We report the effect of replacing Cu by Pd in RCu 5 (R=Pr, Nd, Sm and Eu). The parent RCu 5 compounds crystallize in the hexagonal CaCu 5 -type structure. The hexagonal symmetry is retained in PrCu 4 Pd and EuCu 5− x Pd x (x=1 and 2) but the crystal structure changes to cubic AuBe 5 -type in PrCu 3 Pd 2 , NdCu 5− x Pd x (x=1 and 2) and SmCu 4 Pd. Substitution with Pd leads to lattice expansion and modifies the magnetic behavior. While PrCu 5 is known to be a van-Vleck paramagnet with a singlet ground state, PrCu 4 Pd and PrCu 3 Pd 2 show ferromagnetic-like behavior at low temperatures. SmCu 4 Pd orders ferromagnetically near 28K in contrast to the antiferromagnetic nature of the parent SmCu 5 . The divalent nature of the Eu ions in EuCu 5 is retained in the ternary alloys, but the Curie temperature is reduced from 57 to 24.5 and 14.5K in EuCu 4 Pd and EuCu 3 Pd 2 , respectively, inferred from the location of peak in the heat capacity of these two compounds. The magnetic hyperfine field at the Eu nucleus measured with 151 Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy in the ternary Eu-alloys is comparable to that in EuCu 5 . The magnetic behavior of NdCu 4 Pd is similar to that reported in NdCu 5 . The zero-field-cooled, low-field magnetization of NdCu 3 Pd 2 shows a region of diamagnetic behavior roughly between 21 and 4K, but the field-cooled response is positive.