A Partnership Made In Heaven: Cummins Diesel and RAM Trucks

Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel (2021)

When we think of "barnstorming" the image that comes to mind is that of airplane stunts by rural daredevils who would fly town to town back in the 1930s. There was something romantic about these aerobatic flyboys. 

Barnstorming didn't apply only to pilots however. The makers of Cummins engines also did some barnstorming themselves, in their own way. They orchestrated events to showcase their benefits and win fans.

While reading the 100-years-plus history of the Cummins engine I came across this account from 1931 in which a Cummins H-powered diesel truck drove 14,600 miles non-stop to show off its reliability over a long haul. For the sake of transparency, so that no hanky-panky could take place, the event was conducted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in front of witnesses. 

What's striking is that more than 80 years later, the feature that sets diesel engines apart is not just the power they generate but also their reliability.

In 2019 Cummins completed a 30-year relationship with RAM trucks that began with the Cummins 5.9L Turbo Diesel. This year's 2021 6.7L Turbo Diesel generates even more horsepower and torque while continuing its tradition of durability and efficiency.

HD RAM 3500 Dodge pickups produce 1,075 lb-ft of torque when equipped with the Aisin transmission. And it is no laggard in the horsepower department either, with 420 hp.

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One of the great advantages of living in the Internet age, especially at this point in time, is that if you are new to the Diesel Cummins-powered RAM family, there are communities of RAM enthusiasts out there that you can reach out to in time of need, or just to stay current on things. The same applies to whatever engine that moves you, whether Duramax or Power Stroke as well. 

Whenever engine designs change there can be quirks you need to be aware of. Just switching over from a gasoline-powered vehicle to the diesel family can be a learning curve. For this reason we've included a list of hot-linked forums for easy access here in the right hand column. 

The Cummins Forum not only has troubleshooting tips, but interactive starter questions designed to address various issues. It's a great way to stay current on what's happening.

Related Links

The History of the Cummins Engine

Motor Trend's 10 Best Diesel Trucks Ever

Intro to Diesel World's Chronology of Vintage Diesel Light Trucks

1959 Land Rover Series II long wheelbase pickup

The history of transportation is fascinating. One of the most intriguing transition points in that history was the invention of the automobile. Before cars and trucks, horses were the mainstay of transportation. When automobiles entered the picture, the only clue that horses preceded them was that we still use horsepower as a measurement.

Even though the diesel engine had been developed in the 1890's, the early 20th century became a battleground between gasoline powered engines and electric. In fact, electric cars were so popular that half of all automobiles were electric. The problem they had, however, was two-fold. They were not reliable, and there was a limit to how far you could drive on one charge, which was about 17 miles. A trip from New York to Boston would indeed be a problem. How many charging stations were there between home and any out of town destination?

Gasoline-powered cars weren't exactly safe either, though. If you've ever see old films from the beginning of the 20th century, you may recall seeing hand-cranks to start the car. More than a few car owners were crushed inside their garages when they cranked it, got it started and it lurched forward. The electric starter was a most welcome invention indeed. An oil boom made gasoline cheap and the path ahead became clear and easy. 

All these thoughts came to mind as I was reading the introduction to Jim Allen's 2019 Diesel World article "A Chronology of Vintage Diesel Light Trucks in America." His intro to the history of diesel light trucks begins with an important fact about diesel engines. In the beginning these beasts were massive. Allen writes, "In the early days of diesel engines, downsizing them was a huge challenge. Given enough capital, engineers can work through almost any technical challenge. But investors was a return on investment so there needs to be market incentive."

In short, the pace of development was dictated by market demand and the incentives weren't there. By the 1930s they could be fit into big trucks, some watercraft and other applications. Then the war came along, accelerating many new developments. After the war diesel engines were downsized enough to where a light truck market could development, but there were still further technical kinks to work out. 

The first issue was the problem of batteries. In frigid weather it took a lot of batteries to cold start a diesel engine. This mean that even though the engines were smaller, there still wasn't room in the engine compartment for those extra batteries. Starting a diesel engine wasn't so easy to begin with, and the public wasn't ready to embrace it. And initially, they didn't have the power we have all come to appreciate today. A V-8 under the hood could run circles around those 1950s diesels.

Early direct injection Mercedes-Benz OM 352

Then there was that other hurdle to get over. The infrastructure for diesel fueling was not yet in place either. That's one of the factors that killed the enthusiasm for electric cars in the first decade of the century, and diesel owners faced the same dilemma. 

By the 1970s, Allen write, the U.S. diesel market was at least 20 years behind where our European counterparts were. And then the 1973 gas crunch his. Suddenly, diesels began getting some respect for their fuel economy benefits. Until that time, light duty diesel trucks were something only nerdy people appreciated. Afterwards, the perception was that these people had been quite forward looking. And once infrastructure development was in place, it was possible to have a serious diesel car and truck market.

Not every move toward diesel went smoothly though. Oldsmobile's diesel cars were not a high water mark for the Oldsmobile brand. Allen calls that effort part of Olds' "Days of Infamy." Fiasco, disaster and a few other words come to mind, with much weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But the diesel light truck market came through alright, even if U.S. diesel cars never fully realized their potential. 

Against this backdrop, Diesel World presents an overview of the various vintage diesel trucks that were part of our history. It's a little like researching one's genealogy. With the exception of a few "oddballs" they've dug out all the important contributions that were made through the decades. 

Part one of that story can be found here:
https://www.dieselworldmag.com/diesel-trucks/vintage-diesel-light-trucks-part-one/

Rudolph Diesel and the Birth of Diesel Power

I've always loved reading biographies. Perhaps it's because every person has a history and it's intriguing to learn about the early influences of people who have later become influential. Rudolf Diesel is one of these.

The name sounds so German you would think he was born in Munich or Heidelberg, but no, he was born in Paris, to German immigrants there, in 1858. A few weeks later he was given away to a farmer family in Vincennes, only to be returned nine months later.

How this experience informed his later development is unknown but when the Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870 the family was forced to leave France. Why they did not return to Germany but instead went to London is also a curious development. Instead, they sent young Rudolf back to Germany to live with relatives in Augsburg. At age 14 he wrote a letter to his parents saying he wanted to be an engineer.

For what it's worth, this incident reminds me of a joke, if I may digress here. 

What is European Heaven? British humor, French cuisine and German engineering.

What is European Hell? British cuisine, French engineering and German humor.

To verify the facts of these stereotypes, my father wished me to also be an engineer, so while in high school I was encouraged to study German.

Diesel proceeded to study engineering in Munich, where he graduated with honors. His first efforts upon graduation were related to refrigeration, which he pursued with his former professor, now in Paris. After acquiring numerous patents in that field he went on to do research and development on steam engine technology. This ultimately led to the development of an internal combustion engine, since his ultimate goal was the maximum efficient production of power.

Because he understood thermodynamics and the practical limits of fuel efficiency he knew that steam power wastes as much as 90% of the power potential of the fuel. This knowledge is what inspired him to do whatever it would take to develop the engine that now bears his name.

Diesel power is the result of applied science, at the dawn of an emerging scientific era. The first successful Diesel engine, now on display at the German Technical Museum, ran in 1897.

There's little doubt in my mind that Rudolf Diesel would be astonished to see how far his original ideas have been developed and the power supplied by a diesel engine today

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Diesel

In the Beginning There Was a Need for Performance

Diesel. Power. Performance. History. Nostalgia. The smell of burnt rubber.

Blue Flame Diesel Oil was central to all of that.

With the same idea in mind, the Blue Flame Blogger hopes to become a central resource for everyone who still has a passion for Performance with a capital P.

If we learned anything this year, it's that we can never take tomorrow for granted. Just around the next bend in the road after you just missed hitting a deer, you find a huge detour sign at Mile 2020.

The good part is that All Things Must Pass. Eventually we'll be looking at 2020 through the rear-view mirrors.

As much as possible it's my goal to become a resource for everyone everywhere who's involved with diesel performance in any capacity. It's my hope that I and my team of ne'er-do-wells can keep you current with major market trends and pricing issues, government regs, who the players are and all the happenings that will emerge or re-emerge in the months ahead.

It's a long and winding road on the highway of life, but when you're doing a tractor pull, straight ahead is the way to go. Todo derecho, hombre.

Let's get real. You only live once.