Power Driven Podcast

You want to build a fast diesel and you don't want to blow it up in the process. This episode is the one you need before you ever touch a tune. Todd, Will, and Myer sit down and go through every real reason a high performance diesel engine dies, and it's rarely what you'd expect from reading the forums. They start by busting the EGT myth. Guys have been scared of exhaust gas temperature for decades, but heat alone almost never kills a build. What actually wrecks pistons is improper piston wall clearance, something the diesel performance world has gotten wrong for years. They break down cast versus forged pistons, correct ring gap on 12 valve and 24 valve Cummins engines, and why a factory rod that survives a worn out truck making 600 horsepower will bend the moment you put real power to a fresh, tight engine. From there they get into nitrous and timing. Todd and Will walk through why running too much timing with a big nitrous shot on a common rail is a fast way to send cylinder pressure through the roof, why sled pulling with water injection wants more timing than drag racing with nitrous, and how a lot of the old "nitrous blew it up" stories were actually piston clearance problems the whole time. Tulip valves get their own deep dive. This is one of the biggest issues quietly taking out modern high performance heads, and the guys explain how cylinder pressure pushes the valve up, kills your lash, wipes cams, and why Power Driven is working with a manufacturer on Inconel valves built specifically for common rail engines. They also cover rod bolt failures from over revving on the dyno, why disconnecting lockup or overdrive at high RPM without load will scatter an engine every time, and why running without an exhaust brake can quietly kill factory rods on a long mountain coast down. They close out talking through where to set your RPM window on a build so you're not fighting factory block and head limitations before you even lay into the throttle. If you're turning up a diesel or building a race truck, hit subscribe on YouTube and follow along on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss the next one. September is a big one. Power Driven is running 10% off everything storewide, 15% off PDD Fueling, and 10% off both Airdog and OptiTorque. On top of that there are five giveaways running including a compound turbo kit, a Colt Cams cam combo with a PDD cylinder head, an Aggressor turbo, a full fuel package, and an Airdog fuel system. Get all of it at PowerDriven.com before the sale ends. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Todd, Will, and Myer sit down to answer the question their own viewers keep asking: what actually kills a diesel engine. This isn't a highlight reel of blown up race trucks. It's a real conversation about the boring stuff that ends up costing you the most, and by the end you'll understand exactly why some trucks hit 400,000 miles and others don't make it past 100,000. The guys start with air filtration, breaking down why a high flow filter built for the racetrack can be the wrong call for a truck that spends its life on dirt roads, and how a warped air box lid quietly sands down cylinder walls one mile at a time. From there they get into oil change intervals, why diesel oil has to fight abrasive soot, and why stretching that interval too far on a Cummins or any diesel truck build is gambling with the bottom end. Fuel system maintenance gets serious attention too. Todd and Myer walk through algae contamination, injector failures on common rail systems, and why a cheap tune from Facebook Marketplace can melt a piston faster than almost anything else on this list. They break down EGT damage, ring wear, and valve seat problems, then go platform by platform. You'll hear about killer dowel pin issues on 12 valve Cummins trucks, VP44 fuel pressure sensitivity, the notorious CP4 pump problems on 6.7 Power Stroke trucks, head gasket failures on Duramax engines, and why the fifth gen Cummins hydraulic roller cam setup has turned into one of the more frustrating design decisions in recent diesel history. Whether you're running a 5.9 Cummins, a 6.7 Cummins, a Power Stroke, or a Duramax, this episode gives you a real look at what wears these engines out and what you can actually do about it before it becomes an expensive lesson. If you're a diesel guy who wrenches on your own truck, this is the kind of episode worth taking notes on. Subscribe on YouTube and follow the Power Driven Podcast on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss the next one. Shop everything talked about in this episode, including the filters, oil, and parts, at the link below. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Tuning is one of the most asked topics in the diesel world, so this episode of the Power Driven Podcast breaks down diesel tuning 101 straight from guys who actually tune their own trucks. Todd, Will, and Myer walk through what it really takes to start tuning a Dodge Cummins, whether it is a daily driver or a dedicated race truck. They start with picking the right tuning platform, comparing EFI Live and HP Tuners for older and newer trucks, and explain how that software reads the ECM and unlocks the tuning tables hiding inside the factory computer. From there the conversation moves into fuel quantity, timing splits, and how injection pressure differs between a 12 valve pump truck and a modern common rail Cummins, and why that difference changes how aggressively you can safely run your tables. The guys also get into the factory five position tune switch found on 06 and newer Dodge Cummins trucks, how racers use it to flip between tunes right from the cab, and how other diesel platforms like Ford handle the same idea through the cruise control buttons. There is a long section on turbo spool, boost limited fueling, and reading an AFR gauge to hit the right air fuel ratio for a fast, clean spool without drowning the truck in smoke. That leads into a story about chasing spool on a Cummins sled pull truck that turned into one of the better lessons in this episode, plus why a properly tuned diesel will always beat someone trying to manage boost and fuel with their foot. Whether you daily drive a Dodge Cummins or you are building out a diesel performance race truck, this episode gives you a real starting point for tuning your own truck instead of guessing at it and hoping for the best. If you want more episodes like this, subscribe to the Power Driven Podcast on YouTube and follow along on your favorite podcast platform. Shop everything mentioned in this episode at PowerDriven.com, including EFI Live and HP Tuners tuning platforms and gear to help you dial in your own Dodge Cummins. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

We took total strangers for rides down the racetrack in our diesel drag trucks, and it might be the most fun thing we've ever done at an event. This episode is a stroll down memory lane on the Power Driven Podcast, covering our trip to Montana for an NHRDA event and the first time each of us felt real horsepower behind the wheel. Todd, Will, and Myer break down how the spectator ride along program came together, from a six year old getting the full harness experience to grown adults walking away shaking after a pass in the junker. We also cover what it takes to run those rides safely, watching trans temps and checking for leaks between passes. Then we get into the technical side of the weekend. Myer talks through setting a new record for the fastest Dodge 48RE four speed transmission in a truck, running a 4.82 at 155 miles per hour in the eighth mile, and the tuning fix that got him there. There is a breakdown of why guys are moving from the 48RE to turbo 400 transmissions for pro street and eighth mile racing, and why the converter clutch dragging at the line is the real Achilles heel of the Dodge trans. We also talk diesel truck racing classes, from mild 770 index trucks up to 590 Pro Street, and why a stock looking Cummins powered truck sitting in the parking lot could probably run mid elevens if the owner just gave it a shot. We had a blast being part of this NHRDA event and hope to see more tracks doing spectator ride alongs. Come say hi in the pits if you catch us at the next NHRDA race in Ennis, Texas this September. If you enjoyed this one, subscribe on YouTube and follow the Power Driven Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Whether you're thinking about getting into diesel drag racing, building your own eighth mile truck, or fixing up your Dodge four speed, we've got you covered. Shop everything you need at PowerDriven.com. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Blown head gaskets are one of the most common headaches diesel guys run into once they start chasing real power, and this episode breaks down exactly why they happen and how to actually fix it for good. Todd, Will, and Myer get into it after a viral clip of a 6.7 Cummins shooting fire straight out the front of cylinder number one, and use it as the jumping off point for a full breakdown of head gasket failure. The guys tackle the biggest myth in the diesel world first, that high drive pressure is what blows head gaskets. It is not. High cylinder pressure from advanced timing is the real culprit, and they explain why a tighter turbo setup that makes drive pressure is just a sign of an engine that is going to make power down low, which is where the real cylinder pressure spike happens. From there the conversation moves into sealing solutions, starting with fire ring gaskets and split firing, which the guys call the ultimate ceiling technique for a high performance diesel build. They compare that to Top Fuel dragster hoops and C ring style seals, and explain why a fire ring is still the go to for iron block Cummins applications running big power, whether it is a 12 valve, a 24 valve, or a VP44 setup. There is a deep dive into crush specs, retorque procedure, and the difference between how MLS gaskets and older factory gaskets handle a little bit of leakage, along with the common mistakes guys make when resurfacing a head at home with the wrong tools. The guys also walk through real world troubleshooting, covering coolant leaks after a firing job, how much crush is too much, and what brands like Hazel and Industrial Injection are doing differently with their gasket specs. If you are building a diesel truck for serious horsepower and want to avoid blowing a head gasket, or you are already dealing with one and trying to figure out why, this episode gives you the real explanation instead of the Facebook forum version. Subscribe to the Power Driven Podcast on YouTube and follow along on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. This episode is all about head gasket sealing, and the fire ring head gaskets Todd, Will, and Myer talk about are built and sold right through Power Driven Diesel. Shop everything mentioned in this episode at PowerDriven.com Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Todd, Will, and Myer are back for round two on camshafts, picking up right where they left off and going even deeper into diesel cam theory. If you got something out of the last episode, this one takes it further with real numbers, real data, and some genuinely nerdy breakdowns that most Dodge Cummins guys never get access to. This episode is built around volumetric efficiency and how race engines actually push past 100 percent. The crew explains scavenging, low pressure zones, and how intake air speed changes everything about when you should close that intake valve. They break down piston speed and rod angle, why 70 degrees after top dead center is the sweet spot for airflow, and why valve lift speed is limited by lifter size, which is a big reason Cummins runs such a massive lifter compared to the gas world. From there Will pulls out actual cam data measured off real factory camshafts using a cam doctor tool, comparing intake and exhaust duration and valve timing across every generation of Cummins, first gen, 12 valve, VP44, and common rail. The differences in exhaust valve opening timing alone explain a lot about why certain Cummins generations start easier, burn cleaner, or make power differently. They also dig into intake and exhaust centerline angles and why lifting the valve higher instead of just chasing bigger duration numbers is often free horsepower with no downside. The back half covers valve springs, coil bind, and why some aftermarket cams cause problems with stock components, plus a preview of a project cam being custom built for an upcoming race truck this September, designed specifically around a narrow RPM window instead of chasing bigger numbers across the board. If part one gave you the foundation, this episode is where it gets real. Whether you are running a first gen, a 12 valve Dodge Cummins, a VP44, or a common rail, this breakdown gives you a real foundation on how factory and aftermarket camshafts are actually engineered. Subscribe on YouTube and follow the podcast on your platform of choice so you catch the rest of this camshaft series as it drops. Colt Cams are now part of the Power Driven lineup, so if you want to dig deeper into the camshafts covered in this episode or see what fits your Cummins, head over to PowerDriven.com to check out the full selection. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

This week Todd, Will, and Myer sit down to talk about something that gets asked about constantly but rarely gets explained right, camshafts. If you have ever wondered why your buddy's diesel sounds smooth while another one lopes like a muscle car, or whether a bigger cam is going to kill your fuel economy, this episode breaks down exactly what is going on inside your engine and why diesel camshafts do not follow the same rules as gas performance builds. The guys also announce something big for the diesel performance industry. Power Driven has acquired Colt Cams, the original name in diesel camshaft development founded by Jeff Colt, and it is now officially under the Power Driven umbrella shipping out of America. The crew talks about what owning that brand outright means for R&D moving forward, including in house cam design and testing on their own engine dyno. From there the conversation gets into real cam theory. Todd, Will, and Myer explain why diesel duration numbers look nothing like gas cam numbers, why a factory Cummins cam is built around torque and RPM range instead of high end horsepower, and why a bigger cam on a Cummins diesel tuning setup usually helps fuel economy instead of hurting it. They cover the difference between 12 valve and 24 valve Cummins camshaft design, how a single lobe activates two valves through the bridge setup, flat tappet versus roller lifter reliability, and why the intake valve closing point is considered the most important event in camshaft design. Whether you are running a 12 valve, a 24 valve, or a common rail Cummins, this episode gives you a real foundation on volumetric efficiency, cam terminology, and how to think about camshaft upgrades the right way instead of just chasing bigger duration numbers. This is part one of a deeper camshaft series, so if you want to understand what is actually happening inside your diesel engine, this is a good place to start. If you learned something from this one, subscribe on YouTube and follow the podcast wherever you listen so you do not miss the rest of the camshaft series. Colt Cams are now part of the Power Driven lineup, so if you are looking to upgrade your camshaft or just want to see what is available for your Cummins, head over to PowerDriven.com to check out the full selection. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

It's towing season and if your gauges are climbing on the way up the grade, you need to know what's actually normal and what's a real problem. Will and Myer break down coolant temps, transmission temps, and everything that can push a Dodge Cummins diesel truck out of range while towing. They start with what a healthy cooling system looks like going down the road. Thermostat opening temps on these trucks typically run 180 to 200 degrees depending on year and setup, and they explain why a hotter or cooler thermostat matters for winter heat versus summer towing, along with how boiling points, radiator cap pressure, and elevation all affect what your coolant temperature can handle. A big part of the episode covers fan clutches, since a bad cooling fan clutch is usually the first thing they check when a diesel truck runs hot. They explain how to tell if your mechanical fan clutch is engaging and why electric fans aren't actually an upgrade over the factory setup on these Cummins trucks. From there they walk through testing a thermostat the old school way with a pot of boiling water, the bypass port a lot of guys don't know exists in the block, and why a genuine Cummins thermostat is worth it over the cheap parts store version, especially on a second gen Dodge. Radiator condition gets its own conversation too. They cover why a clogged or dirty radiator causes most cooling problems, why a factory copper core radiator often beats a cheap aftermarket one, and how they've flushed old radiators back to life with everything from radiator flush products to straight vinegar. They also get into heater core plumbing and why oversized fittings from a repipe can hurt your cooling in the summer. The conversation wraps up on transmission cooling, the second gen's heat exchanger setup, why factory transmissions are designed to run around 185 degrees, and why colder fluid on a built performance transmission tends to live longer. Along the way Will and Myer share real diesel towing stories, from Willard's cooling performance on a run to Saint George to a second gen Dodge gauge that pegs out hard at 230 degrees, plus a few lessons learned the hard way about fan clutches and stuck thermostats. If you found this useful, subscribe to the Power Driven Podcast on YouTube and follow along on your favorite podcast platform. Will and Myer reference several parts from their own builds throughout the episode, including compound turbo setups, VGT turbochargers, and stage two and stage three injectors. Shop everything mentioned in this episode at PowerDriven.com links below. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Myer just won the Ultimate Callout Challenge, and now that the documentary is out, the comments section has some strong opinions about it. Todd and Myer sit down together this week to work through the feedback and clear up a few misconceptions about what UCC actually is. Most of the response has been positive, and the guys are genuinely grateful for it. But this episode digs into the comments they disagree with, starting with the drag race side of things. The truck runs a 48RE, a Dodge automatic out of the 2003 to 2006 trucks, built around the largest input shaft currently available in a 35 spline. They actually brought two built transmissions to the event on purpose, and they explain why. On the dyno, a lot of people got upset about how fast the pulls looked and how much time the truck spent under load. They break down why that criticism misses the point. Competitors do not control the resistance on the dyno, the competition sets it, and every truck gets the same load. More power against a fixed resistance just means the run finishes quicker. They also cover why UCC moved away from scoring torque plus horsepower years ago, after competitors found ways to game that formula with gearing. From there the conversation covers the aftermarket ECU running the whole truck, from injectors to timing, the mag valve controlling the second turbo, and why the nitrous stayed conservative until high rpm to keep the engine alive through the pass. The sled pull gets its own breakdown too. Some commenters claimed the team ran three different trucks across the weekend. Todd and Myer clear that up. It is one drag chassis that also runs the dyno, then gets an axle and bracing swap for the sled. They also cover the sled weight box getting adjusted mid competition and why there is no out of bounds penalty in this class. The bigger theme running through the episode is what UCC is actually built for. It is an invitation only event with almost no restrictions outside a weight limit and hitch height, designed to see what the industry can build without limits, not a street truck competition. If this episode got you fired up, subscribe on YouTube and follow along on your favorite podcast platform. This build runs on parts that get proven under real pressure, not just talked about. If you want that same confidence in your own truck, PowerDriven.com is where to start. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Kyle from Dark Iron Diesel flew his blown up 12 valve Cummins out to Power Driven Diesel so the crew could rebuild it from the ground up, and this episode follows the build while the guys dig into what actually separates a fast truck from a truck that just sounds fast. Kyle's 12 valve made 650 horsepower before a nitrous mishap put a freeze plug through the block and warped the head. Instead of a simple repair, Todd, Will, and Myer turn it into a full stroker build, taking the 5.9 out to a 6.1 liter on a 6.7 Cummins crank that Power Driven now manufactures in house. They cover custom Wagler rods, ceramic coated pistons, a reconditioned head, a Colt Stage 4 cam, and an Aggressor 60/65 over 98 compound turbo setup aimed at 1100 to 1200 horsepower. We filmed the full teardown, machine work, and stroker crank install start to finish, so keep an eye out for the build video covering every step of this engine in detail. The crew also compares Myer's 1300 horsepower race truck against Kyle's Lamborghini Huracan, which he had on hand from a cross country supercar rally, breaking down 0 to 150 times and why horsepower alone does not tell the story without weight and traction factored in. Kyle also talks about walking away from a potash mine job to do YouTube full time and his approach to dyno testing. Subscribe on YouTube and follow along on your favorite podcast platform. This episode covers a full engine build, parts, and machine work, all done in house at Power Driven Diesel. If you want to build something similar, the team can help you spec it out at PowerDriven.com. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Todd, Will, and Myer dig into Fast 72, the new turbo limited diesel racing class that is already turning heads and stacking serious prize money. A single 72 millimeter turbo and a fuel only setup are producing six figure purses, and this episode breaks down why. They start with the actual rules of the class. No nitrous, no water injection, no methanol, just engine, turbo, and chassis. From there they get into why the trucks making the biggest peak horsepower numbers on the dyno are not always the ones winning at the track, and why second gen Cummins trucks keep running away with it the same way they have been dominating UCC. That leads into camshaft talk. Overlap, intake valve closing events, and how RPM range should dictate cam selection, and why a cam that makes huge peak numbers can actually bleed off boost and lose power down the track. The conversation then shifts to cylinder heads, covering valve sizing, port flow, and why a factory piston might outperform a forged piston at this power level. There is also a quick detour into transmission durability, since the top two finishers in this class are both running stock automatics, plus a reminder that this is not a high dollar class. Anybody with an engineering mindset can be competitive here. They close out talking about the next Fast 72 event in Texas this September, with a purse north of one hundred forty thousand dollars on the line for the season finale. If you are into diesel performance, Cummins builds, or smart engineering beating raw horsepower, hit subscribe on YouTube and follow the show on your favorite podcast platform. Everything the guys talked about when it comes to cams, cylinder heads, and turbo limited builds is the kind of work Power Driven Diesel lives in every day. Head over to PowerDriven.com to check out the full catalog and get your own build dialed in. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Myer just made history at UCC 2026, becoming the first competitor to ever break the 3,000 point barrier with a total score of 3,393. This week Will sits down with Myer and guest Josh McCormack, a UCC 2025 competitor, to break down every run, every number, and every decision that went into the most dominant performance the event has ever seen. Across three days of competition, Myer opened on the drag strip with a 4.903, followed it up with 3,620 horsepower on the Super Flow dyno to bank more than 1,200 points in that session alone, and closed out the weekend with a 355 foot sled pull. The crew breaks down the tuning decisions, the overnight chassis conversion between dyno day and sled pull day, and what it actually takes to put up competitive numbers across all three disciplines in a single weekend. Having Josh in the room as a past UCC competitor adds real perspective to the debrief. The guys talk through what separated the top finishers from the rest of the field, why the West Coast teams dominated the leaderboard, and why pre-event testing at the drag strip and dyno is the difference between contending and just showing up. They also get into the sled pull setup, what happened on Myer's pull, and what the points game looks like when you are genuinely building toward something no one has ever done before. This is an honest debrief from the guys who built the truck, drove it, and rewrote the record books at one of the most demanding diesel performance competitions in the country. Subscribe on YouTube and follow the Power Driven Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Everything Power Driven Diesel builds and sells is at PowerDriven.com. If this episode got you fired up, go check out what the shop has to offer. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Myer is one week out from the Ultimate Callout Challenge and the second gen Cummins build he has been hammering on since November is almost ready. In this episode Todd, Will, and Myer break down what the truck has become and what they are showing up to Indiana to do. They cover the full transformation from street truck to UCC competitor, including the chassis work, the new deck plate engine, the Bosch ECM swap, a custom Air Dog lift pump, and the wild sled pull sub chassis that rolls completely in and out from under the truck without touching the weight box. They also get into testing results from Arizona and Vegas, including a 4.99 eighth mile pass on a 848 with a stock computer. If you are thinking about making the trip to UCC this year, this episode is the reason to go. The field is stacked, the builds are insane, and Myer's truck is one of the most creative setups on the property. Subscribe on YouTube and follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you catch the full UCC recap when the crew gets back from Indiana. Everything you need for your diesel performance build is at PowerDriven.com. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com 0:00 Intro and UCC one week out 1:45 72 Fast class and the $70k purse 3:00 Papa Saurus origin and Commonwealth swap 6:30 Cage build and chassis work 9:45 Arizona debut and first passes 20:30 Vegas test and tune 25:15 Breaking the five second barrier 28:30 The sled pull sub chassis explained 42:00 New deck plate engine overview 54:00 Air Dog custom pump and Bosch ECM upgrade 1:08:30 UCC goals for drag, dyno, and sled pull 1:18:00 AI says Myer has no chance

If you run a modified diesel truck, a roadside breakdown is not a matter of if. It is a matter of when. Todd, Will, and Myer dig into their best and worst breakdown stories to help you prepare for the inevitable before summer hauling season gets here. The guys cover everything from blown intercooler boots and dead alternators to turbo failures, low oil pressure, and full engine carnage. Most of their stories happen while hauling a trailer, which is exactly when you do not want to find out your diesel performance build has a weak link. Some of these repairs got made on the side of the road with whatever was on hand. Others required a little creativity, a few phone calls, and people willing to help. Along the way they hand out practical tips that apply to any diesel truck build, whether you are running a built second gen Cummins, a 12 valve, a 24 valve, or a common rail. Good intercooler boots, tight clamps, a tire plug kit, spare fluids, and a basic tool kit can solve a surprising number of problems that would otherwise leave you waiting on a tow truck. The bigger takeaway is that preparation before a trip matters more than any roadside fix. Check your tires, top off your fluids, inspect your battery terminals, and make sure you have the right tools before you leave the driveway. Machines break. The guys who handle it best are the ones who saw it coming. If you haul, race, or travel long miles in a diesel truck, this one is worth your time. Subscribe to the Power Driven Podcast on YouTube and follow along on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Shop everything mentioned in this episode at PowerDriven.com, including intercooler boots and everything else you need to keep your diesel truck on the road when it matters. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com 0:00 Intro and episode overview 0:45 UCC context and Myer's trip to Indianapolis 2:00 The Mac: Ford Aero Max with 855 Cummins mechanical PT pump swap 4:15 Coming home from UCC with a blown turbo in the Midwest 5:30 Will Terry Fabrication: stovepipe turbo fix with Ace Hardware parts 7:55 Garrett 475 swap, T6 flange mismatch, and getting over the Rockies 9:45 Intercooler boots: when they blow and why it happens 12:00 Boot maintenance tips, clamp torque, and upgrading before you haul 13:15 Alternator trigger wire failure and diagnosing on the fly 21:00 Broken Smith Brothers pushrod strands the family truck 28:30 Alternator failures: 6.0 Power Stroke and the Las Vegas story 30:45 Montana breakdown: getting a store employee to deliver an alternator roadside 35:00 Low oil pressure on the 12 valve, loose turbo drain bolt, flagging down semi drivers 39:15 Cracked billet flex plate discovered on the way home 44:00 Carrying spare fluids, radiator hose stories, and what to keep in the bed 45:45 Transmission cooler bypass trick with a pair of pliers 46:45 Tire plug kit and 12-volt compressor: the tools that solve simple problems fast 48:00 Boonie kit concept and the pantyhose serpentine belt story 49:20 Always carry a flashlight 49:45 The value of a good friend network when you are stranded 51:55 Tyson borrows the truck and puts holes in the block 55:30 Pre-trip checklist: tires, spare, fluids, spline lug socket, battery terminals

Buying someone else's unfinished project truck sounds like a shortcut, but it can turn into one of the most expensive decisions you make. Todd, Will, and Myer break down exactly what to watch for when you're rolling up to a used diesel truck with a head full of optimism and a wallet that needs to survive the trip. The guys get real about why sellers abandon projects in the first place, and why that reason matters more than the deal itself. Money, time, boredom, a problem they couldn't solve, all of it changes what you're actually inheriting when you hand over the cash. Not every truck listed with cool parts is worth what the seller thinks it is, and not every deal is what it looks like on the surface. A big part of the conversation is the physical inspection. Pop the hood and you can tell a lot fast. Firewall insulation and hood insulation are some of the first things to check because they tell you how many times someone has been in there and whether they cared when they put it back together. Wiring is another one. If you see bare twisted wires and electrical tape where a proper loom should be, that truck is telling you something and you should listen. The guys also talk through the secondary market and the reality of flip sellers on classifieds who buy trucks cheap, patch a surface problem, and resell without any real knowledge of the vehicle history. Knowing the difference between a guy who built something and a guy who bought it to move it is one of the most useful skills you can develop when shopping for a project. They cover transmission talk specific to Dodge trucks, including what a shop-claimed "heavy duty" or "towing" transmission actually means versus a real built trans, and why you need to ask the right questions before you assume the drivetrain is sorted. For Cummins trucks from 2019 and up, there is also a conversation about the hydraulic roller lifter design and the failure concerns that make some buyers think twice about the newer platform when they are looking for something they can actually work on and source parts for. The episode closes with the bigger question every buyer has to answer honestly before they shop: are you someone with the tools and knowledge to take on whatever you find, or are you someone who needs to start with a cleaner slate and let a shop handle the build. Neither is wrong, but getting that answer wrong before you buy can cost you a lot more than you saved. If you are looking to pick up a diesel project truck, pull up a chair because this one is worth hearing before you write that check. Subscribe on YouTube and follow on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Part two of the engine building series picks up right where things left off, covering everything from bearing installation all the way through first fire and ring break-in. If you are building a Cummins or planning to, this is the episode you do not skip. Todd, Will, and Myer break down the full Morley bearing lineup, covering P, H, and V bearings and which one belongs in which build. Coated bearings, bearing installation technique, and why cleanliness between the bearing and saddle matters more than most guys realize all get covered in detail. Plastic gauge gets a thorough breakdown too, including an honest story about what happens when you misread a dial bore gauge. Wrist pin clip orientation, rod direction by platform, crank galley cleaning, and which way rods go in a 12 valve versus a 24 valve versus a VP44 are all walked through in real shop language. So are crank gear welding, cam retainers, piston protrusion targets, firing head gasket installation, head stud torque sequence, and valve lash strategy. The break-in section is worth the entire runtime on its own. Proper cam break-in, why you do it without coolant in the block, how to track oil temp with an infrared gun, and why ring break-in requires load are all covered. The crew explains why babying a fresh built diesel causes glazing and oil consumption issues, and breaks down break-in oil, first oil change timing, and cutting open the filter to check for debris. If you are wrenching in the garage and want to build a Cummins that lasts, subscribe on YouTube and follow the Power Driven Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Everything the guys talked about in this episode, including Morley bearings, assembly lube, and Power Driven Diesel oil, is available at PowerDriven.com. Links below. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

If you have ever cracked open an engine block and wondered whether you are missing something the shop guys never talk about, this episode is for you. Todd, Will, and Myer break down the real hands-on engine building process, step by step, using their Myers UCC build as the backdrop for a conversation that covers everything from the stuff you check before you turn a wrench to the stuff that will bite you if you skip it. The episode kicks off with oil galley plug inspection, what the guys call the oil rail, oil rifle, or oil passage depending on who is talking, and why making sure every one of those plugs is seated before assembly is a non-negotiable. They get into cleaning procedures using an engine bore brush kit to pull out machining particles and metal flakes from the cylinder bores and oil passages before anything goes back together. Bearing clearances get a solid breakdown here. The guys walk through main bearings and rod bearings on a Cummins engine, explain why the oil holes in the bearings do not line up the way you might expect, and talk through what proper clearance looks like for street builds versus high RPM race applications. They also hit a detail that trips up a lot of first-time builders: rod caps are matched to their specific rod during the machining process, and swapping caps between rods will cost you roundness and likely an engine. Cylinder wall prep takes up a good chunk of the conversation too. The guys reference using the Total Seal ring break-in compound to verify cleanliness, where green means the wall is ready and brown means you are not done yet. From there the discussion moves into piston ring gap, how they set the second ring at or slightly larger than the top ring, ring orientation during installation, and their experience running Total Seal gapless second rings at higher horsepower levels where piston land strength starts to become a real concern. The back half of the episode covers assembly lube, specifically the Joe Gibbs Driven line and other black assembly greases the guys have had good results with, where to apply it and where not to, and the proper way to lube a camshaft, lifters, and cam lobes before the engine goes together. The cylinder head side of the build runs long and gets pushed to next week, so consider this Part 1 of a two-part deep look at what it actually takes to build a diesel engine the right way. Subscribe on YouTube to catch Part 2 the moment it drops, and if you are listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, follow the show so you never miss an episode. Everything the guys talked about in this episode, rings, bearings, assembly products, all of it is the kind of stuff you can find at PowerDriven.com. If you are building an engine, start there. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com 0:00 Intro and Mars UCC engine build overview 1:18 Oil galley plugs and why they cannot be overlooked 2:30 Cleaning oil passages and cylinder bores 4:13 Main bearing installation and oil hole alignment 5:03 Measuring journals and bearing clearances 7:07 Cylinder wall prep and final cleaning order 10:00 Total Seal break-in compound and cylinder wall verification 10:35 Measuring rod journals, main journals, and bearings 12:30 Bearing clearance specs for street vs race applications 13:24 Why race clearances and thick oil do not work on a street truck 18:33 Rod cap and rod matching on Cummins and aftermarket rods 29:52 Piston ring clearance and piston wall clearance 31:42 Ring gap setup and second ring sizing 33:34 Ring orientation during installation 40:37 Total Seal gapless second ring discussion and high HP concerns 42:06 Loctite, fasteners, and oil galley plug sealing 49:15 Assembly grease selection and application 52:25 Camshaft and lifter lubrication 53:45 Episode wrap and Part 2 preview

Pistons are one of those parts everybody installs but not everybody actually understands. Todd, Will, and Myer break down piston design from top to bottom, and if you have ever wondered why there are so many options or which one belongs in your build, this is the episode you need. They start with piston bowl design and why it matters more than most guys think. Narrow bowl versus wide bowl, reentrant versus non-reentrant, and how each design affects the way fuel and air mix inside a diesel cylinder. Because diesels fire fuel directly into that bowl at the very end of the compression stroke, bowl geometry has a direct impact on combustion quality, smoke, and power output in a way gasoline engines never have to deal with. Swirl numbers get covered too, and why that circular mixing motion plays a bigger role in emissions and haze than it does in outright peak power. The conversation moves through piston options platform by platform. Common rail, 24 valve, VP44, and 12 valve all get their own breakdown. The guys talk about why they almost always steer people toward a narrow bowl for over-the-road use, but also when a wide bowl makes sense, like sled pulling and nitrous-limited classes where you are chasing every last horsepower. Cast versus forged is a big chunk of this episode and the guys do not sugarcoat it. Forged pistons are stronger and handle RPM abuse better, but the increased wall clearance required, the wear characteristics, and the oil ring differences make them a poor choice for anything that sees regular street miles. They even mention their factory 6.7 cast pistons surviving a truck that averages 2200 horsepower down the track, and what that says about how capable a properly built cast piston really is. The 12 valve guys get their section too. Stock pistons, the early first gen wider bowl swap, and why the shop has largely moved away from recommending low compression pistons now that six seven blocks are the go-to platform for high-output Cummins builds. Piston coatings and cylinder honing round out the episode. The guys cover their coating experiments on Myer's race truck, what coatings can and cannot protect against, and why proper piston wall clearance is still the thing that determines whether any of it survives. Subscribe on YouTube and follow the Power Driven Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you do not miss episodes like this one. Everything from pistons to full build components for your diesel is available at PowerDriven.com. If anything from this episode sparks a build question, the team there can point you in the right direction. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Myer's drag truck just ran a 4.99 in the eighth mile, and the engine making it happen is almost offensively simple. On this episode of the Power Driven Podcast, Todd, Will, and Myer break down what it took to get there and why the technology available to diesel builders right now is changing what is possible at every level of the sport. The guys dig into what that number actually means in context, where the money goes in a build like this, and why high level diesel performance is more attainable today than it has ever been. The conversation covers everything from drivetrain decisions to turbo costs to cylinder head development, all through the lens of what it took to put a tow truck in the fours. Pro Street diesel is growing fast and the boys make a strong case that now is the time to get in. Multiple trucks are running deep fives and dipping into the fours, the parts are better, and the price to compete has come way down compared to even a few years ago. Everything the guys talk about in this episode is available at PowerDriven.com. Links below. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Every diesel guy has been there. The truck feels great empty, pulls hard, and you love it right up until you hook a trailer to it. Todd, Will, and Myer dig into exactly why that happens and what you can actually do about it. The conversation starts with a real story about building a 12 valve for power without thinking about what it would have to do. Big pump, big single turbo, five speed, and a trailer to tow. The result was exactly what you would expect from a setup built for the strip and not the highway. It towed, but it was miserable, and that experience sets up everything else in the episode. From there the guys get into tuning strategy for trucks that need to work. Pedal mapping and throttle input are a bigger deal than most people think, especially when your transmission is mechanically activated and does not know your engine is making twice the power it was designed around. If your transmission thinks you are at light throttle while your engine is at full pull, you are going to have a bad time. Getting the tune and the transmission working together is step one. Turbo selection comes up as one of the biggest places guys go wrong when building a tow truck. Oversized turbos that are great for making peak power numbers are often terrible for towing because they surge, they come on hard, and they kill drive manners under load. Compressor wheel clearances also factor into efficiency and reliability in ways most people do not think about. The right turbo for towing is not the biggest one you can bolt on. Fuel system choices matter too. Massive injectors and multi-pump setups introduce complexity and reliability concerns that become a real problem when you are stranded on the side of the road a long way from home. For a dedicated tow truck, simple and reliable beats flashy every time. Carrying spare parts because you know your setup is likely to break is not a strategy. Tires are another thing that can quietly kill your tow truck. Load ratings, tire size, and how they affect your effective gear ratio all play into how your truck behaves under a load. Going up in tire size without accounting for everything downstream can smoke a transmission and make towing miserable regardless of what else you have done to the truck. The core takeaway is something the guys come back to repeatedly. You have to decide what your truck actually is before you build it. A dedicated tow truck and a street truck that occasionally tows are two completely different builds. You can have a modified truck that tows great, but the parts and strategy have to match the application. If you are building a diesel and towing is part of the plan, this episode is worth your time. Subscribe on YouTube and follow the Power Driven Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Everything discussed in this episode is available at PowerDriven.com. If you are building a tow truck or a street truck that needs to work, the team can point you toward the right parts for your application. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com