Power Driven Podcast

If you have ever second guessed whether you have the right turbo on your truck or just assumed bigger always means better, this episode is going to sort that out with real numbers from real trucks pulling real weight. Todd, Will, and Myer just got back from hauling to a race in Phoenix and brought the data to prove what properly sized turbochargers actually do out on the road.

The guys recap the full tow to the NHRDA event, covering how Willard, their VP44 powered second gen, hauled over 22,000 pounds while running the 60-64 turbo with almost no smoke, no heat issues, and solid boost numbers from Cedar City all the way down to Phoenix.

On the other side of that convoy, Myer was pulling 31,000 pounds in his 6.7 common rail tow truck running the Aggressor 480 in a compound setup, holding 30 pounds of boost against 27 pounds of drive pressure the entire way. That kind of boost-to-drive ratio does not happen by accident, and they break down exactly why it worked so well including how a ported cylinder head and cam combination keeps heat out of the air charge and off the radiator when you are working hard under a heavy load.

From there the conversation moves into waste gate strategy for both single and compound setups, covering screamer gates, hot pipe gates, and what they learned while tuning the junker for burnout contest reliability at 130-plus pounds of boost. They also get into how nitrous changes the entire equation when it comes to getting exhaust volume out of the system fast enough to keep turbos alive.

The guys cover the Aggressor 62-9 and 67-9 singles after running them in the Blue Collar class at the event, including back-to-back comparisons on fuel only and with nitrous. There is a real conversation here about spool characteristics, turbine sizing, and why the 62-9 spools noticeably quicker and what that means depending on what you are actually doing with the truck.

They also get into how wide you can spread compound turbo sizes before things fall apart, and the honest answer based on their testing might surprise people who assumed there was a hard limit. The junker running a 62-9 paired with an Aggressor 98 as the atmosphere charger is the case study, and the dyno results on that setup are worth hearing.

The episode wraps with a practical breakdown of which turbo makes the most sense depending on your platform and how you use your truck, covering the tow series lineup across the second gen, common rail, and Power Stroke applications. If you are trying to figure out what to put on your rig this is about as straight of an answer as you are going to get from guys who have actually tested all of it.

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It is also March which means the Power Driven sale is live sitewide and they are giving away five Aggressor turbos to customers this month. Every hundred dollars you spend earns you an entry. Here is what is on sale:

👉 10% off all Power Driven products including heads, transmissions, pushrods, air filters, and oil
👉 15% off all PDD fueling 
👉 15% off all PDD turbos
👉 20% off Power Driven True 6.7L Crankshafts

If you have been sitting on a parts order this is the month to pull the trigger.

Everything talked about in this episode including the Aggressor turbo lineup and the full tow series is available at PowerDriven.com, and if you have been sitting on a turbo upgrade, March is the month to pull the trigger with the sale running and five turbos being given away to customers.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

What does it actually cost to build a diesel that makes real power? More importantly, what does it cost when you buy the wrong parts?

This week on the Power Driven Podcast, the guys are pulling back the curtain on one of the most debated topics in the diesel performance world: cylinder heads. Whether you're building a Cummins street truck or chasing records in a purpose built race rig, the head you choose can be the difference between a truck that dominates and one that leaves you stranded with a pile of parts you can't use.

The crew breaks down the real cost of high performance cylinder heads, from shelf heads running factory valves all the way up to full custom builds pushing toward the $9,000 to $10,000 range. They talk about why a premium head is an absolute must once you start adding big turbos, stacking boost, and pushing into serious horsepower territory on a diesel engine build. A poor flowing head will cap you out fast, no matter how much fuel and air you throw at it.

But it's not all about top shelf builds. One of the most important takeaways from this episode is knowing what your truck actually needs. The guys get real about matching parts to your goals, because throwing a race spec head onto a 500 horsepower street truck is just burning money. They dig into the middle ground too, including valves, springs, connecting rods, and pistons, and how the diesel aftermarket is maturing to give builders more competitive options at better price points than ever before.

They also give a glimpse into what's being developed in the shop right now for the upcoming UCC build, which is shaping up to be one of the most serious Cummins engine builds the Power Driven team has ever put together. Meyer has been deep in the R&D on a head that could set a new standard for the platform, and the guys are genuinely fired up about where it's headed.

Spring is coming. Race season is right around the corner. If you've got a build on the table, this is the episode to listen to before you start buying parts.

What happens when a truck you built for testing accidentally becomes the perfect race weapon? That's exactly what we're dealing with heading into the NHRDA Diesel Desert Nationals in Chandler, Arizona, and we are fired up about it.

In this episode of the Power Driven Podcast, we're breaking down everything you need to know about the brand new Blue Collar Class, a street truck drag racing format that is turning heads in the diesel performance world. No boost launches. No prepped surfaces. No Christmas tree countdown. They line you up, flip on a flashlight, and when it goes green, you go. That's it. It's the closest thing to a real stoplight race you'll find at a sanctioned event, and we are here for every second of it.

The class has strict turbo size limits based on your platform, a 7,000 pound minimum weight requirement, and a 400 tread wear tire rule so you can't just show up on a full race setup and blow the doors off everybody. They want real trucks driven by real guys, and with a $300 entry fee and a $20,000 payout purse on the line, the competition is going to be serious.

Here's the wild part. Our 12 valve test rig Vin-D, the truck we've been running injector tests, tow tests, and dyno pulls on for months, just so happens to sit right around 740 horsepower with a 67.9mm turbo and a towing cam. We did not build this truck for the class. It just worked out that way. Now we're going to dial in the wastegate, throw on some fresh rubber, and see what this thing can do when the light goes green from a dead idle.

We also talk about which platforms have the real advantage in a class like this, why common rails could be tough to tame off the line, and what it would take to actually build the perfect Blue Collar Class truck from scratch. If you've ever wanted to go racing without dropping a fortune on a purpose built drag truck, this episode is going to get your gears turning.

Ever dropped a stack of cash on a diesel performance mod and wondered why your truck drives worse than before? Yeah, we've been there. In this episode of the Power Driven Podcast, Todd, Myer, and Will sit down in the race shop to talk about the modifications that people do to their diesel trucks that either flat-out ruin them or just don't deliver what they promised.

We kick things off with the age-old debate about leveling kits, stance boy wheels, and oversized tires on diesel trucks. Will's got some strong opinions here, and if you've ever wondered why your second gen Dodge or third gen Cummins follows every groove in the asphalt like a shopping cart with a bad wheel, this is the conversation you didn't know you needed. Spoiler: your ball joints aren't happy either.
From there we get into the performance mods that sound great on paper but end up costing you more than they're worth. We're talking oversized injectors, 13mm injection pump sizing on builds that have no business running them, and the classic mistake of throwing the biggest, baddest parts at a tow truck that just needs something sensible. We hear from guys constantly whose 12 valve Cummins or VP44 went from awesome to terrible overnight chasing a spec sheet.

We also dig into the intake horn debate with real dyno testing data, cold air intakes, intercooler upgrades, diesel exhaust systems, and the old school practice of dropping compression with oversized head gaskets. All covered with actual shop floor experience, not just YouTube theory.

The big theme of this episode? Right-sizing your build for your actual goals. Whether you're towing, pulling, or just want a badass street diesel, matching your parts to your power level makes or breaks the whole thing.

If you've ever had buyer's remorse on a diesel truck build or you want to avoid it, this one's for you.

Everybody loves boost. The higher that gauge climbs, the better, right? Well, not exactly.

This week on the Power Driven Podcast, Will and the guys get into one of the most argued topics in diesel performance. Boost. What it actually means, why more of it doesn't always equal more power, and where the whole "boost is just a measurement of restriction" idea even came from.

The conversation started after a buddy rolled in from Washington with a 6.0 Power Stroke on one of their new 68mm GT turbos. The thing laid down 662 horsepower to the wheels on completely stock heads and a stock intake. At only 33 pounds of boost. Meanwhile builds running 45 to 50 pounds are struggling to match that number. So what gives?

Turns out the number on your boost gauge is only part of the story. What's happening on the exhaust side, how well your cylinder heads flow, your intercooler efficiency, air density, exhaust back pressure, all of it plays into how much power actually makes it to the tire. The guys break all of that down in a way that actually makes sense whether you're building a diesel drag truck, a tow rig, or just trying to get more out of your daily driver.

They also get into why diesel turbo technology has quietly lapped the gas performance world, the real reason gasoline engines can make insane power at lower boost, and the tuning strategy behind the Junker's 1,170 horsepower 12 valve build.

Plus the age old turbo sizing debate, why chasing peak dyno numbers can actually ruin a truck, and why the best feeling diesel you've ever driven probably wasn't the highest horsepower one.

You don't feel a horsepower number. You feel fun.

If you want to go deeper on diesel performance, turbo theory, and real world builds, subscribe to the Power Driven Podcast and leave us a review. It helps more diesel guys find the show and keeps the conversation going.