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Ben Lawson

Ben Lawson

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Upgrade Your LB7 or LLY Duramax To a 6-Speed

[fa icon="calendar'] Oct 5, 2022 11:58:01 AM / by Ben Lawson posted in better performance for lly, how to get better fuel mileage with LLY, LLY mpg, LB7, Transmission Duramax, LLY TCM Tuning, LB7 TCM Tuning, 6speed, LB7 MPG

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As technology gets better, we see transmissions in trucks with more and more gears. Recently the Allison 6-speed was replaced with the 10-speed version. For older trucks, this can set them behind the competitors, both in terms of performance and fuel efficiency. A 6-speed conversion kit can take LB7 and LLY trucks to a whole new level of performance and drivability. 

If you are already in need of a valve body replacement due to slipping gears because of a weak or bad solenoid this kit is exactly what you'll want to swap in its place. The kit comes with an upgraded valve body combined with a 6-speed TCM. This upgraded TCM comes with updated shift schedules customized to your truck for the new gearing . Calibrated Power has been able to design one of the smoothest shifting 6-speed conversion kits there is. This kit will have your 15-year-old truck shifting like a 2018 model. It's also relatively simple to install and can easily be installed by someone who knows what they're doing in the shop or at home. Another option is to have Calibrated Power install it themselves in one of their upgraded transmissions (DT550, DT750, or DT1000), which is what you'll want if you're trying to make big power. 

 

DT550 Tranmissions

 

If you're looking for any of these qualities out of your transmission then a 6-speed conversion is for you:


  • Better MPG's
  • Quieter Exhaust Drone On The Highway
  • Smoother Shifting Transmission 
  • Engine and Transmission Longevity
  • Narrower Cruise Range to Meet Emissions Requirements
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How to Perform a DEF Injector Test

[fa icon="calendar'] Sep 26, 2022 1:37:43 PM / by Ben Lawson

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This article will cover how to easily and accurately diagnose whether your diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) injector is in proper working order. An improperly working DEF injector will cause your truck to display a check engine light or "Reductive Fluid Quality" message on your dash. This can often cause your truck to go into limp mode and give you engine codes. These codes can vary depending on the truck but codes related to the DEF injector will always have to do with the NOx sensors or selective catalytic reduction (SCR) inefficiency. These codes or messages are often a sign that the DEF injector is not functioning properly.

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The Secret To Making a Raptor Faster than a TRX (Pt. 3)

[fa icon="calendar'] Sep 20, 2022 9:59:44 AM / by Ben Lawson

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We would like to share our latest results on our EcoBoost Ford Raptor build. Three weeks ago, we started a project on our newest shop truck, a 2020 Ford Raptor, with the goal of putting together a basic package of parts to give a stock RAM TRX a run for its money.  We started off by getting a base line for our truck on the dyno (394hp). Then we used our knowledge of we've seen the TRX put down for quarter mile times in independent tests along with an online quarter mile calculator to calculate how much more power we would need, in order to be a worthy competitor to the TRX. That figure ended up being around 610hp. 90hp less than the TRX due to the Raptors lighter weight!

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Blow The Tires off Your L5P With These 4 Upgrades!

[fa icon="calendar'] Sep 5, 2022 3:30:00 PM / by Ben Lawson posted in Duramax Performance, Duramax Power, Turbo, TCM Tuning, L5P, L5P Tuning, Upgrades

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With the L5P being the newest Duramax engine on the scene it's also one of the best performing right out of the box. Making 400hp and 850 ft-lbs of torque when tested on our dyno. This iteration of the Duramax engine has been redesigned in all the right ways. From a thicker crank shaft, to a more advanced turbo, and pistons that can handle more load and heat than we've ever seen come in a stock Duramax engine before. Not only do we get improved performance but we also get an engine that can handle way more power than it left the factory with. Which means with bolt on upgrades alone you can raise the horsepower way beyond stock without having to do any upgrades to the internals of the engine. We've seen L5P's pushing up to 900ph on the stock internals. Even trucks still equipped with emissions systems can gain about 300hp and 500ft-lbs of torque with just a few bolt on upgrades. Today we will show you what upgrades you want on your L5P to make the biggest difference for the least about of money. So if maximum performance is what you’re looking to get out of your L5P this article is for you.

 

Here are the top four L5P upgrades!

  • Tune
  • Transmission
  • Turbo
  • Intake 

 

Tuning Options for L5P

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What Your Raptor Needs To Beat a TRX! (Pt. 2)

[fa icon="calendar'] Aug 29, 2022 11:00:00 AM / by Ben Lawson posted in intercooler, EcoBoost, 3.5L EcoBoost, Raptor, TRX

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We left off with our last article on the Raptor upgrade story with putting a new set of upgraded turbos on our truck to get even more performance than the +140hp tune that  we made was able to provide us with. Our raptor was sitting at 538hp the last time we talked about it. Now that we have the upgraded to 46mm turbos on the Raptor we need to tune the truck again and see if there are any other limiting factors when it comes to our goal of making the 610hp to beat the TRX. After a new tune was written for new turbos the truck was put back on the dyno and we were able to make the just over 550 horsepower before the engine  was automatically throttled back by the ECM trying to combat the rising intake air temps. This tells us that the truck, while capable of more power, still needs improvements before it will be able to perform as well as the TRX for a sustained amount of time. Below is a graph showing the intake air temp during a road pull in the raptor. The Orange line represents Intake air temp and you can see it spike under sustained load up until the throttle is let off. 

 



Here's what we had on the truck before we started testing:

  • Upgraded 46mm turbos 
  • Fuel Injector Clinic 1000cc injectors. 
  • Custom Tune By Calibrated Power Solutions 

 

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How to Beat a TRX! The Ultimate Raptor Upgrade Story (Pt. 1)

[fa icon="calendar'] Aug 24, 2022 3:00:00 PM / by Ben Lawson posted in twin turbo, Build, Ford, EcoBoost, 3.5L EcoBoost, Raptor

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From the outside, they look like fairly similarly performing trucks but the new Ram packs 250 more HP than Ford’s 3.5l EcoBoost Motor making it worlds apart in terms of stock performance. Calibrated Power’s latest goal has been to turn the Raptor into a TRX worthy competitor.

 

Meet Our Shop Truck:

  • 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor
  • 1000cc Fuel Injector Clinic injectors
  • Calibrated Power EZ Lynk Custom Tuning

 

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The First 4 Upgrades To Do On 3rd Gen 5.9L Cummins

[fa icon="calendar'] Aug 23, 2022 9:32:29 AM / by Ben Lawson posted in EFILive, Cummins, Cummins Turbo, Cummins Diesel, Diesel Tuning, 2003 Cummins Tuning, 2006 Cummins Tuning, 2004 Cummins Tuning, 2005 Cummins Tuning, Cummins Tuning, 2004.5 Cummins

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These are the first 4 upgrades you should make to your 2003-2007, 5.9L Cummins.

If you're just getting into the diesel game with a third-generation Cummins 5.9L you're on the right track. While people say the 12v motors are great for being able to handle lots of power and having lots of upgrades. The 24v is also a very solid choice for both of those same reasons. With more hp from stock than the 12v motors and some beefy internals, like forged rods that can handle over 800hp. There is lots of potential to be had. 

It's a great truck from the factory, but if you're anything like the rest of us you're not interested in keeping it stock. Especially with the number of bolt-on upgrades available for the 5.9L. Why not make a great truck even better? Today we will show you the first 4 mods you should do to your 5.9L Cummins turbo diesel. 

 

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What's an RPO? Crucial Duramax Information!

[fa icon="calendar'] Jul 18, 2022 6:00:00 AM / by Ben Lawson posted in LLY, Duramax, Duramax Power, LML, LBZ, LB7, LMM, L5P, L5D, LWN, RPO

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What's an RPO? Crucial Duramax Information!

 

This article will help you understand what an RPO is, how to find yours and when it will be needed.  An RPO or Regular Production Option is a GM-specific code, made up of 3 characters, that helps the manufacturer specify what configuration of options has been or needs to be applied to a vehicle. This can include anything from paint color to powertrain options. For Chevy/GMC Duramax trucks each type of engine can be signified by a different RPO code.

 

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