It's not too often you'll see a super-clean, first-generation Dodge diesel on the streets. Hard work, harsh weather, and the trials of time have already ended the lives of many of the 179,327 Cummins trucks built from 1989 to 1993, according to the Turbo Diesel Registry. Chuck Garges of Exeter, California, owns a nice '90 Ram D250 and built it up along with Mike Smith at Diesel and Gas Performance Center in nearby Visalia, but he wanted more-much more.
Common-Rail Power
The original 12-valve engine that came with the truck was modified, but it was only good for a little more than 300 hp at the rear wheels before the guys got fed up. After one trip to the dirt drags at the fairgrounds, Chuck and Mike realized that brand-new trucks were beating them down the track. The modern turbodiesel engines had no trouble producing 300 hp in stock form, so they decided to update the truck with a brand-new '03 Cummins high-pressure, common-rail crate engine rated at 305 hp.
The Perfect Swap
A couple of nights spent poring over Chrysler manuals for thecommon-rail engine allowed Mike to envision the wiring scheme needed to perform a swap that looks like a factory installation. He used a General Motors junction box to route every electrical component in the truck. If it uses 12-volt power or a ground, then it can be traced back to the custom power center under the hood. The steel mounting pad is also home to a battery isolator and stacked Edge EZ and Van Aaken performance modules. The manuals taught Mike that to keep the common rail happy, he'd need to provide information for every sensor in the '03 Ram. This knowledge allowed them to fire the engine on the first try before it was even mounted inside the truck.
Making the Cummins fit was not terribly difficult because the Ram was designed for the old model, but the common rail required modification of the fan assembly and shroud along with a radiator and intercooler from a '93 model. The engine worked perfectly with a single turbo, but after a year of pulling sleds, Chuck and Mike decided it was time for twins.