THE DIESEL INDUSTRY TAKES A BIG LEAP FORWARD AT THE 2019 PRI TRADE SHOW
-
Nothing puts an exclamation point on the end of the year quite like the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis. December 12-14, the 32nd annual PRI Show was held in the Indiana Convention Center, where it once again became the epicenter of new racing technology. Thanks to the more than 3,300 manufacturer booths, the exhibit halls were overflowing with championship-caliber vehicles, 3,000-plus horsepower engines, cutting-edge parts, and enthusiastic people. Luckily for us, the diesel performance side of the racing industry continues to be well-represented at PRI, and the general consensus at this year’s show was that 2020 is going to be big.
At the Wagler Competition Products booth, its P-pumped Duramax-based DX460 monstrosity was the focal point. One look at this mechanical masterpiece and you’ll see why Wagler is serious about obliterating the 3,000hp wall with this Duramax. Over in ARP’S neck of the woods, Haisley Machine seemed to have switched to a 24-valve version of its deck-plate, Super B Cummins for the Super Stock truck class. And as the guys from D&J Precision Machine counted down the days to their return to the engine dyno, their billet-aluminum block and head Cummins was available for everyone to see in the Fluidampr booth.
Representing the Outlaw Diesel Super Series, the world’s fastest Power Stroke from the Rudy’s camp, PPEI and NGM Diesel’s brand-new Duramax-powered Corvette, and Logan Yelton’s 5.90 Index first-gen all received designated parking spots. Key fuel system, turbocharger and valvetrain advancements came in the form of the latest gear-driven lift pump, which couples directly to CP3’S, hubless compressor and turbine wheel technology, and rocker arm and rocker shaft improvements for the Duramax. Take a walk with us down the aisles of PRI in the pages that follow.
pmeet the engine that will power the Firepunk Diesel/save the Racks S10 Pro Mod in 2020. D&J Precision Machine’s Executioner series Cummins is comprised of a billet-aluminum block with a bed plate and 6-bolt mains, X-beam rods, forged steel ring pistons, and a billet-aluminum 24-valve cylinder head with dual exhaust ports and an individual runner exhaust manifold to match it. The goal of D&J’S Executioner series program was to build an engine capable of making more than 3,000 hp while simultaneously ensuring utmost durability. Immediately following the PRI Show, the guys at D&J loaded up and headed straight to the engine dyno, where the Executioner cleared more than 3,200 hp!
Manton Pushrods H-13 tool steel (300,000 psi) roller rockers might just be the ultimate solution to high-rpm issues associated with the Duramax. They feature a pressure-fed bushing (i.e. no needle bearing), an H13 tool steel adjusting screw and rocker trunnion, and were designed to handle as much as 10,000 rpm. Manton’s rockers will find a home in Tony Rizzi’s No-prep Duramax, a short-stroke engine that sees 7,800 rpm on a regular basis. It’s also worth noting that Manton’s rockers are direct replacements for the stock units, which means if you have an issue with one at the track you can simply swap in an OEM version and keep racing.
pthe second DX460 on display in the Wagler booth was a common-rail sporting triple 14mm CP3’S from S&S Diesel Motorsport. Also graced with S&S’S massive, Ordnance LE injectors, this 3,000hp-capable Duramax is destined for Randy Overton’s Super Stock pulling truck. Also notice the top CP3, which had been fitted with S&S’S new bolt-on mechanical lift pump.
pwagler Competition Products knocked it out of the park this year with its all-billet, mechanically-injected, and Pro Stock turbocharged DX460. From top to bottom, the menacing V8 is a true work of art. Working with Wimer Fuel Injection & Turbo, a 16mm plunger billet inline pump lives in the valley and a Pro Stock tractor turbo with an estimated 6-inch inducer sits up top. The floating water-to-air intercooler core out front is designed to solve several performance-related issues in the engine’s truck-pulling application.
pevery year it seems Garrett pushes the bar higher on large-frame turbochargers. 2019 was no different thanks to the unveiling of its G57, a charger offered with your choice of an 88mm, 94mm, 98mm, 102mm, or 106mm compressor wheel (inducer). The G57 incorporates a groundbreaking one-piece aluminum center housing and backplate to save weight, and the new 118mm Inconel turbine wheel hanging off the other end of the shaft flows 19-percent more than the wheel used in its GTX Gen II equivalent.
pas proof that there is never any shortage of innovation going on at Fleece Performance Engineering, they used PRI to introduce the “Uber Pumper.” It mates three Denso HP4 high-pressure pumps together in-line, driven off of one common shaft courtesy of the accommodating billet front cover. And what better way to debuted its radical triple-pump design than by hanging it off of the company’s billet-aluminum Cummins block?
pthanks to its simple design and the weight savings it will provide competitors, S&S Diesel Motorsport’s new Cp3-coupled lift pump should prove to be a major breakthrough for high-end common-rail engines. Capable of flowing 3,000-lph, its gear-driven pump will have no problem supporting as many CP3’S as you want to run. Here, S&S’S pump is shown as part of its fuel delivery system bolted to one of Wagler’s Streetfighter series Cummins engines. In addition to the fuel pump, S&S’S soon-to-be-released kit features a filter head that can feed up to three CP3’S and that utilizes a Donaldson filter.
pis this the Pro Mod to beat in 2020? A lot of folks seem to think so. Thanks to the Jerry Bickel chassis, sub2,700-pound curb weight, and 4.3-second eighth-miles without even locking the converter, it’s definitely a step ahead of other ODSS Pro Mods. The PPEI/NGM Diesel Racing Engines C7 Corvette sports a billet 408ci Duramax with Wagler heads, Industrial Injection fueling, Bullseye air, a Rossler transmission, a Nitrous Express system, and is completely Motec-controlled. At Rudy’s Fall Truck Jam, the car put up a 1.02-second 60-foot, a 2.88 330-foot, and the aforementioned 4.3-second blast through the ‘660.
Located in the Scheid Diesel booth, it only made sense that a Scheid spec’d Cummins was parked under the hood of Logan Yelton’s 5.90 first-gen. The mechanical 12-valve boasts one of Scheid’s ported heads and its valvetrain, a Lightning 13mm P-pump, 5x.035 injectors, an individual runner intake manifold, a water-to-air intercooler, and a Pro Mod 88mm turbo from Precision. The Cummins is backed up by a Loganbuilt non-lockup 48RE that employs a Goerend converter and a transbrake valvebody.
pinside the confines of the ARP booth, passersby were treated to one of the most tried and true Super Stock engines in the industry: a Haisley Machine Super B. Surprising to some, the 3,000-plus horsepower Cummins was sporting a 24-valve cylinder head rather than a done-up 12-valve piece. A sleeved, filled, and deck-plated, 6.7L cast-iron based block is still part of the Haisley forte, but his particular engine flaunted a billet 18mm inline pump from Wimer Fuel Injection & Turbo, along with three massive Wimer turbos.
plogan Yelton’s first-gen will be the freshest face in the ODSS 5.90 Index class in 2020. Yelton’s ’93 W250 will bring four-wheel drive to the table, along with a tubed back-half, front and rear four-link, a front Dana 60, and a fabricated chromoly 9-inch from Advanced Chassis in the rear. The flawless body work was handled by Yelton’s Body Shop and Bucky’s Ltd Auto Body (the truck is all-steel), with Optic Armor Performance side and rear windows.
PXDP hauled its Cummins-powered monster truck to PRI in bodiless form to give show-goers an insider’s view of what goes into their state-of-the-art machine. From the Patrick Enterprises chassis to the D&J Enforcer series compound turbocharged Cummins, and the air-shifted Lenco to the Pettibone and Rockwell axles, there was plenty to gawk at. As a bonus, driver Dave Radzierez was also hanging out in the booth.
pthough diesel performance’s welcomed infiltration into the PRI show has continued to grow over the last decade, the 2019 event brought even more diversity to the table. Thanks to Salenbien Performance and Brandon Hunt, Hunt’s 8,000-pound Super Stock tractor coined Livin’ A Dream was on display, and swiveling heads all weekend. Novices to the sport were in awe of this machine’s two-stage, triple-turbo arrangement, its ability to produce (and live) at 300-psi of boost, and that the 540ci IH inline-six produced 7,000 lb-ft of torque on the engine dyno.
pover at the APEX Turbo booth, its mild-to-wild turbocharger line was reeling in all kinds of forced induction fans. The company’s groundbreaking hubless compressor and turbine wheels provide increased surface area by doing away with a conventional through-shaft and nut design. Instead, the turbine shaft is threaded into the wheel, which comes to a point, and which allows for a 15-percent bigger bite of air. APEX also told us that, thanks to not having to machine a hole for the shaft to protrude through, its hubless wheels are significantly stronger than traditional designs.
pthey might not be brand-new products, but Trend Performance was looking to help get the word out about its Duramax rocker shafts and stanchions at the PRI Show. For its shafts being made from 4130 chromoly, straightened at five points for exacting valvetrain geometry, and featuring engineered oiling slots for improved lubrication, they certainly garnered our attention. Its stanchions are machined from rigid 6061 aluminum and are specifically designed to prevent flexing under extreme operating conditions.
pafter blasting into the convention center with its six-turbo Cummins test-mule in 2018, Opti-torque Fasteners made the trek back to Indy this year. This time the Cummins monstrosity was left at home, but the folks at Optitorque filled us in on its high-strength Cummins head studs as well as its latest release: an OEM exhaust manifold stud upgrade kit for the 6.7L Cummins.
Bully Dog’s Performance DPF isn’t exactly new, but we expect to see more of these infiltrating the diesel market in the coming years. Bully Dog’s unit provides a 17-percent increase in exhaust flow which drops EGT as much as 12-percent and back pressure by as much as 44-percent. Primarily designed to slow soot accumulation, the high-flow DPF is also fully serviceable. At the present time, Bully Dog offers a Performance DPF for ’08-’10 6.4L Power Strokes and ’07.5-’12 6.7L Cummins-powered Rams.
Although there were a lot of things to see at the Meyer Distributing booth, the first thing we noticed was the rotating D&J Enforcer series Cummins that was on display. Thanks to their proven durability and horsepower potential, D&J Precision Machine’s common-rail engines have become extremely popular in recent years. Firepunk Diesel’s campaigning of these near-bulletproof mills in its record-breaking trucks has certainly helped matters.
Turbos are cool, but we all know they can be expensive. For half the cost of an off-theshelf turbo, you can add the gas form equivalent thanks to Nitrous Express’s diesel stacker systems. The company’s complete, bolt-on kits can add anywhere from 50 to 500 hp to your winning combination while reducing smoke and dropping EGT significantly.
In the age of massive turbochargers, it’s important to remember than proper oil supply and return is vital to any turbo’s lifespan. Precision’s turbo oil drain cutaway comparison was eye opening for many show-goers. While both drains utilize a -10 AN male fitting, Precision’s incorporates an O-ring seal rather than a paper gasket with globs of sealant, and features a port area of 0.283-inch2 (vs. 0.144-in2 in most generic drains).
pfor an up close and personal look at the quickest (and fastest) eighth-mile Power Stroke in the world, attendees were encouraged to stop by the Hot Shot’s Secret booth and catch a glimpse of the Rudy’s Performance Parts Super Duty. Driver Rawlings Barnes piloted the Pro Mod F-250 to a Second Place points finish in the ODSS Pro Mod category in 2019, and then turned in his new personal best of 4.51 at 156 mph at the PDRA World Finals during an exhibition run shortly thereafter. The new, record-setting pass also included a 1.1-second 60-foot and the truck’s first time hitting the 330-foot mark in under 2 seconds (2.98).
To illustrate the effectiveness of its fuel supply systems in real time, Fass set up its functionality demonstration displays, including the exhibit that showcases its superior water separating capabilities over its biggest competitor. The Fass reps were also quick to point out that
Fass filters will cross reference with more than 30 others on the market, and that the company sees less than a 2-percent failure rate.
pas a reminder that piston coatings matter, Swain Tech had this little exhibit front and center at its booth in Green Hall. Beyond its thermal barrier offerings for pistons, the New York-based company was promoting its White Lightning exhaust coatings. A true ceramic coating that’s applied more thickly than most, it offers superior insulating and radiant heat reduction. This means that components like up-pipes and headers don’t shed the heat they need to drive a turbocharger as effectively as possible.
pfit’s well known that Revmax Converters builds one of the toughest 68RFE automatics you can buy, but now its customers can keep their six-speeds even happier with this extra capacity transmission pan. The high-temp, black powder coated aluminum pan holds four more quarts of ATF than stock, features internal guessets for increased rigidity, comes with 1/8-inch NPT temperature ports, and ships with stainless steel mounting hardware.
We would be remiss if we failed to highlight how instrumental HP Tuners was in unlocking the L5P Duramax ECM, which made for a very eventful 2019. By facilitating the path into the ’17-plus computer, keyboard wizards were able to summon another 200hp from GM’S latest 6.6L V-8 without upgrading injectors, the high-pressure fuel pump, or even the factory VGT.