Patrick Runge’s 2018 RAM 3500

Patrick Runge’s American Diesel Power shop hasn’t been around for decades, but that hasn’t stopped him from making his mark. Patrick takes an old-school hot rod approach and mixes it with technical knowhow to developing his own products. Think it. Make it. Prove it.

Patrick recently decided he was going to take a swing at disproving a myth. “There’s always been a debate on whether an aftermarket intake and DPF-back exhaust make any difference in performance on a stock truck,” explained Patrick. “A lot of people say no, but I’ve always said yes, and I thought it’d be easy enough to prove.”

“I took my 2018 RAM 3500 back to stock and put it on the dyno. Installing the Banks Ram-Air Intake and 5″ Monster Exhaust DPF-back exhaust netted 16-wheel horsepower and 59-lb ft of torque on a completely stock tune, and that was on a bad day. The days that I dyno’ed the trucks on were different, and so was the humidity. Stock dyno day was at 41% humidity and the day with Ram-Air Intake and Monster Exhaust on was 98%, and there was a five-degree difference. The extra humidity really robbed the pair of their power-making potential, but you can’t argue that those simple add-ons make power even on the worst of days. I mean, the second day was a worst-case scenario. Both upgrades are the easiest things that you can do, and they just require simple hand tools.”

In addition to selling products that he can prove make power, he also has a few project vehicles. Patrick recently picked up a 1971 Deuce and a half, and he aims to inject some life into its lethargic performance. At 465 cubic inches with a 27:1 compression ratio, the engine chugs out only 135 hp, but it can pull a house off its foundation.

“We’re looking at doing some dumb stuff, like experimenting with dual fuels. Like filling a 50-gallon drum with diesel fuel and vegetable oil and running it because I’m curious. After that, we’ll put a Cummins in it, and since this Deuce has been bobbed (losing an axle and a good portion of the rear) it’s about 3,000 lbs. lighter. It’s going to be pretty wild!” Be prepared to see a few Banks parts on that Cummins powerplant.