1992 Dodge W250 - Old And In The Way

1302Dp 01 Old And In The Way 1992 Dodge W250 Front Three Quarter

A lot of folks might think Ron Allen’s ’92 Dodge W250 is just another old truck. Old, and in the flow of traffic, slowing them down. That is, until they try and pass him! “I got the truck in 2002,” said Ron. “And shortly after, I was cut off in a lane merge by a Power Stroke with a utility bed. There was horrible traffic, and I had to make a U-turn, then a right turn, and it was 20 minutes before I was back on the freeway again.” It was during those 20 minutes that Ron vowed he would never be squeezed out of a lane again.

A Brief History
Shortly thereafter, the Brown’s Valley, California, resident enlisted the help of such diesel pioneers as Brad Ponci, Piers Harry, and Nowell Thomas for his build. “We got a 25,000-mile 5.9L VP44 engine,” said Ron. “But we couldn’t figure out how to hook up all the electric thingies.” It was then that Nowell Thomas suggested a P-pump. Once the truck was P-pumped in 2004, things sort of spiraled out of control, and it became a testbed for new parts. “I figure it’s had about 20 sets of injectors and 10 sets of compound turbos on it since then,” remarked Ron.

1302Dp 02 Old And In The Way 6 7L Cummins

Opening up the hood on this old ’92 Dodge reveals quite a surprise: a 6.7L, P-pumped, 1,199hp, 24-valve monster! With compound turbos and plenty of fuel, the Dodge W250 chassis has all the power it can handle.

Opening up the hood on this old ’92 Dodge reveals quite a surprise: a 6.7L, P-pumped, 1,19

1,199 hp and Counting
After 10 years of planning, you can bet the current engine combination is stout. After the 5.9L, Ron felt the need for a displacement increase, so he switched to a 6.7L Cummins with ARP main studs, a stud girdle from Randy’s Engine and Machine, coated pistons, and Cunningham connecting rods. He also had the head fitted with bigger valves, added ARP 625 head studs, and had it fully ported by ZZ Custom Fabrication. A Hamilton cam with 188 degrees of duration on the intake and 220 degrees on the exhaust activates the 110-pound valvesprings. The engine was assembled by ALC Machine in Santa Rosa, California.

1302Dp 03 Old And In The Way Injection Lines

A lot of magic lies right here, on the driver side of the engine. The stock intake was milled off, and a ZZ Custom Fabrication stock replacement intake, Winspeed grid heater delete, and CFM intake elbow help promote max airflow, while the 13mm injection pump from Northeast Diesel Service features a quick-rate cam and 13mm plungers and flows 940 cc of fuel at full tilt, through 0.084-inch lines.

A lot of magic lies right here, on the driver side of the engine. The stock intake was mil

With a solid foundation, Ron then turned to the power-producing parts. A set of quick-spooling ball-bearing Garrett turbos (GT4094R and GTX5593) were added, along with 7x0.013-inch Exergy Engineering injectors, and a 13mm injection pump from Northeast Diesel Service. Boost comes in at a fairly modest 70 psi, because the rest of the engine is so efficient. The same can be said for EGT, which will barely touch 1,400 degrees on a full-throttle blast.

1302Dp 10 Old And In The Way 1992 Dodge W250 Rear Three Quarter

Supporting Hardware
With a long road to his crazy power numbers, it should come as no surprise that Ron needed to upgrade the drivetrain as well. “We figured there was no way the Dana 70 was going to survive, so we picked up a Dana 80 out of a wrecked second-generation Dodge,” he said. Surprisingly, the Dana 80 axle is stock, retaining the 3.55 gears and limited-slip differential it originally came with. The real cash outlay is in the transmission, which was initially built by Ponci’s Diesel Center, and then freshened up by Jefferson State Diesel after a dragstrip mishap. The 47RH has a Goerend valvebody, low-stall torque converter, and 300M shafts to handle the power.

1302Dp 14 Old And In The Way 1992 Dodge W250 On Drag Strip

Speaking of dragstrips, on just its 11th pass ever, Ron’s sleeper finally broke into the 10-second bracket, running 10.91 seconds at 129 mph. With a little more traction, mid-10s are possible, but so far Ron says he’s happy with what he’s got.

Speaking of dragstrips, on just its 11th pass ever, Ron’s sleeper finally broke into the 1

Behind the Wheel
So now that it’s 2012—10 years after he bought the truck—how does Ron like it? “It’s awesome,” he said. Ron reports that the larger-displacement engine, along with the ball-bearing turbos, makes it drive and tow like a 400hp truck. On a recent trip through the hills with 9,000 pounds of wood, he reported he never even saw 1,000 degrees on the pyrometer. “It still gets darn near 20 mpg and cruises down the freeway with 625 degrees on the pyro,” he said. He thought for a second, and then added, “If only those guys in the Power Stroke ran into me now.”

In an engine this powerful, cylinder head sealing is paramount, so ARP 625 studs got the nod, along with an O-ringed cylinder head.
In an engine this powerful, cylinder head sealing is paramount, so ARP 625 studs got the n
This very serious setup incorporates a PDI T4 manifold, twin 50mm JGS wastegates, and 68mm and 94mm Garrett ball-bearing turbos. At the moment, boost is regulated to 70 psi, although it can be cranked up higher if the need arises.
This very serious setup incorporates a PDI T4 manifold, twin 50mm JGS wastegates, and 68mm
An intercooler from a second-generation Dodge was flipped upside-down and made to work with the custom Jefferson State Diesel-built compound-turbo setup.
An intercooler from a second-generation Dodge was flipped upside-down and made to work wit

The wheels and tires are 17-inchers from American Racing, wearing Pirelli Scorpion tires. The exhaust is a simple 4-inch design, which complements the sleeper theme of the vehicle.
The wheels and tires are 17-inchers from American Racing, wearing Pirelli Scorpion tires.
The Dana 80 rear differential is stock, save for a Mag-Hytec differential cover, and is stuffed with 3.55 gears.
The Dana 80 rear differential is stock, save for a Mag-Hytec differential cover, and is st
The transmission was also built by Jefferson State and has all the upgrades needed to handle the truck’s awesome power. At the dragstrip, the TV cable is adjusted to full pressure to provide maximum clamping force.
The transmission was also built by Jefferson State and has all the upgrades needed to hand

A complement of Isspro gauges in old-school pods lets Ron keep an eye on his truck’s vitals. EGT, total boost, inter-stage boost, and fuel pressure are all at a moment’s glance away.
A complement of Isspro gauges in old-school pods lets Ron keep an eye on his truck’s vital
Yup, the old first-gen Dodge still tows! Complete with bumper-pull hitch, a gooseneck, and brake controller, Ron and his W250 are ready for any load.
Yup, the old first-gen Dodge still tows! Complete with bumper-pull hitch, a gooseneck, and
To keep the big P-pump happy, the Dodge employs two FASS fuel systems. The main system is rated to 240 gph, while a supplemental 200-gph setup can be activated for dyno or track use.
To keep the big P-pump happy, the Dodge employs two FASS fuel systems. The main system is