1989 12 vavle b-series cummins

[rizzo]

I am thinking of buying one of these. What is the torque and HP? I know 89's have the less desired pump. Can it be turned up at all? any mods available? Any other info I should know?

thanks in advance for the help.

 

[DEVO]

I assume it came out of a Dodge pickup?
'89s are rated at 160HP and around 400FTLBS.
They can be turned up easily, but are really limited by the VE injection pump.
Go here: http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/more_power/Power_ve.htm for more info...
There are quite a few aftermarket products available for this engine, though not nearly as many as for the '94-'98 12v.


Devo

 

[rizzo]

I was thinking of using it to replace the gas motor in my M108. how would it compare? would the auto trans hold up to the 20k vehicle weight?

 

[rizzo]

I wonder what the torque would increase to on a 1989 engine after you turn it up. The link said the hP would be about 225

 

[Elwenil]

Hmmm, that engine would go nicely in the '88 Ramcharger I am acquiring, lol...

 

[rizzo]

I am hoping to get it for less than a grand. I think that is a good price.

 

[Monty]

Less than a grand complete, wow thats a great price!! Around here you can't find them for under 2k.

 

[Elwenil]

I've seen the early model Cummins in the Dodge trucks go for about $1,400 complete but that's about as low as I've seen. It's sometimes cheaper to buy the whole truck. A local boy bought a 1991 Dodge W250 with the Cummins for about $1,300. Hell, I paid $1,200 for a '81 W250 with a 360 4speed just to pull the Dana 60s out of for my project.

 

[OPCOM]

How easily does the engine fit in the deuce? I was thinking it's a bit longer.

 

[WillWagner]

It's shorter. The engine you are looking at is non CAC and has a Bosch rotary pump. IMHO, the HP will be OK, but I think the torque and 100 RPM less will kill ya. See if you can find a late '97. they are rated at 2700 RPM, the HP and torque are mucho better. Another + is the P7100 pump. Way better, easier to turn up, more reliable. But, on the other hand, I know a guy with an '98 that is jacked to the hilt. 3500 RPM, 250 HP to the ground, and has been running it like that since the warranty ran out. But, he is only powering a standard cab, 2wd PU and with no load. Sure is fun to drive!

 

[JasonS]

IIRC, the cummins is three inches shorter than the Reo 331.

 

[rizzo]

I made a deal with the guy. I will get it tomorrow morning

 

[rizzo]

they guy said they didn't keep the inter cooler. are they hard to find? anything special about it? I think I am going to put it in my M810 and take the 413 BB mopar out. i should have plenty of room since it used to have a NHC 250 in it.I would guess the truck now weighs in about 17k. I will probably only use it for joyriding on and off road.

 

[Jones]

Inter-coolers are easy enough to find and you'll need one if it was an inter-cooled engine since they're a slightly lower compression ratio. It'll run without it but it'll be gutless.

 

[WillWagner]

they guy said they didn't keep the inter cooler.

The '89 didn't have one. Just a x over form the turbo to the intake. If there was a charge air cooler, that would make it a late 90 or later engine. Does it have a rotary or inline pump?

 

[rizzo]

not sure

I am going to pick it up tomorrow. I will take some pics. I got it for 800 so I figure no matter what I got a good deal.

 

[DEVO]

$800 is a steal!
Upgrade the governor spring in that VE, it'll fuel to around 3200 rpm. Also, advance the timing; the B really runs great at about 18º, IMO. They come stock at around 12º.


Devo

 

[tacoma]

I've got an '89 Cummins with the VE pump. It was dyno'ed at Blue Chip Diesel in MA at the rear wheels w/ 252hp and 610ft.lbs, with "another 1/2 to 3/4 turn still left in the pump", to quote the guy that built it. That's a ton of power.

People are getting crazy w/numbers these days!

EDIT: Mine does have a later Banks Technicooler, sorry. Makes a big difference. And a smaller turbo housing.

 

[Elwenil]

LTNS, Tac.

Don't worry about the intercooler, you can add one pretty easily. You really wouldn't have wanted a stock Dodge one anyway, just find one that fits in the truck and you can plumb to it. There is some talk with the import guys about running too large of a intercooler and losing intake velocity and stalling the turbo so you may want to do a little research on size.

 

[Jones]

Lanty, I talked at length with an engineer at a company that makes intercoolers and his thought was that while on a small engine it is possible to overwhelm the intake system; on something as large as a 5.9 Cummins or a multifueler it isn't a worry. His words were something to the effect of; 'that turbo will stuff the intercooler full of air so fast that it won't even be noticable'. His opinion is that, on deuces and 5 tonners, the bigger the intercooler the better charge air cooling there is. I found one at a truck wrecker that sits over the deuce radiator so nice that it looks like it was made for it.