Hey all. This is only my second post on here, and I have learned alot just reading what all of you have to say. Ok here's the deal. I have a 95 1/2 ton, reg cab, short box Dodge with 120,000 miles. 4x4, rebuilt auto, rebuilt front and rear end with 4.10's and posi rear, 3 inch lift, 35 inch tires, American Racing rims, cowl inducted hood, chip, etc... I've wanted a first gen cummins for a long time now, and I found a kid down at school with me that has one. He said it's a 92 reg cab, 4x4, rebuilt 5-speed, 260,000 miles, pumped tweaked a little bit. He said that it's almost perfect condition and that his dad bought it with 60,000 on it and has just used it to pull a trailer. It's never been beaten, never been offroaded or hot rodded. He also said that the interior is flawless, and the body is 99% perfect. I told him I was looking for one and he said that he would trade me straight across for my truck. I don't know much about the 1st gen. Would this be a good deal for me to do? Thanks.

Eric

 

YES!!! 1st gens are sweet.

 

Yes sounds like a killer deal for you.

 

If it's as good as you've described it and you like the one that he has, I'd do it.

Good luck and welcome to the world of the 1st gen.

 

Ok. I'm going to have him bring the truck up to school when we are done with our summer break. Now here's the next question. How hard will it be to get about 450-500 rwhp out of this thing? I have a buddy taht has a 92 reg cab 5 speed and all he has are 40 horse injectors and a little pump tweaking and he put out 272 at the wheels. I've read up on all the different things to do to the pump, but I don't know exactly what works well together and what not. I would like to get at least 450 horse, but I would love to hit the 500 mark. Also, how easy is it to convert over to a P7100 pump if I decide to somewhere down the road? Thanks again and I love this site.

Eric

 

Good find... and you have a '95 with a chip?

 

Yeah it's a 95 5.9L V8 with a Mopar PCM.

 

300 HP is easy. 350 is not too hard, but getting over 400 takes a lot of work.

 

Aren't they all MOPAR PCM's?

 

Mopar Performance PCM. You've never heard of one?

What all would it take to plant 350 horse on the pavement?

 

I wasn't aware that MOPAR had a "performance" PCM. I thought they only came in one flavor (computers scare me)...

Anyways, 350 horsepower is calling for a fully tweaked pump ($50), some POD injectors ($400), a tight tranny (at least $400 for an entry-level torque convertor, don't know what clutches take), and a new turbo (about $600 for a hybrid wastegated turbo?). Of course you're going to need gauges (minimum $200 for pyro and boost), intake and exhaust and time (which for me costs about $3 below minimum wage). Or, if you want to do it all "Willie Nelson" style, you can spend a few hundred on a propane or water/ methanol system and not have to drop the cash on that big of a turbo.

I think 350 HP is right around the range the stock lift pump starts to need more costly modifications?

 

The truck I am looking at already has 4 inch dual exhaust on it. I was thinking pump work, Banks Twin Ram, POD's, Turbo (don't know which one yet), South Bend clutch (don't know which one yet), gauges, studded head (maybe o-ringed). Like I said, I know a little bit about the Cummins, but this will be my first one and I will want to do it right. No edit Thanks again.

Eric

 

Definitely skip the Banks Twin Ram. Your money would be best spent elsewhere. Get gauges first. I don't think you'll need studs or o-rings for 350HP. For a turbo you could either get a hybrid from HTT (like everyone else and their brothers have) or go to something from the HTB2 or Phat Shaft series, which would altogether be a better turbo in case you want more than 350 hp in the future.