Nothing says "bang for the buck" like the '94 to '98 12-valve Cummins. Gaining horsepower can cost next to nothing, and even if the project takes a turn toward the extreme, big power can still be had without breaking the bank. Recently, we hooked up with Russ Kennel of Maximum Diesels in San Jacinto, California. He's a diesel shop owner who's becoming more and more involved in the old-school diesel aftermarket-mainly due to how fun and affordable it is. When we bumped into him, he'd transformed a $3,000 '94 Dodge Ram 2500 into a 12-second quarter-mile performer-and had done so on a very tight budget. But he wanted more. With plenty of fuel on tap, Kennel recently upgraded to a set of twin turbos. By retaining his quick-spooling Tech 64 unit from Diesel Power Source and using it as the high-pressure charger, Kennel threw an S480 (also from Diesel Power Source) into the mix. Still within budget, the addition of the low-pressure charger and new plumbing propelled his standard cab Dodge into the 11s in the quarter-mile, and the truck picked up 145 hp on the dyno. Is the 12-valve still the king of cheap diesel power? You betcha! Follow along as we give you Kennel's power recipe, dyno results, and elapsed time improvement from adding twins. BUDGET PARTS LIST: ITEM: DETAILS: PRICE: 4,000-rpm governor springs Taken from donor 160hp P-pump Free Bosch 024 delivery valves DDP, more power less smoke $260 Injectors from local pump shop 5x18, EDM'd $750 FASS fuel system 95 series, 180-gph $589 Tech 64 turbo from Diesel Power Source 64/65/12 for quick spooling $1,295 BD torque converter 1,700-rpm stall, triple disc $1,695 46RH automatic rebuild Local transmission shop $1,500 *$6,089 = 515 hp at the wheels and 12-second quarter-mile times Twin turbo (added to 64mm) S480 and all twin-turbo hardware $3,395 *$9,484 = 660 hp at the wheels and 11-second quarter-mile times Starting with the 160hp P7100 injection pump, Kennel installed Bosch 024 delivery valves to help move more fuel. He also installed a set of 4,000-rpm governor springs he'd salvaged from a donor pump. The stock fuel plate was removed as well, so all fueling is controlled using the air/fuel control (AFC). It is unknown how much fuel the pump is currently supplying, due to the fact that it's never been bench-tested.Starting with the 160hp P7100 injection pump, Kennel installed Bosch 024 delivery valves t This triple-disc torque converter from BD Diesel came with a 1,700-rpm stall, which allowed the 64mm turbo to light quickly. It has also proven to be very durable, which is another reason Kennel chose to stick with it once the twins were bolted on. A local transmission mastermind rebuilt the 46RH transmission for roughly $1,500 (a month prior to the twin-turbo install).This triple-disc torque converter from BD Diesel came with a 1,700-rpm stall, which allowe On its first trip to the dyno, the truck yielded 515 hp at 3,000 rpm and held at least 950 lb-ft from 2,200 rpm to 2,800 rpm. Notice the smooth, progressive horsepower curve and how long the torque curve hovers around. This explains why the truck pulls so hard on the street and strip.On its first trip to the dyno, the truck yielded 515 hp at 3,000 rpm and held at least 950 With no fuel plate to speak of, 024 delivery valves, and big 5x18 injectors, the 64/65/12 turbo spooled fast but never came close to cleaning up any of the smoke pouring out the stack. On the dyno, the turbo pushed 43 psi before the wastegate opened and exhaust gas temperature pegged the 1,600-degree gauge. But, while the 500hp recipe ran a bit warm, it was all part of Kennel's power plan for the truck, as he went after the fueling first, and then brought more air into the equation.With no fuel plate to speak of, 024 delivery valves, and big 5x18 injectors, the 64/65/12 Diesel Power Source's S480 low-pressure turbo is based off a Schwitzer S400 that utilizes an 80mm compressor wheel inducer. This turbo is capable of flowing 1,500 cfm, which is a big step up from the 900 cfm the maxed-out 64 could flow.Diesel Power Source's S480 low-pressure turbo is based off a Schwitzer S400 that utilizes Boasting the largest air filter on the market, the Diesel Power Source compound kit also came with a cast hot pipe with an external wastegate port built in, a three-piece exhaust manifold, a support bracket for the low-pressure turbo, and steel-braided oil feed lines. Because the kit is a direct fit for '03 to '07 common-rails, the job called for relocating the oil cooler and reworking the downpipe. Other than that, the install was pretty straightforward.Boasting the largest air filter on the market, the Diesel Power Source compound kit also c Because the Diesel Power Source three-piece Pulse exhaust manifold had to be used in order to fit the S480 below the high-pressure turbo, both the stock second-generation exhaust manifold and the Tech 64 turbo were removed at the same time.Because the Diesel Power Source three-piece Pulse exhaust manifold had to be used in order Before the truck was started, the stock head bolts were re-torqued. Starting from the center and working his way out, Kennel torqued each head bolt to 150 ft-lb. One center bolt was even removed to see if it had been stretched over time. It wasn't.Before the truck was started, the stock head bolts were re-torqued. Starting from the cent At the NHRDA drag race in Sacramento, California, the old 12-valve's best quarter-mile pass was an 11.91-second run at 115 mph. This beat the truck's previous best (with just the 64/65/12 charger) by more than a full second. With the only change being the addition of the S480, it proves that plenty of fuel was on tap-it just needed to be taken advantage of.At the NHRDA drag race in Sacramento, California, the old 12-valve's best quarter-mile pas To confirm Kennel's elapsed time improvement, we put the Dodge back on the dyno. There we discovered that while pushing 72 psi of boost (it could peg 80 psi on the street), the twins added nearly 150 peak horsepower to the truck. Horsepower came in at 660 hp at 2,850 rpm, and torque was 1,208 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm. The power curve was identical to the baseline dyno pulls we made, albeit with greater final numbers.To confirm Kennel's elapsed time improvement, we put the Dodge back on the dyno. There we A good, 1.67-second 60-foot time (top circle) sent Kennel well on his way to an 11-second quarter-mile pass (lower circle). With zero test and tune time on the truck after installing the new setup, getting into the 11s in the quarter-mile was a pleasant surprise to say the least. With a few more tweaks, Kennel thinks an 11.50 might be possible on fuel.A good, 1.67-second 60-foot time (top circle) sent Kennel well on his way to an 11-second SOURCES Westech Performance Group 11098 Venture Drive Unit C Mira Loma CA 91752 951-685-4767 www.westechperformance.com Maximum Diesels N/A AK 951-634-9595 BD Diesel Performance PO Box 231 Sumas WA 98295 800-887-5030 www.dieselperformance.com Diesel Power Source Salt Lake City, UT UT 801-930-8404 http://www.dieselpowersource.com/ Dynomite Diesel Performance 13675 Roosevelt Rd SE Monroe WA 98272 760-794-5732 www.dynomitediesel.com By Mike McGlothlin Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
