There is a FAQ on the Cummins website (although a bit dated) that could be of some use.
Cummins Bridgeway, LLC - Service - Dodge Ram - FAQ
1. What are the 2001/2002 Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel Ratings?
There are three engines Cummins provides for the Dodge Ram pickup for 2001/2002:
Standard 5-speed Manual Transmission: 235hp / 460 lb. -ft torque.
High Output 6-speed Manual Transmission: 245hp / 505 lb. -ft torque.
Automatic Transmission: 235hp / 460 lb. -ft torque.
2. Are fuel or oil additives recommended for use with the Cummins 24-Valve Turbo Diesel?
Fuel or oil additives are not necessary on the 24-valve engine, provided factory recommended oil and fuel specifications are followed. Consult your owner's manual for proper guidelines.
3. When should I adjust the valves?
For the 12-valve engine in the Dodge Ram, the valves should be adjusted initially at 24,000 miles and thereafter every 48,000 miles. For the 24-valve engine in the Dodge Ram, the initial valve adjustment should be completed at 150,000 miles.
4. Does Cummins and Mopar sell uprate kits for the Cummins engine in the Dodge Ram?
Yes, but there are different uprate kits for various model year engines. For the 1998. 5-2000 model year 24-valve electronic engines with manual transmissions, Cummins and Mopar sell an ECM (computer) upgrade that increases torque to 505 lb. -ft. Note, however, that this is not available for the 2001 model year 235 HP engines.
For the 1994-1998 12 valve mechanical engines, you can purchase an uprate kit that contains new injectors, fuel pump, and waste-gate actuator to increase the performance of the engine to 230 hp and 605 lb. -ft torque.
5. How many gallons of oil does the Cummins engine take during an oil/filter change?
2. 75 US gallons, (11 quarts) or 10. 41 liters.
6. Where can I purchase the E Brake from Jacobs?
Any Cummins distributor can sell and install the E Brake from Jacobs.
7. Do I need to use a coolant additive in my Dodge Ram?
We do not recommend an additive for the Cummins engine used in the Dodge Ram. Coolant additives are used to protect liners from cavitations and since the engine in the Dodge Turbo Diesel has no liners, it does not require an additive.
8. Can a Cummins Distributor perform warranty work on my Dodge Ram?
Cummins Distributors can perform repairs on your 12- or 24-valve Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel engines, but they cannot do warranty work. Daimler Chrysler covers all the warranty work on the Cummins engines in the Dodge Ram.
9. What kind of advice can you give me about truck options for my Dodge Ram?
Since Cummins only manufactures the engine, we recommend contacting your local Dodge dealer for this information.
10. What differentiates diesel engines from other kinds of engines?
The diesel engine was designed and patented in 1892 by Rudolf Diesel. In the early 1920s, Mr. Clessie Cummins, one of Cummins Engine Company's founders, refined the Diesel design and developed engines to be used on-highway in the USA. Here are some of the principles and components that go into making diesel power so efficient:
Higher Compression Ratio. "The compression ratio is higher, there is more power. " Technically speaking, the compression ratio of an engine is the comparison of the total volume of the cylinder at the bottom of the piston's stroke divided by the volume of the cylinder remaining at the top of the piston's stroke. Since we are familiar with gasoline engines, let's quickly discuss their compression ratios and a condition that spells disaster in a gasoline engine, detonation or "pinging. "
Gasoline Ratios. Serious damage to gasoline engines can result if you attempt to run a high compression ratio with low-octane fuel. Detonation or "pinging" is the ignition of the fuel due to the high temperature caused by a high compression ratio/high pressure developed by a given design. The fuel is ignited prior to the spark of the spark plug resulting in rapid uncontrolled burning. The appropriate maximum compression ratio for a gasoline engine in race trim is 14:1. Most "non-racing," low-octane compression ratios used in automobiles are less than 9:1.
Diesel Ratios. Remember, the diesel is a "heat engine," using heat developed from the compression of air. High compression ratios (ratios ranging from 14:1 up to 20:1) are possible since air only is compressed. The hot compressed air is sufficient to ignite the diesel fuel when it is finally injected near the top of the compression stroke. A high compression ratio equals a greater expansion of the gases following ignition and a higher percent of the fuel's energy is converted into power! The diesel compression ratio is higher, there is more power!
The Injection Systems. "It's in the injection system. " Diesel designed the "heat engine" using the injection of fuel at the last moment to ignite the compressed air. Understanding the heart of the diesel, the fuel pump, is another key to answering the fuel-efficiency question.
The Gasoline Engine. A gasoline engine is stochiometric. Stochiometric: the quantitative relationship between two or more substances, especially in processes involving physical or chemical change. With a gasoline engine there is a stochiometric equation of 14 parts of air to one part of fuel. Remember, always 14:1; whether at idle or full throttle, the fuel and air are mixed outside the cylinders in a carburetor or injection manifold and the mixture is introduced via the intake valve. 14:1 always.
The Diesel Engine. Fuel and air in the diesel design are not premixed outside the cylinder. Air is taken into the cylinder through the intake valve and compressed to make heat. Diesel fuel is injected near the top of the piston's stroke in an amount or ratio corresponding to the load on the engine. At idle, the air-to-fuel ratio can be as high as 85:1 or 100:1. At full load the diesel still boasts a miserly 25:1 or 30:1 ratio! It is in the injection system.
The Fuel Pump. The fuel pump used on the Cummins 24-Valve Turbo Diesel is a Bosch VP-44, electronically controlled, rotary fuel pump, which has the ability to vary fueling and injection timing based on the input from an electronic control module (ECM). The Cummins-developed ECM receives information from various sensors and controls on the engine and translates that into specific fuel quantity and timing commands which are sent to the injection pump. The injection pump is connected to the centrally located injectors via high pressure tubes. The high-pressure opens the injector nozzles, allowing fuel to pass into the combustion chamber. The fuel pump used on the 1994-1998 Dodge Turbo Diesel pickup is a Bosch P7100 in-line fuel pump. Think of it as a mini in-line six-cylinder engine and it's easy to understand its principle of operation. Six plunger pumps actuated by the pump camshaft send fuel pulses through six high-pressure fuel lines to the injectors. The pressure opens the injector valve allowing fuel to pass into the combustion chamber. Metering of the fuel (at idle 65:1 or full load 25:1) was controlled by a fuel rack and gears which rotate a metering helix to allow fuel into the six plunger pumps. The fuel pump on pre-'94 trucks was a Bosch VE rotary-style fuel pump. Think of this pump like a mini automobile spark distributor. A rotary "head" sends fuel pulses through the high-pressure fuel lines to the injectors. Just like the in-line fuel pump system, the pressure opens the injector valve and fuel is injected.
Fuel BTUs. "The btu value of diesel is greater. " Quite true, the btu, or British thermal unit, for diesel fuel is 130,000 btu's per gallon and a weight of 7. 4 lb/gal. The value for gasoline is 117,000 btu's and a weight of 6. 0 lb/gal. If we go back to our basic physics rules for energy, you'll note the fuel in the tank has potential for work if it is injected into the cylinders and, combined with the compressed heated air, ignited. The piston is forced downward, the crankshaft rotates, the wheels turn. The diesel design (the "heat engine"), compression ratios (the "heat engine"), the fuel injection system (allowing 85:1 down to 25:1 air-to-fuel versus gasoline at 14:1) and fuel btu's (diesel fuel has more power), all these diesel attributes add up to more miles per gallon of fuel!
Heavy-Duty Structure. Final notes: We've covered the principle of diesel operation and the high compression ratios needed to make the heat for diesel engine combustion. The high compression ratio causes the engineers to design, test and manufacture the block, heads, head bolts, crankshaft, connecting rods, rod bolts, pistons, piston pins, etc. , with greater structural capacity. In other words, diesels are inherently heavy in relation to their gasoline brothers. Take for example the B Series engine used in the Dodge pickup. It is 970 lb for the 359 cubic inch turbo diesel engine versus 540 lb for the identical-sized Dodge Magnum V-8 gasoline engine. On the other hand, as a result of the heavier components, the diesel, particularly the in-line six-cylinder, is significantly more durable than its gasoline counterpart. Looking back at the first engine designed by Clessie Cummins in the 1920s, it was a monster at 400 lb per horsepower produced. Although diesels still tend to weigh more than gas engines, it's obvious we've made a lot of progress in 70 years.
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