It is hard to talk about the Ram heavy duty truck lineup and yesterday, the Chrysler Group announced a massive milestone for the tried and true diesel engine as the folks at Cummins built the 2,000,000thCummins Turbo Diesel engine for the Ram HD. Cummins first began building “light duty” diesel engines for the then-Dodge Ram in 1988 after launching their partnership in 1985 when the two companies collaborated on a “new” 5.9 liter inline-6 cylinder, 12 valve engine that would eventually become the production motor for the 1988 Dodge Ram 2500.
“The Ram Truck-Cummins diesel partnership is one of the industry’s most enduring and certainly fitting of
such a tribute,” says Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico. “Both companies have benefited greatly, but Ram diesel customers are the real beneficiaries. Every day they experience the toughness and capability a Cummins-powered Ram can deliver.” When the Cummins Turbo Diesel engine first arrived in the Ram 2500, it offered 160 horsepower and 400lb-ft of torque. This made the heavy duty Ram one of the most powerful trucks on the US market but by today’s standards – that original “CTD” pales in comparison to the modern 6.7L Cummins engine in the 2013 Ram HD. The current CTD produces 350 horsepower and 800lb-ft of torque but for the 2013 model year, the Ram HD Cummins High Output engine will pack a whopping 385 horsepower and 850lb-ft of torque – making it the most powerful truck on the consumer market. These numbers are why the Cummins Turbo Diesel engine is ordered in some 80% of the Ram HD trucks ordered today.
The Cummins Turbo Diesel engine began its life in the Ram HD as a 13 valve inline-6 measuring 5.9 liters but it has obviously grown a great deal over the past four decades. In 1998, the 24 valve design came to the Cummins engine and in 2003, a common rail fuel delivery system was added – two features which helped the CTD hit Ward’s
10 Best Engines list in 2004. From there, the next big change came in 2007 when the Ram HD engine grew from 5.9 to 6.7 liters and since then; Chrysler and Cummins have been tweaking this powerful oil burner to reach the current figured.
The milestone 2,000,000th Cummins Turbo Diesel engine built this week at the Columbus Indiana plant will not be installed in a new Ram truck – instead serving as a display unit as it tours the various auto shows and other events around the US. Click here to visit the DodgeForum.com Cummins Turbo Diesel section!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
It is hard to talk about the Ram heavy duty truck lineup and yesterday, the Chrysler Group announced a massive milestone for the tried and true diesel engine as the folks at Cummins built the 2,000,000thCummins Turbo Diesel engine for the Ram HD. Cummins first began building “light duty” diesel engines for the then-Dodge Ram in 1988 after launching their partnership in 1985 when the two companies collaborated on a “new” 5.9 liter inline-6 cylinder, 12 valve engine that would eventually become the production motor for the 1988 Dodge Ram 2500.