I had a 93 with 3.54's and A518, Banks waste gate 12w housing. Towed our 26' Terry 5th wheel fine. It however had a large lack of brakes. I installed a Banks EB not understanding the lack on TC lockup was not going to work with this setup.
So dump it or install a manual 5 or 6 speed, intercool it if that year did not have it. Install a waste gated exhaust housing, axhaust brake, better exhaust, 3.54 gears and tune the pump.
But you will still have a brick truck! I traded mine for a 2001.5 - night and day difference. And now there are two additional quantum leaps!
My 2001.5 is running around 325/650 at rear wheels, full DTT granny, 4.10's and Banks EB. Tows and stops great.
Ok, I have an old 91 3500 flat bed 5.9 auto, 4.10 gears. When the overdrive was inop, I drove it 1000 miles in direct pulling a 11000 lb 5r. Got same milage as using OD on the level or down hill. 60 mph was my max speed in direct. In a hard head wind, I would have to draft a freight truck. The truck was used to mainly haul bees and honey over the grapevine in CA. 3 miles of 6% grade. So I added a Banks exhaust and a gear vendor OD just to split gears and use 2nd over. The biggest load I ever hauled over the scales and up the grade was 23,000 lb combined. 1st gear at 28 mph. I pulled my 11,000# Alpenlite 24,000 miles with it. The truck had one trans overhaul because it broke the tail shaft clean off. Truck is still an old farm dog with 250,000 miles on it. I drove it with the trans temp guage and boost guage. Any thing over 70% boost and the trans would start heating so I would need to shift down. My newer 2001 235hp,auto, 3.54 gear Dodge is a much more enjoyable ride.
1994 27sl Alpenlite, 2001 Dodge Cummins auto 3.54 stock
the gear will be hard on the trans the engine won't have any trouble it won't do it quickly, but you will get there..i have a 93 d250 and have had 20,000 on it several time with a 3:55 gear have run without overdrive many times empty so you could go a little lower
The Mad Norsky wrote: Your axle ratio and lack of horsepower in that motor is going to limit you to smaller sizes.
My Dad has a 1991 D-350 DRW manual with 4:10 and towed a 38' triple slide all over the good ole USA without any problems. The group he traveled with (GM Firebirds) dogged him the first time he showed up with a Cummins powered Ram, that was until they got out west and Dad was always passing and waiting for them on the other side of the grade . Dad says this truck has been the BEST truck he has ever owned bar none. BTW Dad is a retired GM engineer form Toledo Power Train.
OP: swap out you rear gear set for a 4:10 and replace the stock trans cooler for a larger one or stack another cooler in front of the stock one. Run the out put form the stock to the new one then back to the trans.
Don
Don
Perrysburg Dodgeboy 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab SLT Cummins HO
2005 Keystone Cougar 304 BHS
Chrysler the only one to pay back 100% of their loans from the Government. *The Old Car Company" still owes 1.6 billion. Is that better Chuckles
So have we established yet whether this guy has an overdrive transmission in his truck or not?
That's really the big question, as far as what axle ratio he should swap to. I would go to at least 4.10, better at 4.56, if there's an overdrive in there and at least 3.54 without overdrive, better at 3.73.
Not even a 7.17:1 axle with a Viper's T56 can fix a lack of HP from the engine. So get the 3.54:1 Dana 70, and swap in an OD, and modify the engine for more HP. Or just find a different truck to start with.
'06 GMC C2500HD RCLB gasser 4.10:1, 4L80E, custom camshaft
'84 Trans Am 6.2 diesel, 700R-4, custom Class-3 receiver
'69 F350 dually. GM 6.2 diesel, turbo, 700R-4, NP208 all pending.
whisperide wrote: Not even a 7.17:1 axle with a Viper's T56 can fix a lack of HP from the engine. So get the 3.54:1 Dana 70, and swap in an OD, and modify the engine for more HP. Or just find a different truck to start with.
Without jumping too far into engineering territory, HP is not what pulls the camper up the hill. That stock 400ft/lbs of torque is. Understand that HP is just a mathematical formula of that torque at a given rpm. The inline 6 Cummins is historically designed around a very flat torque curve, making its most torque at around 1600-1700 rpm and remaining there until defueling occurs. It generally defuels at around 2500 RPM unless governor spring kits are installed. Can anyone tell me how the manufacturers started showing higher HP engines? I will answer this in a few, but I want to understand who out there really understands this concept. Hint, it didn't take a huge jump in technology.
And still, for those suggesting swapping gear ratios. Show me a link to a source for these differentials (that actually swaps in to the 3.07 carrier) and I will not post here again. Sure, he can swap his whole drivetrain, meaning differential or differentials (don't know whether or not this vehicle is 4x4) for a lower ratio, but then he will hit redline before the posted speed limit unless he adds a Gear Vendor OD or a different tranny.
Here is a little archive reading for the capabilities and history of these old trucks that changed the diesel truck industry forever.
Segment Twelve: 1989 to 1993 Diesel Pickups
Author: Don Bunn
I want to make something perfectly clear, this segment is not just about adding a diesel to Dodge Truck's engine lineup. When the Dodge-Cummins turbodiesel pickups came on the scene the light-duty truck market was changed forever. This may seem like a bold statement but let me explain. Its true that GM had diesel pickups in their line since 1978 and Ford since 1983. GM's diesel was manufactured and engineered in house and Ford's was purchased from Navistar. That's all well and good but the point is that Cummins's diesel is, in the words of owners who understand diesel engines, just like the engines installed in heavy-duty 18-wheel tractor trailer rigs. One early buyer remarked that he bought a Cummins engine which happened to be packaged in a Dodge pickup. That thinking changed, however, in 1994 when Dodge wrapped the new Ram pickup around the Cummins's diesel.
The Cummins engine was designed as a turbo powerplant from the block up just like every heavy-duty diesel engine Cummins builds. It went into production in late 1984 for such heavy-duty applications as combines, tractors, road graders, loaders, cranes, and crawlers.
Let's look at the big truck
Shown is the engine compartment of the world's first Dodge pickup powered with a Cummins diesel engine (other than engineering prototypes). This 1988 model was built and shown at the big Louisville truck show. (Photo: Cummins Engine Company)
features of the Cummins engine which sets it apart from the others. First, the Cummins is a six-cylinder which makes it much simpler and less costly to service than a V-8. The long stroke of an inline six turns out gobs of torque. The six has 40 percent fewer parts than the V-8 thus making maintenance and repairs faster and less costly.
Second, a direct injected Cummins engine has its fuel injected directly into the cylinder at the moment of combustion. The other two (diesel engines from Ford and GM) were indirect injected engines where they inject fuel into a pre-chamber where combustion begins prior to proceeding to the main part of the cylinder. The
A name badge identifying those trucks powered by the Cummins diesel appeared on each front fender side and on the pickup's tailgate. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler)
Cummins requires a considerably smaller radiator, and thus less coolant than the V-8s, because indirect injected engines lose more heat to the coolant than a direct injected does.
Third, the turbocharged Cummins gave its buyers a decided advantage when operating in high altitudes because its turbocharger keeps the engine working efficiently at both sea level and high altitudes. A non-turbo diesel loses 3 percent of power for every 1,000 feet of altitude. At 10,000 feet the V-8 lost about 30 percent of its power, the Cummins turbodiesel lost only about 5 percent.
This 1989 Dodge W250 pickup's styling is typical of the 1989 and 1990 diesel powered pickups. (Photo: Don Bunn)
The Cummins engine had been tested on the job for 5 years and more than 11 million miles before the first one was installed in a Dodge pickup.
The smaller Cummins's engine produced more torque than either of the other two competing diesel engines -- 400 lb. ft. vs. GM's 246 and Ford's 345.
With a manual transmission the Dodge's GCW rating was 16,000 pounds, or two tons greater than its closes competitor. In real life however those buyers who lined up to snap up the first Dodge Cummins pickups or chassis cabs began running the nation's freeways with heavily loaded trailers maxing out to as much as 30,000 pounds GCW! There wasn't any question about the truck's ability to move the load, the only question was could it stop?
This 1993 Dodge W350 dually pickup is Cummins powered. Its styling is typical of model years 1991 through 1993. (Photo: Bill Garland)
The result of all the above was that a new segment of the trucking industry was born. Sharp operators quickly saw and seized the opportunity to haul medium-sized trailer loads with a light-duty truck which cost a lot less to buy and operate. The mini-owner operators can keep as busy as they wish to be
and they can pick and choose the loads they want. They are called "Hot Shots." The Dodge Cummins was standard with a Getrag 5-speed O/D manual transmission, the 3-speed automatic was optional.
Dodge engineers brought back the heavy-duty rear wheel one-ton pickup to complement the powerful Cummins diesel. The Cummins option was limited to 3/4- and one-ton D/W250 and D/W350 pickups and chassis cabs. Dodge's entire full size pickup lineup for 1989 consisted of the D/W100 and D/W150 half-tons on 115- and 131-inch wheelbases and the 131-inch wheelbase and 131-inch D/W250 and D/W350 pickups. Dakota's lineup consisted of short
A sleeper unit was added behind the cab of this stretched frame 1993 D350 Cummins powered pickup. It also has a fifth wheel setup inside the box. This type of truck was favored by the Hot Shot operators. (Photo: Logistics by Bontreger)
and long wheelbase models, the new for 1989 Dakota Convertible and the new 318 powered Shelby Dakota pickup. Dodge no longer built crew cabs, Club Cabs or Utilines. Full-size Club Cab pickups built in Mexico returned in 1990. Club Cab
Dakotas built in Detroit were also new in 1990.
A well equipped 1989 Cummins powered W350 Sweptline pickup with automatic and the Prospector III Package carried a retail price of $19,483.00. This price included everything but sales tax and license. The Cummins engine was a $2,043.00 option.
Next Segment:
1994-1999: Dodge Ram Pickups
97 Dodge 2500 Ext Cab 4X4 CTD with Goerend Transmission mod.(GVWR 8800lbs, or 4000 Kg)
95 Four Winds Fifth Wheel
99 Toyota Fourrunner V6
The added horsepower came from improvements in torque through adding fuel. The increased horsepower was reflected mathematically by increasing the RPM of the engine. The formula for HP is HP=Tq x RPM / 5250. Take that 400ft/lbs, keep it flat and still fueling at 2800 RPM with a governor spring kit, and you now have 213 HP. Still low compared to modern engines, but add a fuel plate that will take that same engine to 650 ft/lbs of torque, maintain fuel at 2800 RPM (low by modern standards) and now you have right at 350 HP. Getting close now right? Haven't really done much to the engine just played around with some tuning.
Eng208.
Only partly correct. HP is a function of torque at RPM. 400 TQ at 1600 RPM is enough to get the trailer up the hill, IF you don't care what MPH you do it at. If you want to do it at high velocity, then you need enormous torque, or modest torque at higher RPM.
A 400 HP 302 cube gasoline V8 can move the same weight / drag up the same grade at the same speed as a 400 HP turbodiesel V8, despite having about 40% the torque, if the gearing is there.
The debate isn't about torque, or gas versus diesel. 160 HP will never get a 20K GVW up a 6% grade at 65 MPH. Period.
HP isn't a measurement. It is a calculation. Any calculation that gets you 160 HP is going to be lacking either enough TQ or enough RPM to get that 20K up that 6% grade at that 65 MPH velocity.
You can't argue the physics of it.
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. Dad says this truck has been the BEST truck he has ever owned bar none. BTW Dad is a retired GM engineer form Toledo Power Train.
