A bit more power.....

[svsenger]

I own a 92 low mile intercooled 2wd automatic with 3:55 gears. I am a halfway decent backyard mechanic who needs to up the horsepower to pull my 5th wheel better. Limited budget. No blue sky please!

 

[GHarman]

I own a 92 low mile intercooled 2wd automatic with 3:55 gears. I am a halfway decent backyard mechanic who needs to up the horsepower to pull my 5th wheel better. Limited budget. No blue sky please!

Howdy,

Welcome aboard!

The first thing I would do, is read all the stickies in the 1st gen forum. There is alot of stuff there that could give you a leg up. Just dont over do it. That Automatic with the 3. 54 axle ratio may be pushed to the limit very easily!

Have you turned up your timing?

Another thing you could do just to work within the existing gear ratio to give an effective gear reduction at the pavement is use smaller diameter tires. This may aid in pulling your trailer without straining the old iron!

Hope this helps?

GregH

 

[pwerwagn]

The smaller tire suggestion is a great idea. The other option on the cheap is to pull slower and dont run overdrive.



For just a little more power try messing with the fuel pin and fuel screw. You can make more power than your stock trans will like just by tuning the pump. Timing will help with more top end power and lower EGT.



If it were my truck and I had to pick one thing to buy on the cheap, it would be the gov spring. Then the next thing I would look for is a different turbine housing. Find either a used 16cm, or a used 12cm wg housing on the cheap. Those two mods, combined with the pump tuning, will give you better spool, a wider more useable power range, and lower egt's to boot. Just dont get too crazy... the trans wont like it! After those mods, the next best money spent item will be a torque converter.



-Jeff

 

[Simplysmn]

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/faq-knowledge-base-do-look-here-first-t102027.html go here and look through the sticky you will learn Alot from this site

 

[Bob Beauchaine]

The suggestion to check out DTR is an excellent place to start your quest for more power.



I would also suggest that you start out with some critical after market guages - trans temp, EGT (pyrometer) and a tach for starters. You might also check to see if your truck came with a aux. trans cooler, they were a Dodge optional add on and are located on the pass. side under the bed. If you do not have one and this sounds like something you would like to have I have seen them on the net. You would have to do a search for them.



If you could fill in your sig I'm sure you might somenoe near enough to you to help in you quest for more power.



Bob

 

[svsenger]

Thanks Jeff. I think I should have qualified my backyard rating by saying I know a lot about gas engines, little about diesels! I will try to figure out what you are talking about!
Vic

 

[DVolk]

how heavey is the trailer ?

 

[NIsaacs]

I think the '92 was the first year for the 4spd. autos, I have no clue about them. However, the intercooled 1st gen models factory stock were sick.



The good thing is you can wake them up for free



Nick

 

[HHhuntitall]

I think the '92 was the first year for the 4spd. autos, I have no clue about them. However, the intercooled 1st gen models factory stock were sick.



The good thing is you can wake them up for free



Nick

I kinda think that now, but really, I can't say I would be disgusted by having to drive a stock one. I went from a built 440RB Dodge motor to an '89 Cummins for my tower. Mileage went from 3-5 loaded to 10-15. The fuel cost alone paid for the truck the first year or two I had it. And I could pull almost any hill in direct. That was hard in the wedge, as it was geared up for running long, so I usually ended up in 3rd. The "Repo", as I called the '89, would pull anything I had uphill, and never bog under 50-55. Really loved that truck. And here I am today, to many of your dissapointment.



Truth is, we are greedy. I know I am. I want to pull that hill in overdrive, and never take the cruise off. And now we can. Unfortunatley, now we've smoked too many people at stop lights and on the highway, so we've brought ourselves in vision of the Fed and their regulations. Anything that good, has to be made better by the government..... but now I must switch threads... ...



The 4spd overdrive unit started in '91. '89-90 models had the 3 speed with optional 3. 07 rear gears... .

 

[svsenger]

Hi all, my trailer is about 11,500 loaded. transmission is the 4 speed with overdrive. I am just finishing up today the recommended aux transmission cooler, into it for about $250 all told. Having said that, I'm not a diesel guy, but am trying. My truck was bought from a "old guy", and is brand new condition. I don't want a new Cummins/Dodge truck payment. No Way. This truck was paid for with cash and was cheap. Everybody says that this engine is easy to get more power out of. So help me out. I don't have unlimited days on end to search the un-indexed forum. I work over twelve hours a day, come home and eat, fall into bed and then start over again the next day! You get the picture. Probably not much different from some of you. So, what the heck is a "gov spring"? Where is it? What is a "12 or 16 wg"? Why will these things help to get more power? Where do you get these widgets? One suggestion was to get a new torque convertor. I can relate to this because two years ago I rebuilt my '78 F250 400M into a torque monster, with rebuilt transmission, that absolutely humbles my 92 cummins pulling the trailer. It don't matter what gear the transmission is in. It ought to be the other way around. But where do I get this "super-duper" torque convertor? I know this may all sound like some pretty dumb questions, but a guy has to start somewhere and you can't know what you don't know. It seems like a lot of people in TDR are really knowledgable, but generally most talk way over my head and seem to assume that everyone knows what the heck they are talking about. I, for one, don't! And the reason I drive old iron is because that is what I can afford. It is great that some can afford a $1000 a month truck payment for a rig that rarely hauls a load. But that is not the solution for most folks I know. Thanks for you help!

 

[HHhuntitall]

Eaaaaasssssy, now. Ok, you want more power. We get it. But the problem is the problems that go hand in hand. A good torque convertor is essential to keep your fluid temps down to keep your transmission alive. I'd suggest Blumenthal's or Chrisman's for a torque convertor, if you don't have a good shop nearby. No offense, but that Cummins has the potential to stomp your Ford motor. I've got two big block 400s and had several blueprinted 460s, so I got an idea of what you had, too..... And had lots of Maxi-wedge Chryslers, some in 10 second cars..... The Cummins has a lot to offer, most of which is mileage to go with the power. Check out the videos at the top of the 1st gen forum where it says how to mod your pump. That'll give you something to tinker with to start with.

 

[cerberusiam]

I take it your truck is a D250 SRW?

Before I say anything else I am going to be blunt, your trailer is way heavier than that truck was ever intended or built to pull. It is undersized and lacking in a lot of areas to handle that much weight. You probably should have bought a dually manual in a 2nd gen to be safe.

You are correct, a stock 92 feels like a dog compared to a big block gassers. No argument there. I had 2 440's along side the stock 91 and they would run away and hide from it. The difference was 6 mpg with the gas engines and 11-12 with the diesel.

You have 1 strike already with the auto trans. Even with the aux cooler you are going to be playing with the pedal to keep trans temp and engine temp from scaring the daylights out of you on long hard pulls. Along the lines of 240 degree coolant, 240 degree trans temp, 1200 degrees EGT's and 45 mph to keep things even close to sane. A lot is going to depend on where you tow also. Flat ground in lower altitudes will be a lot easier to maintain temps than playing in the rockies or Sierra Nevadas.

You want some more power but that doesn't come free. To use it effectively you need more air. To put the power on the ground you need more trans and deeper gears for leverage. If you want to keep going then we have some good ideas what has worked for us but its not going to be cheap and its not neccessarily going to be easy. You may have to make some choices about how much power you really want to balance the cost.

As an example, injectors will be a power upgrade. You can spend from $400 to $700 for nozzles and about $30 per to have the nozzles installed, pop tested and set. A good turbo that will handle the injector upgrade with more air can run anywhere from $1600-$2000.

The FAQ section has a lot of info in the top most threads about power and how to get it. Before you do any power upgrades your first step needs to be a full set of gauges so you have an idea if your changes go the right way. The first question you need to answer is "how fast do I want to go", then we can offer some options.

 

[NIsaacs]

I own a 92 low mile intercooled 2wd automatic with 3:55 gears. I am a halfway decent backyard mechanic who needs to up the horsepower to pull my 5th wheel better. Limited budget. No blue sky please!

Okay, you are only asking for a bit more power so I stand by what I said, it is free. You do need a pyrometer and boost gauge first!! So I guess I lied, they are not free, however the pump adjustments are. Like others have said, read the stickys at the top of this forum, thread number 7, "1st. gen stage 1,2,3,4 performance steps" will give you an idea.



Now for the auto... . I can't help there. I do know that Dodge only rates your truck for 14,000 lbs Gross Combined Vehicle Weight (truck, trailer and load) with the auto, 3. 54 gears and the super duty cooling package. Thats not much. I don't pay much attention to the factory tow ratings, however I have standard trannys.



A "gov spring" is a higher than stock rpm governor spring, 12/16 "wg" stands for waste gate for the turbo exhaust housing, some are "WG" some are not. The 16 is not and will help your factory 18 or 21 housing. The early 92's had the 21 with the later 92's having the 18, they are ok.



You really should find someone local that can help you, they (Cummins mods) can be complex. Enjoy your new truck and good luck!



Nick

 

[svsenger]

What is your opinion of the pump mods?

 

[NIsaacs]

What is your opinion of the pump mods?

I am not sure what your question is? Do I like them, are they difficult to perform, what are the results?



I will go with results..... fantastic! I would not own one without at least this upgrade. The smoke screw turned in (the amount varies from pump to pump and power needs) and the fuel pin turned to the most shallow position will yield 50 hp and 100/150 ft. tq. After this you will need to turn your idle screw down, it is a bugger to do! Your turbo as is, will support this. You will not believe the difference of just this mod. How this works on your auto, I can't say. Like I said, I don't know anything about them.



Nick

 

[R C Cola]

I have a like new TCI torque converter that I had in my 1977 Dodge, 440 with a 727 transmission. Very heavy duty in good shape less than 5000 miles of use.
Not sure if it will help. Maybe some of the transmission guys know if it will work in your application. Box says... . TCI, Hi Stall 3000 RPM #1412 Ashland Miss. Never raced.
Let me know if it would be of use for you.

 

[cerberusiam]

A high stall gas converter is totally useless in a diesel engine application.

A 3000-3200 rpm stall converter is what one would run in a cammed up big block to get it to launch off the line correctly.

The Cummins would eat it for lunch.

 

[SChandler]

The following advice is based on a lot of reading of various diesel forums. Please know that I have no direct experience with the automatics, but have read a lot of first hand accounts about them.



Since you have an automatic, the first thing to upgrade is the torque converter. The factory converters leave a lot to be desired. Goerend (http://www.goerend.com/), Suncoast (http://www.suncoastconverters.com/), and DTT (http://www.dieseltrans.com/) are all well thought of, but not inexpensive. However, without a decent torque converter, additional work to the motor tends to just make the transmission slip and build more heat, rather than make the truck faster. As was mentioned before, get a diesel specific converter. The gas converters stall too high to make use of the diesel's operating speed. Also, it wouldn't hurt to give the transmission a once over to make sure the fluid is clean, not burnt, and doesn't have any metallic chunks in it and that the transmission is adjusted properly. A factory service manual will help with that procedure. After that, a governor spring (the 3200rpm "366" spring) is $20-$30 from your favorite diesel parts place and turning up the fuel screw is free.