Mechanical failures can be costly and time-consuming, but they can also provide an opportunity to rebuild with high performance parts. Chris Stecklein has been through this scenario, making major repairs to his '05 Cummins-powered Dodge more than once, but each time he has rebuilt it better than before. The result is a custom truck with more than double the horsepower and torque it had when it left the factory.
Chris' appreciation for diesels started when his brother bought an '04 Dodge and added an Edge chip. Chris was amazed by the power his brother's simple upgrades made, and from that moment on, he just had to have a diesel. He started with a '99 Dodge Ram 2500 and installed some mild performance upgrades on the 24-valve Cummins. Chris liked his VP44-injected truck-until one day when he saw this bright yellow common-rail Cummins on a used car lot.
Born On A Used Car LotChris had always wanted to own a yellow truck, and this '05 Dodge Ram 2500 was built exactly the way he imagined. He made an offer, but the salesman refused, so Chris walked away. About two months later, Chris saw the same yellow truck still sitting on the same lot. He made a second offer, but again was refused, so he walked. A few days passed, and Chris got a call from the sales manager who was now eager to sell the truck. They came to an agreement the next day and Chris drove away in the truck of his dreams-a lifted Dodge Ram 2500 with a Cummins diesel.
Six Melted PistonsUnfortunately, things started to go sour with the truck soon after Chris took ownership of it. A batch of bad fuel supposedly reigned havoc on the engine, cracking the tips of the injectors, melting all six pistons, and ruining the head. The dealership wouldn't warranty the repairs, and quoted Chris $12,000 for a new engine. Chris figured he could repair the engine with upgraded parts himself for less money.
Race Engine RebuildThe engine was taken to Woods Rebabbiting, a machine shop in Nampa, Idaho, which balanced and blueprinted the 5.9L Cummins, and installed larger pistons. A new head was also installed with ARP head studs and a thicker head gasket.
With the engine rebuilt to specifications capable of handling higher horsepower, Chris began installing a host of performance parts. The stock turbo was replaced with an HTB2 from High Tech Turbo; and the injection system was upgraded with a modified CP3, 90hp injectors, and a dual feed line from Industrial Injection. Electronic upgrades were also made with a TST PowerMax CR box piggybacked with a Smarty tuner. This setup produced 580 hp at the rear wheels.
This is one of the six Cummins pistons that melted in the engine shortly after Chris bought the truck. You can see the five-pointed star pattern that is burned into the top of the piston from the five holes in the common-rail injector tip. |  | 
The 38x15.50R20 Toyo Open Country M/T tires seem to rub the Tuff Country control arms when the steering wheel is turned to full lock. Less wheel backspacing or narrower tires would limit this problem, but it would take away from the truck's killer looks. |