Well i think im gonna part ways with my 02 Dak R/T and get a nice Full size ram with a cummins. I just have a few questions. Im sorry if these have been addressed b4 but i just need help. I do know all about turbos as i race a turbo 4cyl so that might help me some.<br><br>First off, what should i get a 94-97 or a 98 and up?? I know there is the 12 valve and the 24 valve and the later probably being the better. But what are the big differences? Is it just power output or potential for power output?? I know i want something that i can spend a little money and getting running pretty quick but it doesnt have to be all crazy fast like my Dak. <br><br>Next up is whether i should get a stick or an auto tranny?? I have heard some bad things about auto trannies with the diesels. IS this true?? Id think id like a stick though :-p<br><br>As for power adders, i see these plug in modules that claim 60hp nd 110tq. Is this true??? I just cant quite comprehend how just a little module can add so much power?? What should i do for my first mods to the truck??<br><br>Also, big question here, how long do these engines last??? B/c i know the truck i am looking at have the 120k-145k mile range and is it wise to mod a truck with this kind of mileage. I just figured since it was a diesel it would last. I only have about 11,500 to spend on a new truck so i want to get what is best with that money. Do you think i could get a newer 24valve stick 4x4 ext cab ram for that amount??<br><br>And also with body style did they make a 2500 series ram in ext cab and a short bed with the diesel? I havent seen any in my search thats why i ask.<br><br>Oh and how long do clutches last in these trucks? if i bought a truck with this mileage would i have to look into a new clutch if i started modding it? That is if im even able to mod it?<br><br>Oh and what kind of as mileage can i expect in the city and on the highway??<br><br>Is there anything i am missing. Im sorry for all the questions as i am having a hard time finding some good info on the trucks and engines. Im probably gonna go down to the cummins dealer and talk to them tomorrow about it. Thanks for all your help and hopefully i will become a continuous member of this board soon.

 

1. There are lots of arguments about 12v or 24v, and I'm not a high-performance expert on either one of them, but from what I understand it's less expensive to modify the 12v trucks for performance.<br><br>2. Auto if you want to race, but you'll have to spend some money, like $3000 or more, to make it last if you hop up the truck. If you keep it stock, the auto will probably last just fine if you maintain it correctly.<br><br>3. The claims are fairly accurate from the dyno sheets that I've seen and judging by discussions I've read on the boards here. First mod: gauges.<br><br>4. A long time. Rebuild interval is supposed to be 300,000 miles or so, I think. There are guys on this board with more miles than that on their trucks. Depends on your definition of newer. 2000 or up Quad cab SB is going to be over $20k, I think.<br><br>5. They did make those, but not for the entire 2nd Gen model run. Someone else might know what year they started offering them.<br><br>6. Depends on how it's treated. Go with much more than an entry-level box, like the 60hp/110tq you mentioned above and you'll probably need a new clutch.<br><br>7. Depends on what you do to it and how you drive it. On my truck, I get almost 17 in the city in the summer, about 16 in winter. On the highway, it goes higher depending on how fast I drive. <br><br>Welcome to the board.

 

11500, generally speaking, your gonna be looking at 94-97 12 valves....if your lucky you will find a nice one. At that price a extended cab will be hard to find esspecially in a 4x4 under 200k miles. <br><br>I ve seen a few , and when I was looking I saw some real beat trucks....I took 3 planes and one car(24hrs) just to get to where my truck was at......it was worth the trip....<br><br>

 

Well i think what is killing me in the price department is that i want 4wd and ive found some with 4wd but they are higher mileage like 150k and have 5 spds so that means they will need clutches too.<br><br>But i did find a pretty nice 99 ext cab cummins 24v with an automatic and 133k miles. They want 11,900 for it. Which i could probably swing but the truck is 2wd. So depends what kinda deal i can make with them.<br><br>And then there is a 95 reg cab 12v with 155k miles automatic for 9,995. It looks decent in the picture. But condition is everything.<br><br>Thanks for the help guys. This should be fun.

 

The older 12 valve Cummins are easier to modify in the sense that most everything is mechanical, and some parts can be either made or modified by you if you have the tools and mechanical know how to tackle it yourself.<br><br>The 24 valve engines are much more electronically controlled, so it is more common for simple mods, to add some sort of fueling and/or timing control box. These are somewhat expenxive, but the advantage they have over the mechanical components on a 12 valver - you can instantly adjust fueling levels on some of these boxes from inside the truck, while driving! The others you may have to open the box and move a small jumper pin. But, they are all much more easily changed than mechanical components, which tend to be non-adjustable at all.<br><br>And yes, the claims for horsepower and torque improvements of the many 24 valve electronics boxes are fairly accurate. On my truck, I dynoed in January 2003 with one run having my Edge Comp box turned completely off, and the next run with it on the maximum setting. I got a 95 horsepower gain from the box, and 140 #'s more torque.<br><br>If you do any serious power mods, you are going to need a beefed up tranny/clutch. For all but the most insane sled puller type folks, a top end clutch is gonna run you around $1000, then whatever for installation costs. A full done auto tranny is I believe in the $3 - 4000 range. I am extremely biased in favor of manual trannies. I would never have an auto. However, even I must grudginly admit that for drag racing, the auto does have a significant advantage - you can rev the engine up, with the tranny in gear at the line, and launch with a fair amount of boost. Also, the auto shifts so fast, that you don't lose boost during shifts. So, if you intend toi drag race a lot, and especially if you want to pursue the absolute lowest ET's you can possibly get, an auto is likely the better choice. I drag race purely for the fun of doing it, and even though my truck is capable of far better times and speed than I can get out of my 6 speed, I am not about to spend the money to chase after 1/10ths of a second in better times.<br><br>As for fuel economy, that is like any vehicle, answers are going to range widely. I get between 17 - 19 MPG, other members with the same exact truck I have have posted from 13 - 22 MPG. Most people claim the older 12 valve engines get 1 - 2 MPG better on average than the 24 valvers do...<br><br>The world of high performance diesels is relatively new, but it is huge. You can't possibly imagine all the different ways these engines can be tweaked and what they can put out. Enjoy the truck, which ever you end up with, it will be a great investment <br><br>Tom