For insurance, minor valvetrain upgrades and head studs are preferred, but other than that the path to making 550-hp (or more) is clear. In a nutshell, it calls for a set of 150hp injectors, a hotrod VP44, a chassis-mounted electric lift pump system, a turbo upgrade, and the right tuning. This time, we’re examining a 550hp part’s recipe we’ve seen play out on the dyno time and again. Case in point, many seem to forget how easy it is-especially in the modern era-to reach 500-hp with the 24-valve platform. Sure you’re not going to squeeze 650hp out of a mild set of injectors and a turbo upgrade like you can on a common-rail, or unlock 100 extra ponies for free like you can with a P-pumped 12-valve, but the VP44-fueled 24-valve can still be made to turn out respectable horsepower. Aside from the way it compared, stock, to the outgoing 12-valve it replaced in 1998, the 24-valve Cummins has never really received its due credit for horsepower potential. The second installment in this underdog diesel series brings us to the VP44-fueled, 24-valve 5.9L ISB Cummins that powered second-gen trucks from ’98.5-’02.
The Blueprint For Making Your 24-Valve Cummins Relevant In Today’s High-Horsepower World
