A 500-HP Cummins [Anyone Can Build]

It seems like 500 horsepower to the rear wheels is a magical number that everyone gets excited over. Whether they own a Duramax-powered GM, a Cummins-powered Dodge, or a Power Stroke-equipped Ford, five-something seems like the bare minimum horsepower that most want to see. And it doesn’t always come easy.

Take Michael Barcellos’ Dodge for example. When he bought the truck barely running for $900, he knew he’d have an uphill battle. The 1997 was rated at 160 hp at the flywheel, which means that 500 rear-wheel hp was eons away, but not impossible. You see, even with a 20-percent drivetrain loss (meaning he would need about 630 hp at the flywheel) adding another 470 horsepower isn’t as hard as one might think; it just takes some careful air and fuel modifications, which Barcellos soon set about performing.

First came reliability, as the engine was upgraded with ARP head studs, a new gasket, and a resurfaced head. And that’s it; that’s all that was done to the engine, save for a set of 60-lb. exhaust springs. The fuel and air side of the equation got a similar treatment, with good deals and specific choices geared towards a five-bill power level being made.

For starters, Barcellos got a good deal on a heavy-fueling 215-hp P7100 pump off another truck for $600 that would give him all the fuel he would need, rather than try and modify his existing 160-hp pump. A set of Hot Rod 370s from F1 Diesel and a Raptor 100 lift pump completed the equation. For air, Barcellos ditched the stock HX35 in favor of a 62mm Phat Shaft from Industrial Injection, which would create more boost, and also be more reliable. The 4-inch downpipe and 6-inch stack were the only other modifications that were made to the 5.9L Cummins 12-valve engine.

One thing Barcellos didn’t skimp on was the transmission. He knew he wanted to drag race, do burnouts, and other hooligan stuff with his Ram, so he had Brown’s Diesel in Riverdale, California, build him a unit that could take plenty of punishment. The 47RE was built with a Goerend valve body, triple-disc torque converter, and a billet input shaft that could withstand boosted launches. A BD flexplate was also added since the factory one becomes a weak link at more than three times the stock power level.

Other than the engine and transmission, the truck is remarkably stock, which lends to its sleeper nature. It has the factory positraction rear end, factory suspension, and, well, it’s uh, pretty beat up. Most people just think it’s another punk kid blowing smoke, but, nope.

Remember that mystical 500-hp number we memtioned? After some timing, and then even more timing, power went from 476 rwhp to 501 rwhp, and an even 630 (that’s at the wheels) with a dose of nitrous. Although it’s never been to the track, this Dodge is a solid 12-second truck based on its power and weight, and best of all, it was built simply, and on a budget. And that’s what hot rodding is all about. UDBG

“Adding another 470 horsepower on top of the stock 160 just takes some careful air and fuel modifications.”

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