Let me start with a little background.
I have a 96' 4x4 extracab CTD with a slushbox.
a quick insight into my abilities. I really am not dumb at all. I had my own biz for several years building custom diffs for rock crawlers. Then my shoulders got ****** at allways reaching up and swinging hammers. So I gave it up. Then when the 47RE crapped out in my dodge the first time, I paid a dealer mechanic under the table to rebuild it. that lasted a year till the input shaft spun. So I said to hell with paying for all that labor again and I rebuilt it myself. To this day the trans in my truck works great.
Now, back then I also jumped into the world of homebrew beer. built all my own equipment. That was easy and fun so I taught myself how to brew BioD. Not much different if you think about it. BioD was fun but too time consuming.
Since my truck is a '96 I went straight to WVO. No gelling problems down here on the Socal beach city I live in. Running WVO is great. My truck ran fine on it... or so I thought. In fact, my truck was doing awsome. till I was pushing a long hill with a heavy foot. I looked down and EGT's were 1500º. Came down the other side of that hill and the truck was smokin an rattlin bad. Limped home. pull the head, melted piston. So I did the cheap fix. slap a good used piston in. Hone out the scuffs as best as I could, new head gasket and called it good. that lasted a few months till a knock developed.
Now the previous owner had installed an Amsoil Bypass filter setup. According to Amsoil, when together, Amsoil and the bypass filter, I could extend my oil change interval to 25k... So I was testing that theory. 1 problem in that theory for me. Thats based on running pump diesel only.
Then at some point I messed up and fueled up
Long story short, the amsoil got contaminated with WVO that leaked passed the rings on the cold startup. Combine that with the notion that I was gonna make 25k...Lost a rod bearing. due the slow/poor oil circulation. So then what?
rebuild...
Send the block to Kenyon Machine in Pacific Beach to be fitted for new pistons. Send the cam to Schneider cams in San Diego for a 181/210 regrind. beautiful work there as well. My buddy had a used HO block that he traded for a good used crank for me. Everything mic'd out and went together smoothly. motor back in, ran good. 6 months later my mom totals her boyfriend of 20 years, 2000 dodge ram 2500 CTD 2wd. So I rent a big trailer and tow it from bakersfield to my house so I can part it out.
Then back in feb of 2012 while driving home from my group meeting... you know, the drinking group that has a jeeping problem (don't worry, only had 1 good yummy stein of beer. I'll loose my job if I get a DUI). Decided to open it up a bit on the way home... held 85 for about 5 min. then exiting the fwy she got the shakes again... so I parked it hoping something was just running hot and would be ok in the am. Nope, on my way to work. She locked up.
So now I have 2 dead dodge rams in my driveway....
partial post mortem showed me a smoked #3 rod bearing...
I have since started parting out my moms 2000. Got the whole front end disassembled.
Gonna start doing the same to my 96.
So after that long story, what direction should I go.
#1 fix the 12 valve the right way. find the answer to why #3 spun and fix. then reassemble with a new crank, bearings, good used rod that checks out, get my injection pump rebuilt and injectors tested. And run it. then continue to part out the 2000 to pay for the parts. Oh, and the head had been rebuilt when it was off for the melted piston.
(oh yeah, Bob told me I could have his truck, didn't care about getting paid back for the $2700 the bought it back from insurance for)
#2 do a 24v p-pump. put the 24 valve block (its not a "53" casting block) into my '96 frame and install the reground cam from the 12 valve into that block, along with all the accessories from the 12 valve. This would theoretically give me the better flow of the 24v. it has 220k miles on the long block.
pricing wise, I could go either way. both options I need a rebuilt injection pump. #1 I need injectors, new crank, 1 rod, new bearings and some gaskets. #2 I need injector lines, and some gaskets.

Is the 24 valve head really that much better than the 12? should they both hold up to a 4k GSK? the 12 head does have 60 lb valve springs. But could the 12v rotating assy be better balanced? I'm not trying to build a 7 sec truck. 300hp, maybe a little more is plenty. I want to be able to pull a 10% grade with a 10k# trailer on back and not even slow below 55. I want to get good fuel economy for a diesel truck. My wife already drives a Prius, and my DD to work is a 1981 Kawasaki KZ1000j that I bought @ auction for $200. Or my '96 Cherokee with no doors or windows. That's a fun commuter...