ram

  1. Cool Under the Blue Collar - Radiator R&D, Part 2: Prototype & Production

    Cool Under the Blue Collar - Radiator R&D, Part 2: Prototype & Production

    As the threads of the last bolt spun their way out, Jason hoisted the stock radiator out of the Ram's engine bay, over his head, and set it on the ground next to his workbench. With the radiator laying next to the truck, it was easy to see why we're making a replacement. The chiseled fenders and snarling grill of the 2017 Ram portray a truck built for power. The anemic core and plastic end tanks of the Ram's radiator, on the other hand, look like they come from a truck built to meet a budget.

    Dodge's most popular truck is not just a vehicle to get from point A to point B; it's a tool built to do what any tool does best: work. Like any good tool, much of the Ram's design focuses on reliability and its ability to take abuse day after day. You'd be hard pressed to find an engine more durable than the 6.7L Cummins turbo-diesel found in the 4th generation Ram 2500 and 3500. But despite its legendary reliability, the 6.7 Cummins still relies on some less than bullet-proof support to get the job

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  2. Cool Under the Blue Collar - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Intro

    Cool Under the Blue Collar - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Intro

    When I was growing up, rural Pennsylvania wasn't exactly the breadbasket of America, but there were some mirrors between the two. For every field, of which there were many, there was a farmer. For every new building, there was a contractor. Each small town, connected by the twisting back roads, had its own set of mechanics, builders, and craftsmen. And, for each of those hard-working men and women, there was a truck that worked just as hard.

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    The legendary reliability and power of the Dodge Ram has solidified the 2500 and 3500 as the preferred truck of many blue-collar Americans and their counterparts around the world. Whether it be hauling a bed full of lumber or a trailer loaded with ten tons of equipment, these trucks do work. The fourth-generation Ram is no exception to that mentality. With its bulky shoulders, tall stance and an engine capable of producing enough torque to stop the rotation of the solar system, there's no mistaking what these trucks were made for.

    As substantial as

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  3. The Mishimoto 2nd-Generation Cummins Intercooler, Part 4: Product Testing and Results

    The Mishimoto 2nd-Generation Cummins Intercooler, Part 4: Product Testing and Results

    Interested in picking up our 2nd Gen Cummins intercooler or intercooler pipe kit? Check out the product pages linked below!

    Dodge 5.9L Cummins Intercooler

    Dodge 5.9L Cummins Intercooler Pipe & Boot Kit

    After running into some testing issues (transmission problems) with one of our donor trucks, we began looking for a new truck to bring into the garage for data collection. We decided to target a modified truck, assuming those interested in our Cummins intercooler kit would better relate to any benefits we would see on something pushing more power. After putting out a request for local volunteers, we finally struck gold with a well modified 24V that was relatively local, and the owner was willing to make the drive to help us out.

    The Truck!

    We've had a lot of very interesting vehicles in our shop in the past - various diesel trucks, high-horsepower Evos and STIs, and even a couple of fairly strong V8-powered vehicles. This one certainly makes the top five for interesting and unique test vehicles.

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  4. The Mishimoto 2nd-Generation Cummins Intercooler, Part 3: Prototype Evaluation and Test Fit

    The Mishimoto 2nd-Generation Cummins Intercooler, Part 3: Prototype Evaluation and Test Fit

    Interested in picking up our 2nd Gen Cummins intercooler or intercooler pipe kit? Check out the product pages linked below!

    Dodge 5.9L Cummins Intercooler

    Dodge 5.9L Cummins Intercooler Pipe & Boot Kit

    Mishimoto intercooler dyno testing
    Mishimoto intercooler dyno testing

    We included a teaser shot of our prototype cooler toward the end of our last update. Now it is time to provide a more in-depth look at our intercooler.

    Mishimoto intercooler prototype
    Mishimoto intercooler prototype

    Keep in mind that this prototype is a raw unit, void of any painting or coating. Our end product will be finished with a powder coat in either silver or black.

    Mishimoto intercooler prototype
    Mishimoto intercooler prototype

    Mishimoto intercooler prototype
    Mishimoto intercooler prototype

    Mishimoto intercooler prototype
    Mishimoto intercooler prototype

    Check out our bar-and-plate core with some very nice welds!

    Mishimoto intercooler prototype core
    Mishimoto intercooler prototype core

    Mishimoto intercooler prototype welds
    Mishimoto intercooler prototype welds

    We are doing something a bit different with branding on this particular cooler. We decided to cast our company tag line into the driver-side end tank. It's subtle yet identifies the cooler

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  5. The Mishimoto 2nd-Generation Cummins Intercooler, Part 2: Factory Cooler Data and Mishimoto Design

    The Mishimoto 2nd-Generation Cummins Intercooler, Part 2: Factory Cooler Data and Mishimoto Design

    Interested in picking up our 2nd Gen Cummins intercooler or intercooler pipe kit? Check out the product pages linked below!

    Dodge 5.9L Cummins Intercooler

    Dodge 5.9L Cummins Intercooler Pipe & Boot Kit

    Cummins factory intercooler
    Cummins factory intercooler


    The factory inlet/outlet portions of this intercooler are quite interesting. They are shaped to route around the radiator support; however, this has a significant impact on the airflow through this part of the cooler. This bottleneck cannot be eliminated unless users want to grab the Sawzall and shred some steel. We will be looking to reduce this restriction as much as possible with our design. Here is a look at the factory setup.

    Factory intercooler outlet
    Factory intercooler outlet

    Factory intercooler outlet
    Factory intercooler outlet

    And a close-up shot of the tube-and-fin core.

    Factory intercooler core
    Factory intercooler core

    Factory Intercooler - Basic Dimensions

    A couple dimensions are shown in the images below to give you an idea of the size of the factory cooler, assuming you've never measured yours!

    Factory intercooler thickness
    Factory intercooler thickness
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  6. The Mishimoto 2nd-Generation Cummins Intercooler, Part 1: Project Intro and Factory Cooler Removal

    The Mishimoto 2nd-Generation Cummins Intercooler, Part 1: Project Intro and Factory Cooler Removal

    Interested in picking up our 2nd Gen Cummins intercooler or intercooler pipe kit? Check out the product pages linked below!

    Dodge 5.9L Cummins Intercooler

    Dodge 5.9L Cummins Intercooler Pipe & Boot Kit

    12V and 24V Cummins in shop
    12V and 24V Cummins in shop

    After being hounded by second-generation owners for months, our team decided it was time to fulfill their needs and develop an awesome intercooler upgrade for the 12V and 24V. We would be designing our cooler with a few key features that would set it apart from the factory unit.

    • Cast aluminum end tanks for smooth airflow and unmatched durability
    • Extremely efficient bar-and-plate core
    • Direct fit for the 12V and 24V second-generation trucks

    First Test Vehicle: 24V

    After hunting around for a few local vehicles, this 24V ended up in our shop. A big thank you to the vehicle owner for lending us his truck for development.

    24V Cummins in shop
    24V Cummins in shop

    Peering under the hood reveals a fairly clean engine bay.

    24V Cummins factory engine bay
    24V Cummins factory engine bay

    24V Cummins factory engine bay
    24V Cummins factory engine bay

    Factory

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  7. Mishimoto 2010-2012 Dodge 6.7L Cummins Intercooler, Part 5: Testing Results and Project Conclusion

    Mishimoto 2010-2012 Dodge 6.7L Cummins Intercooler, Part 5: Testing Results and Project Conclusion

    Interested in purchasing this Cummins Intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!

    Mishimoto Dodge 6.7L Cummins Intercooler

    Finally, the results are in! The testing of our 2010-2012 Cummins Performance Intercooler is complete. After months of development and weeks of testing, our team was extremely excited to crunch the numbers to see how our cooler compared to the stock unit. Before we jump into the actual data pulled from our dyno pulls, we will first compare the physical attributes of the Mishimoto cooler to the stock unit.

    Intercooler Physical Comparison

    First, our comparison of overall thicknesses of the stock and Mishimoto cores. This difference was displayed in an earlier post where we showed the actual measurements.

    Stock vs Mishimoto intercooler core thickness comparison (MMINT-RAM-10, Core Thickness)
    Stock vs Mishimoto intercooler core thickness comparison

    As seen in the chart above, we are doubling the thickness of the factory cooler. Due to the design and placement of the intercooler, AC condenser, and radiator, we were able to expand this unit

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  8. Mishimoto 2010-2012 Dodge 6.7L Cummins Performance Aluminum Radiator, Part 4: Physical Comparison, Testing Explanation, and Project Close

    Mishimoto 2010-2012 Dodge 6.7L Cummins Performance Aluminum Radiator, Part 4: Physical Comparison, Testing Explanation, and Project Close

    Interested in purchasing this Cummins radiator? Check out our product page for more information!

    Mishimoto Dodge 6.7L Cummins Aluminum Radiator

    Alright, it is finally time to see how our engineering team did with the development of this product! First, we measured the physical properties of the Mishimoto radiator compared to the factory radiator. Our first chart highlights the most common selling feature of a performance radiator: core thickness.

    Mishimoto vs. factory radiator core thickness
    Mishimoto vs. factory radiator core thickness

    We squeezed out as much additional core thickness as possible without causing any fitment concerns with factory equipment. The factory core came in at just under 1.7" thick, while the Mishimoto radiator measures 1.95" thick, making the Mishimoto radiator 13% thicker than the factory radiator. This additional core thickness allows our product to provide a greater fluid capacity and promote improved efficiency, which is reflected in the following charts. Our second chart shows the improvements made in

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  9. Mishimoto 2010-2012 Dodge 6.7L Cummins Intercooler, Part 4: Prototype Intercooler Testing

    Mishimoto 2010-2012 Dodge 6.7L Cummins Intercooler, Part 4: Prototype Intercooler Testing

    Interested in purchasing this Cummins Intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!

    Mishimoto Dodge 6.7L Cummins Intercooler

    Time to see how efficient our cooler design is! We would be pulling our test truck onto our Dynojet to collect the data needed to evaluate the intercooler fully. Check out the conditions of our testing procedure below!

    Testing Conditions

    Vehicle: 2010 Dodge Ram 6.7L Cummins, Automatic Transmission, Performance Air Intake, Exhaust Modifications, Tune

    Ambient Temperature: 70°F-76°F

    Sensors: PLX Devices with Temperature sensors on both the intercooler inlet and outlet

    Process: 6th-gear pulls from 1,800 rpm to 3,200 rpm, with 4-minute breaks between each pull

    Variable: Intercoolers were swapped on the dyno to ensure conditions were identical between the pulls.

    Check out a few shots of this truck on the dyno!

    6.7L Cummins test truck on dyno
    6.7L Cummins test truck on dyno

    6.7L Cummins test truck on dyno
    6.7L Cummins test truck on dyno

    The wiring harness you see coming from the engine bay connects to our temperature

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  10. Mishimoto 2010-2012 Dodge 6.7L Cummins Performance Aluminum Radiator, Part 3: Prototype Installation

    Mishimoto 2010-2012 Dodge 6.7L Cummins Performance Aluminum Radiator, Part 3: Prototype Installation

    Interested in purchasing this Cummins radiator? Check out our product page for more information!

    Mishimoto Dodge 6.7L Cummins Aluminum Radiator

    Time to install our prototype radiator into a test vehicle to make sure that it fits perfectly. Luckily, we were able to check fitment on the same donor vehicle we used for our last round of testing. Once the truck rolled into the shop, we quickly installed our prototype radiator shown at the end of our last post. Check out a few shots taken during the installation process!

    Mishimoto 6.7L Cummins radiator prototype installed
    Mishimoto 6.7L Cummins radiator prototype installed

    Mishimoto 6.7L Cummins radiator prototype installed
    Mishimoto 6.7L Cummins radiator prototype installed

    Mishimoto 6.7L Cummins radiator prototype installed
    Mishimoto 6.7L Cummins radiator prototype installed

    Mishimoto 6.7L Cummins radiator prototype installed
    Mishimoto 6.7L Cummins radiator prototype installed

    Once we confirmed that the primary radiator mounting points fit perfectly, we installed the shrouding for the top of the radiator as well as the mechanical fan and shroud. As with any test fit, we checked critical clearances to ensure that hoses and electrical components

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