How Much Does a 5.9 Cummins Weigh? (Explained)

Cummins is a diesel engine which is also known as 12 Valve 5.9L engine used in light trucks pickups. This engine is also available in 24 Valve specifications which have improved performance and durability.

In this article, we will discuss the weight of 5.9 Cummins.

How much does a 5.9 Cummins weigh? 

Cummins is made to use in light trucks and pickups so it is quite heavy. Generally, 5.9 Cummins weighs around 1100lbs when dry and around 1150lbs when dressed. This heavy engine has a high-pressure common-rail and can produce up to 325 horsepower at 2900RPM.

This engine is best for various types of terrains such as off-highway, light-duty, and muddy surfaces. The Cummins is best known for its reliability. You can drive seamlessly without even worrying about internal parts like pistons, rods, and cranks.

Since the engine is heavy and used in pickup trucks, you cannot use it for racing purposes. Besides, it doesn’t produce that much horsepower to run the car tremendously.

But it has an enormously strong power output to help you drive through any type of road no matter how much load you put onto it. The parts of the Cummins are quite heavy. Some of the weights of the parts are described down below: 

Cummins head: 

The Cummins head is a performance part that is added to improve the output of the engine. Generally, the Cummins head is around 180lbs to 200lbs heavy.

This is a major upgrade that will help you stabilize your car while driving and improve your performance.

Cummins bare block:

The Cummins bare block comes with a balanced and blueprinted rotating assembly. It is sim tested and short block and weighs around 600lbs.

It is made of high-quality cast iron and specially built for drivers who want to push their limits of driving experience to another level.

Cummins motor:

The motor can be considered as the heart of the engine. The motor is quite heavy. The 12 Valve 5.9L Cummins engine motor weighs around 400lbs in weight. 

Cummins engine:

The weight calculation of the engine is done in two different ways. Dry and wet or dressed. Usually, the engine will weigh around 1150lbs dry and a maximum of 1200lbs when wet and dressed.

How much does a 5.9 12v and 24v Cummins weigh? 

Both the 12 Valve and 24 Valve 5.9 Cummins engines are considered second-generation engines from the Cummins. The second-generation 5.9 12V Cummins comes with a high output configuration.

The 6-speed manual transmission enabled Cummins engine weights around 1150lbs when dry.

The only difference between the 12 Valve and 24 Valve engines is, the 24 Valve engine can produce 10 to 20 horsepower more than the traditional 12 Valve 5.9 engine.

Although the second generation Cummins engines use mechanical injectors instead of the rotary fuel injection pump, which helps improve the spray pattern for better sequential combustion.

The reason why the 5.9 Cummins engine weighs much heavier is, the cylinder head of the engine is made of cast iron and it helps to protect the engine from damage. 

How much does a fully dressed 2005 5.9 Cummins weigh? How much does 2007 5.9 Cummins weigh?

A typical 5.9L Cummins is about 1150lbs in weight. Adding engine oil and coolants will increase the weight by around 50lbs resulting in a 1200lbs heavy engine.

The cast iron used to build the cylinder head and the other engine compartment makes the second-generation 2005 5.9 Cummins engine so heavy. But it still produces enough horsepower to drive cars and pickups with heavy loads in any terrain. 

The 2007 5.9 Cummins is also considered a second-generation engine from Cummins. There are some performances related differences this engine has compared to the other versions of the Cummins.

The 2007 5.9 Cummins engine weighs around 1200lbs which produces around 350 horsepower. The 5.9 Cummins will provide you with a fixed geometry turbo, which tends to be more reliable in long run.

Besides, it has a better fuel economy compared to the other pickup truck engines.

Why does 5.9 Cummins weigh so much?

Generally, the Cummins engine was built to use in buses, boats, and pickup trucks which require maximum horsepower for towing capability. It was made for the drivers to drive their cars in any type of terrain.

Moreover, some of the parts are made out of heavy materials to protect the engine compartment from damage, this is why the overall weight of the Cummins is 1200lbs approximately. Some of the reasons why Cummins weigh so much are described below:

The cylinder head is made of cast iron:

The cylinder of the Cummins is made of cast iron. When the car engine executes combustion inside the engine, it is important to secure the engine cylinder head to make sure the combustion execution is properly.

That’s why Cummins used cast iron to add extra weights to the engine cylinder head to prevent the engine from providing poor performance.

It is made for heavy-duty purpose:

The basic purpose of a Cummins engine is to provide heavy-duty performance. For this you will need an engine with a thick structure, that is why heavy materials are used to build the engines.

Besides, the bare blocks alone weigh around 600lbs which adds huge weights to the engine. 

To extend its lifetime:

It is made heavy to extend the lifetime of the engine and prevent it from damaging. Besides, Cummins was built as a heavy engine with much powerful output for the long run.

Eventually, the horsepower it can produce can easily manage the weight of the engine so that you don’t have any type of difficulties when driving the car.

Final thoughts: 

The 5.9 Cummins is about 1200lbs in weight. It is considered one of the most reliable, fuel-efficient engines that can be used for heavy-duty purposes such as pickup trucks. Besides, this engine can let the driver drive through any type of terrain. That is why it is best for long-term usage.