Chrysler to re-engine its big Rams?

As Nissan and Cummins Inc. prepare the ground for the launch of the Japanese company’s Titan pick-up truck, questions arise as to whether Chrysler will seize the opportunity to re-engine its Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 pick-up trucks with the Cummins new V8 engine.

Chrysler’s Ram pick-up truck operation shows both the Ram 2500 and the Ram 3500 pick-up trucks as being available with the Cummins 6.7-litre I6 diesel engine.

Senior managers, sales staff and engineers will need to weigh up the potential gains of offering the new Cummins V8 Turbo Diesel against the costs of re-engineering the vehicle to accommodate the more compact V8 configuration.

In Europe, the ISB engine is offered in both four and six cylinder form in DAF’s LF range of commercial vehicles. The four cylinder 4.5-litre engine, a much redesigned and lighter weight (and cheaper) engine, now imported from China, is used in DAF trucks spanning the range 7.5 to 10 tonnes, while the larger 6.7-litre I6 in-line engine, still available from Cummins plant in Darlington, UK, serves in trucks up to 18 tonnes. Both engines meet Euro 6 requirements and thus have the full complement of EGR and SCR emissions equipment.

But in North America, Chrysler management, which has long used Cummins engines in its vehicles, will have to assess the benefits of installing the latest engine from the Columbus Engine Plant in the largest of their pick-up trucks.

With Ford already installing its 6.7-litre V8 diesel in the largest of its F-Series pick-up trucks, Chrysler management may wish to follow suit with the brand new 5-litre V8 from Indiana.

The Ford engine, built in the Chihuahua Engine Plant CEP) in Mexico uses a compacted graphite iron (CGI) cylinder block. Cummins latest V8 also uses a CGI cylinder block, also sourced from the same foundry in Brazil, namely Tupy SA of Joinville.

One question might be: Has Cummins the capacity at its Columbus, Indiana engine plant to supply Chrysler? ∎