Brig's '04 Ford Harley Truck: Cummins/Allison Combination

Brig’s ’04 Ford Harley Truck: Cummins/Allison Combination

There aren’t many trucks that are universally liked by everyone, but Brig Pannepacker’s ’04 Ford fits the bill. Not only is his truck a stylish Harley Edition, it mixes the best parts that the Big Three have to offer, with a Cummins engine and Allison 1,000 transmission shoved into the sturdy Ford frame. The drivetrain has also been extensively modified, and the Harley truck has put down a dyno-proven 770 horsepower to the rear tires in towing mode and crested 1,000 hp in an all-out race tune.

The 6.7L Cummins is a definite upgrade from the factory 6.0L Power Stroke diesel. Capable of more than 1,000 horsepower, the engine is turned down to 770 hp for regular street use. The conversion over to the Cummins was performed at Destroked and retains much of the factory heat, air conditioning, and cooling systems.

BRAVE HEART

When he first acquired the Harley truck, Brig knew he didn’t trust the 6.0L power plant that it came with, so it was immediately yanked. The Cummins engine that now resides in the engine bay is also a displacement bump as compared to the old engine, at 6.7L. Built with the help of Destroked, the inline-six has a number of internal upgrades, including connecting rods from Woodruff Diesel, coated pistons, ARP 625 head studs, and a Colt Big Stick camshaft. The head has also been O-ringed to help keep the engine’s cylinder pressure in the cylinder, where it should be.

The oversizeD 20-inch XD Series Rockstar wheels match the Harley's paint and stance perfectly, while 35x12.50R20 Toyo Open Country A/Ts provide a smooth ride. The custom remote-reservoir shocks are from King and part of a 4-link 4-inch lift conversion kit from Full Traction. — The oversized 20-inch XD Series Rockstar wheels match the paint and stance of the Harley truck perfectly, while 35×12.50R20 Toyo Open Country A/Ts provide a smooth ride. The custom remote-reservoir shocks are from King and part of a 4-link 4-inch lift conversion kit from Full Traction.

TURBOCHARGED

Since Brig lives fairly high up in elevation, the reliability and drivability of compound turbochargers won out over the simplicity of a single turbo. The smaller of the two turbos is a 64mm S300 from Engineered Diesel, while the bigger of the two is a 75mm S400 that has a 90-degree cover from Destroked. Together, both chargers push an impressive 70 pounds of boost through a Banks intercooler and into the engine. The Harley truck engine’s injection system has also been heavily modified for performance. Twin CP3 pumps now keep rail pressure up and feed massive injectors from Industrial Injection, which are rated at 300 hp more than stock. The final touch was a water-methanol injection kit from Snow Performance, which helps control EGT when towing heavy loads.

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Backing the well-engineered Cummins combination is an equally built Allison 1000 six-speed transmission. Built by Destroked, the Allison has added clutches, a revised valve body, and a triple-disc converter from Precision Industries. Destroked also provided the adapters for the transmission-to-engine and transfer case connections.

The enormous AFE air filter is the first thing that most people spot when they see the engine, which feeds air to a 75mm S400 turbocharger that has been modified by Destroked. — The enormous aFe air filter is the first thing that most people spot when they see the engine, which feeds air to a 75mm S400 turbocharger that has been modified by Destroked.

After the air is initially compressed by the big turbo, it is then fed through a 64mm turbocharger built by Engineered Diesel, which sends a whopping 70psi of boost through a Banks Power Stroke intercooler and into the engine.

More than 1,200 hp worth of fuel is on tap thanks to a twin CP3 kit from ATS, with a custom pulley from Destroked. The very large 300-hp injectors from Industrial Injection are kept in check with a Zeus ECM, which allows a perfect match between the fuel and air curves of the engine.

The Allison 1000 transmission that handles the 6.7L's estimated 1,800 lb-ft of torque was built by Scott Countryman at Destroked and adapted to the Cummins engine with one of the company's adapters. The rest of the Ford's driveline remains unchanged, thanks to an adapter to the factory 273 transfer case. — The Allison 1000 transmission that handles the 6.7L’s estimated 1,800 lb-ft of torque was built by Scott Countryman at Destroked and adapted to the Cummins engine with one of the company’s adapters. The rest of the Ford’s driveline remains unchanged, thanks to an adapter to the factory 273 transfer case.

The rear suspension has been extensively upgraded to handle the massive loads that Brig often has in tow. A set of progressive rate springs from Deaver lift the truck slightly to match the front, while Bilstein shocks and Firestone airbags help with support under load. — The rear suspension has been extensively upgraded to handle the massive loads that Brig often has in tow. A set of progressive rate springs from Deaver lift the Harley truck slightly to match the front, while Bilstein shocks and Firestone airbags help with support under load.

Since Brig occasionally goes off-road (although you'd never know it by the condition of the truck) a large LED light bar from Rigid Industries, a Fab Fours bumper and Warn winch keep the truck out of trouble. — Since Brig occasionally goes off-road (although you’d never know it by the condition of the truck) a large LED light bar from Rigid Industries, a Fab Fours bumper and Warn winch keep the Harley truck out of trouble.

DREAM TEAM

After the basic Cummins/Allison combination was figured out, there was still a matter of controlling both the engine and transmission. Here Brig went a path less travelled and installed a complete stand-alone Zeus ECM with the help of Destroked owner Scott Countryman. Nearly infinitely adjustable, the Zeus can be programmed with custom fueling, timing, and rpm limits to give full control over the Cummins engine. In addition to the Zeus, a stand-along Allison controller from Destroked was also added, which allows the use of such niceties like tow-haul mode, a tap shifter, and EFILive for tuning.

With such a nice powertrain, Brig wasn’t about to let the rest of the truck stay stock. With help from his buddies Chris Wilson, Mark Buehrle, and Josh Pannepacker, Brig and his crew started on modifying the Ford’s suspension and interior. The front of the Harley truck was upgraded with a 4-inch 4-link conversion from Full Traction with King coil-over shocks. The steering also received assistance in the form of a hydraulic assist from PSC. Out back, Firestone airbags, Bilstein shocks, and custom-arched Deaver progressive springs give the rear of the truck a lift and extra support.

The back seats in the Harley are just as comfortable as the front and even have their own center console. — The back seats in the Harley truck are just as comfortable as the front and even have their own center console.

The rest of the interior also has a number of niceties that Bring incorporated into the build. The center console for instance, has this cool I-Pad holder so Brig can watch movies while he's towing (we're kidding). — The rest of the interior also has a number of niceties that Bring incorporated into the build. The center console for instance, has this cool I-Pad holder so Brig can watch movies while he’s towing (we’re kidding).

The rear of the truck has also been modified, with a functional and understated rear bumper from Fab Fours. — The rear of the Harley truck has also been modified, with a functional and understated rear bumper from Fab Fours.

In the bed, a gooseneck hitch hints at the capability of Brig's Harley. The toolbox has even been modified with the installation of an internal water-methanol tank that helps the Harley keep its speed up when pulling long grades. — In the bed, a gooseneck hitch hints at the capability of Brig’s Harley truck. The toolbox has even been modified with the installation of an internal water-methanol tank that helps the Harley truck keep its speed up when pulling long grades.

BRIG’S BIG RIG

With a reliable and fully tunable powertrain, and extremely capable chassis, Brig now finally had the Ford that he’s always wanted. After making a number of both exterior and interior upgrades, the ’04 has looks that are hard to beat and a cabin that’s extremely comfortable on road trips. Brig reported that he’s grossed more than 30,000 pounds with his Harley, so nobody can question the Harley truck’s capability. We even got a chance to drive the big Ford, and we honestly can’t think of a better combination of looks, power, and durability than Brig’s big rig. DW

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Surajpal Singh Bisht

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