Re-Build Doubles Ram Diesel Horsepower

Tim Svob, Canton, Ill. says the over-hauling he did to his 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 HD pickup more than doubled the horsepower and didn’t really affect the mileage.

“Before I upgraded it I was getting 260 hp. at the wheels. After all the new components were installed it was at 675 hp.,” Svob says. The bright red Ram now gets about 18 mpg, about 2 mpg less than before the modifications.

Svob spent about $15,000 on the modifications. Here’s what he did: He installed a compound turbo system from Source Automotive, added new high rpm head studs, amplified the fuel system with a 165-gph AirDog II, replaced the existing injectors with new ones 60 percent larger, and improved the engine air intake with a free-flowing black composite intake elbow from CFM Plus. He also replaced the stock CP3 fuel pump with a 10 mm Stoker pump from Exergy Engineering. Svob says the new pump feeds fuel through the stock rail to the new injectors.

Goerend Transmission built him a 48RE 4-speed automatic with upgrades that included larger billet steel input, intermediate and output shafts, a constant-pressure valve body, a 3-disc torque converter, and a Mag-Hytec deep transmission pan for extra oil-cooling capacity. The rear suspension was modified with CalTracs traction bars. A Banks 4-in. turbo-back exhaust system frees up air flow, yet makes the red rocket quiet enough for city driving. Svob left the original 305/65R 17-in. wheels on the vehicle because he drives it during the winter, and says the Goodrich All-Terrain tires provide great traction.

To keep track of his high performing engine, Svob has 3 Isspro white-faced gauges mounted on the A pillar, and other performance gauges mounted on the steering column. “From the outside or inside, the Ram still looks like the stock 2500 that I bought in 2006,” Tim says. “The real difference, however, is that I can blow the doors off just about anything on the road.” Svob says it cost him about $7,500 for the transmission overhaul and about the same for the other components.

“I installed the compound turbos and F1 Flux 2 (100 hp.) injector tips and rebuilt the transmission 4 years ago when the truck had 24,000 miles on it. In the winter of 2013, I was driving to work when it started missing and blowing white smoke. Long story short, the Cp3 high psi pump was disintegrating and metal shavings clogged the injectors and ultimately ruined the tips and needles. I towed it in and had repairs made, installed a new pump and injectors, and had it tuned by Les at Silver Bullet in California.

“The current setup gained me about 30 hp. over the old pump and injectors. I don’t know if I’d do this all over again because the experience has been far from trouble-free. My advice would be to find a good, reputable shop and be aware that expensive breakdowns can occur. As for driving the vehicle, it’s docile unless I floor it. Then it really moves. For reference, I watched a test on the new 450 hp. Corvette that ran a 12.8-second quarter mile. My truck should run a 12.1-second quarter mile, according to the performance calculators.”

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tim Svob, 695 W. Maple St., Canton, Ill. 61520 (ph 309 647-3970).