hey guys i'm searchin for ram 2500 w/ the CTD probably in the range of 96-00 are there any years that are better/worse than others for any specific reasons??? any info would help

Here comes the arguing. If you are serious check out Turbo Diesel Regestry. They are the pbb of cummins.

94-98.5 came with the bosch p1700 inline fuel pump. There are 4 diffrent power levels for those years. 94-95 autos had 160hp while the manuals got 175. Then for 96-98.5 the manuals got 215hp, while the automatics got 180hp.

So the best p-pump to get is the 96-98.5 manual version as the cam is larger and the delivery valves are larger(among other things). You can easly get 300-350 hp(or so) out of this pump with only a few basic mods. This pump desgin can support upwards of 500hp, or more if configured correctly.

In 98.5 they went to a diffrent pump that is not very reliable without a few mods. The guys with those can chirp in on what that takes.

In 98.5 they went to a diffrent pump that is not very reliable without a few mods. The guys with those can chirp in on what that takes.

While I'm not a Dodge Cummins expert, I am going to add my opinion on the above statement. I personally don't believe that the injection pump itself is necessarily a bad design. I think that the reason for the high failure rate of these injection pumps is because of the lift pump. Nobody ever seems to do preventative maintenance on these trucks by changing the lift pump before it goes bad, and once the lift pump goes bad it will take out the injection pump. Then everyone whines because it is expensive to fix when they have to replace both pumps. I've personally never heard of an injection pump failure on the 24 valve trucks that wasn't a direct result of a lift pump failure. Has anyone else heard of one? If so, what would the failure rate of the injection pump (when it isn't because of a lift pump failure) be in comparison to the amount of trucks that are out there with these pumps on them?

Also, to add one more thing, the trucks built from '94 to '98.5 are all 12 valve mechanical injection engines. I would be looking for one of these trucks if you are looking for a very simple truck to maintenance. From '98.5 to '02 the engines all have 24 valves and have electronic engine controls. These aren't really an issue (to the best of my knowledge), but definitely aren't as easy to work on as an old 12v motor is.

While I'm not a Dodge Cummins expert, I am going to add my opinion on the above statement. I personally don't believe that the injection pump itself is necessarily a bad design. I think that the reason for the high failure rate of these injection pumps is because of the lift pump. Nobody ever seems to do preventative maintenance on these trucks by changing the lift pump before it goes bad, and once the lift pump goes bad it will take out the injection pump. Then everyone whines because it is expensive to fix when they have to replace both pumps. I've personally never heard of an injection pump failure on the 24 valve trucks that wasn't a direct result of a lift pump failure. Has anyone else heard of one? If so, what would the failure rate of the injection pump (when it isn't because of a lift pump failure) be in comparison to the amount of trucks that are out there with these pumps on them?
I agree, I havn't seen any injector pump failures unless the lift pump was weak or bad. I have also seen alot of injector pumps live after being run with a dead lift pump, so that being said the injector pumps seem fairly strong and trouble free if properly taken care of. Most people will run around with a weak lift pump for thousands of miles without knowing it and that whole time they are damaging the injection pump. I recommend a fuel pressure guage so a person can monitor the pressure at all times, a very inexpensive way to save money in the long run.

ok so when i get this truck are there any warning signs i should look for to knolw if the lifter pump is dying??? or should i just freakin replace it to be safe?? i've heard the 12v engines were the way to go, maintence wise, thanks for the info guys, this is gunna be my 1st diesel and i appreciate the help

ok so when i get this truck are there any warning signs i should look for to knolw if the lifter pump is dying??? or should i just freakin replace it to be safe?? i've heard the 12v engines were the way to go, maintence wise, thanks for the info guys, this is gunna be my 1st diesel and i appreciate the help


Personally, I would install a fuel pressure gauge right away and monitor the fuel pressure to tell you if the lift pump is going out. You may also consider just replacing the pump right away too, as the pump is relatively cheap when compared to a new injection pump.

The 12v motors are a great motor and a lot of people like them because they are all mechanical motors which makes them easier to work on (most people that I know don't seem comfortable and aren't proficient when working on electrical issues). As far as I am concerned though, I don't think it really matters whether it is electronic or mechanical. I can understand considering mechanical vs. electronic when making a first purchase, but I really don't think that there would be any problems that would arise under normal maintenance that would be any easier or harder on one engine or the other.

From what I have reserched(I do not own one) the lift pumps are the number one reason the injection pumps fail. For example, the Matco tool truck I see very week has had two injection pumps put on when the lift pumps fail. TO fix this, the tool dude had to install a second pump, and a fuel seperator. From what I have reserched, for my application of swaping things around and the search for horsepower the 94-98.5 12v motors are for me. I know a bunch of people with the 98.5-2002 trucks who are not happy with them. And I can not afford a 03-06 truck, so my options(after all of my reaserch) were the 12v engines with the p1700 pumps.

And for a bad desgin, a post on TDR had a letter from Bosch on the fuel pumps(98.5-2002) desgin and is said somthing to the extent of they are not lasting very long due to a desgin flaw on our(Bosch's) part. That letter sealed the deal on me getting an older fuel pump. I will search for that letter if anyone is interested on monday. let me know!

There is an in tank replacement pump available through Cummins, or the Stealership.

Or, you can go with a FASS.

If you want to boost power, either look for a manual or plan on spending some cash to upgrade your Automatic. $4000 will get you a bulletproof tranny.

ok as i look for a good diesel in the area i have been coming upon alot of the 5.9L magnum v8 gassers and v-10 gasser for real cheap w/ real low miles.... how comfortably would a 2001 5.9L gas job pull my YJ and trailer... are v-10s problematic>>??

**edit** i just was searching and found a 1996 2500 w/ 38k on it w/ the CTD for $10,800, this sounds like a deal if the truck wasnt in a flood or something.... it does have a ploww hook-up, sound i be worried about wear and tear from plowing???

Nobody is gonna mention the dreaded 53 block?

ummmm explain? and anyone have any opinions on my last post?

so any opinions on the v-10s? or anything else i asked in the previos post?

Nobody is gonna mention the dreaded 53 block?

I guess I didn't really think about mentioning it. The 53 block is something that I would try to avoid.

so any opinions on the v-10s? or anything else i asked in the previos post?

Some people like them while others don't. I personally have never owned one, but would consider one. They get about the same mileage as the v8 trucks while having more power and towing capability. There should be some good buys on them right now with gas prices the way they are since they don't get the fuel mileage that a diesel gets.

Wtf Is The 53 Block!!!!

calm down...


PS... from all the information I have ever gathered on the V10, it actually gets better mileage than the V8's, on top of the better towing capabilities and such. It seems to be the only v10 that is worth a damn.

Wtf Is The 53 Block!!!!
Those are the ones that like to crack and leak coolant!!!I have a friend who has one and it cracked too!!!:mad3:

Nobody is gonna mention the dreaded 53 block?
From what I understand, very late 98 to very early 2001 there was a brazillian company that made the blocks and they crack.
go here:
http://www.stamey.nu/Truck/Cummins53BlockFAQ.htm#NewInformation

oh ok so thats the 53 block... the "53" block only has to do w/ the cummins correct??? a v10 would not be involved at all... i am leaning towards a v-10 i found 2 days ago, thanks for the info guys

Yah, cummins. Everyone I know with the v-10 is not satisfied with them. I am sure that if you dont like diesel, its the way to go. My customers say they get 8-10 mpg with theirs. The worst I have ever got towing was 12mpg in my old 93 and have more power to smoke the v-10s:D. If thats the way you wanna go, go for it.

Also, check the service history on the v-10 truck to see if it has lots any of the valve seats yet. make sure they have been upgraded.

Yah, cummins. Everyone I know with the v-10 is not satisfied with them. I am sure that if you dont like diesel, its the way to go. My customers say they get 8-10 mpg with theirs. The worst I have ever got towing was 12mpg in my old 93 and have more power to smoke the v-10s:D. If thats the way you wanna go, go for it.

Also, check the service history on the v-10 truck to see if it has lots any of the valve seats yet. make sure they have been upgraded.


Are you referring to mileage towing or unloaded for both your diesel and V10 figures? I could see 8 to 10 mpg on the V10 when towing, but that seems low from everyone I have talked to if you are speaking of unloaded figures.

As far as the valve seats on the V10 trucks go, I've been told that the valve seat/head issues are generally a result of a plugged catalytic converter. Unfortunately, I don't have much information to back this up though other than what my buddy tells me. He has R&Red quite a few v10 heads in his machine shop for customers and always recommends checking the converter when doing the head work.

What i ment milage wise(from my customers as I do not own one) was they get noramly 8-10 in the hills around here unloaded. With my old(hence unlocked torque convertor) dodge I get 18 in the same strech of road. Towing, my one friend got 8 with his boat(a loss of 1-2 mpg). The other customer we have says he doesnt tow anything larger than a very small trailer a mile or two so I have no info on that. Other non regular customers have told me they get between 10(around here) mpg to 14(freeway) mpg. Please rember that I do not live out in flatsville midwest, I live in oregon surrounded by mtns. There is a 1000 foot elevation change on my drive to work every morning. So there are alot of hills around here that bring milage down a little bit. Our 04 forester gets 32mpg on the freeway, but only 26 to and from work for example. It also might be that I do 80 on the freeway...

As for the seat thing we have done 3 sets of heads that had dropped seats and the machine shops say that it is very common. There are a few TSB's on the problem if I am remembering correctly.

While I don't have any 1000 foot changes around where I live, I don't live in the 100% flat land either. My parents really do though so I travel there semi often and some of my mileage statements are from trips like that. I generally have heard people I know with v10s claim about 12 to 14 mpg depending on whether they are on the highway or in town driving. I personally see between 14 to 17 mpg with my 5.9 v8 depending on conditions.

One other thing that must be factored into the equation is whether these trucks are stock or not. It has been my experience that when these trucks get modified the mileage goes down quickly. My ram is 100% stock (my tow rig) so my mileage is probably better than some others.

hey guys i want to thank u all for the time u took to give me info on dodge trucks in general, i put a deposit down on a 1999 dodge 2500 v-10 today and should be picking it up saturday... heres a pic http://images.autotrader.com/images/2006/6/20/204/099/616509461.204099112.IM1.02.565x421_A.562x421.jpg

its my 1st dodge and i hope it serves me and my YJ well

Nice. Take those running boards off, though...

Nice. Take those running boards off, though...

yea i was thinkin the same thing, and put a decent rim/tire package on it

While I'm not a Dodge Cummins expert, I am going to add my opinion on the above statement. I personally don't believe that the injection pump itself is necessarily a bad design. I think that the reason for the high failure rate of these injection pumps is because of the lift pump. Nobody ever seems to do preventative maintenance on these trucks by changing the lift pump before it goes bad, and once the lift pump goes bad it will take out the injection pump. Then everyone whines because it is expensive to fix when they have to replace both pumps. I've personally never heard of an injection pump failure on the 24 valve trucks that wasn't a direct result of a lift pump failure. Has anyone else heard of one? If so, what would the failure rate of the injection pump (when it isn't because of a lift pump failure) be in comparison to the amount of trucks that are out there with these pumps on them?

Also, to add one more thing, the trucks built from '94 to '98.5 are all 12 valve mechanical injection engines. I would be looking for one of these trucks if you are looking for a very simple truck to maintenance. From '98.5 to '02 the engines all have 24 valves and have electronic engine controls. These aren't really an issue (to the best of my knowledge), but definitely aren't as easy to work on as an old 12v motor is.






Out of the five IP's that have been on my truck three of them failed with no LP pressure problems what so ever.
BTW, I am on LP number seven and watch the fuel pressure gauge as often as I do oil pressure and water temp.
That being said I have friends with VP44 pumps that have never failed with 200,000 plus miles on them --- I am just lucky I guess........

Tom

I think you will be happy with the power on your V10. I t gives me great power on our T-Rex. The Truck weighs 9460 pounds carries 500 pounds of fuel, and has 3 rockwells under it. That V10 as never had any problems. Enough power to squeal all four 42" swampers in the back, and can smoke all six wheels on steep rock inclines.
I have 135,000 trouble free miles on my V10.

I have also had three Cummins a 1993,12 valve, a 1997 12 valve, and an 03 24 valve.

The 93 put me over 180,000 miles with out a problem, only replaced a clutch
The 97 gave me 260,000 miles with only the replacement of a crank sensor
and the 03 has been perfect. I did add a Bully Dog to it :D It is sweet. I can smoke those duallies!!!!:D

Gas milage on my v10 was 12-13 mpg, but after I converted it into teh T-Rex with three locked Rockwells, 6 42" swampers, and alot of steel, the gas milage is about 4 mpg.........but then again that is in Pritchetts Canyon....:D :laughing:

went and picked up the truck today and i love it, i bought it from a used dealer and got bought a 2 year warranty cuz i feel the tranny going... but the 600 bucks for full coverage 2 year warranty will be less than what it costs to replace it.... its got balls i can tell u that.... i got 10.0 MPG on the 3 hour ride home, with lots of traffic.... its got this thing under the hood i believe it says "jet chip" or something like that anyone have any clue? when i go out to the garage i will check to see what it actually says