DieselTorque said:
hi guys, i am soon going to be in the market for a used pickup.
ram ctd prefered.
i am having trouble in deciding which engine i want 12V mechanical or 24V electronic. any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
There are a million ways to answer this for a million reasons... .
But I'll take a stab at it.
For sheer convenience of BOMBing, a 24V is hard to beat-- just plug in and go. A 12V will be cheaper to bomb to modest hp levels, though not as convenient. The P7100 pump is both the blessing and the curse of the 12V-- you have to get into it to make any power changes, but it can make a LOT of power. You'll note that most of the HUGE hp guys run the 12V pump if not a 12V engine...
12V pros:
--simple hp
-- can be tuned to your taste (more mpg, more smoke, etc)
-- can deliver more fuel for big hp
-- heads less prone to crack across valves
-- all mechanical design is simple and reliable (minus kdp)
-- generally, better mpg than 24V
12V cons:
-- comes in an older truck (worse brakes, weaker trans, older interior, etc)
-- KDP- Killer Dowel Pin which can cause a LOT of damage if not addressed
-- Bombing requires pump work- no plug and play
-- heads flow less air
-- "dumb" pump can't vary timing- narrower stock rpm range
24 Cons:
-- LIFT PUMPS want to die
-- restrictive OEM fuel delivery
-- injection pumps are less reliable than 12V trucks, but much cheaper (still pretty reliable when taken care of)
-- louder engine, more clatter (though Cummins claims they're quieter, most 24V are really louder)
-- some 24Vs have a tiny oem turbo that doesn't give much room for HP upgrades (01-02 auto trans trucks)
-- some 24Vs also have KDP vulnerability
24V pros
-- more airflow though head
-- centered fuel injector
-- higher injection pressure
-- comes in newer truck
-- easy bombing of just plug and play
-- availability of NV5600 trans
If you are either going way cheap, or are going for HUGE hp, then a 12V is probably better.
If you're in the middle, a 24V is probably better. I love mine...
Justin
EDIT: Sheer, not sheet, duh!