Extreme Newbie!

[Mopar Man1]

Howdy yall!



Yup new feller here,I just bought a 91 Dodge D350. Cummins powered,backed with a auto OD trans and it's a 2x. I've always loved Cummins trucks and :--) ed at their power but don't know CRAP about em. I've been reading when I can each day on here trying to learn what I can without bugging people by asking but just figured I'd say howdy and if yall got any answers or ideas or junk like that,please feel free to spit em out. I don't know crap bout these but want to learn so any help would be GREAT Thanks



Love the website



Jimmy

 

[RFox]

welcome i'm new also... look at the sticky at top of page you will find alot of performance tips.....

 

[tURBOdIEZEl]

:: waves to all the newbies:: i am also pretty new. ive had my rig for a while. ive only managed to put a 4" exhaust on it..... i agree, i am also learning alot from this website... .

 

[Bluebird]

Welcome newbies!

You have found the right place... Mopar Man 1, RFox, and CBoerm, ask any questions, someone will jump right in, and give enough info to spin your turbo. Get pictures in the reader rigs, we'll vote for you. I'm a happy Dodge Ram CTD driver. The folks in this forum are top notch, and of course wacko, but 1st Gen people are a selet breed-woof, woof, woof

Patrick.

 

[Greenleaf]

Woof! Woof!

 

[PPeters]

Welcome home guys. Hey Scott, what's up with the sig? You about gave me a heart attack



Pat

 

[tugboatphil]

He hasn't driven his truck since last fall. I think it's just spring fever coming early.



Welcome Aboard to all the new folks! I've been around these boards just a little while and I'm still figuring things out. Of course, I think part of my problem may be the gray stuff (or lack thereof) between my ears.

 

[Bob Beauchaine]

Welcome aboard - good group - good info - you'll like the atmosphere here.



Bob

 

[Mopar Man1]

Thanks for the warm welcome



I've been a member on RamchargerCentral.com and thats about the only site I ever was on,think I've found another



Few things I've found out from readin is get as much air in and as much out as possible. Buddy has a '00 Cummins with a K&N filter and all on it but from what I see it won't work on this 91 of mine. What kinda mounts and filters will work on the 91. 5 like mine? Links to parts would be great. Also what bout exhaust,it looks all stock with that huge ars muffler. Any suggestions on that? Just cut the pipe off and run it straight piped? What would be some other mods,I'm only 17 but I've been round vechiles(all Dodges) all my life but never diesels so I'm totally lost on them. What about like how they fire? I looked but didn't see anything like a distribtor,might just not of noticed it,I need to find a book like a Haynes manuel on Dodge Cummins,is there one? I feel dumb not knowing about them but you never know everything I reckon. It would have a Dana 70 rear correct? It's a 1 ton dually regular cab. Any links to just about anything you think I'd need on this truck,shoot it at me please. Its going to be a tow rig of course,trying to save up for a big enough trailer to pull Big Mo(my 85 Dodge Ramcharger 4x) around to the woods with. It's gonna be a daily driver and tow rig so not to many mods but I love mods to throw ideas at me Within reason now Thanks a lot



Jimmy

 

[JLEONARD]

Mopar Man1

Cool!

Welcome all youse guys

From a New Englander.

Jay

 

[skobylenski]

Originally posted by Mopar Man1

I need to find a book like a Haynes manual on Dodge Cummins, is there one?

Well, first off, let me say welcome from another New Englander, and yes, there is a manual, the one I have is about 2 inches think, brown, expensive, and ain't worth $#!t. They spend about half of it on how to tear down and rebuild all the Dodge-used engines for the specific year the book is, and about 3 pages each on all of the other stuff that you need more info on. Some of the diagrams are for the lighter trucks (or 4x4's if you have a 2wd, and vice-versa,) so they don't line up exactly, but, as you'll soon find out, trying to figure things out on your own is half the fun of owning a 1st GEN. At any rate, don't be afraid to dive right in and have fun, you're still young (like me and a few others around here), so you've got time to mess around and then get serious later



Scott

 

[skobylenski]

One more thing, go to User Control Panel along the top line of buttons and create your sig. file and fill in your location and stuff like that.

 

[dpuckett]

Welcome Mopar Man 1........

and all the other recent newbies. Boy, talk about an extreme newbie, but I'll go easy on ya for a while. THe cool thing about diesels is, you can have your cake and eat it too, as far as performance. Nascar mark has a 93 with a 24 valve, twin turboed, cammed, ported head, etc, etc, that is a daily driver. Joe Donnelley has a 97 that is putting 800hp (ok, 799. 9) to the wheels that he drives on the street.



Anywhoooo, I will give a brief run down of hoe a diesel operates. First of all, it is a compression ignition engine- the air/ fuel mixture ignites due to the physics of compression and heat produced by compressing a gas. There is no spark, and no preset air/ fuel mixture; it varies from about 75:1 at idle to 20:1 at full load, hence their efficiency (mine had gotten 23 MPG; JLEONARD has seen 27, I believe, from a 5500# truck ).



I assume you know about the 4 stroke engine, so I'll spare the inttricate details. When the intake valve opens, and the air charge is drawn in (or, rather, forced in by the turbo on our superior engines ), there is no fuel mixed. When the intake valve closes, and the piston comes up, the injector pump injects a bit of fuel through high pressure lines (up to 10000psi on our VEs; 25K on the new HPCR) at about 15 deg BTDC. The actual time spec varies from as much as 30deg BTDC on a few older CATs to 8 or so ATDC on my old 6. 9, depends on a host of variables. (that is static, idle timing. Similar to a gasser distributor, it advances as RPMs increase) The piston compressing the air has made it hot enough to ignite the fuel charge, and at about the time it lights, the piston is on its way down. The force of the ignition forces the piston downward with considerable force, and you should know the rest. Think of the injector pump/ injector replacing the distributor and spark plugs in the scheme of things, and you should be ok. Dave Fritz has a web page with some good basic and not so basic info.



Get at least a Chilton manual; I think it has more diesel specific stuff than the Haynes. But when you have been here as long as I have (fall 00), the manuals become somewhat obselete, though I do refer to it for brakes, clutch, etc, that isnt fuel system related.



Good luck. Have fun BOMBing your pickup.



Daniel

 

[Mopar Man1]

Thanks for that info that gives me alot more ideas about em Now what bout mod wise as in air filter,air filter mounts,any other mods that would be within reason for a 17 yr old. Links would be great to, Thanks alot!!



Jimmy

 

[dpuckett]

Check out the First Time Owner's forum;

They have a sticky of links. I'd have to recommend against K&N< from bad personal experience with 4 of them; real coincidental, if you ask me. They just dont filter the finer stuff. I'm saving for a BHAF or aFe PG7; but with my experience with reuseable filters, I may stick with BHAF and Outerwears. Ought to be good for my paltry 35psi I make now and then. Cut open the bottom of the air filter box for increased flow; then put a piece of cardboard beside it to keep engine oil/ heat from getting into the filter; between the filter housing and front supports.



GET GAUGES!!! Pyro at the very least. One of the best $130 you'll spend. When ordering a boost gauge, go for 40+psi. Put the pyro probe in the manifoldl; if something comes along to break off the tip, you have bigger issues to deal with.



-DP

 

[1stgen4evr]

didn't see anything like a distribtor,might just not of noticed it,

Mopar Man 1 you are at the right place to get up to speed on things like diesels don't have distributors. Unless you are considering that part of the injection pump which does "distribute" the fuel charge to the correct cylinder. You will learn that the P pumps don't have that. Fasten your seat belt. You will find the trip interesting.



You will find help on any subject that you have the basic knowledge to ask the question about. There are lots of young guys that are just like yourself. Learning and enjoying their truck.



1stgen4evr

James

 

[JLEONARD]

When ordering a boost gauge, go for 40+psi.

What Daniel said!

That's why my signature says 30 +

 

[dpuckett]

When I had the 12 on there, I hit 40 frequently. Now with the free breathing 18 back on (maybe TOO free breathing), it hits about 33-35, sometimes. Been 75 and humid; truck and I both hate it. Got 19 mpg with a clogged fuel filter, though. Things is lookin up. BTW- I replaced the fuel filter. It got to where it was rattling like a PSD, and RUNNING like one. New filter cured that. 10K on the old one- pretty good for round here.



DP