Trying to find out if we can tweek the cummins its a 1991 with a 5.9??

You want to know how to get more power from a 5.9? MWrench turned up a few at the DC GTG... Maybe we can get him to tell us what he did?

So how about it Ed... Care to tell the masses what you did to bump up the power?

Ed cranked up my 8.3 and it performed immensely better in the mountains on our way from Florida to NH. I'll leave it to him to give the details, but don't get your hopes up too high as Ed and I both have original California delivered diesels that were set for optimum emissions. I'm not sure there will be as much to gain on rigs delivered in states that aren't so strict.

In any case, Ed is a genius in my eyes. Well Ed and Bill are both geniuses when it comes to diagnosis and upgrades on these Barths.

I took ours from 190HP to just under 400HP. At that it had to much power and I didn't want to break things. So cranked it back down to an estimated 275-300.

When I got the Barth it has the banks spit income manifold and a banks turbo, but it still sucked. Added a different fuel cam. Better, but not much. Problem was also the transmission was only good for 230hp in top condition. ours wasn't. So out came the 542 and in went a 2000 5 speed with lockup converter.

And finally I changed injectors. All I can say is WOW. Lookout world. Now I had to back it off. I'm now very happy with performance and fuel economy went up.

So yup, you can do it. The 5.9 12 valve will go to 800hp in some marine apps. Just gotta keep it cool.

I should add it depends on which injector pump you have. You need the bosch.

by how much did fuel economy improve?

a little over 1mpg

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Carter:
I should add it depends on which injector pump you have. You need the bosch.

OK, Gary, I've got it, you swapped out to a Bosch injector pump.

Can you fill me in on the model, etc?

Thanks.

Steve

Our engine had the bosch pump, I just changed the fuel plate. Some of the engines had a different pump. The bosch has inline injector output and the other one looks like a distributor.

Judy, if you have an original 1991 engine, it probably does not have the large, inline "P" pump.
If I am right, you are unable to increase the high pressure pump output easily. You will need BANKS turbo and manifold mod$$ to get beyond 160-190hp.

Gary, which plate no. did you install, like 10 or 11? I thinking of doing that so as to get 220-230hp out of the P pump on our newer Cummins Recon engine. I am puzzled as to why most places sell the plate (with bolt and elbow) for about $200 but a vendor on ebay has the kit for only about $30?!
I am not interested in changing governor, injectors, manifold, turbo, exhaust or anything more radical than replacing and/or sliding the throttle stop plate.