High Torque/Low Temperatures
With all of the power beginning to manifest itself in the engine, a question of the transmission's integrity surfaced.
“I looked at the specs on the old converter and it was only rated for 550 foot pounds of torque,” says Unruh. “I knew I was on borrowed time if I didn't do something about it soon.”
Lifting the truck and dropping the transmission, Unruh went to work on removing the old torque converter. With the Dodge in a static state, all fluids had previously been drained, so the old converter was removed without much mess or delay. Wanting to make sure the converter would hold up to anything, getting a more powerful—even excessively powerful—converter would lay any concerns in the future to rest. The transmission had a full rebuild not long before Unruh purchased the truck, so replacing the clutches and shafts didn't present itself as a problem in the interim.
Unruh's hard work and research led him to the F3 Torque Converter from aFe Power, which would comfortably operate in the Warhorse to power upward of 1000 horsepower. Unruh prepped the F3 converter with the required 1 quart of transmission fluid and introduced it to its permanent home in the transmission. With the peace of mind given by the new, incredibly powerful converter and the tranny back in its rightful place, Unruh prepared for the final modification that would be done under the hood.
Temperatures are always a concern in a diesel, and they become an exponentially growing problem in heavily modified trucks. The stock intercooler wasn't up to the task, so to mitigate any temperature issues and deliver crisp, cool air to the engine, Unruh called on aFe Power once again to assist in feeding the Cummins. A Bladerunner intercooler was the perfect choice for delivering the dense, cold air that the 5.9L monster would need. With lightning movement and the right tools, Unruh fit the new intercooler into the Warhorse without breaking a sweat. All of this upgraded equipment would undoubtedly help regulate temperatures and provide extra muscle to the Warhorse, but Unruh wanted to keep track of everything going on in the Dodge, and for that, the next lineup of installs would boost fuel delivery and monitor the Dodge's vitals.