O.T. Cummings diesels
 

I'm in the process of hot rodin my 94 cummings 12v. The engine is in a 94 dodge dually with a 5 speed. So far my mods are a heavy duty clutch kit from South Bend Clutch, 4" cat back exhaust, the fuel plate has been adjusted to just this side of smoking excessively and its got a K&N air filter with a cool air box. I'm figuring my next step is to get performance aftermarket injectors ? Im also looking to head to the boneyard and find a good used turbo and will fab a homemade twin turbo setup. I've been told that will work fine with the after market injectors although I might want to install performance head studs ? I'm open to any and all suggestions. The engine is all mechanical, no computer. This truck is my hotrod and isnt driven daily although I want to keep it 100 % reliable.
Bob

Jim Jessup out of North Vernon, Indiana can tell you anything you want to know about a cummins diesel. It is all he works on and people come from all over to have him tune their trucks.

Posted via Mobile Device

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

Jim Jessup - 812-873-7618 Very good with older model Cummins.

One word of advice though, ditch that K&N filter!!! Lots of turbos have gone ka-poot due to those. AFE filters are what I would recommend. You can probably order one that would fit in the fancy box.

As for injectors, I would highly recommend Exergy or Scheid Diesel. Both have good reputations.

And if you are serious about making power you better get the head fire ringed and real good studs or you will literally lift the head and things get ugly when that happens.

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

What is it a 903?? It’s been a long time for me playing with Cummins (all pre-computer). Although, I remember a guy in our neck of the woods that had an old Jimmy with a v8 as a workin’ truck. I believe he was one of the first to come up with an after-cooler and water injection. He had a separate water system that consisted of a car radiator, electric water pump, and a large water tank on the back. This was in the mid 80's. He also had Iskenderian build him a cam at his specs.

He sure put the hurt on those of us with the NTC 400’s.

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

Its a 5.9 liter six. At this stage I think I'm going to put in aftermarket 75 horse injectors and see what I've got.

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

Google KDP on a 12 valve Cummins.

You need to get this done asap if you hasn't been done or you haven't done it yet!!!!!

I also agree with Knoke77 about the AFE air filter. Get rid of the K&N.

I had a 96 12 valve. I loved the engine, the rest of the truck is what I had a problem with. The brakes (issues)and mostly the POS transmission. If it would have been a manual trans, i probably would still own that truck. I had huge power and just broke stuff with it. I went through 3 trans with high dollar stuff in them. It was one too many and now I drive a Duramax.

I spent thousands on that truck, wish I would have saved my money!

Good luck!

Boy did you ever down grade

Posted via Mobile Device

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

Whats wrong with the K&N filter ? I've used them for years on other equipment with no problems. I love the truck, it's like new and was used to haul a 5th wheel I know the former owner and he hauled 24,000 lbs all the time with no problems once he upgraded the clutch.

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

I think the main reason is air flow, these turbo diesels need plenty of air, and, in some cases, they tend to drag a lot of dirt with every gulp. I can Recommend Jim, we worked together at Cummins, and he does a lot of injector and pump work, and I've never heard a complaint about him from anyone. I have a 7.3 Ford, rattle/smoke as a friend calls them, and they don't like K&N filters either, most guys that are making them perform, use a big one, about like you see on OTR rigs, and just kinda lay it under the hood, nothing fancy, but lots of area to breath thru. I like my 7.3, and the Ford chassis, my 97 F350 has just short of 400k on it, and as far as I know, hasn't had any engine work, and the truck is as rust free as one half it's age, if I were in the market for another, and could find a Ford, with a Cummins, that's where I'd be. Bob

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

OK, my K&N basically sits out right up to the cool air intake on the fender. I'm in the process of building a insulated divider between it and most the heat. One of my next upgrades will probley be a larger filter as it does look a bit small. I'm going to look down the air intake past the filter, if it's clean I wont worry till I upgrade the injectors and govenour spring. This is the first truck I can honestly call a "Power Wagon" since the 1978 440 mud truck I had. This one obviously is completely different, I searched for 8 months to find a 2 wheel drive, everything up here in snow country is 4x4. Sure wish I had a garage to work out of, I'd be doing more than staring out at it thru the window and blowing snow. The only thing I am doing to the suspension is switching out the front springs for airbags.

Yes ,yes I have fixed the "killer Dow pin" if it's around 180,000 to 200,000 better get it done . Call mark at TST diesel in columbus indiana he worked for cummins as a designer retired and started a diesel shop.

Posted via Mobile Device

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

Boy, I sure don't feel that way. My Duramax stock is every bit as powerful as that Cummins was (with thousands of dollars of power adders) and the Allison trans makes the truck as far as I'm concerned. My Duramax is a Cadillac of trucks in my opinion and I've been in them all. I'll never go back to another diesel truck without an Allison transmission in it. EVER!

I know everyone has there favorite!!! They are all pretty good trucks but we have a saying around our place if you want a good hard pulling truck that gets great fuel mileage (28 mpg running down the hwy) for a reasonable price buy a dodge if you want a few more frills and a little better ride and have a little bigger check book buy a ford if you own a bank and want a cool ass grocery getter buy a duramax :) :) :)

Posted via Mobile Device

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

Like I've said, had all three, there is no comparison.
BTW, 28 mpg is BS unless you're running down hill both ways with the clutch pushed in. Just sayin... The very best I ever got with my Cummins was 21 mpg not pulling anything running at 2k rpms. Anything over that, it would drink the fuel. My Duramax does 20-21 mpg completely stock and pulls my race trailer better than that Dodge did by all long, long ways! and I get a lot better milage pulling a trailer than I did with that Cummins. Yes, it was expensive, but it was worth every penny of the extra money and I can get that money back because of the resale value.
SO, again, IMO that Duramax aint no grocery getter. But that's cool. If we all pizzed in the same corner, we'd all drown. Good luck with that Drudge! I had one and I'm completely done with that!!

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

The killer dowl pin. I've heard of it and saw a quick clip of a fix. I'm not a gambling man but I play the odds all the time. I wonder what percentage of engines develop the problem and if I 100% have to worry about it, one more thing to keep me up at night.
Everyone likes what they like when it comes to pickups, I've had more than one of all the big three. All the trucks I ended up loving were dodges, maybe none more than the one I got now :D

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

Van Haisley Machine shop Fairmount Indiana, builds some of the best. Just check around. 765-948-3164 Big in pulling trucks.

Re: O.T. Cummings diesels
 

Get the KDP fix done! No ifs, ands or buts about it! Or you could end up with a junk engine and then what will you do? For the cost of having it done, it's worth it. I did mine myself, but borrowed a jig to do it and it was simple. If you wrench on your own race cars, you can do this! Find a jig, borrow it and get her done!