'96 ram turbo diesel performance

Discussion in 'Dodge 2nd Gen Cummins 5.9 (12v)' started by lechon, Jul 5, 2011.

  1. lechon

    lechon New Member

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    hi everyone,

    newbie here. i just bought a '96 dodge ram 2500 12 valve turbodiesel 5 speed manual with 183K miles.

    prior to purchasing this truck, i had a chance to test drive a '99 24 valve version equipped with an afe air filter and a 4" exhaust. it pulled really strong and fast from third gear and up.

    if i did the same thing on my '96, will i expect to get almost or the same results? is there any "cheap" modification that i can do without sacrificing fuel efficiency? right now i'm getting around 20 miles to a gallon on the freeway and i would like to increase that.

    any advice is highly appreciated. thank you!
     
  2. CumminsFan79

    CumminsFan79 Member

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    Hey there, I just bought the exact same truck recently. I'm so happy with mine, i added a Bully Dog BFT Turbocharger 56200, a K&N intake system, and a BD-Power Turbo Boost Builder. I gotta say, it may have cost me a pretty penny but damnit will she haul. I also modified mine to be gooseneck applicable but thats just cuz i haul farm equipment all the time. Im also thinking about getting traction bars soon too. Good luck with yours! Cummins will last forever!
     
  3. lechon

    lechon New Member

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    dodge ram

    congratulations! one of these days, i'll win the lottery (in my dreams!) and finally get my truck all the goodies it deserves. hah hah!
     
  4. CumminsFan79

    CumminsFan79 Member

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    Yeah it took my a lot of hours of work and every penny i had. And now I'm broke... WORTH IT!!:D
     
  5. Diesel Nut

    Diesel Nut Well-Known Member

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    Yes do the 4" turbo back and the intake.
    It will not run like a 24V stock for stock. You are talking about 2 totally different engines and injection systems. That said, your 12V can run really nice.
    You can get a lot of power for minimal money with what you have. The simple stuff is going to get you the most where you are right now. Your turbo is fine up to 35lbs, so save money there. All you need is a boost elbow to adjust the wastegate and you can get the boost up a bit. Next is fuel. You need a fuel plate (personally I prefer a #5) and I would do a set of 4K governor springs and I would do the TST AFC springs to help the pump respond better to boost but still control the smoke. Next is you need to at least retorque your stock head bolts, or better install head studs. Studs are ideal but kinda spendy. Nice thing is with studs you can really bump your timing up. I like to put street trucks around 18-18.5 degrees but on stock head bolts that is dicey at best.
     

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