1,000HP 12-Valve Cummins

It’s Not Impossible!

Just because the electronically controlled Cummins mills burn cleaner and are easier to fine-tune doesn’t mean street able 12-valve applications have gone into extinction. In the age of high-pressure common-rail injection, four-digit horsepower continues to be made more and more frequently. On the dyno, on the street, and certainly at the drag strip, common-rail has overtaken the mechanical injection monsters that used to rule the roost. Rest assured, plenty of innovation has occurred within the P-pump 5.9L world over the past decade. Turbo, cylinder head, camshaft, and fuel injection technology has continued to advance, which is to say the amount of street able horsepower has increased also.

Once thought of as a lofty goal, various breakthroughs in the diesel world have made it possible to build a 1,000hp 12-valve for street use. Year-round daily driver? No. Street able? Yes. There is a difference. Much of it boils down to smoke control and driving manners—both of which can be kept in check by piecing together the right combination of parts. Spec’ing out the best pump, injectors, turbo(s), hard-parts, and supporting hardware for your needs is the key to pulling off the four-digit feat, and then being able to enjoy that power reliably once it’s all buttoned up. The following pages are dedicated to helping you build the ultimate street-worthy common-rail killer.