Transformation of a 12-Valve Cummins-Powered Dodge 2500

Cody Helms’ 12-Valve Cummins-Powered Dodge 2500

For those who have a competitive nature, getting past the ‘if you’re not first, you’re last’ mentality when things don’t go as planned is far easier to say than do—especially when it comes to racing. Most would think that those with the fattest wallets ultimately rule the track, and while there may be some unfortunate truth to that, knowledge and determination have proven to be just as valuable when it comes to posting the fastest times.

Starting Line 

Just like most of us, Cody Helms of Ruby, South Carolina, doesn’t have an unlimited bank account. What he does have is the know-how and level of experience to learn from each race instead of being discouraged by them. As an avid diesel enthusiast and repeat participant at the Ultimate Callout Challenge, Cody has steadily increased the performance of his 1997 Dodge 2500 from his first year out, which he would even admit was a less-than-ideal starting point. Instead of submitting to the sting of defeat, he went back to the drawing board and began tuning and swapping parts to make his turbocharged 12-valve Cummins run much more efficiently and quicker than that stale first race at UCC.

Although Cody had some work left to do in order to come back with a stronger, faster truck, he had many resources available at his fingertips to make it happen as he is the owner/operator of HDP Performance. His shop specializes in complete diesel service and repair, and of course, performance when demanded, so he was in a great position to make the most of being back in the lab, doing what he could between paying customer work. “This project began as a fun street truck”, Cody admits. “Every year, it just got faster and faster up to its present condition, and there is still more that I plan to do when I have the extra time and cash to throw at it.”

“This project began as a fun street truck. Every year, it just got faster and faster up to its present condition…”

Bigger, Better, Faster

Starting out, Cody’s Dodge was introduced to the UCC event as a 6.70 truck so he could get a comfortable taste for the track life. The next two years, his truck returned in the 6.20 and 6.30 classes, and most recently revisited the 2023 edition of the show as a 5.90 entry. To get to this point in a matter of a few years, a solid amount of high performance, relatively moderately priced modifications were made. Slowly but surely, Cody also shaved as much weight from the truck wherever he could get away with it—a modification that requires little to no dough at all. From there, he swapped out the old 12mm fuel pump that wasn’t really serving the engine much at that point, and instead made the leap to a 13mm unit, as well as a Stainless Diesel S485 turbo, and a Steed Speed T6 132 manifold.

Things were soon looking up and continued to do so with the inclusion of other go-fast items in the way of an O-ringed and ported head, Wagler Street Fighter rods, Mahle forged pistons, Manton pushrods, and other parts that came together to make a very noticeable difference in the performance of Cody’s truck. While the 1997 Chrysler 48RE transmission is still going strong, it was updated with a customized Revmax torque converter that was specifically made to match the output of the Cummins. This is one of the turning points that helped propel Cody’s 2500 into the direction he was hoping to take it much sooner than later.

“Slowly but surely, Cody also shaved as much weight from the truck wherever he could get away with it—a modification that requires little to no dough at all.”

From The Ground Up

Having a responsive suspension system in place also doesn’t hurt in overall performance, and the combination of Firepunk lowering coils and Bilstein shocks up front and QA1 coilover units at the rear assist in minimizing road vibration to keep the Dodge barreling down its path smoothly and comfortably. Cody teamed up with Freeman Fabrication to install the suspension components and create rear adjustable ladder bars to further promote the best possible ride quality while out on the track.

“Building a truck to perform at this level is not as easy as it looks, and it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think.”

With other additions in the way of seats from Rhodes Race Cars and a custom wrap proudly emblazoned with Revmax logs and graphics, Cody’s Dodge is looking and feeling much more like a worthier track-ready vehicle. While there is still a lot more to do, he can stop and appreciate just how far his truck has come in just a couple short years. “I’ve had many learning experiences making big power with an all-mechanical engine”, Cody states. “I’ve studied the failures closely, and what caused them in order to correct the issue the next time around. Building a truck to perform at this level is not as easy as it looks, and it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think. Also, I always suggest to people to talk to others with similar builds to learn different methods of doing things. That could prove to make the biggest difference when trying to get to the next stage.”

1997 Dodge 2500

Owner

Cody Helms

Ruby, SC

Chassis & Suspension

• Factory 1997 Dodge frame
• Shop: HDP Performance and Freeman Fab
• Firepunk lowering coils
• Bilstein front shocks and stabilizer
• QA1 coilovers
• Adjustable ladder bars on rear with coilovers and anti-roll bar
• RedHead steering box
• 3-gallon fuel tank

Wheels, Tires & Brakes

• 15-inch Bart wheels
• Mickey Thompson ET Drag tires
• Front and rear disc brakes
• OEM master cylinder

Engine & Drivetrain

• 1997 Cummins 5.9L inline-6
• Shop: HDP Performance, Ruby, SC
• Stainless Diesel S485 turbo
• Wagler Street Fighter connecting rods
• Mahle forged race pistons
• Total Seal gapless rings
• ARP rod bolts and main studs
• Welded crank/cam gear
• Colt camshaft
• OEM O-ringed heads
• Farrell Diesel Service fuel injection
• Steed Speed T6 headers
• Scheid Diesel adjustable pump drive gear and injection lines
• On3 Performance intercooler
• Manton valvetrain
• 1997 Chrysler 48RE
• TCI Outlaw shifter
• REVMAX custom torque converter
• Derale transmission cooler in bed
• Full billet shafts all the way through, billet servos, drum, accumulator and full constant pressure valve body
• OEM new process transfer case
• Balanced OEM shafts with solid U-joints serviced by Driveline Services, Monroe, NC
• Dana 60 front axle, Dana 80 rear axle

Body & Paint

• OEM grille and sport bumpers
• Exterior wrap by Charlotte Vehicle Wraps

Interior & Stereo

• Summit Racing seats
• Rhodes Race Cars roll cage
  • PCS 2000 instrumentation