Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
24 Valve Cummins Turbo Diesel
Looking back about 5 years ago when I was living in Montana and I purchased a Patriot Blue 2001 Dodge 2500 4x4 Cummins diesel with 73,000 miles from Craigslist (Which is my favorite place to shop) for $11,000 dollars. The interior was camel (Tan) in color with heated leather seats and all the goodies to go with it. The truck was in good shape with a few items that need to be addressed on the inside but nothing major. It looked as if someone spilled bleach on the carpet in the back and the carpet was white and the common cracked dash pad. This truck was bone stock and drove like any other Dodge, It wondered all over the road. I first wanted to address the poor steering that most Dodges have so it install the 1998 Dodge HD front steering component’s with all new heavy duty MOOG tie rods and tie rod ends purchased on EBAY for much less than any local auto parts store. Geno’s got the call for the new power steering pump and Borgeson steering box, steering shaft and power steering lines. A steering column bushing kit from Rock Solid Ram Steering and a BD steering box stabilizer was also installed. I also installed a new track bar with a Luke’s Link. This fixed all death wobble and the truck tracked straight and steering was tight. About 4 months after that my transmission started to have fits and it was time for a beefed up transmission. I knew that I was going to pump the power up so I had a Goerend transmission built with billet shaft’s, ATS billet flex plate, ATS 5 Star torque converter and an ATS Deep pan. All transmission parts had been purchased from GOS Performance out of Livingston Montana. Just for peace of mind and it is so cheap I also installed an apps noise isolator from BD. Now the truck shifts fantastic and pulls like never before. Now I am not made of money but I do have a good job and I wanted to build the truck when the budget allowed. So back to Craigslist I go. I found a brand new never installed 3" lift with shock for $200 dollars. Next I found a brand new set of 33" BFG MK2 Mud Terrain tires never used and mounted on Weld Cheyenne wheels for $1200 dollars. I also located an Edge Comp box with the Hot code for $200 bucks. This was a good start for a face lift and some more power. I de-badged and remover the black bumpers from the side of the truck except for my Cummins sticker on the back window and the Dodge Ram emblem on the grill. I built a custom 5" 14 gauge 316 stainless steel exhaust that I purged and TIG welded. In line with the exhaust is a Diamond Eye resonator and a Hush Power Muffler. With this combination the truck had a nice exhaust note which was not to loud inside the cab. I fabricated an awesome set of 2” diameter 316 schedule 80 seamless stainless steel traction bars with my own machined inserts. I added a host of DiPricol gauges to keep an eye on all the engine vitals. At this point I still wanted to add more power but no crazy power(Although it would be fun) so I went with a set of Dynamite Diesel 100hp injectors, Industrial Injection Hot Rod VP 44 and a Silver Bullet turbo from Industrial Injection. I also had an ATS 3 piece Pulse manifold installed along with a AirDog 100 filtration system. I then turned to Gale Banks for the Monster intake so I could install the Snow Performance MPG MAX water injection system. For the air intake AFE was called up and a stage 2 kit was installed. ARP head studs held the head in place for the higher boost pressure. At this point the truck was running a little over 500hp and it was perfect for what we towed and for a little fun when empty. Somewhere in the mix we moved our family to California due to the poor economy and I got a fantastic new job. Since we tow a lot of trailers (Horse, Boat, Flatbed ect.) we had a B&W turnover goose neck hitch installed and also bought the B&W companion fifth wheel hitch. Now we can tow anything we wanted. Again this is a project that has taken 5+ years to bring together. I then wanted to take care of the inside so I replaced the carpet and installed all new insulation and a sound deadening kit for the whole cab from Quite Ride Solation’s. The dash pad was ordered and was a pain to install but looked great when completed. Now the interior looks great and the noise on the inside is much more comfortable and even the stereo now sounds fantastic. Now that the power is right for my towing needs I wanted to change out my electric heated mirrors for some flip up electric heated towing mirrors and I added a LEER camper shell all color matched to the truck. The outside was now perfect. Geno's garage has been most helpful with new radiator hoses, drive belt and all new suspension and cab bushings. The folks at Geno's are fantastic to work with and the prices are fair. I can order from Geno’s and have all parts shipped to California and still get them for less money than any local part store. Finally that the truck is perfect in my eyes and my wife and two girls love it also. It has been a head turner and a few times I have been approached and asked if truck was for sale. Most of the information I have gotten for my build was from TDR and Diesel Power magazine. Several of the articles from your magazines about horsepower, towing and repair options inspired me to research the products that are out on the market. I used only high quality parts for my build from the best companies in the business. It’s funny how such a little bump in power will lead to other additions to a truck. I have had other Dodge trucks in the past which have been all diesels and even my 2003 (Which I no longer have) was in Diesel Power magazine but this 2001 truck holds something special. It’s amazing all the time, effort and pride that goes into your ride to make it the perfect truck to be Stolen January 12th 2014.
Jason Saillor
Oakdale, California
PS. Keep up the Great Work.
The photo above was in the early stages of the build.
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