Diesel Performance Podcast

The Diesel Performance Podcast welcomes the legendary engine builder and performance visionary Gale Banks of Banks Engineering. Wow! That's the best word to describe this podcast. Danny, Paul and Nick Priegnitz spend more than an hour downloading Gale's vast memory - nearly 60 years - of innovation in diesel performance on both land and water. Gale's first experience with turbocharging dates back to 1966; first twin turbo engine in 1969 - it was a marine application. In 1978, Gale turbocharged GM's 6.2L diesel. In 1987, he built the powertrain behind the world's fastest passenger car - a twin-turbo build that hit 283 mph at Bonneville. Today Banks Engineering develops military applications for the latest diesel from GM, the L5P. Specifically, Gale is developing powertrains for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) for military vehicle builder Oshkosh. The spectrum of topics includes an insightful discussion about air-fuel ratios, DYNOS, and the decision to use Duramax engines in military vehicles instead of

The Diesel Performance Podcast welcomes Phil Grandinetti, a GM transmission expert and service manager for Calibrated Power. The Allison transmission is purpose-built to handle the torque supplied from the Duramax engine, a job it does very well. But once you modify the engine and add extra horsepower, things can go wrong if you fail to consider what those changes do to the transmission. Phil gives Paul and Danny insight into how to best troubleshoot transmission issues. They describe transmission symptoms and fixes along with preventative maintenance every Duramax owner should perform. This is an excellent podcast for those new to diesel performance as well as the experienced Duramax owner.

Caleb McKinney joins the podcast to talk about his diesel passion - something he's had since he was seven years old. Caleb's specific interest is the 2015 Cummins - a truck his wife uses as a daily driver. Being no stranger to diesel trucks, Caleb contacted the podcast through Facebook with a list of questions and comments about the future of his truck. What he's looking for is reliability, towing power, and whatever else the guys could recommend. Danny and Paul go into detail and bust a handful of myths along the way. This is one of our best truck advisors.     

The lift pump is probably one of the most important bolt-ons you can get for your diesel truck. Lift pumps help the CP3 maintain fuel pressure, remove impurities, and seem to add life to the high-pressure side of the fuel system. The manufacturers say lift pumps improve mileage through anecdotal claims, mostly. So what are the other benefits of lift pumps? Hosts Danny Voss and Chris Ehmke talk in great detail about the lift pump and explain why it should be your first bolt-on. They talk about the two top manufacturers - Air Dog and Fass - and explain the important of filling out and sending in the damn warranty card.     

Diesel Power Magazine editor KJ Jones visits the podcast where he explains everything you ever wanted to know about the Diesel Power Challenge. KJ also explains what you need to know to be considered for the challenge. 

The Diesel Performance Podcast returns with a new budget build episode. The budget is $30,000.00 with the objective to hit 750 RWHP. Nick Priegnitz of Calibrated Power tackles an '06 LBZ Duramax; Tim Slatter of Centurion Fleet Services builds a Powerstroke 6.0, and Danny Voss of builds a '06 Cummins. In the end, Paul Wilson picks a winner based on whether or not he would buy the vehicle once the build was complete. This is one of the rowdiest episodes yet - guaranteed to make you laugh and day dream about your own build project. 

Calibrated Power's Chris Ehmke joins the podcast to talk to Caden Hess - a diesel tech with a well know heavy equipment company in his home state. Caden also runs a small, one bay shop near his home near Cadillac, Michigan. Caden and Chris talk about the diesel industry and how things have evolved over the years. While rolling coal was once really cool - it isn't now, according to Caden who consults with customers about staying away from mods that draw attention. Caden's girlfriend Meagan joins the conversation and explains how diesel parts and dating go together, if at all.  Thanks again Chris for jumping in to do a quick podcast...    

Paul and Danny return with the another truck buyer's guide. In this episode, they dive pretty deep into what you need to know to be a smart diesel truck buyer. Danny sold trucks for years and has an interesting perspective. Paul knows what year and models respond when tuned and modified. If you have any question, send a message to Paul and Danny through Facebook. 

Tom Venhuizen became a sled operator when he realized it cost too much to build and run a sled pull truck. Now he can say he makes money at every sled event he attends! Tom joined the podcast to share a few stories about the operation of the Mechanical Mule. He explains how the mule works and how it has changed over the years. A newer pulling sled can be bought from two manufacturers, but Tom bought his back in the 1970s and has modified it extensively. Every year the pulling sled is inspected in preparation for the upcoming season for safety reasons. Although he may be along for the ride, Tom is also able to shut down the pull if it becomes unsafe. If you're interested in sled pulling, you won't want to miss this episode.  For more information contact Tom Venhuizen 815-535-5299

This episode of the Diesel Performance Podcast is a response to the debate between Danny and Paul about how much horsepower you can run on a stock long block Duramax. Duramaxtuner.com's Nick Priegnitz and Bob Petersen cover every issue related to high horsepower on the stock engine - diving into what to consider to achieve 550 - 800 rwhp, a horsepower range we call No Man's Land. The veteran tuners explain what kills engines and how to protect them. They also go into detail on the major parts that increase fuel and air on the Duramax, helping owners understand how to achieve a good, safe balance between power and heat. This is the episode every Duramax owner needs to listen to. 

Danny and Paul throw verbal punches over how much horsepower a stock bottom end LBZ - or any Duramax - can hold. Larry LaPan visits the podcast and seems to agree with Paul that a stock bottom can hold 750 horsepower (his LBZ does just that). Danny argues 650 is the max because any higher and you'll probably crack a piston. Danny even mentions SoCal Diesel's Guy Tripp - renowned engine builder - who took his side during the July 8, 2016, podcast. So sit back and listen to the arguments and reasoning on both sides of this debate and draw your own conclusions.   

XDP Monster Truck driver Dave Radzierez joins the podcast to regale the guys with war stories about his amazing truck. The XDP monster is powered by a 12 valve. XDP's Monster engine dynoed at 1,483 hp - not including nitrous he sprays every time he races. Despite its size, Dave makes this truck dance - doing backflips, jumps, and racing. His truck even jumped end to end school buses, which we find incredible. Join Paul and Danny in an unforgettable episode. You'll want to listen to this at least twice, maybe three times. 

This is a Special Edition of the Diesel Performance Podcast with hosts Nick Priegnitz, Paul Wilson, and Danny Voss answering questions and responding to comments about a recent video post on the Clean Sweep - Duramaxtuner.com's emissions intact sled puller. The crew then dives into the New York Times article about rolling coal that also mentions the Clean Sweep. It's a timely discussion about emissions intact diesel performance and Duramaxtuner.com's perspective on the future of the motorsport.         

Imagine an emission intact twin turbo - impossible some say - but the guests on this episode are determined to prove everyone wrong! The Diesel Performance Podcast welcomes Matt Rosenberg from Lewisville, Idaho. He owns a 2016 LML he's planning to build into an emission intact twin turbo. Joining Matt is Diesel Tech magazine's Austin Carlise. The two visited the podcast in person after delivering the LML to a fab shop where the kit will be installed. Afterward, the truck will visit Duramaxtuner where Nick Priegnitz will build the tune. Matt and Austin explain what's involved in the build and why they think now is the time for a twin turbo with the DPF ON! 

The DPP Truck Advisor welcomes Garrett Mitchell of Gillette, Wyoming to talk about his truck a Cummins with an interesting story. Paul and Danny advise Garrett on the next step in his build and zero-in on what he wants to do with the truck. Stick around for the end of the DPP and a visit with Brad Moffitt of the Ohio Corn, Wheat, and Grass Association. 

Wade Lalone sled pulls with a semi - a 1,200 horsepower monster with 1.6 million miles on her. Wade owns Diesel Freak - a Gaylord, Michigan performance diesel shop. In this episode, Wade talks with Paul and Danny about his semi sled puller and explains how the rig is built. Wade is a firm believer that the future of diesel performance will include emissions intact trucks. The challenge will involve tuning the factory settings to achieve performance goals.  To learn more about Diesel Freak: http://www.dieselfreak.com/ https://www.facebook.com/dieselfreakllc/    

In the last four-and-a-half years, Jim Rendant's 2006 Cummins quad-cab, short bed has gone through a lot - turbos, injectors, transmissions and two engines. Jim's truck is a rolling Cummins performance laboratory. He's the latest addition to the CPS team specializing in - what else - Cummins performance! In this episode, Jim joins Nick Priegnitz to talk about the latest developments in Cummins tuning and turbos. Real-time tuning support for the 1998.5 - 2016 is now available and offers huge potential. In addition, Jim and Nick take a deep dive into the Stealth 64 for the Cummins. Jim installed the turbocharger on his '06 with amazing results on both the street and track.       

Truck Advisor Returns! Caden Hess drives what he calls a "Pavement Princess" - a very well maintained 2010 LMM. He's now at the point where it's time to upgrade and power up - so where else should he go to discover his options than the Diesel Performance Podcast? Paul and Danny go through Caden's options along and offer a few suggestions to get to 750 rwhp. It's a great episode except that Danny and Paul talk too much.  Thanks for your time Caden. 

The dead pedal on a new diesel can be frustrating, especially if the owner has driven a diesel with a tuned, responsive throttle. In this episode, Nick Priegnitz and Chris Ehmke continue their conversation about the dead pedal - but this time focusing on how to fix it. Instead of deleting the emissions equipment (like some suggest) they say the best solution is to tune the truck. Both Nick and Chris explain why.   COUPON CODE FOR 5% OFF DURAMAXTUNER.COM OR CALIBRATEDPOWER.COM TUNING PRODUCTS:  PODCASTDEADPEDAL    

The Diesel Performance Podcast celebrates 100,000 downloads! When we launched the podcast back in November 2015 we had no idea what to expect. All we knew was that diesel enthusiasts have a real passion for the performance aftermarket. Sure enough, the podcast found an audience. Thank you for listening. We hope you enjoy our celebration episode, which contains a few surprises: We analyze Danny's one-liners, Chris Ehmke's laugh, and Paul's inability to admit he has made a mistake.  And the producer, Rich Kuenneke joins the team to talk about the past, present and future of the Diesel Performance Podcast.