96 12v 5.9 cummins towing mods!?
 

hey guys i recently just picked up a completely stock 96 12v 5.9 4x4 it has a brand spanky new auto trans in it ,tcase ,and turbo. its mainly going to be my dd but i will be using it to tow my bobcat around loaded trailer will way around 10k, lookin for the best bang for you buck mods! the thing moves pretty good as it stand, awsome throttle responce no smoke 250k on the dash picked it up for a good price, now i want to turn it into MY truck! i have some guages coming in but thats it, id also like to beef up the steering!! any info/help would be much apreciated! :tu:

bd steering stabilizer bar
5x12 injectors if you can afford them ok if you cant
4k gov springs 3k will do just fine and you dont have to have valve springs that way
a fuel plate FF of your choice. less than a #10 IMO -sell ya a #6???-
boost elbow (stock turbo?)
exhaust
intake
tune your AFC

i would definitley upgrade the converter if hasnt already been done

yeah from what ive been reading these trans dont like much more power then what its aleady taking stock! prob goin to invest in a nice converter and vb! since the trans is new id rather not have to rebuild it when i can avoid it.. its a new stock turbo.. you dont think a #10 plate would be to much with a 4kgsk? for the stock trans i have a bhaf got it today orderes guages and a 4" exhaust and boost elbo so i want to do the fuel plate next and see how it does what do you think?..

do the 4k first. wish that would have been my first mod after the TC and VB of coarse

do you think i should do a #10 plate or 100. which is better and why?

100 will give you more fuel but if you tow alot and have a stock charger go with the 10

Be careful what you wish for on the tranny...can't remember who, or what forum (might have been this one) but someone told me that a TC/VB probably wouldn't be enough...they were right. My tranny had been a brand new rebuild about 8 months before I got the truck. Bone stock, never been tampered with. I put a TC/VB in it, tuned the AFC, ground the fuel plate, and installed a set of 4k gov springs. About 4 months later, I had the truck back to get the tranny rebuilt, all the clutches were gone. I didn't have the money up front to do it all, but it would have been a lot easier if I had. The TC/VB alone didn't end up saving my tranny any.

yeah im debating on weather i should even do many power mods untill i build the tranny.. you guys think
intake, exhaust, 4k,slide the stock plate all the way forward with a boost elbo would be much? i plan on pushing snow this winter too so i dont want to be melting my trans in the process! just keep it simple until summer rolls around

a little off subject but for some reason my parking lights both front corners and tail light and becon light and the interion dash lights! stoped working on my today!:argh: have no idea why all wireing and fuse's look good, they just stoped workin any idea? < should i post a new thread?

drivers side front frame horn....on the inside...by the motor just in front of the driverside front tire.... there is the wiring harness... there is a little plastic clip that holds the harness to the frame. once that clip breaks it rubs on the frame. i had the exact same thing happen to me... finaly found it... re sodered the wires and shring wraped them. havnt had the issue since. hope this helps.

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let me know if u need pics:c:

Yeah id love some pics!! Thanksamillion:c:

push snow with a little truck and get twice the work done. my .02 on the white gold.

what way does the plate get slid? to the fire wall or to the front of the motor? should i wait for the 4k spring to come in b4 i install this plate not really sure were the spring goes anyways so.. idk if it would make a dif together or sepeerate?!

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srry guys another question but what do you get from removing your turbo scilence? more air/power.... nothing?...

just more whissle from removing the ring if you have an aftermarket intake. nothing really if you use the stock box

slide the plate towards the front of the engine and go ahead and do the plate. you will have to take of some of the same stuff to do the 4k's but not all.

there is a plug on the driverside of the pump. you remove it and turn the engine over to find the springs. there are 2 sets of springs in there, bunches of write-ups on this stuff floating around.

Thanks turbo your the Man!! ill let you know how i make out! post some pics too
:c:

i have a 95 12 valve automatic and i have cut the fuel plate almost down to a #0 with just a small tit at the bottom and i have ground the afc arm and ground the washer down inside the afc, but i still dont have very much takeoff power at all its just plain gutless untill i reach around 60 mph. once i hit over drive it takes off like a rocket. i am fairley new to turning up these pumps and adjusting the afc correctly. i adjusted my smoke screw just a bit and turned my starwheel some towards the front of the truck. i have owned a few wicked fast 12 valves but the work was done before i bought them. is there any tips / instruction on how to get just as much power from 1st to 3rd as i have in o/d? there isnt hardley any black smoke before o/d and only then if im doing about 60mph and then floor it. i know i am gonna have to re build the tranny sooner or later but i want bottom end power now. any help guys??

put some 4k springs in it. they real realy wake up these old trucks. pretty easy to do yourself and worth EVERY penny. i was ready to sell mine till i put them in. LOL

Gov springs are next. Should it be as doggy as it is right now cause when it hits overdrive it will take off like a freaking bullet. I'm just wondering I this is normal?

mine was the same way. my 87 f150 with the 4.9L would out pull it when it was stock. it was a disapointment. springs will put a grin on your face. PROMISE

Thank you turbo i will be installing them soon :tu:

Also sounds like your T/C isn't locking up until you hit high gear which would also cause that condition....

How much is a t/c lockup switch and whats the difficulty on instaling? i am mechanically inclined but ive always been a gas motor guy

When should the T/C lock up without a switch? Just in O/D?

Usually it'll lock in third as well, helps keep heat down and builds speed much quicker.

I installed a T/C lock switch in an 04', was a simple as tapping into a wire on the tranny harness and running it through a toggle to ground with a certain ohm resistor inline. Don't remember which wire though offhand, IIRC it's in one of the stickies/FAQ's.

I will have to pay attention to mine, I will be towing for the first time with it next week after all the work that went into it.

I've read 2 sides to the t/c lock, some say its the best, and others say its a disaster waiting to happen! don't really know what to believe, I've also heard of people leaving the switch on in every gear.. what would you gain from that? id imagine it would be good for towing.and work well with an exhaust brake.??

In all my research, I've decided not to do a lockup switch until I have a billet input shaft. All the research I've done says you run the risk of snapping a factory input shaft with a lockup switch.

As far as will the tranny hold up to a boost elbow, some afc mods, and 4k gov springs, in my experience its a no.... Mine didnt. You may have better luck, but I noticed as soon as my boost and torque increased, my tranny started slipping. And this was after my goerend torque converter and valve body. The new stock clutches in the tranny failed shortly after.

if you USE your turck i recommend NOT HAVING THAT DARN SWITCH! its like shifting a manual without a clutch at WOT! BAD BAD BAD for everything YES you will get going faster, faster but man its bad for stuff. just dont do it unless you are on the strip. its super easy to do. one wire and a toggle switch. but its not worth the tranny rebuilds

and a stock VB will only allow it to shift from 3 to OD correctly . it will SLAM if you try to lock it up right off the bat

or just turn it on/off? I installed it for the dude for trailer hauling as it was kicking in and out of T/C lock and heating up.

That's a resistor that you can buy, that will fix your OD lockup...

is there supose to be a pin hole in the boost elbo? just got mine in the mail today and it looks like there is a pin size drill hole out of it?

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i block and blow.. and it deff letting air out..?

i had this argument with a few guys a month or so back. there are 2 kinds of boost elbows. one that has an allen screw in it and a pin hole, and one that is just an elbow with a small orifice in the center of it that limits the air flow to the wastegate.

elbo seems to work fine... just ran threw the entire front end of the truck and installed some bilstein 5100's, and am dien to do something with the steering.. truck drives down the road good no deathwobble or anything but just want to replace it, im debating on weather i should do 98 hd steering, 3rd gen steering but then i have to reeem out my knuckles, or if i should custom build some hemi joint steering..

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ive also consiterd a ram asist. think it would be a little much... but would be kickass to have!

Don't do a "heim joint" steering set up on a street driven truck. That stuff is OK for off road race trucks that get checked every race and joints replaced before they fail. I believe heims in your steering would be more of a liability than it is worth. Just my 2 cents worth of opinion. (well 1 cent after taxes!)

yeah i think im going with the newer style hd t design not so much $ looks alot better than the set in my truck now!!

has anyone tryed the ram asist on there onroad/dd truck? i had built one for my jeep xj but it was strickly w00d$ farthest i did on road was out the driveway into the powerlines!

milleras diesel told me the 100 plate brings to high of egts and with make you over heat get a number 8 plate and shove it a little past half thats were i have mine it tows like a champ

#10 full forward, go and get that V.B and converter. Did mine tows anything does not get hot

yank the plate :pca1:

your foot will act as smoke control ;)

i did a #10 plate full forward seems to be working good not getting to hot dosent waste to much fuel im happy with it between the plate intake and exhaust it woke the truck up alot from stock