Diesel Engine Modifications and Technical Articles Archives

High School Cummins Swap: The Story Of A Student-Built, 6BT-Powered F-350

By Featured Writer Mike McGlothlin Despite the decline in skilled trades courses offered at American high schools, hundreds (if not thousands) of programs have survived the college-or-nothing craze that has swept through the country’s education system. Huntley Project High School in Worden, Montana is one such institution. Here, in a town of just 480…

Indirect Injection Vs. Direct Injection Engines

By Featured Writer Mike McGlothlin In the modern age of diesel technology, the term direct injection (DI) is something we’re all familiar with, or have at least heard about. This is because the majority of all commercially produced compression ignition power plants at the present time feature direct injection. But what about indirect injection (IDI),…

What Problems Does The 5.9L Cummins Have?

By Featured Writer Mike McGlothlin Mechanical problems aren’t normally associated with the Cummins B series but, as is the case with any lineage of engines, even the most renowned versions have their weak points. When it comes to the 6BT and pre-common-rail ISB 5.9L mills (the Cummins found in ’89-’02 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500’s),…

Internal Combustion Engines How does an internal combustion engine work? Let’s go a bit deeper than the usual “suck, squeeze, bang, blow” spiel you usually get. Combustion, also known as just burning, is the chemical process of producing energy from a mixture of fuel and air. The clue is in the name, in an internal…

1) Cummins 6BT 5.9 The Cummins 6BT 5.9 is a straight-up, solid, reliable engine. With 25 years’ service in commercial marine applications, it is a popular choice for many, for a variety of reasons. The 6BT can be set up with Keel cooling, Heat Exchanged cooling, dry exhaust, wet exhaust, and an array of PTO…

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin For truck lovers, off-roaders, sled pullers, drag racers, and rat-rod builders alike, there is an undeniable glamor factor associated with a Cummins swap. Whether it’s a 4BT, 6BT, or a late-model common-rail engine, the promise of improved fuel efficiency, endless low-end torque, and million-mile durability is the ultimate selling point.…

How To Test and Service Your Cummins Injectors

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin Despite how durable the mechanical fuel injectors are in the ’89-’02 5.9L Cummins engines, they’re still a wear item. That means that even though this ultra-simple, single-shot injectors are known to last 400,000 miles or more, eventually they’ll need to be serviced. Whether the owner notices a change in performance,…

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin On any internal combustion engine, compression is what makes the world go ‘round. For diesel engines, where compression is often at least double what you see in a typical gasoline engine, it means everything. Not surprisingly, being down on compression means you’re down on power—and that can’t happen when you’ve…

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin Blow-by is a term that tends to worry the average internal combustion engine owner. It’s the result of combustion pressure and gases leaking into an engine’s crankcase—and it is often associated with engine failure. However, it may surprise many to learn that every engine produces some amount of blow-by. And…

Everyone has heard of Caterpillar (CAT) engines, whether you’re an engine enthusiast or just an average joe. If you haven’t heard of them, you’ll likely recognize their logo at the very least. Cat or Caterpillar Inc. is a renowned engine manufacturer that has been around since 1925. Cat and their founding fathers have a remarkable…

4BT Vs. 6BT Cummins: Which Is The Better Swap Candidate?

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin There’s no question that diesel swaps have become commonplace in cars, trucks, and off-road culture in recent years, and the Cummins name is at the top of the most desirable candidates you’ll find. But of the six-cylinder or four-cylinder B-series variety, which mechanical-injection power plant is a better choice? For…

6BT vs. ISB: Comparing the P-pumped 12-Valve Cummins To Its 24-Valve Successor

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin The promise of medium-duty capability in a light-duty application has always made the 12-valve 6BT 5.9L Cummins an easy sell for Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 owners. The cast-iron inline-six is about as robust as an anvil, features a simple 2-valve per cylinder design, and—thanks to having the kind of…

How (and Why) the 4BT Cummins Is So Popular

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin If it fits, it ships—but if it outperforms, outruns, and outlasts everything else at the same time then it’s probably worth having. We’re referring to the 4BT Cummins, of course. With its packageable dimensions, abundance of low-rpm torque, overland-friendly fuel efficiency, and decades-long durability it’s become a household name in…

What’s Required to Outfit Your Jeep Wrangler With A 4BT Cummins

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin It’s durable, it’s reliable, it provides unmatched off-idle torque, and it can double a vehicle’s fuel economy. No wonder the 4BT Cummins has become one of the premier engines for swap projects. And perhaps no other group of enthusiasts has taken to the industrial strength 3.9L diesel quite like Jeep…

Everything You Need to Know About Engine Break In Oils

Oil is the blood that keeps an engine alive, this sacred fluid lubricates, cools, cleans and prevents wear. If oil changes are not carried out at the required intervals, metal, dirt, soot and other particles can build up in your oil, (a lot of this is too small to be caught in the filter) also…