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CONTENTS FEATURES

22 40

THE GAME CHANGER INSIDE DHD’S RECORDSETTING DURAMAX

56

FLASHBACK! SEMA 2018 THE MEGA TRUCKS

DINOSAURS AREN’T EXTINCT BRIAN JELICH’S TRAILBLAZING, 5.90 INDEX-RACING 7.3L POWER STROKE

ARE HERE!

68

LOOKS, SOUNDS, AND RUNS LIKE A DEERE A JOHN DEEREPOWERED ’52 DODGE PACKING COMPOUND TURBOS AND AN ALLISON TRANSMISSION

94

FAMILY FARM TRUCK JEREMY SCHMIDT’S 1948 CUMMINS-POWERED CHEVROLET LOADMASTER

TECH & HOW TO

82 106

SEEING 2020 EMISSIONS FRIENDLY UPGRADES FOR THE 2020 DURAMAX WHY THE CP4.2 FAILS MORE THAN 100 AND HOW YOU CAN KEEP YOURS OFF THE SCRAP PILE

Build the perfect daily! L5P Performance Mods

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New Worlds

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DHD’s Record Breaking 4x4 Duramax

PLUS+ VINTAGE DIESEL CONVERSION FUEL SYSTEM TECH SEMA SHOW FLASHBACK NOVEMBER 2021 • VOLUME 16, NUMBER 11 $6.99 US • DISPLAY UNTIL 10/05/21

THE 7.3 IS NOT SLOW!

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ON THE COVER: DHD’s record setting Dmax has been through hell and back but came out a winner.

Main Image by Mike McGlothlin

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DEPARTMENTS

8 12 116 124

EDITOR’S NOTE

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SEMA SHOW

NOVEMBER 2021 VOLUME 16, Number 11

EDITORIAL

DIESEL NEWS

Adam Blattenberg Brand Manager Erin Masercola Content Director

THE LATEST FROM AROUND THE DIESEL WORLD DESIGN Kelly Lee Sr. Art Director

TRACTOR TALK

1961 ALLIS-CHALMERS D-15 SERIES I VINTAGE SMOKE 1964 CUMMINS VT12-825-M

CONTRIBUTORS Jim Allen, Chris Tobin, Fabian Ortiz, Mike McGlothlin, Natalie Ortiz, Jacob White, Anya Latkina

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5

EDITOR'S NOTE |

DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

BY ADAM BLATTENBERG

20 YEARS

AT THE SEMA SHOW

t’s late June 2021 as I write this.

Let’s hope that the rumors I’ve heard about a second round of lockdowns due to delta, don’t come true. Cause that’ll make this whole rant just a little more worthless than usual. Let’s talk a little bit about the SEMA Show.

I

So, the first week of November this year the SEMA Show returns to Vegas, after a year hiatus. Twenty years ago, I attended my first SEMA Show.

Oh man things have changed for me since then.

The first year at SEMA I was 18 and had just recently started working at a little truck shop in Southern California.

For a truck guy and general auto enthusiast who lived for custom automobiles, the job was a dream come true, going to SEMA on top of that new job, it really was indescribable experience.

My job at the show was to find new things for us to offer at the shop. 18year old me, massive car guy, well kid, and it’s my job to wonder the halls of the largest automotive aftermarket show on the planet looking for cool stuff, how’s that not pure heaven?? I remember stepping out of the car, in the parking lot that is now a new convention center hall, and quietly freaking out inside at all the cool cars in the parking lot. The parking lot!! I wasn’t even in the show yet. I remember crossing the street and seeing everything outside the show. That alone was the biggest custom car show I’d ever seen, by far. And that wasn’t even scratching the surface. Once inside we walked the halls, mainly in the south hall as that was where all the truck parts were. Every booth had something I wanted to check out. The 8

vehicles were all heavily modified, industry celebrities were all over the place, it was pure sensory overload.

I knew then that I’d never leave this industry.

Flash forward to 2011. After a bunch of years turning wrenches, I started a new gig in the magazine world. I was the new Editor in Chief of RV Magazine. I liked RV’s, but I was still a truck guy first. So, I hired people who knew the RV side and I kept with what I knew, trucks. Walking into SEMA as “Media” was a whole new experience. SEMA had a bunch of things that only media could partake in. Our own little “VIP” center, we got access to the halls before the public did, it was a whole new SEMA Show for me and I was loving it. Walking the show in my new role was different from the past, I now had meetings scheduled, several a day and these meetings weren’t about pricing, or how to sell the parts, they were about how to show our readers all this cool new stuff.

Flash forward again another 5-years and I’m now working Sales for Pacific Performance Engineering. I was still on RV Magazine, but that wasn’t a full time job, so PPE it was, 8 to 5. This was a whole new experience for me at the SEMA Show. I was now on the other side, the manufacturer side. I’d be the one talking to retailers, wholesaler’s and the media. While I never really realized it, or felt this way, I was sorta on the outside looking in as a wrench or as media. Being a manufacturer rep meant I had to know the ins and the outs of how the industry really worked. It was a learning process for sure, but of course I loved it. Another thing that was new, seeing the

show being put together was something I had never seen before. Driving our show vehicle into an empty but quickly filling up Las Vegas Convention Center, that’s something most will never get to experience. Seeing the halls start from nothing and end up being the show I had become so used to, amazing experience.

Flash forward one more time and I’m now running Diesel World Mag. We have our own booth (along with all our other brands). The experience is sort of a mix of all my past experiences. I still have to find all the cool stuff.

I still get to see the show being built up from an empty concrete convention center. And I still have a sort of sales side with showing manufacturers what it is we do at Diesel World.

It’s been a fun 20-years. It’s been a stressful 20-years, but I wouldn’t change much at all. And I’m looking forward to this next SEMA Show. I’ll get to see tons of people I haven’t seen for a 2-years due to the Rona. A little reunion of sorts. And yet again I’ll get some new experiences. For Diesel World specifically, we’re doing things a bit differently this year. My life stays somewhat the same, I’ll just have our camera crew with me. Just about everything we do at SEMA (minus all the boring stuff) will be streamed on our Facebook page. Check it out, there will be hours of content. See inside the SEMA Show via our FB page, and stick around for the weekend after where we collect our favorite trucks and head out to the desert to get them dirty!

Stay tuned. It’s gonna be a blast.

NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

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NEWS

DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

COMPILED BY DW STAFF

DWNEWS NOT ABLE Duramax/Allison ’74 C20 Sells For $121,000

Would you pay over 100 grand for this? Someone recently did at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Vegas—and the truck was likely worth every penny. Clean as can be and with a two-tone paint job from SoCal Auto Paint, the old C20 sports a SoCal Diesel-built Duramax, 60-percent over injectors, a 10mm CP3, a Cheetah turbocharger, PPE exhaust manifolds, and even a six-speed Allison transmission. A Dana 60 sits up front, a Corporate 14-bolt dwells in the rear (with a full-floating G80 locker), and an NP205 transfer case with a twinstick conversion exists in between. The big Bow Tie rides on 38-inch mud terrains mounted on 20-inch Black Rhino Arsenal wheels.

Source: https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/ Details/1974-CHEVROLET-C20-CUSTOM-PICKUP-248984

EMISSIONS European Commission Fines Car Manufacturers For SCR-System Collusion BMW and Volkswagen are in hot water again after Daimler revealed that it (as well as BMW and VW) breached European Union antitrust rules by colluding on the development of urea-injection/SCR systems to control NOx. The European Commission reports that the automakers held regular technical meetings regarding the development of SCR technology in which they “colluded to avoid competition on cleaning better than what is required by law despite the relevant technology being available.” The European Commission has imposed a fine of €875,189,000 on BMW and VW. For exposing the existence of the cartel, Daimler was not fined.

Source: https://dieselnet.com/news/2021/07ec.php

NOT ABLE Who Knew Torque Could Move

Overpasses?

On July 15, a Class 8 truck loaded down with the perfect amount of weight and traveling at just the right speed moved an entire overpass. It happened in Treutlen County, Georgia along I-16, just west of US 221/GA exit 56. In the early morning hours, a large dump trailer struck the GA Highway 86 bridge spanning across I-16 and shifted it six feet. Incredibly, no one was hurt and one report states that a vehicle even crossed the overpass safely after the wreck occurred… Perhaps even more impressive, the Georgia Department of Transportation (East Central District) had the overpass torn down and cleaned up by the following afternoon, allowing a full reopen of I-16 to take place.

Source: http://www.dot.ga.gov/

12 12

NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com www.dieselworldmag.com FEBRUARY I 2019 • DIESEL WORLD

DW NEWS ››

EMISSIONS ICCT Study Analyzes Real-World NOx Performance Of Euro VI-D Trucks A new study put together by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has come to the conclusion that many Euro VI-D emission standard trucks already meet stage E (Euro VI-E) NOx requirements. Furthermore, the study determined that the Euro VI-E stage will bring a “negligible, if any, air quality improvement.” However, urban driving conditions still yield considerably higher NOx levels than rural and highway driving cycles do. The ICCT has called to strengthen the emission limits, as well as the testing provisions, in the upcoming Euro VII emission regulation to better control NOx emissions during urban driving.

Source: https://dieselnet.com/news/2021/07icct.php

Racing NHRA Takes Steps To Recognize No-Prep Racing The National Hot Rod Association is acknowledging the no-prep racing effort of event promoters and competitors whose back-to-thebasics approach harkens back to drag racing’s formative years. To show its support for this type of run what ya brung racing, a “Gunmetal” Wally, a special casting of the trophy awarded on the NHRA Camping World pro drag racing tour, will be handed to the winner of the $100,000 winner-take-all Dig Or Die “Summer Heat” no-prep shootout.

It all goes down on July 23rd and 24th at North Carolina’s Rockingham Dragway.

Source: https://www.rockinghamdrag-

OEM NEWS GM Strikes Deal For One Of U.S.’s First Lithium Mines All aboard the electric train, General Motors is pursuing a U.S. source of lithium to build electric car batteries. In mid-July, the nation’s largest automaker announced that—in conjunction with a company named Controlled Thermal Resources—its lithium would come from California’s Salton Sea. Said to be the perfect source for the much-needed element, the Salton Sea is believed to sit on top of one of America’s largest lithium brine reserves. According to the California Energy Commission the area is capable of supplying up to 40-percent of global lithium demand.

Source: https://interestingengineering.com/gm-strikes-dealfor-one-of-us-first-lithium-mines

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Head to DieselWorldMag.com/News for the latest diesel news developments.

14

way.com/schedule/

Tech The Diesel Piston Of Tomorrow?

Is Dirty Hooker Diesel on to something by using these Speed of Air Engine Technologies pistons? Using a surface design that mirrors the dimples on a golf ball, they are said to help create turbulence in the compression chamber in order to retain fuel inside the fuel bowl.

Speed of Air states that its design promotes more complete combustion, improved performance and fuel efficiency, and (perhaps most importantly) considerably reduced NOx emissions. It’s unclear as to whether or not the guys at DHD plan to run them in their Pro Street truck or something else, but we will definitely keep our eyes peeled and report back on any results they find…

Source: https://dirtyhookerdiesel.com/

NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

7 BAND-AIDS. 3 LOST SOCKETS. 2 BUSTED KNUCKLES.

A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE. When you work on a truck, you understand your knuckles, and your tools, might take a beating. It’s just part of the deal. But the experience you gain from completing the job, more than makes up for a few sore muscles and a couple lost sockets. At LMC Truck, we’ve built our business on helping those who love turning their own wrenches.

KEEPING GENERATIONS ON THE ROAD ™ Get your FREE CATALOG at LMCTruck.com Chevy/GMC 1947-13 Ford 1948-16 Dodge 1972-15 LMCTruck.com 800.562.8782

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FEATURE

2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

GAME CHANGER E TH

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NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

INSIDE DHD’S RECORD-SETTING DURAMAX www.dieselworldmag.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD

23

When you’re prepping for war, it pays to have the right weapon in your arsenal. The foundation of the Duramax in DHD’s Pro Street truck starts with a billet-aluminum block from LSM Systems Engineering. The rotating assembly consists of a billet SoCal Diesel crankshaft anchored in place via billet main caps and ARP main studs. It swings a set of aluminum connecting rods topped with Diamond Racing pistons. A Wagler Competition Products camshaft controls the valvetrain, and billet-aluminum Wagler cylinder heads fitted with larger valves mate to the block by way of tool steel head studs. Both the block and head are fire-ringed to stand up to the abuse that comes with 2,500-plus hp, and a dry sump oil system keeps the 460 ci Duramax alive at that power level.

TEXT BY MIKE MCGLOTHLIN | PHOTOS BY MIKE MCGLOTHLIN AND COURTESY OF DIRTY HOOKER DIESEL

any will immediately recognize the charred front clip on this ’06 Silverado and remember when it went up in flames at Ultimate Callout Challenge 2019. But in 2021 it became known for something even bigger: being the quickest 4x4 Duramax on the globe. To be clear, the Dirty Hooker Diesel (DHD) Chevrolet known as “Last Minute Hooker” is still a U.C.C. truck, but this year it entered the shark tank that is the Outlaw Diesel Super Series’ Pro Street class to go head-to-head with some of the fastest trucks in the world. Right out of the gate, driver Tyler Burkhard put up 5.24 and then 5.23-second passes in the eighth-mile. Then came the trip to Indianapolis…

M

The weekend of May 21-23 was a big one for the Dirty Hooker Diesel team. Not only did they compete in the Ultimate Callout Challenge with the truck, but—in addition to winning the ODSS Pro Street class—also collected a 5.03-second timeslip at 149 24

DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

mph. That’s a ton of abuse for one engine to take in a single weekend, but DHD’s Duramax survived (and dare we say, thrived, during) each torture-test, persevering without so much as a hiccup. So how did they do it? And what’s the rest of the truck’s recordsetting setup?

It starts with a sound parts combination from oil pan to turbo, a happy chassis, a Turbo 400, and the right people behind you. In this case, it’s a family effort revolving around DHD owner Tony Burkhard and his sons Tyler and Seth, but also a team effort with everyone at DHD having a hand in the race program.

Together, they’ve made a conscious effort to reset the bar for the Duramax—and they have no plans to let off anytime soon. Only here will you get the full scoop on the world’s fastest four-wheel drive Duramax, a truck that may have even broken into the 4’s by the time you read this.

NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

THE GAME CHANGER

If you were wondering where the sizable piping that’s routed through the firewall was headed, it culminates here—at a Wehrli Custom Fabrication water-to-air intercooler. As truck pullers, it’s not surprising to find this technology being employed in DHD’s drag truck, and—in conjunction with the ice box mounted at the back of the cab—it does a tremendous job of keeping intake air temperature manageable. All that hot, compressed air leaving the turbo registers a cool 70 degrees F once through the intercooler. To the left of the intercooler, you’ll find the Bosch Motorsport 15.1 stand-alone ECM that controls the Duramax. It’s been fine-tuned by Phil Devries in the past, with DHD’s Chad Thorley recently taking the reins and running some of the Bosch software.

The turbo parked in front of the engine is unmistakable. The giant T6 charger from Precision Turbo & Engine sports a 106mm compressor wheel and thrives at the 6,000-plus rpm the Duramax regularly sees.

On a typical, low-5-second pass it can produce as much as 80-psi of boost, a peak that’s limited thanks to the use of dual 45mm Precision wastegates. Two spooling stages of nitrous are employed to bring the big 106 to life during staging, and three more stages are progressively brought into the fold during the course of a race. But despite the capacity to spray all kinds of nitrous, to date things have been kept pretty conservative, with roughly four pounds of nitrous being consumed each time down the track.

26

DHD high-flow exhaust manifolds and up-pipes help drive the front-mounted Precision charger, with double stitch titanium manifold blankets and heat wrap aiding efficiency. Also notice the Wagler cast street intake in the valley, which with its V-band connection point ensures there are never any issues forcing 80-psi worth of boost into the heads. Gear-driven off the billet front cover are two stroker CP3’s from Exergy Performance. The 14mm pumps deliver fuel to Exergybuilt and balanced injectors fitted with 400-percent over nozzles.

NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

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THE GAME CHANGER

The Precision Performance Products air shifter represents a key piece of the puzzle in getting DHD’s Silverado down the track. It’s linked to a Rossler Transmissions TH400, a transmission countless diesel drag racers have turned to in recent years. “We had an Allison in the truck, originally,” Tony Burkhard told us. “But we knew pretty quick that that wasn’t gonna be the answer, so we had to get rid of it.” DHD’s TH400 is a little different being that it’s a four-wheel drive application, but so far it’s proven itself capable of handling whatever the Duramax sends through it. DHD works with ProTorque on the converter side, running one of the company’s billet stator, lockup units. Up until a recent converter change, the truck’s shift points were set at 6,200 rpm.

Obviously, given what happened in 2019 DHD’s Chevy has quite a history on the dyno. So when U.C.C. returned this year, you couldn’t help but pay extra attention when Last Minute Hooker rolled onto the dyno. Fortunately, this time around there were no fireworks, just a few solid passes that yielded the seventh highest horsepower number achieved on the weekend. Here, the team discusses dyno strategy between pulls.

28

Part of team DHD’s dyno strategy was to avoid having the engine lugged down too low in an effort to avoid dangerous torque levels. On a weekend where the engine would see at least a dozen full-power passes on the drag strip (and that would still be expected to hook to the sled), the game plan made sense. Unfortunately, the engine was spinning 4,000 rpm before full throttle was applied, even though their target start speed was 3,500 rpm. This meant their nitrous wasn’t in the mix until even later than that. In the end, it cost the team a big torque number, even though an impressive 2,104-rwhp was made.

NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

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THE GAME CHANGER

Although torque checked in a tad low at 2,360 lb-ft while aboard the U.C.C./Northwest Dyno Circuit SuperFlow, DHD’s horsepower number was fairly representative of what the truck applies to the track. For instance, when you take the truck’s 4,420-pound race weight into account on its 5.03-second pass at 149 mph, at least 2,050 hp was making it to the ground. With fueling being pulled out of the equation in order to maintain traction on the truck’s launches, somewhere between 2,100 and 2,300 hp is being employed on the back-half of the track.

Capping off their Pro Street win at Outlaw Diesel Revenge in Indy, the guys at DHD pushed to the very bottom of the 5-second range. Their 5.03-second pass was two tenths quicker than the impressive 5.23 they’d posted up just four weeks earlier at Rudy’s ODSS season opener. As well, a 1.28-second 60-foot was achieved on the pass—along with 1.7 to 2 g’s being present on the G-meter. Soon, the guys at DHD hope to not only improve on that 60-foot time, but also lean on the engine even harder. We’ve been led to believe there is a lot more left on the table, so long as the truck hooks. By the time you read this, talk of breaking into the 4’s may even be old news. According to DHD’s Chad Thorley: “I really don’t think seeing mid 4’s or at least 4.7’s is out of line.”

30

Despite competing in one of the fastest racing categories in existence, DHD’s ¾-ton Silverado still rides on a full factory frame and possesses a steel body. The rear suspension has been four-linked and QA1 adjustable coil over shocks are present, but the front IFS remains.

RCV Performance CV axles reinforce the AAM 9.25, as do Kryptonite control arms and steering system upgrades. In the rear, a 10.5-inch ring gear 14-bolt axle—chosen for its tough, three pinion bearing design—is equipped with a spool, Yukon 4340 chromoly axle shafts and DHD’s 11.5-inch billet yoke (which fits the 10.5-inch). In the cab and tied in with the frame is an SFI 25.6 cage.

NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

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THE GAME CHANGER

Much like truck pulling, Tony has made the drag racing thing a family affair. His son Tyler pilots the truck, while his son Seth, the aforementioned Chad Thorley, and all DHD employees play a role in the truck’s upkeep, analysis, and race prep. As far as the team has come in just its first three races, it would not be surprising to see them bring home a Pro Street championship—or even become the fastest Pro Street truck in the world at some point.

It was perhaps the biggest news of 2019, when DHD’s Silverado caught on fire and ran away on the chassis dyno at U.C.C. A catastrophic chain of events, where an atmospheric turbo failure simultaneously severed the fuel pressure regulator’s wiring and cracked the high-pressure fuel lines and intake manifold.

With an uncontrollable fuel source, the engine took off to what has been speculated to be as high as 10,000 rpm. But despite seeing extreme rpm and no oil pressure for well over a minute, the Duramax incurred very little damage during the runaway—and the team pressed on, somehow converting the truck into sled-pulling form overnight, and making their call-time with the sled the next day.

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NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

THE GAME CHANGER SOURCES ARP 800.826.3045 ARPDIESEL.COM DIAMOND RACING 877.552.2112 DIAMONDRACING.NET DIRTY HOOKER DIESEL 989.479.0444 DIRTYHOOKERDIESEL. COM EXERGY PERFORMANCE 616.551.4330 EXERGYPERFORMANCE. COM

An extensive background in truck pulling meant that Tony and crew were the favorite to win in the dirt at U.C.C. 2021. And rightfully so. Last Minute Hooker, outfitted with Giant Puller cuts, a front weight box, and axle changes the night before, put roughly five feet on Second Place and won the truck pull in convincing fashion. And, after all the dust had settled on a weekend where the truck competed (competitively) in both U.C.C. and the ODSS Outlaw Diesel Revenge Pro Street class, the all-billet Duramax required nothing. Tony was quoted as saying: “All we did was change the oil in it.”

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Instead of addressing the charred sections of sheet metal, the guys at DHD left it alone. Now, it represents how one team persevered, not even letting a catastrophic, fiery runaway keep them from competing. The day the runaway happened, Tony and team stayed up until 5:30 am the morning of the pull before turning in for bed. If this is any indication as to how they’ll operate a drag racing program, look for them to be at the top of the Pro Street ranks well into the future.

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FEATURE

2000 FORD F-350

DINOSAURS AREN’T

EXTINCT

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BRIAN JELICH’S TRAILBLAZING, 5.90 INDEX-RACING 7.3L POWER STROKE

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Under the old-school, polished-aluminum Moroso valve covers, you’ll find a fire-ringed set of heads from Crutchfield Machine. They’ve been extensively ported, match the Gearhead Stage 2 cam extremely well, and anchor to the block by way of ARP head studs. Bean Machine’s billet 3-inch intake plenums feed boost into the worked-over heads. The 11-gauge stainless steel exhaust manifolds were built by Paul’s Custom Fabrication and Machine in Camden, North Carolina, with 2-inch diameter sections leaving the cylinders and feeding a 2.5-inch log on each head.

Paul’s also made the T6 exhaust collector and handled all the truck’s chassis work. We didn’t initially notice due to the tube chassis throwing us off, but the engine has been set back considerably compared to stock.

BY MIKE MCGLOTHLIN

ith all the recent common-rail dominance in diesel drag racing, the 7.3L Power Stroke may seem like an endangered species these days—but not in Brian Jelich’s world. He’s campaigning a 7.3L-powered, 2000 model year F-350 in the action-packed 5.90 Index class— arguably the most exciting category to watch on the Outlaw Diesel Super Series circuit. Even better yet, the 444 ci V-8 under the hood is still HEUI-fired, controlled by the factory PCM and IDM. As a longtime drag racer and lifelong 7.3L die-hard, Brian has been one of the lead pioneers in 7.3L performance, and has actively been pushing the oil-fired platform forward for more than 15 years now. In the following pages, we’ll explore the nuts and bolts behind his regular cab

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A single S400 from KC Turbos handles boost production. The T6 BorgWarner features a billet, 13-blade compressor wheel with an 80mm inducer, a 96mm turbine wheel, and a 1.32 A/R exhaust housing. It wears a Torque Solutions thermal turbo blanket and routes boost through an On3 Performance 4-inch race core intercooler.

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Believe it or not, the 7.3L long-block in Brian’s Super Duty has virtually gone unchanged since 2012, with a different cam and heads added in 2015. The block’s water jackets are halfway filled, a main bearing girdle ties the main caps together, and the factory (albeit lightened) crank and main caps are secured via ARP main studs. The connecting rods are a billet prototype Tymar set from back in the day, equipped with ARP rod bolts, and the pistons are de-lipped and decked, cast-aluminum units from Mahle. The aforementioned camshaft change in ‘15 entailed a switch to Gearhead Automotive Performance’s Stage 2 stick.

DINOSAURS AREN’T EXTINCT

Super Duty, the world’s fastest 4x4 7.3L Power Stroke of smiles.

Behind the high-pressure oil reservoir, a Swamps Gen3 HPOP is suspended over a 17-degree factory 7.3L HPOP in the stock location. Together, the pumps ensure that 3,200-psi worth of injection control pressure (ICP) is always on tap for the engine’s massive hybrid injectors. Called its Stage 5 units, the Unlimited Diesel Performance injectors can flow a maximum of 455cc’s of fuel and do so through 400-percent over nozzles. Everything gets started on the oil side with a Melling low-pressure oil pump feeding the HPOP’s.

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PROVEN HARD PARTS You won’t necessarily find anything groundbreaking in Brian’s engine, but his 7.3L is chock-full of components that’ve been torture-tested and proven over the years. The block’s water jackets have been half-filled with Hard Blok, a girdle ties all the main caps together around the crankshaft, which is secured via ARP main studs, and Mahle de-lipped and decked pistons reside in the cylinders. The rods are prototype billet pieces manufactured

by Tymar from back in the day and utilize ARP rod bolts. One area where Brian’s engine is ahead of the game lies in his camshaft and cylinder head selection. A Stage 2 Gearhead Automotive Performance cam and ported (and fireringed) Crutchfield Machine heads mesh

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DINOSAURS AREN’T EXTINCT

perfectly with each other, and make a significant difference in the 7.3L’s power output. Another high-horsepower 7.3L addition is a Meziere electric water pump, along with a water pump adapter plate from Gray’s Diesel Performance.

TWO HPOP’S, BIG HYBRIDS, AND ALL THE FUEL SUPPLY If you’re building a 7.3L to compete against a sea of 1,500hp Cumminspowered trucks, you start with the biggest injectors Unlimited Diesel Performance makes, a set of its 455/400 hybrids. The high-flow injectors are capable of moving 455cc’s worth of fuel through 400-percent over nozzles, and they’re supported on the oil side thanks to a Swamps Gen3 high-pressure oil pump mounted over a stock, 17-degree Super Duty HPOP. Brian’s fuel supply system revolves around the use of an Aeromotive A1000, complete with a regulated return and a -6 AN fuel line feeding the back of each cylinder head.

RACE-READY S480, CUSTOM EXHAUST MANIFOLDS, AND A LITTLE NITROUS As one of the pioneers for highhorsepower, big single turbo 7.3L’s, Brian has run more than his fair share of BorgWarner S400’s over the years, so he knows what works. Currently, an S480 from KC Turbos crams as much as 70-psi of boost through the truck’s On3 Performance intercooler. The 80/96/1.32

With gobs of fuel and a bit of nitrous in the mix, an external wastegate is always a good idea—and two is even better. Although Brian tells us he hasn’t sprayed the engine enough to worry about over-speeding the turbo yet, his 46mm Precision wastegates will come in handy when he decides to push deeper into the 5’s. For now, the turbo produces a relatively safe 70-psi of boost on a typical 5.90 pass.

Big injectors require big fuel supply, and Brian didn’t skimp in that department. Massive, -10 AN hose feeds an Aeromotive A1000 from the rear-mounted, 5-gallon Summit Racing fuel cell. From there, -8 AN line carries fuel to a Y-block, where fuel supply splits into two -6 AN hoses to feed the back of each cylinder head. Pressure on the adjustable Fuelab regulator is set to 65 psi.

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The bottle is always full, but Brian maintains he isn’t using much nitrous to run consistent 5.90s. In fact, he’s only using a .070 jet and a .030 spool jet in his mild two-stage system at the present time. Brian uses Nitrous Express Lightning .125 solenoids and brings N20 into the cold-side intercooler pipe. The spool stage is manually triggered on the steering wheel during staging.

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It’s concealed by a DJ Safety transmission blanket, but a Level 4 4R100 automatic from Twisted Diesel sits behind the potent 7.3L. It sports an Aermet input shaft, a 300M, 1.2-inch diameter intermediate shaft, and a 300M output shaft—along with a billet-steel forward drum and Overdrive planetary. The converter is a spragless piece from Precision Industries, with a billet stator and a 1,900-rpm stall speed.

Brian keeps the 4R100 cool with a Derale Performance remote mount transmission cooler located behind the cab.

To make sure the truck is always biting, it was four-linked front and rear. Paul’s Custom Fabrication and Machine handled all the work, not to mention the entire, TIG-welded, chromoly tube chassis.

DINOSAURS AREN’T EXTINCT

charger is driven efficiently thanks to log-style exhaust manifolds fabbed up by Paul’s Custom Fabrication and Machine, which culminate with a T6 exhaust collector at the front passenger side corner of the engine. For an extra kick and some added cooling, two nitrous lines are plumbed into the cold-side intercooler pipe, which is attached to a polished intake Y and Bean Machine billet 3-inch intake plenums.

TWISTED TRANSMISSION Like many of the combinations Brian has found that seem to work better than others, he’s long-relied on Twisted Diesel for a rock-solid 4R100. The version in his F-350 is Twisted’s level 4 build, which calls for an Aermet input shaft, 300M (and larger than stock) intermediate shaft, and a 300M output shaft. A 1,900rpm stall speed, spragless converter from Precision Industries handles engineto-transmission power transfer, while a stand-alone TCM-2800 transmission controller from Powertrain Control Solutions fine-tunes the shift points, shift firmness, and converter lockup.

Right out of the box, the QA1 double-adjustable coil over shocks were almost set exactly where they needed to be, and to date Brian thankfully hasn’t had to fight many chassis issues. He knows the heavy spring rate coil overs play a big part in the truck’s ability to cut 1.32-second 60-foot times.

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The 2,000-LB Weight-Loss Program After years of drag racing a full-weight, all-steel Super Duty, Brian pulled out all the stops in 2017. With the help of Paul’s Custom Fabrication and Machine, a chromoly and TIG-welded tube chassis—

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The factory F-350 axles survived the full race makeover that commenced in 2017, but the rear 10.5-inch ring gear Sterling has been graced with a full, 4140 forged-steel spool from Innovative Machine Solutions. The ’08 Super Duty diff cover was added for looks. As for the Dana 60 up front, it’s been left completely alone other than the addition of a Yukon Hardcore drive flange kit.

DINOSAURS AREN’T EXTINCT

complete with a cage certified for 7.99 in the quarter-mile and four-link suspension front and rear—the truck he’d owned since 2004 went under the knife.

The leaf springs were ditched for QA1 double-adjustable coil over shocks while the factory axles remained, the interior was gutted and lightweight aluminum infiltrated the cab, and a fiberglass front clip, bedsides, and doors were sourced from GTS Fiberglass. Further lightening came in the form of the windows and back glass being replaced with 1/8-inch thick Lexan. The end result is a far cry from the 6,300-pound race weight Brian used to have to contend with. Now his F-350 tips the scales at a speed-friendly 4,240 pounds with him in the driver seat.

Consistent traction comes in the form of a 29.5/10.5-15W Mickey Thompson ET Drag being present at each corner. The 29.5-inch slicks are mounted to three-piece, beadlock 15x10-inch Holeshot Pentastar wheels with the Super Duty 8x170mm bolt pattern.

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BIGGER THINGS YET TO COME Even though Brian is still formulating the perfect tune-up for his 5.90 Index racing endeavors, he’s already made the 7.3L a formidable contender in this ruthlessly competitive class. If he follows the ODSS circuit around the country, look for a 7.3L-powered Ford to be in the championship hunt by season’s end. In the meantime, Brian has been upfront about his intention to improve on the

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A B&M Stealth Magnum Grip Pro Stick shifter might handle the 4R100’s gear selections, but a TCM-2800 transmission controller from Powertrain Control Solutions is the brains of the operation. A PCS D200 dashlogger was vital in data logging and getting the transmission dialed in, but in the future the extra analog inputs it offers could be used to monitor plenty of other vitals. On the track, Brian leaves in second gear. When the converter locks at 3,800 rpm it pulls the engine down to roughly 2,300 rpm. From there, the 2-3 shift hits at 3,700 rpm, followed by the 3-4 shift at the same engine speed.

As a longtime tuner of 7.3L’s and the owner of Jelibuilt Performance, it stands to reason that Brian handles his own PCM calibrating for the truck. Here, you can see the factory PCM mounted on the passenger side of the cab and the ribbon cable feeding toward the Hydra Chip he uses. Brian summed up his tuning arsenal by telling us he runs his nitrous tune all the time, a file that calls for injector pulse width in the mid-3 millisecond range.

DINOSAURS AREN’T EXTINCT

truck’s current best pass to date, a 5.76 at 121 mph. For the short-term, the goal is go 5.40s—which Brian believes is a realistic target considering he’s yet to truly lean on the engine. Our hunch is that, with a top-notch engine build already underway at Morris Motorsports, Brian will show the current 7.3L no mercy in 2021. Look for him to push this HEUIinjected monster deep into the 5’s and shake up the standings in diesel drag racing’s hottest new category.

In the cockpit, Brian straps himself into a Kirkey Racing seat with a 5-point Simpson harness. The roll cage, which again was built by Paul’s Custom Fabrication and Machine, meets the SFI 25.6 chassis spec. That means he’s certified for 7.99 in the quarter-mile and 4.99 in the eighth.

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Despite the 1.3-second 60-foots and how hard his launches might look, Brian only leaves the line with 10 to 15-psi of boost on tap. So far, he’s had zero issues competing in the ultra-tough and highly popular ODSS 5.90 Index class, and even sits fifth in the points chase as we write this. But while Brian plans to continue racing 5.90, he’s also setting his sights on besting his previous 5.76-second blast at 121 mph. “I think 5.40s are very attainable,” he told us. “It should do 130 mph leaning on it hard in the eighth.”

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Chris DeMarco went big at SEMA with this Jay Fab Inc-built Ford, which featured a full ladder frame, rear steer, and a dropbox.

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THE MEGA TRUCKS ARE HERE!

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New body style Fords are as popular as ever, and they’re getting taller and taller. This bright red Blue Oval absolutely dwarfs its 44-inch Fury tires thanks to a massive coil-over lift.

Unhappy that GM doesn’t builld a diesel SUV? This owner sought a fix by combining a classic Suburban and 6.6L GM Duramax power.

One of the cleanest square-body GM’s we’ve seen in a long time was built by Cody Veibell. The ‘81 Chevrolet K20 featured an LBZ Duramax engine for power, and a suspension, engine compartment, and interior you could virtually eat off of.

BY JASON SANDS

he Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show brings new trends every year, and 2018 was no exception. In the past there have been years where swaps dominated, while other years were the year of the Ford, or the year of the rat rod. While there are literally all types of lifted, lowered, modified, utility, and swap

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DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

vehicles at SEMA, there’s always something new.

For years, we’ve watched as trucks have gotten higher and higher, as for a while it seemed to be a competition to who could build the highest bolt-on lift kit using factory suspension parts. 2018 broke the mold, as we saw a number of trucks show up with completely custom

fabricated suspensions, and some that were even taller than monster trucks! Even those with kits were now using coil-overs, and we saw more flexed-out trucks than we have ever seen.

Of course, there was the usual smorgasbord of diesel-motivated trucks and cars, including some pretty neat swaps. The clean 2.8L

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2018 was perhaps one of the first years that we saw more than one 6x6 creation. This clean Denalli stood above the crowd with dual dual rear wheels, giving a total of 10 wheels and tires!

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you, the Big Willys is a Willys Jeep that has been overgrown by 164 percent, and fitted with a new 2.8L Cummins crate engine.

One of the meanest-looking diesel rides was this old-school Power Wagon, which was motivated by 12-valve Cummins power. A hood stack hinted at a no-nonsense amount of horsepower, and a huge airbag suspension put the Dodge in rarified air.

Cummins seemed to be the engine of choice, as the 160-hp engine motivated everything from trucks, to SUVs, to a pretty cool-looking older Jaguar. There was also the Wild “Big Willy” Jeep, a classic Army Jeep that has been oversized by 164%, making it more the size of a Super Duty.

As a counterpoint to the 2.8L, we also saw a number of old-school 5.9L Cummins 12-valve-swapped trucks, including a number of pretty wild Power Wagons. Most

of these engines had performance modifications that led to double or triple the factory horsepower, as these engines are just all-too-easy to modify.

In the yearly competition of “Who has the hottest new truck,” Ford again led the charge, with a number of modified F250 and F350s, although the L5P GM pickups have definitely made a surge. If you’re a fan of Ram, not to worry, there were plenty of those to drool over too.

With 2018 in the books, we can honestly say we’re glad to see the variety of extreme and usable trucks that showed up to the show.

Off-Road vehicles were extremely capable (some even had rear steer) while the 2.8L swaps killed on mileage and capability. The swaps were packing some power, and the newest rides featured welders, flatbeds, and extreme 4x4 (or 6x6 in a couple cases!) capability. Want to modify your diesel? There are more great options than ever.

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FLASHBACK! SEMA 2018

Weaver Customs is known for its wild diesel creations, and this year’s Full Metal Jacket ‘41 Power Wagon didn’t disappoint. The FMJ used a simple combination of a TH350 transmission, 205 transfer case, and 4BT Cummins engine for power.

It wasn’t just the trucks that were bigger and badder this year--the wheel and tire setups followed suit, with 24, 26 and even 28-inch wheels.

Deuces Garage kept the rat rod flag flying at SEMA 2018, with this Cartoonsinspired Cummins-powered rat panel truck.

Are dual diamond stacks a new trend or a nuisance? We’ll let you readers be the judge on this one.

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HornBlasters continued with the Mega Truck trend by showing up with a Chevy that was as over-the-top as its train horns. With some serious cut tires, it looked more than ready to leave the pavement behind.

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Don’t Let the Cold SLow You down

New Look SaMe great Diesel Engine Protection

FLASHBACK! SEMA 2018

This four-linked Ford towered even above the other lifted trucks, and was one of the few rides we’ve seen that had a vertical height that made dual rear tires looks small.

Nothing says stance llike a First-Generation Dodge, and this ride went the extra mile by adding a completely custom front and rear suspension setup for an extremely elevated stance.

In addition to their utility, traction bars and link bars are now becoming style symbols. These S-shaped square ladder bars were perhaps the wildest we’ve seen yet.

Builders are starting to push the boundaries more than more of what they can fit in the “bed” of a pickup truck. Don’t have room for the rockcrawler in the trailer? How about behind (and above) your head??

From wild to utilitarian: this older Cumminspowered Ram said “show and go” thanks to classic lines, an innovative flatbed, and 10-lug wheels.

TRUCKS OF SEMA With the 2021 SEMA Show just around the corner, we thought we’d share some of our favorites from a past SEMA Show. This is our annual “Trucks Of SEMA”, from 2018. Check out our Facebook page (@dieselworldmag) during the SEMA Show this year November 2nd-5th) We’ll be filming all day, every day at the show and sharing what we found every afternoon.

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We’ve never thought of Sprinter vans as intimidating, but Cliffride’s diesel-powered people mover was there to prove us wrong. The Sprinter was mostly stock, save for a 4x4 conversion and massive tires for handling arctic terrains.

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October

BLACKOUT Countr 2021

■ Dy n o C o ■ Die s e l m p e t it ion S ■ Dir t Dr l e d p ul l a ■ S how g s & ■ V e ndo S hine r Alle y

y

G at e s o p e 210 R ol l n at 8a m in C oa l L an Woodbur y, T n 3719 e sal e s@b 0 d 1-8 4 4 -BDP p s hop.c om -S hop 84 4-23 7-74 67 Be a n s die selperfo r m a nc e .c om

FLASHBACK! SEMA 2018

This bright red conversion in the Skyjacker Suspensions booth was perhaps one of our favorite rides of the show. It was motivated by a 6BT Cummins, of course.

Any Level Lift has become a popular SEMA regular with its hydraulic F350 lift kits that can allow the end user to put their ride at virtually any height.

Another classic repower continued this year’s trend of 2.8L Cummins engines appearing in smaller vehicles. Not only is this Land Cruiser now packing 160 hp, it’s also a lot cleaner burning than the original.

Is it the ‘90s all over again? We dig the cool flames on this square-body GM, and were pleasantly surprised to see it was Cummins powered.

The Hauk Designs 6x6 looked like it could get out of about any situation, not just because it was six-wheel drive, but also because it had a compound-turbocharged Cummins for power!

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This flexed-out Ford proved that it wasn’t just new trucks at SEMA. Older rides from the ‘90s are poised to make a comeback, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see more of them in the future.

Perhaps the most innovative single feature of the show was in the Ford booth. This desert-inspired diesel had bedsides that lifted up to produce an entire array of utility drawers, and the truck even had a welder that pulled out of the rear spare tire well! Once finished with wrenching, the bedsides dropped back into place to protect the drawers from damage.

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FEATURE

2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500 HD

LOOKS, SOUNDS, AND RUNS LIKE A

DEERE

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AN 800HP LBZ DURAMAX BUILT TO DO ONE THING— AND ONE THING ONLY

BY MIKE MCGLOTHLIN

f you’ve yet to hear the name Plowboy Diesel, do yourself a favor and Google “Twin Cummins Dodge.” This small, farm-based operation is known for building oneoff vehicles that combine wow-factor with fine craftmanship—and their dual 5.9L Cummins ’70 Dodge Sweptline creation brought them instant fame.

More recently, Jody Mollet and the rest of the Plowboy Diesel team set their sights on another project: a gen-set engine’d ’52 Dodge B-series pickup that’s as impeccable as it is unique. The John Deere-themed build revolves around the

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DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

use of a 4.5L PowerTech engine, a visual appreciation for the manufacturer’s 20 series line of tractors his family has been using for decades, and is capped off with its unexpected use of an Allison 1000.

But that’s far from the whole story.

The frame, suspension, and exhaust system were built at Plowboy Diesel’s headquarters out in the middle of corn-country, and all auto body, paint, electrical, and wrenching duties were performed there, too. Jody, his father Mike, and his kids, Mallory and Dakota, were all part of the homegrown build. As is typical of so many blue-collar, selfreliant folks who’re used to working with their hands, ingenuity played a key role in the six-month undertaking. “If we need something, the first thing we do is walk outside and see what we have lying around that will work,” Jody told us, laughing. Funny thing is, he must not have been kidding—because in a lot of areas of the build that’s exactly what he did, and the truck turned out flawless.

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No, it’s not a 4BT Cummins painted up in John Deere Green, it’s an actual John Deere engine. Plowboy Diesel’s Jody Mollet located the 4.5L PowerTech ‘Deere, which served in a gen-set in its previous life, on eBay. Various versions of this little four-cylinder have been manufactured over the years, but the rotary pumped and fixed geometry turbo version means it’s emissions free and equipped with a simple, 2-valve cylinder head.

The iron block and head PowerTech mill features a 4.17-inch bore, a 5.00-inch stroke, forged-steel connecting rods, and wet sleeve cylinder liners.

It tips the scales at 1,000 pounds (roughly the same as a 6BT Cummins), and in this case is set back 4-inches to help with weight distribution.

LOOKS, SOUNDS, AND RUNS LIKE A DEERE 4.5L POWERTECH

Mistaken as a 4BT by some, immediately recognized by others, the 4.5L PowerTech makes the John Deere theme 100-percent authentic. Obtained off of eBay, the 1,000-pound, cast-iron block and head inline-four is set back roughly 4-inches for more favorable weight distribution, ultimately resting on Summit Racing motor mounts. Believe it or not, the serpentine belt system sold Jody on the engine more than anything else (many were V-belt). As it turns out, this specific PowerTech previously served in a genset application, which meant a governor change was in store in order to make the engine street-friendly.

The atmosphere turbocharger was sourced through Area Diesel Service, as well as several adaptors, flanges and clamps that were required to make the compound system work. The BorgWarner S300SX3 sports a 60mm compressor wheel, a 68mm turbine wheel, and a .88 A/R exhaust housing with a T4 open volute turbine inlet.

Vibrant boots and spring-loaded, T-bolt clamps help hold down the fort when the compounds are under boost.

MECHANICAL FUELING

Fuel system reliability checks in in the form of a mechanical injection system that’s based around a Stanadyne DB4 rotary pump. After taking a trip to Area Diesel Service, the pump’s governor was reworked for street-use, and it was also modified to flow 45-percent more fuel.

The DB4 routes fuel to four mechanical injectors, which were reworked internally at Area Diesel and set for a higher, 240 bar pop-off pressure to complement 70

Like a lot of Jody’s projects, the engine is fitted with a compound turbo system.

The original BorgWarner S2A, which makes use of a 42mm compressor wheel and a 53mm turbine wheel, was left alone on the exhaust manifold to serve as the highpressure unit. Back behind the firewall on this side of the truck sits the vacuum brake booster and the brake master cylinder.

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LOOKS, SOUNDS, AND RUNS LIKE A DEERE the pump mods. To adequately feed the DB4, the cam-driven mechanical lift pump went by the wayside in favor of an electric AirDog Raptor 4G unit mounted along the inside of the driver side frame rail.

BORGWARNER COMPOUNDS

A small compound turbo arrangement spices things up under the hood. It starts with the factory 42mm BorgWarner S2A on the stock exhaust manifold, and is paired with a 60mm, T4 foot S300 from Area Diesel, which is ironically a turbo that comes factory on a larger John Deere application. Area Diesel also supplied the adaptors, flanges and T-bolt clamps that were used to build the two-stage system.

Peak boost is unknown and probably will remain that way. After all, no 20 series ever came with a boost gauge.

As if the John Deere PowerTech engine isn’t enough of a surprise, the Allison underneath adds another. The six-speed A1000 came from Custom Automatic Conversions and was made to work using an SAE #3 bellhousing and a custom flex plate. A stand-alone transmission controller helps the Allison choose the right gear for the torquey PowerTech engine in front of it. And, of course, in keeping with the John Deere theme, the Allison has been bathed in green.

Once again turning to Area Diesel, the rotary Stanadyne DB4 injection pump was modified to flow 45-percent more fuel, eventually moving 166 cc’s on the bench vs. 114 to 116 cc’s stock. And because the PowerTech had come from a gen-set application, Area Diesel had to rework the governor for highway and street use. To match the higher flow of the DB4, the mechanical, pop-off style Stanadyne injectors were set to 240 bar, but also internally reworked to handle the increase in fuel from the injection pump.

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The Allison transmission behind the PowerTech provides an unexpected yet welcomed surprise. Sourced from Custom Automatic Conversions, the 1000 series automatic is of the six-speed variety, and makes use of the SAE #3 bellhousing to accommodate the John Deere engine. A custom-tailored flex plate and a standalone controller make the use of the Allison possible, both mechanically and electronically. Gear selections are made on the steering column—by way of a repurposed 20 series throttle lever.

CUSTOM, ORIGINAL, AND AFTERMARKET PARTS

Unfortunately, a lot of the things you can’t see on the Mollet’s Dodge are some of its nicest features. Everything sits on a frame made out of 2x4-inch, 0.187-inch wall rectangular steel tubing, which integrates the factory I-beam axle up front and a Dana 70 with a limited slip in the rear.

There are disc brakes all the way around, as well as air bags and a precisely-clearanced, 3-inch exhaust system culminates with a tail section that matches the contour of the rear fender above it. As for suspension, Jody built the front radius rod setup, along with the rear four-link.

BRIGHT WHITE

Working out of a makeshift paint booth erected at the family farm, Jody shot the truck in Bright White supplied by PPG. The same PW7 paint code found its way onto the bed, bumpers, and steel wheels, while fresh John Deere green was applied to the truck’s various accent pieces. DCM Customs kicked in a host of components that were vital when reassembling the old Dodge (especially weather-stripping), along with the ’48-’53 replacement aluminum radiator that bolted right in.

One look inside and you know it’s all ‘Deere. And if you’re a John Deere enthusiast you know it’s all 20 series equipment, too. The yellow vinyl seats (still covered in plastic), the rear fenders repurposed as armrests, the grab handles-turned door handles, the steering wheel, the gauge cluster, and the throttle and hydraulic levers are all 20 series paraphernalia. Even the accelerator pedal (though turned around backward) and the tractor cab upholstery can be found in 20 series machines. To keep things simple, the floorboards were hit with spray-in bedliner.

NICHE ENTHUSIAST APPEAL, BUT APPRECIATED BY ALL

So how has the finished product been received by the general public? If earning four trophies at its first three shows is any indication, we’d say it’s a hit. The attention-to-detail and craftmanship is apparent to everyone that is lucky enough to see the old Dodge in person. However, 74

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LOOKS, SOUNDS, AND RUNS LIKE A DEERE farmers and other tractor gurus are the folks who truly understand the build.

“We mostly notice the guy who is likely a farmer and knows a 20-series tractor,” Jody explained. “They usually have a huge smile on their face when they see it, and that’s priceless. It’s so gratifying to see someone appreciate what you’ve done, and get it.” From truck people to tractor people to car people, and those that are into all three, Plowboy Diesel’s latest creation is quite a catch, and may even prove to have just as much staying power as their twin-engine truck. After all, there is no shortage of John Deere fandom.

The 20 series John Deere cues begin immediately up front. Grille inserts— which would be found covering the air filter, radiator, and oil cooler on a 20 series tractor—dominate the face of the truck. Up top, the John Deere badge pulled off of a 20 series mated perfectly with the angle at the center line of the truck’s hood. Beneath it sits the original Dodge emblem, which Jody was happy to have been able to polish up and bring back to life (rather than buy a reproduction piece). And although Jody had debated changing to a conventional hood to better see the engine, the original butterfly hood adds both originality and allurement to the build. For example, it’s eraappropriate, and on either side you’re greeted with a green turbo to look at.

Four-corner air-ride provides for adjustable ride height and comfort thanks to air bags from Slam Specialties. Two Viair 400P compressors and dual Viair air tanks (one on either side of the truck under the cab) complete the system. The silver caliper to the left of the air bag reveals that the truck has four-way disc brakes. A disc brake kit from TSM Manufacturing exists here, while a disc brake conversion from Scarebird Classic Brakes is employed up front.

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For what we presume to be added character, a John Deere draw-bar hitch—with what appears to have plenty of hours on it—extends out past the rear bumper. It’s the only piece on the truck, Dodge, ‘Deere, or otherwise, that isn’t in spotless condition. Is it an innocent add-on, a tribute for all the hard days turned in by green equipment over the years, or is it something else entirely? Either way, and oddly enough, it seems to fit the particular build perfectly.

Believe it or not, Jody told us the Dana 70 in the rear of the truck was fairly hard to come by. The limited slip version is graced with a 3.54 ratio ring and pinion from Yukon Gear & Axle and topped off with a Mag-Hytec diff cover. The truck’s front I-beam axle was retained given it was originally used in a 1-ton application. As for shocks, first-gen intended absorbers are in place all the way around.

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LOOKS, SOUNDS, AND RUNS LIKE A DEERE

If you’re good enough to spot the post ’52 rear fenders, you’re a true Dodge fan. Jody, not a fan of the fenders Dodge used on the ’48-’52 trucks, decided on the longer versions that first debuted in 1953, these being sourced from Be Bop’s Glassworks. Believe it or not, Dodge employed these same fenders for more than three decades, well into the 80s.

Making great use of a 20 series battery box, it’s now a center console. Inside, you’ll find the truck’s fuse box and the regulators for the air-ride system. All of the truck’s wiring was performed by Jody’s 76-year-old father, Mike, and believe us when we tell you he did an ultra-clean job.

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LOOKS, SOUNDS, AND RUNS LIKE A DEERE

Just as he’d done with the rest of the truck, Jody treated the 17inch third-gen steelies to bright white paint. The rear wheels have been flipped for a different look, but Jody had to be resourceful in finding a center cap that would cover the Dana 70 hubs. No one would ever guess they’re looking at the end of a John Deere oil filter that’s been epoxied in place—yet that’s exactly what it is! Also notice the 20 series John Deere step at the front of the bed. It’s one of two steps, and one of numerous other well-placed tractor pieces on the truck.

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Peering into the bed (a late 50s Chevrolet piece sponsored by Pro’s Picks), you’re greeted with an all-oak floor that looks like a million bucks. Provided for the build courtesy of Trucks USA, it wears five coats of clear. Beneath the bed, a fuel tank from Rhodes Race Cars holds 20 gallons of diesel.

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TECH |

DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JACOB WHITE

SEEING 2020 EMISSIONS FRIENDLY UPGRADES FOR THE 2020 DURAMAX here is no denying how well GM has executed these latest generation heavy duty trucks. The 2020+ Silverado and Sierra has been a total success in the market and that L5P Duramax paired with the all-new 10-speed Allison transmission is just flat out impressive. While this truck was a real showstopper in the show room outfitted with the top of the line Denali package with its massive chrome grille, factory 20” wheels, and enough cameras to see virtually everything in a 360-degree radius around the truck, of course it couldn’t be left stock for long.

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In the first part of this project, we added a nice rollup Lorado tonneau cover from AgriCover, a DPF-back exhaust system from MBRP and a high flow intake tube and turbo inlet pipe from Wehrli Fabrication. We followed up those modifications with a 2” leveling kit from ReadyLift, 34” Toyo Open Country A/T’s and some unique gloss black milled 20” Rogue wheels from our Anthem Off-Road. With the truck finally looking the part, it’s time to get back under the hood for some added performance. You may think that Duramax packs enough punch to do everything you need it to, while we can somewhat agree, it’s hard to not mention that laggy

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CHROME BLACK W/ MILLED SPOKES BLACK W/ MACHINED FACE

TECH ›› SEEING 2020

pedal feeling GM programmed into the truck. Besides, if you knew how simple it was to add another 130+ horsepower with power adjustability on the fly, we know you’d ask us how. So, we’ll just tell you and save everyone the time of having to talk about.

EDGE PULSAR

With the intake and exhaust upgrades already taken care of, this 2020 was ready for some extra power and feature control with the help of a tuning device. The Pulsar CTS3 Insight kit from Edge Products was exactly what we were after.

In 2017, GM took some major steps on the electronics and programming side of things in the L5P Duramax and made it virtually impossible to install aftermarket tuning. Of course, with time, the aftermarket found their way into that locked ECM, but this has meant possibly losing your warranty and your kids college fund as the early tuning options were rather expensive. Edge Products is not a new name in the diesel tuning game and has been known as a leader in the market for more than 20 years now. Through years of experience, their extremely knowledgeable engineering and calibrations

The Pulsar is a unique computer module that piggybacks directly on to the factory Engine Control Module (ECM) that is located down in the driver wheel well area right behind the radiator and headlight.

Access is gained by removing the inside fender liner.

After removing a handful of small torx bit screws, the fender liner could be tucked out of the way giving perfect access to the trucks computer that will be removed from the truck all together. The instructions Edge includes offers simple to follow steps, including disconnecting the large wiring harness connectors.

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The Pulsar module for L5P is like nothing else on the market for the late model Duramax, as it basically plugs into the factory computer and modifies the signals it sends to the engine. This allows the factory ECM to remain completely stock, so no programming, no flashing, no unlocking, so returning the truck completely back to stock is as simple as just removing the Pulsar unit.

The Pulsar unit will plug directly into the factory connectors on the ECM. You’ll need to take care during this step to make sure everything is lined up properly and pressed down squarely and firmly so that the small pin connectors are make a solid connection and are seated.

teams developed the Pulsar for L5P, a tuning device unlike anything else on the market.

While the competition spent it’s time trying to crack into the ECM and flash tune it like it’s been done for years, the team at Edge Products engineered a stand-alone computer module that simply plugs into the factory ECM to interpret the signals being sent from the ECM to the engine. The all-new, redesigned, Pulsar V3 adjusts four major signals to get more power out of that Duramax safely. By modifying signals like injection pulse width, injection timing, fuel rail pressure, and airflow the Pulsar has the ability to add power and torque without modifying the ECM in anyway. This means the truck can be returned completely back to stock, with no tuning traces for the dealer to see, by simply removing the Pulsar from the truck.

Edge Products includes some small brackets and bolts to securely hold the Pulsar unit onto the factory ECM. The engineering team at Edge has done an incredible job thinking through this whole process and making it as straight forward and robust as possible.

The state-of-the-art device offers smooth integration into your truck with shift-on-the-fly power levels and feature control using your steering wheel controls. Pulsar offers the ability to adjust your top speed limiter, tire size and gear ratio adjustments (all industry exclusives) along with manual DPF regeneration, transmission relearns, and reading/clearing Diagnostic Trouble Codes.

Also programmed into the Pulsar are safety features like transmission slip backdown and EGT backdown.

To make Pulsar and the user experience even better, Edge offers even more control when their popular Insight CTS3 is added into the mix. With Pulsar and Insight working together, you get added control over your throttle pedal sensitivity (no need for an extra throttle booster device), High-Idle settings, cold en86

With the Pulsar installed onto the factory ECM, it can now be placed back into the truck. While some of the factory mounting hardware will be re-used, the kit also includes a couple new mounting tab brackets and bolts to make installation and access a little easier.

NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

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Once the ECM and TCM were reinstalled and securely mounted to the truck, the three large wiring harness connectors can be plugged back in. They’ll only go one way, you’ll just want to be sure the keepers all line up and the latch mechanism can rotate smoothly and latch with the safety lock. gine protection, and a built-in turbo timer. The Insight monitor obviously gives you extra gauge displays for watching all your engine vitals but gives you the ability to fine tune your Pulsar settings specific to your driving preferences. The package really integrates nicely as one cohesive unit and makes for the ultimate driving and towing experience. And did we mention Edge’s dyno proven 135hp and 291ft-lbs of torque over stock on Level 5? You thought your L5P ran well stock, you’ll be completely amazed by how well it’ll handle a load or the unsuspecting Camaro in the lane next to you.

EFH FILTER KIT

With the power and performance added to this Duramax, we also wanted to investigate better fuel filtration.

One simple and effective upgrade for the fuel system is to convert the factory fuel filter setup over to the popular 1R-0750 Caterpillar spin-on style filter. Of course, converting from the expensive internal style factory filter to an old school spin-on will require an adapter of some kind, which is where Extreme Filter Housings comes in. There machined adapter piece makes this conversion super simple and straight forward.

Factory replacement fuel filters can run as much as $60, when the CAT fuel filters can be had for about $20, so not only will the EFH kit offer some cost savings over the life of the truck, the CAT filter offers better protection and is easier to replace when it’s service time.

The factory fuel filter bowl is made from plastic, and is notorious for stripping, making filter changes a nightmare. The EFH system will allow you to rid yourself of those troubles forever and offer remarkably simple spin-on filter change, just like you’re doing your oil. The added filtration will also aid in reliability, longevity, and performance of your fuel system and engine.

88

At this point, the Pulsar is installed, and you could fire the truck up and enjoy all the added power and feature control using your steering wheel control buttons. But to unlock some extra features within the Pulsar and add some monitoring in the cab, the CTS3 Insight is an excellent upgrade to go with it.

Adding the CTS3 Insight to Pulsar for L5P Duramax offers complete adjustability above and beyond what is available by Pulsar on its own. With the CTS3, you can now adjust power back down settings and even throttle pedal sensitivity, so you can fine tune the driving experience to best fit your driving style and needs.

While the Pulsar is pre-calibrated with throttle response adjustments within the tune to take away that dead pedal feel, with the Insight, you can set that response in each individual tune to your liking. Prefer the less aggressive pedal feel while towing but want it snappy and quick in level five? No problem, that adjustment right there at your fingertips.

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TECH ›› SEEING 2020

The backdown settings for Pullsar can also be adjusted to ensure you’re getting the most out of your truck, without causing any undo stress or harm. Power can remain stock until the engine is up to full operating temps and the Pulsar can turn itself down if needed based of your EGT thresholds.

Another great feature within the Pulsar CTS3 kit is the ability to setup a turbo timer to delay engine shut off after the key has been removed. Setting this up to your preference, either EGT or time based, the engine will remain idling until it’s cooled off and allowed the hot oil to circulate out of the turbocharger.

RESULTS

While we haven’t been able to get this truck on the chassis dyno just yet to test our power gains at the tires, the initial test drive was really all the proof needed to feel the immediate and substantial gains offered by the Pulsar V3 unit. The power comes in smoothly and carries all the way through the RPM range. We’ve found that daily driving on Level 3 offers the best of both worlds with a little extra pep stop light to stop light without being too much to handle.

The factory 10-speed transmission took a few days of driving to adapt to the new power, but this combination has turned out to be quite impressive for towing. The adjustable pedal response and added low end torque just makes the truck move more effortlessly, which is hard to believe knowing how well this 2020 Duramax performs in stock form. In our next part to the project, we’ll be looking into some more airflow upgrades and adding some bling under the hood.

Tire size adjustment is a feature not offered by any other plug and play performance device on the market for L5P Duramax, making Pulsar an even better value. If you’ve added larger tires to your truck, your speedometer most likely reads faster than it should, and with Pulsar, you can recalibrate the speedometer to keep the highway patrol from paying you a visit.

SOURCES EDGE PRODUCTS WWW.EDGEPRODUCTS.COM EXTREME FILTER HOUSINGS WWW.EXTREMEFILTERHOUSINGS.COM

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We’ve done stories on the Edge Insight CTS3 before, so we won’t go in to too much detail here, but after more than a year on the market, Edge continues to add more and more support and coverage for Insight. It really is the most versatile and easiest to use monitoring device on the market.

NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ www.dieselworldmag.com

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While we focused mostly on performance this go round, we also wanted to do something about engine longevity and filtration. The fuel filter conversion kit from Extreme Filter Housings was developed specific for the 2017+ Duramax application and offers superior filtration over the factory filter, and it’s cheaper to replace to boot.

The machined billet adapter makes it super simple to replace the expensive factory filter with a spin on style filter from Caterpillar. These filters have an excellent reputation in diesel applications as they offer excellent flow and filtration down to 2-microns. The EFH kit makes future services less expensive, and quicker to change.

Sitting on the bench you can see the difference between the EFH kit and the factory internal element style filter. The installation couldn’t be easier, as you just thread the adapter onto the factory housing under the truck, then thread your filter into the adapter. That’s it.

Fuel filter swap completed in less than 15 minutes with next to no mess on the floor.

The added filtration should make for a happier injection pump and injectors. It’s all in the name of added performance and longevity.

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FEATURE

1948 CHEVROLET LOADMASTER

JEREMY SCHMIDT’S 1948 CUMMINS-POWERED CHEVROLET LOADMASTER

BY CHRIS TOBIN

ndrew Anthony Schmidt Jr. purchased this 1948 Chevrolet Loadmaster to use on the family farm along with his two sons in 1950. He had the doors lettered and put the machine to work. Around 15-years later his oldest son Andrew III “Buddy” died in a drowning accident leading Andrew Jr. to scrape his name off the truck door while he was grieving the tragic loss. The truck in its original form was used until around 1980 then put into storage in the family Quonset building with around 65,000 miles on the odometer.

A

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DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

Flash forward around 30-years: family members were cleaning up the property and came across the nearly forgotten family farm truck stashed away in the storage building. Realizing that the truck was in pretty darn good shape Jeremy Schmidt decides that his grandfather’s truck should be pulled out of storage and put back on the road once again.

But rather than mess with the WWII era chassis, driveline and performance Schmidt wanted to put a “modern” 12-valve diesel under the vintage cab.

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FAMILY FARM TRUCK

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Lifting the vintage hood reveals the ’95 Cummins 12-valve engine that came along for the ride with the chassis swap. While the engine is mostly stock it still provides way more grunt than the original engine ever dreamed of!

FAMILY FARM TRUCK THE WORK BEGINS

Schmidt is a plumber by trade but did not let that stop him from wrenching on his family truck to turn it into a dream truck that his grandfather Andrew Schmidt Jr. would be proud of. After getting the truck out of storage he went to work removing the cab and bed from the original chassis.

Then he went on the hunt for a donor truck with a chassis and drivetrain that was in good shape to carry around the 5-window Chevy cab and wood flatbed.

He found a single cab 1995 Dodge Ram 3500 DRW truck with a running 12-valve backed by a NV4500 5-speed manual transmission for less than $4,000 that would make a great donor for the ’48 Loadmaster project. To retain and protect the patina on the cab Schmidt sprayed it with several protective coats of Eastwood satin clear to make it ready for its new home on the ’95 Dodge chassis.

After getting the ’95 pickup home he began removing the cab and bed to make room for the vintage sheet metal and wood bed and fabricated mounting points to mate the Dodge chassis to the Chevrolet cab and wood bed. Surprisingly centering the front axle in the wheel wells took very little effort and the ’95 96

Being a plumber by trade it is no surprise that Schmidt used copper tubing complete with soldered joints in place of standard rubber hoses for the coolant path to and from the radiator to the engine.

The radiator overflow tank (as small as it is) utilizes more copper tubing as well as a vintage Schmidt Beer (no relation) can that is mounted to the firewall.

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The passenger side of the Cummins engine makes use of the stock exhaust manifold and turbo charger with enhanced breathing through a Spectre open-element air cleaner.

Boost from the turbo is carried through painted steel tubing and RDT Motoring silicone boots to the JDM intercooler mounted below the radiator core. You can also see the aluminum radiator in the background.

FAMILY FARM TRUCK steering column, pedal assembly and master cylinder practically bolted up to the ’48 cab with very little modification needed like they belonged to be together.

The interior didn’t need much work with the original vinyl bench seat still in good condition, but Schmidt still gave it some custom touches including fabricating a fence post shifter handle and custom steering wheel he created using parts found in the family machine shed by welding a chain, gear sprocket and 4-way lug wrench together.

DRIVETRAIN

Mechanically Schmidt left most of the ’95 components stock including the 12-valve Cummins engine and NV4500 manual transmission as well as the front and rear axle assemblies. But when he was plumbing the cooling system his plumbing skills came into play with him fabricating cooling tubes from the engine to the aluminum radiator using copper tubing and fittings that he soldered together for a leak-free seal that gives the truck another personal touch.

Additionally, he installed a Schmidt Beer (no family relation) can on the firewall as an overflow catch can with more copper tubing linking it to the radiator. To power the truck, he installed a single Optima Yellow-Top battery on the center of the firewall above the engine.

The stock turbo inhales through a Spectre open element air cleaner then sends the compressed charge over to the intake through an JDM intercooler that he 98

The original patina-finish sheet metal cab rides on the 1995 Dodge Ram dually chassis with Arrowcraft 10-lug wheel adapters and highly polished Alcoa 22.5-inch wheels wrapped in Double Coin 255/70R22.5 RLB490 tires giving the vintage truck a big-rig feel.

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FAMILY FARM TRUCK

mounted below the radiator core support.

Spent gasses are funneled to a pair of 4-inch stainless steel stacks mounted between the cab and the bed. Fuel is held in the stock ’95 fuel tank under the bed and sent up to the engine by a FASS Titanium fuel pump and filter system. The combination is not a powerhouse in terms of what we commonly see in the Diesel World, but it is far more power than the original engine every produced and perfect for cruising to and from shows and events in unique rat-rod style.

Schmidt decided to give the family farm truck a sense of big rig style by installing a set of Arrowcraft 10-lug wheel adapters and 22.5-inch Alcoa polished aluminum wheels on all four corners. The wheels are wrapped in Double Coin 255/70R22.5 RLB490 rubber to put the power to the pavement while providing a decent ride as long as they are not aired up to maximum capacity.

Looking up under the rear of the chassis you can see the beefy Dodge 3500 rear axle assembly as well as the compressor and air tank that Schmidt added to the truck to drive a set of air horns and run an air hose when needed.

As you can see Schmidt renovated his grandfather’s truck giving it a new lease on life that Andrew Schmidt Jr. would certainly be proud of. By keeping the original body patina and family history intact then melding it with a nearly 50-year newer chassis and drivetrain he created a truck that pays respect to the family heritage that is enjoyable to drive and show off. His hard work paid off as he was awarded the Best Custom Diesel trophy at the 2019 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza.

The truck sports the original lettering from 1950 on each door preserved under an Eastwood clear satin finish that Schmidt applied to maintain the patina. You may notice that “Andy” was scrapped off each door, tragically Andrew “Buddy” Anthony Schmidt III was lost to a drowning accident when he was only 18-years old. The best the family can tell is that Andrew Anthony Schmidt Jr. scrapped of the “Andy” lettering while he was grieving the tragic loss within the family.

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Looking below the wooden flatbed you will find the Dodge Ram 3500 chassis along with the FASS Titanium pump and filter system as well as the modern composite fuel tank along the inner frame rail and the fuel filler neck extending out to the edge of the bed frame.

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FAMILY FARM TRUCK

Opening the door, you will find a sparse but functional interior complete with the original vinyl bench seat and unique steering and shifting implements.

The wooden deck boards of the flat bed still look to be in great shape, but don’t provide a place for small items so Schmidt installed the antique Made Rite Sandwich Co. box to hold small items that might slide off the deck otherwise.

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Schmidt fabricated the steering wheel by welding an old chain along with a 4-way lug-wrench and sprocket together to give the rat rod pickup a unique feel using parts scavenged from the family’s old machine shed. The custom long-throw shifter handle is made from a recycled fence post.

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FAMILY FARM TRUCK

Schmidt’s ’48 Chevrolet Loadmaster still has the original bumper, grille and emblems on the vintage truck.

As far as Schmidt knows the graceful swan hood ornament has been on the Loadmaster since his grandfather purchased the truck in 1950. It may be a little worse for wear, but it is awesome, nonetheless.

Directly behind the cab Schmidt installed a set of twin 4-inch diameter stainless steel stacks to send spent exhaust gasses skyward from the 12-valve Cummins engine.

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DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

BY MIKE MCGLOTHLIN | PHOTOS BY MIKE MCGLOTHLIN AND COURTESY OF RCD PERFORMANCE

WHY THE CP4.2 FAILS AND HOW YOU CAN KEEP YOURS OFF THE SCRAP PILE

y now you’ve heard of all the problems surrounding the Bosch CP4.2, the high-pressure fuel pump that’s made its way onto most common-rail engines in the pickup truck segment. You know the story well: the pump selfdestructs, sends metal fragments through the lines and rails, into the injectors, and then out the return circuit. The failure is rarely noticed before it’s too late, and by then you’re usually out a pump, lines,

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rails, injectors, a tank cleaning, 30 hours’ labor, and anywhere between $6,000 to $10,000. As expected, this potential catastrophe has many latemodel truck owners a little uneasy about their $60,000 to $90,000 investments.

With its ultra-tight tolerances, the CP4.2 does not tolerate anything other than diesel fuel very well.

But which unwanted contaminant is most common? Air. That’s right, aeration is the number one killer of

these pumps. Whether it be from lack of maintenance, running the truck out of fuel, improper fuel filter installation, or not allowing the fuel system to properly prime after a filter change, nine times out of 10 this is what takes out the CP4.2. We recently stopped by RCD Performance’s state-of-the-art fuel injection shop for the full rundown on how the CP4.2 operates, what its key failure points are, and how the average truck owner can prevent it from failing.

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A radial piston pump, the Bosch CP4.2 consists of two high-pressure cylinders (hence the “2” in CP4.2), each with its own piston assembly, spring, plunger, and head. A two-lobed camshaft drives the pistons (sometimes referred to as buckets), with each piston being actuated twice per crankshaft revolution for a total of four compression strokes. The CP4.2 must be timed with both the engine’s crankshaft and camshaft to coincide perfectly with the injectors opening, and in both the 6.7L Power Stroke and LML Duramax the pump is driven by the engine’s camshaft.

While it achieves the same goal (highly pressurized fuel), the CP4.2 is noticeably different from its predecessor, the CP3. The CP4.2 (left) is a twin-piston pump while the CP3 (right) utilizes three, but thanks to its dual-lobe cam the pistons in the CP4.2 perform twice the work. Although the CP4.2 moves less fuel volume than the CP3 (roughly 20-percent less according to the output of LML Duramax CP4.2’s), it is substantially more efficient and produces higher peak pressure (30,000 psi vs. 26,000 psi).

Also unlike the CP3, all high-pressure fuel circuits are external on the CP4.2. So instead of requiring an extensive (and expensive), forged-steel and heattreated housing, all the CP4.2’s parts are installed within (or bolted to) an aluminum case.

Broken down, the piston and roller tappet assemblies, piston springs, plungers, heads, and volume control valve (VCV) are all visible here. When compared with a CP3, there are considerably less moving parts, which makes the CP4.2 both more cost-effective to produce and less complex in overall design. www.dieselworldmag.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOVEMBER I 2021 • DIESEL WORLD

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TECH ›› WHY THE CP4.2 FAILS

The design of the CP4.2 contains the entire high-pressure area within the cylinders. A piston assembly consisting of the piston, roller tappet, plunger, and spring sits in each cylinder and is topped off with a steel head. Integrated high-and-low pressure valves are present in the heads as well.

Among the integrated ports and valves found in the heads are the low-pressure fuel inlet, the high-pressure check valve, and the high-pressure outlet that allows fuel to enter the rail. Like the CP3, fuel passages within the CP4.2 are fairly sizeable. It’s unlikely they could even be a restriction in modified versions of the CP4.2.

A plunger operates above each piston, surrounded by a hightension spring, and is akin to a connecting rod in this instance. The spring is responsible for returning the piston to the rest position following each compression stroke.

With the cam removed, the internal supply ports are visible. The port on the right routes fuel up to the plunger and relief valve (accessible on the back side of the pump), while the port on the left is for supply feeding into the pump.

The high-pressure check valve is located at the top of each head. The job of this oneway valve is to ensure fuel cannot return to the low-pressure circuit once it’s entered the high-pressure area. An outlet check valve is also utilized. It closes when low-pressure fuel is being introduced into the pump due to pressure differentiation, but opens during the piston’s compression stroke.

Access to the cam is gained by removing the cam bearing housing, which is fastened to the front of the CP4.2 housing. The cam bearing housing employs a sleeve bearing to support the cam and is secured via four Torx head bolts.

Surprisingly similar in size and shape with what is found inside the CP3, the CP4.2’s camshaft features two actuating lobes. The lobes are offset 180 degrees from each other and as was previously mentioned each piston is actuated two times per revolution of the engine’s crankshaft. In addition to the roller tappet at the bottom of the piston (shown here behind the cam), the cam lobes bear the brunt of the damage when a CP4.2 fails.

As the cam rotates, its lobes push the pistons up in their respective bores. The bottom of each piston is fitted with a roller tappet (shown), which rides on the cam lobe. The roller tappet is pressed into a polished follower.

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TECH ›› WHY THE CP4.2 FAILS

This is how the roller tappet on the bottom of the piston rides on the cam. Much different from the CP3, where the cam lobes push directly on the plungers, the point of interaction between the cam lobes and the roller tappets relies heavily on a layer of fuel being present between the two. If lubrication is lost, the roller will eventually seize.

As the roller tappet is usually the first component to break down during failure, this diagram (of a CP4.1) helps explain why the rest of the fuel system becomes contaminated with metal debris. As you can see, shrapnellaced fuel from the destruction of the roller tappet not only circulates around the cam, but also makes its way into the high-pressure chamber and out the high-pressure outlet (as well as the volume control valve). Not only do the injectors see metal shards, but so does the return side of the fuel system, which carries it all the way back to the tank.

Unfortunately, there is no provision in place in the CP4.2 to keep the piston from rotating within its bore. After tracing the failures it’s seen in dozens of LML Duramax applications back to either the system’s lack of an electric low-pressure fuel supply pump, improper installation of the fuel filters, or the end-user running the truck completely out of fuel, the folks at RCD Performance believe aerated fuel is the primary cause behind CP4.2 failures. With highly aerated fuel inside the piston, the piston assembly is allowed to float, which often results in the piston rotating.

As you can imagine, once the piston has rotated within its bore (often 90 degrees) and the roller tappet is perpendicular to the cam lobe, the relationship between the two drastically changes. And with fluctuations between highly pressurized fuel and highly aerated fuel bearing down on it from above, the roller tappet effectively becomes a pile driver. Excessive wear of both the roller tappet and cam occurs rapidly at this point, but most drivers don’t notice a problem until the truck stutters and shuts off.

One of the first places you’ll discover CP4.2 failure is at the volume control valve (VCV). Known as the FCA, MPROP, or fuel pressure regulator in CP3 applications, the VCV precisely meters the flow rate of fuel going into the cylinders. As the metal-onmetal contact between the roller tappet and cam begin to produce steel fragments, a plugged 80-micron screen on the VCV will tell you everything you need to know.

The primary difference between the CP4.2 used on the 6.7L Power Stroke vs. the unit found on the LML Duramax is Ford’s utilization of an electric low-pressure pump supplying diesel to it. GM’s version does incorporate a gear pump on the back side to get positive pressure heading toward the CP4.2 (shown), but as the un-salvageable LML cores pile up at RCD Performance, it’s clear that the help provided by the mechanical pump isn’t enough.

This is believed to be the dominant reason CP4.2 failure is less common on the 6.7L Power Stroke than it is on the LML Duramax: the electric lift pump that’s part of the all-in-one diesel fuel conditioning module (primary filter, drain valve, and pump). Not just any low-pressure fuel supply pump, Ford makes sure 55 to 65 psi is being sent to the CP4.2 at all times. Any time fuel supply pressure drops below 50-psi for a sustained interval, a low fuel pressure code will be thrown.

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TECH ›› WHY THE CP4.2 FAILS

Although it’s not as common for a pump failure to occur on the 6.7L Power Stroke, if the CP4.2 does disintegrate, you’re replacing the fuel cooler and possibly even the low-pressure fuel pump in addition to the CP4.2, lines, rails, injectors, and necessary sensors. To keep the CP4.2 in a 6.7L Power Stroke happy, maintain a strict fuel filter change regimen (performed at or before Ford’s recommended interval), make sure you change both the primary and secondary filters, ensure you install them properly, and always fill your tank with quality fuel from a safe, reputable source.

Many of us know the struggle that can sometimes be priming the Duramax’s fuel system following a fuel filter change, but this is often where a lot of the CP4.2’s troubles begin. According to RCD Performance, many owners start the engine before proper priming has been performed by hand, and then rev the engine up in an effort to push the air through the system before the engine dies. As far as the CP4.2 is concerned, this is the worst thing you can do. The best course of action is to prime the hand-pump until it’s tight, start the engine, continue priming the filter until all air is bled out, and allow the engine to idle for five minutes prior to any type of acceleration. In BMW applications that employ a CP4-based pump, it’s recommended that a program on OE scan tools be used to purge the fuel system by way of idling the engine while the VCV is cycled. The fact that this elaborate process is standard operating procedure for such a seemingly simple maintenance item leads us to believe BMW knows how damaging air can be for the CP4.

Who knew something as innocent as improperly installing a fuel filter could lead to such catastrophic fuel system failure? Due to its ability to allow air to infiltrate the high-pressure system, the guys at RCD Performance say it’s possible.

Aerated fuel creates a host of issues inside fuel systems, the worst of which is lack of lubrication and inconsistent pressure. While changing out filters seems idiot-proof, if you’re doing it on your truck for the first time take a peek at the owner’s manual, just to be sure. In 6.7L Power Stroke applications, turn the key to the on position and listen for the low-pressure fuel pump. If you pay attention, you can hear the air-fuel mixture burp in the tank after two or three cycles. Then let the truck idle for five minutes to ensure all air is gone before accelerating.

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We’ve been told several possible mechanical remedies are in the works to keep the pistons from rotating in the CP4.2’s cylinder bores. The version we think makes the most sense (the simplest, most affordable route) would be the addition of a keyway. The aeration issue on the other hand can never be completely ruled out, but it’s a good idea for LML Duramax owners to add an aftermarket electric lift pump (cheaper path) or switch to a CP3 (more expensive path), and it behooves owners of all CP4.2-equipped engines to practice regular and proper fuel filter maintenance schedules.

BOSCH CP4.2: A COMPACT, EFFICIENT PLATFORM THAT’S HERE TO STAY While most of us know the Bosch CP4.2 because it’s what came on our LML Duramax or 6.7L Power Stroke, this high-pressure fuel pump has been around a while. With 39,000 psi (2,700 bar) capability, the CP4 can meet even the most stringent

diesel emission standards, and it’s been used in conjunction with both piezo and solenoid style injectors in dozens of passenger car makes and models all over the world. To date, more than 40 million CP4’s have been produced, with its modular design allowing Bosch to grow (CP4.2) or scale down the pump (CP4.1) based on the OE’s fuel system requirements and packaging needs.

The Bosch CP4.2 debuted in the North American truck segment back in 2011 on both the 6.7L Power Stroke and the LML Duramax, although a similar version (CP4.1) had already been brought to other markets such as Volkswagen, BMW, and more than 20 other brands, globally. Fast-forward eight years and it’s in use in most diesel engines in the truck world.

Though GM moved on to the Denso HP4 pump for its L5P Duramax in ’17, you can still find the CP4.2 aboard the aforementioned 6.7L Power Stroke, the 3.0L VM Motori EcoDiesel in Ram 1500’s, the 5.0L Cummins in the Nissan Titan XD, and now even the new 6.7L Cummins uses one. One thing’s for sure: this pump isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

SOURCE RCD PERFORMANCE 309.822.0600 RCDPERFORMANCE.COM

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DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

BY JIM ALLEN

LITTLE ORANGE 1961 ALLIS-CHALMERS D-15 SERIES I

llis-Chalmers went all out in 1957 to start a total refresh of their tractor lineup. The first to appear in the new line was the D-14. You could call it a light middle weight tractor, big enough to be the main tractor on a small farm and small enough to be a utility tractor on a large farm. It made 34 belt horsepower from a 149 cubic inch four cylinder gas (or LPG) engine. It was part of a newly designed engine family for A-C, but no diesel was available for the D-14 at that time so we move on.

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A-C DIESELS HIT THE DIRT

More relevant to Diesel World readers was the 1960 D-15, which was an evolution of the D-14. Besides some styling and color scheme changes, the big news was the availability of a 175 cubic inch, four-cylinder diesel. It was called a “3-plow” tractor, which was a very subjective advertising way of describing drawbar power. Following shortly after the D14 had been the D-17, six cylinder tractor, which did have an NA diesel option, and you could call the D-15 the D-17’s little brother.

Persian Orange is the color, with Cream accents. Despite fairly large numbers produced, the D-15 is a fairly rare tractor today and A-C collector Alan Snyder is happy to have such a nice one.

His 1961 Series 1 diesel is equipped for row crop work, as many were, with the Roll Shift adjustable wide front axle, Power Shift Rear wheels, PTO, Snap Coupler 3-point, hydraulic remote and Power Director.

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In 1961, the Ahhhnold version of the D-17 joined the lineup, the turbocharged D-19.

We talked about the D-19 in the July, 2018, issue of Diesel World (see it on the website at www.dieselworldmag.com/ diesel-tractors/the-first-turbo-tractor-allischalmers-d-19/) and how it was the first production turbocharged tractor. Well, the D-15 didn’t share a turbo with its Big Bro, but the D-175 four-cylinder diesel was a four cylinder version of the D-17 and D-19 D-262 six cylinder. All were Lanova cell diesels that had originated with Buda. Allis-Chalmers had absorbed Buda in 1953 giving them an in-house engine factory. The Buda name was gradually retired and so were the BudaLanova engines. The D-15, D-17 and D-19 were among the last tractors to use them and Allis Chalmers was well on its way to going direct injected on the remainder of the line.

wheel narrow front axle was also offered.

The D-15 was offered in an orchard style, what A-C called a Grove Tractor. There was a D-15 equipped for rice fields and two high clearance models, one with a single front wheel and one with a wide front.

A-C also offered an industrial version of the D-15 Series 1 tractor, which featured a solid, fixed-width tread front axle, non adjustable rear wheels and the Shuttle Shift transmission (read on).

D-15 DETAILS

The D-15 was well equipped in the gearbox department, with a 4-speed main gearbox and a partial power-shift system A-C called the Power Director. Controlled by a hand lever, it had three positions, direct, neutral and low. The neutral position was used when you needed all the PTO and hydraulic systems to work. You could go from direct to low, and vice versa without using the clutch.

It was a durable unit, being bathed in oil and having brass clutch plates.

The D-15 Diesel was offered in seven basic configurations starting with a widefront, rowcrop-style tractor with power shift, adjustable tread rear wheels and an adjustable width front axle. A dual-

You could get a base tractor without a Power Director or you could order one with a Shuttle Shift that replaced the Power Director but allowed forward and back

A-C had a proprietary 3-point system they called the Snap Hitch. They sold a wide variety of implements that were set up to use it and they were one of the easiest systems to hook up. Combined with the A-C Traction booster draft control, people who know the A-C system had good incentive to use orange implements. You could set up the A-C tractors to use other brands of equipment but it’s been said that nothing worked behind an A-C tractor better than an A-C plow. Alan had a few of the snap hitch pieces removed when we shot it so you aren’t see the whole shebang here.

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TRACTOR TALK ›› 1961 ALLIS-CHALMERS D-15 SERIES I

clutch-less shifting for loader tractors. Power steering was optional as was a belt drive adapter for the PTO. The D-15 came in two series. The Series 1 was built from 1960 through 1962. The Series II started for ‘63 and ran through ‘67. For the diesel Series II models, there wasn’t much difference mechanically for the Series 1... it used the same Lanova cell

diesel. The gas engines were updated in many ways. The cosmetics changed a bit and they are easy to tell apart. The Series I have cowl-mounted headlights and a metal “Allis-Chalmers” badge on the hood, with a “D-15” badge back on the fuel tank. The Series II had a white stripe along the hood side with the brand and model on it and the lights are mounted on the rear fenders, which also differ slightly in size and shape.

The operator station was typical of the era and designed for iron men. Still, the control layout is well designed and easy to use.

The end of an era. The D-15 was near the end of the line for the Buda-Lanova engines that had debuted in 1934. They debuted in A-C WD-45 tractors for 1954, the year after “Big Orange” bought the Buda Engine Company. The D175 was a 4-cylinder evolution of the D262 six, which itself was an evolution of the original Buda 6BD-230 that had come about 1946. The D175 was a wet-sleeved, five-main engine with 3.56 inch bore and a 4.37 inch stroke. A Roosa Master rotary pump was used. The Lanova cell was a boon to diesel manufacturers in the 1920s because it offered a very gentle combustion process and engines could be downsized considerably. By the 1960s, the gentle Lanova combustion chamber was more of a power limiter than anything. It was a quiet and economical diesel but very limited in potential output. On the flywheel, the D175 could make a maximum-rated intermittent 49 horsepower at a very modest 2200 rpm. For continuous use, A-C limited them to 38 horsepower at 2000 rpm. By the time the ‘70s rolled around, Franz Lang’s 1923 air cell invention was pretty much relegated to the history books, though many manufacturers had licensed and used it.

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TRACTOR TALK ›› 1961 ALLIS-CHALMERS D-15 SERIES I

Beyond the limitations of the Lanova cell engine, history had judged the D-15 “a good tractor.” Both Series D-15 served A-C well, with the Series I selling to the tune of 7,169 units (868 wide front diesel and 83 narrow front), and the Series II 12,419 (all types).

After the last were sold in 1968, there was not a direct replacement for it in the lineup.

For 1969, A-C tapped Renault for a tractor. It became part of the new Hundred Series line and was called the One-Sixty. Powered by a 152 ci, 3-cylinder Perkins diesel making 40 horses.

SPECIFICATIONS 1961 ALLIS-CHALMERS D-15 DIESEL ENGINE:4-cylinder, A-C D-175 DISPLACEMENT: 175 CI BORE & STROKE: 3.65 X 4.375 IN. FLYWHEEL MAXIMUM POWER: 49 HP @ 2200 RPM *RATED PTO POWER: 36.51 HP @ 2000 RPM *RATED DRAWBAR POWER: 30.18 HP @ 1997 RPM COMPRESSION RATIO: 15.5:1 TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED (4X2) WEIGHT: 4,220 LBS. FUEL CAPACITY: 16 GAL. TIRES: FRONT- 5.50-16 Rear- 12.6-26 *FUEL CONSUMPTION: 2.871 GPH @ FULL POWER *DRAWBAR PULL: 5,737 LBTS @ 14.35 % SLIP *TOP SPEED: 15.3 MPH * AS RATED BY NEBRASKA TRACTOR TEST 796

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DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

BY JIM ALLEN

BLACK HOLE CUMMINS 1964 CUMMINS VT12-825-M

SPECIAL THANKS TO KEITH BAYLOR, KATE FINESKE AND TOM KUBIAK

Here is where the Cummins V12 started, the 1936 Model VL. In the mid-1930s, the practicality of a diesel powered locomotive was starting to compete with the steamers and developments were ongoing in diesel manufacturing to accommodate that market. Cummins got involved, first by building a locomotive powered by two 250 hp Model L sixes. Cummins engineers then put two of the 2309 cubic inch model Ls together on one crankcase in a 60 degree vee to make the 500 horsepower (at 1000 rpm) VL. A pair of these babies were installed into a locomotive for tests but the project didn’t get far. General Electric and General Motors soon became heavy hitters in diesel locomotive development and Cummins wisely realized they were outclassed and dropped their locomotive work. This VL is shown with the new Cummins Model A automotive engine about 1937. Only about 15 of these engines were produced.

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VT12 engine number 391965 has lived it’s entire life on the bottom level of the bow section of SS Schoonmaker. Over 14 years of service, it acquired 3,445 hours of operation. It started via air supplied by a compressor elsewhere on the boat. Cooling comes from a cooling grid inside the propeller tunnel and the system holds 90 gallons. ot all diesel engines have glamorous jobs in fancy places... like under the hood of your pickup. Some toil in the dark, buried deep in the bowels of a ship. Such was the life of this 12-cylinder Cummins VT12, also known as a VT12825-M.

N

In 1966 when the Great lakes ore boat SS Col. James M. Schoonmaker was 55 years old, she got a very useful upgrade in the form of a bow thruster. “What’s that?” you landlubbers ask. In the simplest terms, it’s propulsion that moves a ship sideways rather than forward or back. It’s very useful for maneuvering to or away from dock. It’s typically located in the forward part of a vessel but some have them in several locations.

A ship the size of Schoonmaker won’t get by with an outboard-sized bow thruster, so when the thruster was added in the ‘65-66 off-season, they needed some beef.

The engine selected was the marineized VT12-825-M. The “825” indicated the 825 horsepower pleasure boat rating, the highest rating for this engine family at the time, the absolute maximum intermittent allowable output in marine use. In normal marine use, the operator would limit operation to 700 horsepower at 1850 rpm.

The VT12 is more or less as it was when last run in 1980. Condition is unknown but after sitting 41 years in a dank hold, it’s likely to be locked up. We know a bunch of you are screaming, “Somebody go down there and get ‘er running.” That’s what all gearheads will think but the Museum of the Great Lakes has a lot of obstacles in the way of that. Besides insurance, repair costs and fabricating a new stack (the old one was cut off and capped many years back), there are maritime regulations that prevent the museum from running any of the engines without jumping thru a whole lot of very expensive hoops. Sadly, this diesel’s running days are over. Too bad hardly anyone ever goes down there to pat it on the cylinder head and say thanks.

VT12 HISTORY

The conceptual origins of the V1710 Series go back to the mid-1930s and a monstrous 4,638 cubic inch V12 Cummins built for use in an experimental diesel locomotive. Cummins Engineer and Historian, Keith Baylor, says only about 15 of these engines were built.

Next up was the V1486 in the NVH line that debuted in March of 1949, originally with a Double Disc injection

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VINTAGE SMOKE ›› 1964 CUMMINS VT12-825-M

system. It displaced 1,486 cubic inches from a 5.125 x 6-inch bore and stroke. Baylor tells us that in 1953, the V1486 was the first production Cummins engine to be turbocharged. It was also the first to be converted to the PT injection system in January of 1954. The NA variants were typically called the NVH-12 (or NVH-1200) and the turbocharged units VT12. They typically cranked out a maximum rated 400 and 600 horses respectively, both at 2100 rpm. Production ran into 1968 and overlapped with the V1710 series. There were also 600 horsepower supercharged models.

The V1710 series debuted for 1960 in two forms, naturally aspirated and turbocharged. In development, the NA engine was internally code-named “Volume” and the turbo was “Victor.” They were introduced at the same time as the venerated 855 cubic inch NH six and a little known and short lived (‘60-67) 950 cubic inch V8 called the VT8 or V950. A natural gas fuel V1710 was introduced at the same time. They can generally be considered to all be in the same family.

The V1710 series was designed for heavy construction, industrial, generators and marine use. It was a little big for trucks, though the VT8 did find a home in trucks. In the 1964 era of Schoonmaker’s unit, the V1710 NA versions typically had a base maximum power rating of 525 horsepower at 2100 rpm and the VT line was 700. In 1968, the VT1710 line was aftercooled and the ratings bumped to 800 and later 900 horsepower. A 980 horsepower rating is the highest shown for the latest engines in the books we have. The V1710 series has survived into today as the V28 or VTA28. It’s built overseas (India and China) and used overseas as a non-emissions engine in marine, construc-

The engine sets just aft of the thruster tunnel and drives an American Shipbuilding Company “AmThrust” dual counter-rotating propeller thruster unit. Between the engine and the AmThrust is a Twin Disc MG-521 gearbox with a 4.087:1 ratio. The AmThrust adds another 1.33:1 ratio drop.

The thruster tunnel on Schoonmaker is about 6.3 feet in diameter, just a few inches larger than the six foot diameter, counter-rotating AmThrust propellers. The AmThrust can produce 18,000 pounds of thrust using 700 of the VT12’s horsepower. That’s a little more thrust than one jet engine on a Boing 737 airliner can produce.

The Captain had full control of the bow thruster from the bridge via this control and could monitor operation via the panel. Tom Kubiak, the ship’s maintenance supervisor, describes the addition of the bow thruster as a major milestone in the boat’s life, allowing the owners to save a great deal of money on tugboat fees. Remember that the ship’s main propulsion is at one end only and its ability to move the ship, or the ships bow, laterally is very limited. The Schoonmaker is 617 feet long and was once the largest ship on the Great Lakes. In her later years, she was still in the “big’un” class of lake boats. Even with tugs assisting, as they almost always did before the thruster was installed, tying up a vessel displacing 32,600 tons (that’s with a full load) was an epic event. The bow thruster enabled the Captain to push or hold the ships bow against wind or tide, or move the bow towards or away from a dock or pier. The bow thruster would also be very useful in the Soo Locks that connect Lakes Superior and Huron or in navigating in tight river spaces or harbors. The thruster paid for itself quickly by significantly cutting operating costs and reducing delays.

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VINTAGE SMOKE ›› 1964 CUMMINS VT12-825-M

The predecessor and short time stablemate the V1710 series was the V1486 line.

Here is a 1952 NVHIS-1486 at the Cummins Historical Restoration facility being evaluated by Engineers Ben Schulte to see if it’s in good enough shape to run again. The engine powered a backup generator in a large Rhode Island building.

This supercharged version makes over 600 horsepower using two Cummins Twin Disc injection pumps. Four of the turbocharged versions of these engines were used to power the 95-foot Coast Guard Cape-Class Cutters starting the early 1950s. tion and generator applications. Cummins considers it one of their home runs.

VT12 TECH

The VT12 is a V-12 with a narrow 40 degree vee. You could say the VT12 is two 855 sixes put together onto one crankshaft. It displaces 1,710 cubic inches from 12 cylinders with a 5.5 x 6.0 inch bore and stroke. It uses the Cummins PT injection system, which was an early iteration of a common rail system that is still being used by Cummins, both in it’s original or a modified form depending on the market. It has seven main bearings, the journals of which are 5-inches in diameter. The rod journals are 3.75 inches in diameter. Wet sleeves are used and the aluminum pistons have three compression and one oil ring. The piston pin is full floating, with hearings in the piston and the rod. Compression ratio is 14.1:1. The VT12-825-M assembly, complete with gearbox, weighs 8,100 pounds.

At full intermittent power, the performance graph shows the engine would use approximately 47 gallons per hour.

Baylor supplied the build card for the Schoonmaker engine and it was certified March 25, 1964. In its test, the engine delivered 16 psi boost, about what you’d expect for an engine with no intercooler, and used 43 gallons per hour at an 800 horsepower rating. The VT12 engine saw a lot of use here in the states until emissions controls hit the heavy duty diesel market.

LOCKED AWAY FOR LIFE

The Schoonmaker’s thruster engine compartment is six decks down from the bridge, literally as low as you can go in the boat. Because the path to it is a narrow, dark, steep and torturous, it isn’t on the museum tour route. It’s not likely the old Cummins will ever be seen by more than a few people. It’s not likely to run again either. In a way, it’s 128

kind of sad that something once so useful to the operation of this ship, something that kept an old ship working efficiently in the modern era, has to retire in total obscurity.

Perhaps this story will inspire a few of you old soot heads to raise a glass to a bit of mechanical history that was once a very important part of a very historic ship.

This is a factory fresh VT12-825-M image from the original sales literature that is still in the ship’s engineering files from the time the engine was purchased.

SOURCES CUMMINS WWW.CUMMINS.COM

MUSEUM OF THE GREAT LAKES NMGL.ORG

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