A Wheels-Up Chevy Packing Ford Parts and Cummins Power

Wild Ride 1981 Chevy C 10 At The Drag Strip

Without a doubt, the diesel drag race scene is chock-full of unique vehicles. From 1-ton trucks to Ford Rangers, rails to dragsters, and rat rods to collector cars, plenty of variety exists in our sport. The one consistency shared across the board is simple: eclipse the 660 or 1,320-foot mark as quickly (and as fast) as possible. How each driver chooses to get there is where things get interesting.

Starting with a salvaged 5.9L block from the junkyard, Bean assembled the bottom end with Carrillo rods, Mahle Monotherm pistons, and a billet-steel, Helix 2 camshaft from F1 Diesel. The cylinder head is stock, aside from a set of F1 valvesprings and H-11 head studs. Fuel comes in the form of a Glacier Diesel Power mechanical lift pump, feeding two Floor It Diesel CP3s (a Stage 2 and Stage 3) and Exergy Engineering 6.7L injectors with 100-percent-over nozzles.

Starting with a salvaged 5.9L block from the junkyard, Bean assembled the bottom end with

In longtime sled-puller Ryan Bean’s case, his need for speed was quenched by hunting down the perfect rolling chassis. As fate would have it, he stumbled upon Ryan Tucker’s track-proven ’81 Chevy C-10. A major selling point for Bean was the fact that the chassis and soft suspension had already been fine-tuned to optimize hard launches, and the truck had a history of cutting 1.3-second 60-foot times. “It was too easy,” Bean told us. “He already had it set up about perfect.”

The engine’s first breath of oxygen comes from a Whiplash 66mm S300. Then a two-stage Nitrous Express system tries to clean up the rest of the truck’s fueling. With plenty of nitrous thrown into the mix, the 65mm wastegate from Turbonetics was a necessity and keeps boost around 50 psi going down the track.

The engine’s first breath of oxygen comes from a Whiplash 66mm S300. Then a two-stage Nitr

Because Bean specializes in Cummins conversions (and because the truck previously housed a 12-valve Cummins), installing a common-rail Cummins and 4R100 automatic was a cinch. The 5.9L was put together in-house at Bean’s Diesel Performance and the transmission was sourced from Brian’s Truck Shop, along with a Powertrain Control Solutions transmission controller. Engine tuning comes in the form of a standalone Zeus ECM from Destroked. Right off the bat (around the 700-rwhp mark), Bean clicked off a low 10-second quarter-mile. Since then, he’s ramped up the power progressively and focused much of his attention on getting the flexible Chevy to launch as effectively as possible.

The combination of a soft suspension with a lot of pre-load, a three-link setup with ladder bars, negative pinion angle for optimum bite, and big 33x16-inch Hoosier slicks out back all help the little C-10 hook like no one’s business on the dragstrip. In fact, when launching at 20 pounds of boost and hitting both stages of nitrous right out of the hole, it’s not uncommon for the truck to pull both front wheels off the ground.

The combination of a soft suspension with a lot of pre-load, a three-link setup with ladde

At the 950hp level, Bean piloted his C-10 to a 6.24-second eighth-mile (roughly a 9.8-second quarter) and mustered a best 60-foot time of 1.34 seconds. Unfortunately, transferring nearly 1,000 hp to the ground ended up bending the stock frame. “Going for 5s [in the eighth-mile] was a bit too much for the current chassis,” Bean said. With plans to straighten the frame and reinforce the rest of the chassis this winter, we’re sure he’ll be looking to put the 1,272 hp the truck recently dyno’d to good use in 2012.

In many ways, Bean’s Chevy epitomizes the quintessential diesel drag truck. It’s lightweight, runs as well as it looks, and of course, it’s Cummins-powered.

Along the driver-side bottom of the block you can see the Zeus standalone ECM from Destroked. Being a beta tester for the last two years has definitely familiarized Bean with tuning common-rail mills, and the Zeus unit has empowered him with total control over key things such as timing advance, pulse width (duration), high-rpm fueling, CP3 duty cycle, and a host of other parameters.
Along the driver-side bottom of the block you can see the Zeus standalone ECM from Destrok
Backing up the Cummins’ power is a bulletproofed Ford 4R100 from Brian’s Truck Shop. Complete with BTS’ trade-secret valvebody and Precision Industries’ Stallion torque converter, it’s (for the most part) loaded up with the same components you’d find in a Power Stroke application. Bolting the 4R100 to the 5.9L Cummins was easy, thanks to an adapter plate from Destroked. A PCS controller allows Bean to alter the 4R100’s shift points, shift firmness, and torque converter lockup.
Backing up the Cummins’ power is a bulletproofed Ford 4R100 from Brian’s Truck Shop. Compl
Another rock-solid Ford component found under the C-10 is the legendary 9-inch rear axle, equipped with a 3.83 ring and pinion. The 9-inch was also fitted with a pinion brake, which makes leaving the line at 20 pounds of boost possible.
Another rock-solid Ford component found under the C-10 is the legendary 9-inch rear axle,

For the 2012 race season, Bean’s plan for the tubbed C-10 entails straightening and bracing the frame, adding a trans brake, and clicking off a 5-second eighth-mile. And, because he plans to exceed 150 mph in the quarter-mile, a parachute will soon find its way onto the truck as well.
For the 2012 race season, Bean’s plan for the tubbed C-10 entails straightening and bracin
Inside, the cockpit hardly resembles the factory hardware. Notice the lack of gauges aside from the giant tach? In a 4,600-pound vehicle making more than 1,000 rwhp, you don’t have time to look at any of them, anyway. Instead, Bean data logs every pass at the dragstrip via laptop. His engine data is recorded and reviewed thanks to the Zeus ECM (which features a built-in data logger), and all transmission information is viewed using the PCS software.
Inside, the cockpit hardly resembles the factory hardware. Notice the lack of gauges aside
Back at the 700hp level, Bean’s little rocket ship clicked off a 10.1-second quarter-mile. But as the truck recently made 1,272 hp on a chassis dyno, it’s a whole new ballgame now. If anything close to that number gets to the ground and the truck sees good traction, we could easily see it dip into the 8-second quarter-mile range.
Back at the 700hp level, Bean’s little rocket ship clicked off a 10.1-second quarter-mile.