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Power to the p-pump: injecting new life into a 24-value Cummins

If you own a ’98.5-’02 Dodge Ram 2500 or 3500 powered by the 24-valve version of Cummins’ 5.9L inline-six diesel, chances are you’ve suffered a failed injection pump, replaced a lift pump or even experienced an ECM gremlin or two. Chances are also good that your old Dodge struggles to keep up with newer trucks, even though you’ve added more power via programmer, larger injectors or a different turbo.

By now you know that the VP44 injection pump is limited in its high-rpm fueling abilities — that it’s left you stranded in the past (and likely will again) — and you’re ready to throw in the towel. But what if there was a way to improve injection system reliability and add considerable horsepower at the same time? Instead of trading in your old workhorse for a brand new, $70,000 steed with common-rail injection and all the other modern day bells and whistles, there is a relatively inexpensive fix for the 24-valve Cummins’ injection system woes. The solution? A P-pump swap.

That’s right — reverting back to the mechanical injection system that made the ’94-’98 Dodge Rams so legendary. For starters, a P-pump (Bosch P7100) adds dependability and hundreds of horsepower to the equation. On top of that, in the case of the ’98.5-’02 trucks, the added fueling and rpm capabilities afforded by the P7100 are combined with the higher flowing 24-valve cylinder head, resulting in vastly improved drivability.

Follow along as we highlight key components required in pulling off a P-pump conversion. This is how you make a 24-valve Cummins worth keeping!

Victim of Circumstance

This is a Bosch VP44, the factory injection pump employed on all ’98.5-’02 24-valve 5.9L Cummins engines. It’s an electronically controlled and regulated, distributor-style pump (also known as a rotary type) that was chosen to fuel the 24-valve due to its ability to meet the emissions standards of the late ‘90s. The VP44 is equipped with a computer (EDC) married to the top of it, which monitors and precisely adjusts in-cylinder fueling. Fuel metering is performed independent of engine speed.