When we last left Project Triple Threat, it had been part of an immense turbo test that we featured in our Sept. ’11 issue. With Garmon’s Power Package, the truck made 432 rwhp on a Dynojet chassis dyno, but EGT was a toasty 1,600 degrees. After our turbo test, we settled on a small set of compound turbos—an ATS Aurora 3000/5000 combo. With both turbochargers doing so much work, we had a very driveable combination: capable of towing 10,000 pounds up a 7-percent grade, without breaking 1,200 degrees EGT. The problem was that full-throttle blasts also only resulted in 1,300 degree EGT, which meant that for short bursts, we could use a lot more fuel. Since we had already done our legwork in the form of a stout transmission and triple-disc torque converter from Brown’s Diesel and had equipped our 5.9L Cummins with ARP head studs, all we had to do was make a few simple changes.
| fuel It Up dodge Ram On Dyno
First on the list was a set of significantly larger injectors from F1 Diesel. Our old injectors were worked-over 5x0.012-inch units while the new ones have 5x0.018-inch nozzles. This means a nozzle area nearly twice as large, which provides a lot more fuel. The delivery valves were also changed, from stockers to Bosch 024s, which, depending on pump settings, can be worth at least 20 hp. Overall, we were looking for the extra fueling to pick up at least another 100 hp at the wheels. Read on to see how we made out.
| To gain access to all the parts we needed, the intake horn had to come off. This would allow easy access to the overflow valve, injectors, injector lines, and delivery valves.
Keeping a Budget 1995 Dodge Ram 2500 - $5,500
Free mods (+96 hp) - FREE
Brown’s/Goerend 47RH (inc. labor) - $5,836.16
ATS billet-steel flexplate - $525
ARP 2000 head studs - $400
Misc. parts for head gasket swap - $130
5x18 injectors - $1,200
024 delivery valves - $260
Raptor lift pump - $390
ATS Aurora 3000/5000 compound kit - $5,500
TOTAL PARTS: $19,741.16
| It’s always nice when a truck picks up power with every modification, and that’s exactly what happened! The injectors made an extra 50 hp, the delivery valves gave us 25 hp more, and believe it or not, the increase in fuel pressure gave us an extra 35 hp. In all, we left with 540 rwhp, which is a lot better than the 432 rwhp we started with. Smoke was still just a light haze at full throttle, and EGT and boost were 1,600 degrees and 62 psi, respectively.
Labor cost for free mods - $100
Labor cost to install transmission - $480
Head gasket swap/killer dowel pin labor - $1,040
ATS twin-turbo kit labor - $600
Injectors, delivery valves, and lift pump - $400
Total Labor: - $2,620
Project Total to Date: $22,361.16
Performance: 0 to 60 mph: 4.1 seconds (4x4 launch)
Quarter-mile: 12.81 seconds at 106 mph
The Sand Drags
We’ve dyno’d, drag-raced, and even towed with our ’95 Dodge, but how about sand drags? Hey, why not? As it turns out, we did pretty well, finishing Third out of 10 trucks in the Street Class (no paddles allowed). We ran 6.3 seconds at 45 mph in 300 feet and lost to the eventual winner in the semifinal round. While the launch felt nowhere near as good on cement, the ruts and bumps made keeping the truck off the wall an interesting task. For a rodeo-like acceleration contest, check out sand or dirt drags at a location near you.
| fuel It Up dodge Ram At Sand Drags
