93 Dodge Cummins Upgrades

[BigNorm]

Hi. I've been browsing around here lately and thought I'd share some research and hopefully get some feedback from you guys. I just today returned from a camping trip pulling my 18 foot travel trailer. dry weight is around 6000 lbs and loaded with water and camping stuff I'm guessing around maybe 7000. All I can say is it was slow going and I think I've officially just got bit by the diesel upgrade bug. It was embarassing getting passed by a bus pulling a 3/4 ton Dodge! I kept an eye on the temperature guage and made sure things didn't get to hot and I ranged from 35mph on some steep grades to cruising nicely around 70mph on the downhill side of things. I'd say I averaged around 55 for the trip.

Here's my current ideas:
-K&N air filter (stock replacement)
-bump up the injector pressure
-replace the injectors with high performance injectors (If anyone could tell me which would be best I'd apreciate it)
-exhaust modification (I had thought of cutting the muffler out) 4 or 5" would be nice though
-bigger radiator. I've been told the first gen cummins radiators were too small.
-hood louvers. It gets pretty darned hot under the hood. I was thinking that giving the heat someplace to go might not be a bad idea.
-propane injection. This mod really has my attention. The bang for the buck seems to be pretty good. (Any help in chosing a good unit here would be apreciated as well.)
Well that's about it. I'd apreciate your ideas and comments as I'm pretty new to all this and I'd like to nail it the first time.

Thanx.
NORM

 

[rubberfish]

It was sounding about right until you mentioned propane. That's not the best choice.
You want to run drugs, use water/****. Much easier on the motor.
There's an exhaust housing that is supposed to wake those babies up to.
I'm not sure what size housing it is that guys switch over to,
but your local diesel shop should be able to tell you.
PDR has them for sure, because a guy I know just bought one from there.
For water/**** kits Look Here for more info on it.
And, you already have gauges right? Boost/pyro/trans.
You'll need them if your looking to pour a lot of fuel.

 

[BigNorm]

Thank you for your reply. I'm learning more every day. I've only started researching this stuff. I thought I was all high and mighty owning the famous Dodge Cummins 6BT Diesel just to find out I can't maintain the speed limmit on hills and getting passed by retired geezers in busses (no offense to retired geezers. I desperately want to be one someday.) Keeping it at 55 would have been nice. But 70 is the goal.

I found Snow's page yesterday. I've been tearing up alot of past posts last night and today and you are right, water/**** definately seems to fit the bill. It doesn't get any better than keeping it cool AND getting more power as well. I like the look of Snow's Stage 3 kit with controller. I don't have a pyrometer or a boost gauge yet and this kit uses both to figure out how much water/**** to add to the mix and I can make adjustments from inside the cab. Pretty darned cool. That and this kit cost less than some injectors I was looking at. I would like put me in the seat power but at the same time I have no desire to blow apart my auto tranny. I'm not even sure what it is, I need to get under there and figure it out. I have no desire to spit the factory 6" blocks out either. Who's genious was that I wonder? I'm going to be looking into some 6" lift leafs so I can get rid of the stupid blocks. I had also considered making some drop brackets to accomplish the same. Replacing the leaf packs would be easier. But I could probably finish a decent set of brackets myself given enough time. I'm not sure I like the idea of being on stilts but it would have to be better than the blocks it came with.

I bought a K&N stock replacement filter today. I figure this would be fine since the stock air box already sucks cold air. I'm also planning to cut the sheet metal in front of it and make it Ram Air. This should be simple.

For the exhaust I'm planning on just cutting the factory muffler out and having a piece of 3" tube bent and flanged to sit in place of it. I'm sure it will be louder but I doubt it'll attract any more attention than the loud motor produces. I'm sure that a 4 or 5" exhaust system would be sweet but for the time being the 3" pipe will flow better than the rusted up stocker.

Here's a question: How much power can the stock auto trans take? I'm not going to drag race it. Pulling power is what I'm concerned with. I just want to keep up with the speed limmit. (Up to 70 on some of Nevada's Highways). Some of the passes I crested were in excess of 7000 ft and some places I go can peak at 10k.

Thank you for your time and patience in putting up with my diesel newbness.

 

[rubberfish]

I'm not a pro when it comes to auto's, but from what I've
heard they're good for about an additional 60hp or so.
Also, I can't vouch for the stage 3 **** kit, but the stage 2
works very well, and I've had no troubles or complaints with it.
I've achieved the results that they claim one will see. On my
truck I've dyno'd an extra 60hp and see about 175* drop
in my egt's. You'll find that you do go through a fair bit of
water/**** (washer fluid). About 26 oz a minute at full boost.
So if you're going to tap into your washer fluid tank, you'll find
it can empty out in a short period of time. The tank they sell
is a good size, I find it's a little on the pricey side though.

As for "putting up" with your newbness, no problem.
If we didn't want to help each other, none of us would be here.

 

[BigNorm]

If I gain 60 hp with this then I guess I've gone as far as I should go with the stock trans. Alot cheaper too. But I have a disease called wrenchitus. I can't leave well enough alone and once I've started it never stops. My 4x4 is a good example. Now I've got a hauler to build. lol.

 

[Pipeliner_86]

Hey Norm, you might want to put a big ass trans cooler in, from talking to other cummins/automatic trans owners, they tell me heat is the tranmissions grim reaper. A neigbor that has a 91, told me he would burn up tranny's every few years until he put larger lines in and a cooler from a Stieger tractor.
This is a mod that I will be doing to my truck as well.

 

[BigNorm]

I forgot to add that whoever had the truck before me added a tranny cooler. It's mounted on the drivers side in front of the rear tire. There's a plate to prevent it from catching mud and rocks from the rear tire. Next time I go to the boneyard I'll pull an electric fan for it which I think will help as well. Thanx for the post.

I ordered and installed a stock replacement k&n filter. I feel a little more power off idle but that's about it. I wasn't expecting miracles. I got a quote today from the local muffler shop that will replace my old holey muffler with a 3" pipe for $75 which is there shops minimum rate. I'm hoping to gain a little more with the improved exhaust flow. Next after that I think will be the water/**** system. I'm considering propane as well. I was thinking water/**** for towing and propane for when I'm tooling around without the trailer. I don't plan on using the two systems together.

 

[JimmieD]

You might want to double check that tranny cooler install if it's in the rear. Always best to run the trans fluid through the radiator's bottom cooler first, then through the auxiliary cooler. That way the radiator pre-cools the fluid and the aux. cooler then cools it more. Without going through the radiator first you lose a lot of potential cooling effect.

JimmieD

 

[BigNorm]

I'll check the routing. I know what you mean though. That's how I have it set up on my wheeler. On the wheeler I used the AC condensor as the trans cooler. Great cheap upgrade since AC didn't work anyway. I'm keeping AC in the Dodge though.

 

[rumblebee4232]

I forgot to add that whoever had the truck before me added a tranny cooler. It's mounted on the drivers side in front of the rear tire. There's a plate to prevent it from catching mud and rocks from the rear tire. Next time I go to the boneyard I'll pull an electric fan for it which I think will help as well. Thanx for the post.

QUOTE]

Thats a factory cooler for the trailer tow package..I had one on my 93 and if I remember correctly it had a fan from the factory..

 

[BigNorm]

good to know. Thanx!

 

[Heywood Jablowme]

I am running a 93 right now and it dyno's at 412hp and 992lbft with these mods.
POD injectors, HTT stage IV hybrid turbo, Snow water/**** injection (I run Windshield washer fluid) and the pump is almost maxed out. No old geezers are gonna pass me . If I were you I would do some research and turn the pump up a tad and run the Water/**** but no Pane. I have seen first hand what pane does to these things.