scary I'm sure, too bad, hope it works out for you.

 

hope you learn your lesson about taking any car to the lube shops. I worked for one here in OC for a few months and let me tell you I would never let a freind or family member take their car to a lube shop. Most employees at the shop I worked at were illegal. In the 2-3 months I worked there I know of 2 ruined engines. Save yourself the headach and do it yourself. Just my 0.2

 

an oil sample would be a good idea but most of the damage probably got washed out when they changed the oil the 2nd time. i dont think a oil sample would be necessary. i would absolutley insist on them replacing the long block. the only thing you should have a problem with is the insurance company may want to find a salvaged engine to replace yours with.

 

Make sure the new engine comes with a turbo. It needs oil too.

 

The turbo is perhaps the first thing to be damaged from lack of oil. Check side play on intake impeller.
Rod bearings are perhaps the second to be damaged. Unfortunatelly they first lose their clamp in rod. The example is: Pull a rod cap off and the bearing should be locked in cap. If bearing simply falls out cap it is ruined even though it may show no scoring.

 

man i agree they never even filled it back up after the initial drain, 3 gallons on the ground is hard to miss. So that means it probably sat for a while empty during which time oil would continue to drain down leaving internals pretty dry before you started driving. new engine 4 sure!

 

good idea to keep one eye on the oil pressure even when you do your own oil changes,had filter leak at top seam,took a few miles to happen as the oil pressure gets higher at more rpm,s.

 

to bad the oil pressure gauge is a dummy. This thread is more motivation for me to get a mechanical oil pressure gauge that installs into port on top of oil filter mount housing...

 

Not a complete dummy... It will read 0 if there is less than a certain amount of oil pressure

 

Why did you not check your gauges? I always check mine on start up?