Power Driven Podcast

• Why Your 12-Valve Cummins Isn’t Making Power

  In this episode of the Power Driven Podcast, the crew digs into one of the most common and frustrating issues that diesel enthusiasts face: when a truck simply does not make the power it should. Whether it is a fresh build that underwhelms on its first test drive or a reliable setup that suddenly starts to feel sluggish, the team breaks down how they diagnose and solve low-power conditions using real-world experience and proven techniques. With years of dyno testing, street tuning, and customer support under their belts, the Power Driven team shares the process they rely on to get trucks back on track and performing at their best.Listeners will hear about the full spectrum of potential culprits, starting with the basics like throttle cable slack, improperly reinstalled shut-off solenoids, or overlooked fuel delivery problems. The crew explains how something as simple as a missing washer or loose linkage can limit rack travel and leave hundreds of horsepower on the table. From there, the conversation moves into deeper mechanical issues such as AFC housing problems, star wheel misadjustments, and governor spring configurations that limit RPM and fuel delivery.The episode is packed with shop stories, including firsthand experiences with Frankenstein, the team’s well-known compound turbo build, and other trucks that taught valuable lessons through trial and error. Listeners will learn why monitoring fuel pressure under load is critical, how to read smoke output for tuning clues, and what happens when boost leaks or exhaust restrictions choke performance. The crew also shares practical methods for diagnosing these problems without a dyno, using data from the street, stopwatch tests, and careful observation.Throughout the episode, the Power Driven team emphasizes the importance of understanding the interaction between airflow, fueling, and timing. They explain why timing slip can silently kill power, how turbo systems respond to small leaks, and how small changes to star wheels or diaphragm preload can have big impacts on drivability. This kind of deep mechanical insight is rarely shared outside of professional shops, making this episode a valuable resource for builders, tuners, and weekend warriors alike.If your diesel is not performing like it should, or if you are planning your next build and want to avoid common pitfalls, this episode delivers the insight you need. With real advice from professionals who live and breathe diesel performance every day, it is the ultimate guide for diagnosing and fixing low-power issues the right way.

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• First Engine Build? Don’t Make These Mistakes

  In this episode of the Power Driven Diesel Podcast, we’re jumping into one of the most important and overlooked parts of diesel performance, building your engine the right way. Whether you’re putting together your very first motor in the garage or you’ve already built a few and want to step things up, this episode is packed with real-world advice on setting up a reliable bottom end.We talk through everything that matters when it comes to getting your clearances right, including piston to wall, ring gap, bearing choices, and proper bore finish. We also share a lot of personal experience, including what we got wrong on our early builds, what we’ve learned since, and how it’s shaped the way we put engines together today. This is the kind of information you won’t always hear unless you’re working in the shop every day.]If you’ve ever wondered whether your local machine shop is doing things right, what tools you actually need to measure piston clearance, or if that old three-stone hone is good enough, we break it all down. We talk about real horsepower goals and what kind of clearances actually hold up, whether you’re building a 600-horse daily driver or chasing four-digit power on the dyno.We also cover the differences between cast and forged pistons, gapless versus conventional rings, and the truth about how much contamination in your bearings it really takes to ruin a fresh build. From micrometers and profilometers to plastic gauge and feeler gauges, this episode covers both budget-minded builds and pro-level machine work.The goal is simple. We want to help you avoid costly mistakes and build something that lasts. We’ve been through the failures, cracked blocks, broken pistons, and trashed bearings so you don’t have to.If you’re serious about performance diesel, especially Cummins engine builds, this episode is a great one to dig into. Drop your questions in the comments and let us know if you want a follow-up. There’s still a lot we didn’t cover like head studs, torque specs, and top-end setups, and we’re just getting started.

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• Behind the Scenes with the Best in Diesel: Tuning, Timing, and Torque

  In this episode of the Power Driven Diesel Podcast, the team recaps everything they experienced at the Ultimate Callout Challenge, the most intense diesel performance event of the year. From powerhouse builds to catastrophic failures, this episode is loaded with insight, real talk, and valuable lessons for anyone serious about diesel horsepower. Whether you are a tuner, racer, builder, or just a diesel enthusiast, there is something here for you.The crew dives into what makes UCC such a game-changing event, bringing together the best minds and machines in the industry. Companies like Fleece, Firepunk, and Hamilton came out strong, but the biggest takeaways came from conversations behind the scenes. These included breakdowns of tuning strategies, nitrous setups, engine failures, and cylinder pressure data that reveals what is really happening inside these high-horsepower builds.One of the most important topics covered is ignition timing and how it must be adjusted when nitrous is used. Many competitors at the event were running fuel-only timing while spraying large amounts of nitrous, which caused serious engine damage. Timing needs to be retarded significantly to prevent early cylinder pressure spikes that lead to cracked blocks, broken pistons, and failed valves. The discussion digs into what the top-performing teams are doing differently and how this knowledge applies not just to dyno runs, but also to drag racing and sled pulling.The podcast also explores valve float, spring pressure, fuel injector sizing, and the effect of turbocharger selection on timing requirements. They compare single turbo, compound, and nitrous-assisted setups, explaining how each affects combustion and power output. The guys also discuss drivetrain durability and how many trucks are slipping something on the dyno, whether it is a converter, clutch pack, or tire. They even analyze the dramatic failure of a drag radial that exploded during a dyno pull at nearly 200 miles per hour.This episode captures both the chaos and the innovation happening in high-level diesel competition. It is a blend of hard-earned lessons, shop-tested data, and real-world experience that you will not get anywhere else. Tune in to learn what worked, what failed, and how the industry is evolving. Subscribe for more in-depth episodes covering the cutting edge of diesel performance.

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• How This Truck Made 3000 HP at UCC 2025

  In this episode of the Power Driven Podcast, we sit down with Josh McCormick, the 2025 Ultimate Callout Challenge Champion, to break down everything that went into his winning weekend. From setting a 3000+ horsepower dyno number to surviving one of the toughest diesel competitions in the country, Josh walks us through the full experience.We talk about what it takes to stay competitive across drag racing, sled pulling, and the dyno, and how his Cummins-powered setup held strong through all three events. Josh shares what his prep looked like going in, how things unfolded day by day, and the moments that nearly derailed everything. You’ll hear about the long hauls, the behind the scenes chaos, the victories that didn’t make the highlight reels, and how he kept his truck running clean and consistent from start to finish.We also get into the current state of competition diesel. From the evolving truck builds to standout performances from other drivers, this episode gives a real look at how high the bar has been raised and what it means to keep up.If you’re into diesel drag racing, dyno tuning, sled pulling, or just want to hear how top-level trucks are built and run at elite events like UCC, this is the episode for you. It’s informative, entertaining, and packed with insight from someone who’s earned his spot at the top.Make sure to subscribe for more in depth episodes, and leave a comment with your questions, thoughts, or what you’d like to hear in a future episode.

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• Common Rail Cummins Tuning Explained: Timing, Duration, and CP3 Setup Tips

  Welcome back to the Power Driven Diesel podcast. We’ve had quite a few people ask for more Common Rail content, so we figured it was time to dive in. In this episode, Meyer joins us to walk through a bunch of topics that matter if you’re running a Common Rail Cummins or thinking about building one. We get into tuning strategies, CP3 fuel systems, turbo behavior, and how it all works together when you start pushing power.We kick things off with tuning basics. Meyer explains fuel timing and duration in a way that makes sense, especially if you’re new to this stuff. There’s a good breakdown of what it means when a truck is injecting fuel after top dead center and why emissions tuning often does that. We talk about how shortening duration and improving injection rate helps power, efficiency, and driveability. We also get into pedal maps and how your throttle input turns into actual fuel output. That part gets overlooked a lot, but it has a huge effect on how the truck feels behind the wheel.From there we get into VGT turbo tuning. Will shares what happened when he upgraded the turbo on his wife’s Excursion and how the truck felt super lazy until he figured out the vane control. Just closing the vanes to make more boost actually slowed the truck down, and once he opened them back up, it ripped again. That’s a good lesson for anyone who thinks boost equals speed, because the truth is it’s all about balance and airflow.We also talk about CP3 pump setups. For a long time, making big power meant running two or three pumps, but that has changed. Nowadays, a single 14mm pump or a dual CP3 setup can support big numbers, depending on what you’re doing. Meyer and Will both have experience running different setups and share what works better for street trucks versus all-out builds. The bottom line is, if you’re adding hard parts like injectors or turbos, you’ve got to retune or you’re going to leave a lot on the table.Toward the end, we get into block design and why we’ve moved to using 6.7 blocks in most of our race engines. They have more material between the cylinders, stronger cooling, and we’ve seen them hold up better than older 5.9 blocks when pushed hard. That does not mean the 12-valve stuff is bad. It just means that newer options give you more room to grow, especially when you start mixing parts like 24-valve heads or building hybrids.There is still a lot we did not get to, like transmissions and more platform-specific tuning, so if you have questions, let us know in the comments. We read those and we’re always down to do a follow-up. Thanks for listening, and we will see you in the next episode.

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