Diesel Tuner's Blog

We all ask the question at some point, should I upgrade my turbocharger?  Improving performance is always something us diesel owners are thinking about.  Maybe your charger blew up or maybe you just want to help cool your truck's EGTs a bit more.  There are a ton of different reasons why you may want to upgrade.  With that comes a ton of different variables that go into which turbo you SHOULD buy.  Let's take a look at three big areas to consider. 

#1: How Do You Use Your Truck?

You've probably heard this one before, if you're new to the diesel world maybe you haven't.  Either way its a very important topic to consider, especially when choosing a turbo upgrade.  Do you commute 20 miles to work and back daily?  Do you haul any toys?  Maybe you hotshot as a career, all these are some of the ways a driver uses his diesel truck.  A driver that tows a lot would best be suited for the Stealth 64, why?  It runs more efficiently at higher horsepower numbers while loaded.  The truck will sustain a heavy load for longer because the heat that the turbo is introducing is lower than a stock charger.  Lower piston temps, lower EGTs equals more time and a larger buffer before the truck is affected by the added heat.  

What is "Cost Per Horsepower"?

Cost Per Horsepower is a simple way to display and measure the cost-effectiveness of automotive performance upgrades.

In practice, this term is probably more often used to prove someone has wasted money on a specific upgrade or the purchase of an entire vehicle.  For the purpose of this article, we are going to assume the vehicle in question is either a Duramax, Cummins, or Power Stroke diesel truck.  

There is a more cost-effective way of pushing your tractor to the top of the line when it comes to power.

You want field time decreased and you want to use the least amount of fuel possible while in the field.  These two aspects save you two valuable items: time and money. You work hard trying to get the best yield out of your land, so why not expect your combine to do the same for you?  Tuning your equipment is the quickest, cheapest, and most efficient way of going about getting the most out of your tractor. It can up-rate your tractor for a fraction of the dealer price and bring you the top-end amount of MPH and power.  Let’s go ahead and examine what tuning can do for the equipment.

The newest turbo from Calibrated Power is definitely raising the bar for drop-in turbos.

When looking at replacing your stock turbo there's a lot to take into consideration; How you use your truck, your current needs, and the future goals for your Cummins.  With the success of the Stealth 64 for 5.9L Cummins, the team at Calibrated Power looked at how much more we can push the envelope. So, what can the 3rd Gen Stealth 67 get you?

A simple tune can dramatically change the dynamic of your truck in many ways!

The Cummins has gone through so many adjustments to help benefit the truck with each new generation introduced.  We've seen convenience and comfort get pushed along too, it's all apart of getting the owner to love what they drive.  The thing truck owners love the most is how much more horsepower and torque get updated in addition to body styles and interior.  In the late 80's the 12 valve was pushing a mere 160 RWHP out of the factory.  Look at where we are at now, the CME (2013-2018) is now putting down between 350-370 RWHP depending on transmission.  That's a huge difference in the matter of a few decades.  This is amazing to see, but it doesn't mean that they've gotten all out of your truck.  As we've seen numerous times, there's always room for improvement and performance no matter which year Cummins you drive.  

Let's look at some of the benefits of tuning your 2010-2019 Cummins below:

520 RWHP TUNE ONLY LML DURAMAX:

The 2011 - 2016 LML Duramax came rated at 395 horsepower and 765 ft/lbs of torque.  That seemed like an amazing amount of power when this model was first released but these days it is dwarfed by the available power of brand new trucks.

Furthermore, that whopping 395 HP is a peak power rating, meaning that you probably won't produce that much power during normal operations.  In fact, many owners complain that the power delivery of the stock tune is too soft. This is why custom tuning is so important for the LML Duramax.  

Here are some of the things tuning your LML can help with:

• Increased Peak Horse Power
• Improved Shift Quality
• LML Dead Pedal Resolution

We've all heard from forums and numerous outlets that deleting the DPF and SCR on your Powerstroke is the way to go these days. What we have never seen backing these claims is data and tests. It's always hearsay that seem to find it's way to fueling the debate on whether to delete or keep your emissions system in-tact.  As you probably know, we like to put these tales to the test to try to figure out for ourselves what the truth is behind what you should really do with your factory emissions system. 

The 6.7L Ford in its factory trim represents a significant improvement in technology over the previous generations of the Powerstroke.  Coupled with the 6R140 transmission, this power train a lot of offer in reliability, drive-ability and performance.  Over the past year, we at CPS have worked with our customers and in-house on our own test trucks to develop and test tuning for this platform.  After hundreds of revisions, we're happy to announce we have a product that significantly outperforms the factory 6.7L/6R140 calibration in power and drive-ability, while maintaining factory operation and service intervals of the emissions control system.

Ever wonder what you need to push your stock truck to its limit?  We know the answer, and we created this article for you.  For 600-640 RWHP you will need to keep in mind all the supporting modifications you need to maintain reliability.   

Custom tuning is going to ask your truck to perform at a higher level.  The same goes for upgrading your turbo, transmission, fuel system or any other performance orientate component.  The best way to maintain a moderate level of reliability while upgrading is to address these issues once and do it right!

Here is the list of what you need to make a reliable 600+ RWHP LML with a DPF still on it:

• EZ Lynk AutoAgent 2.0 w/ Support Pack & LSP5 Switch
• LML Stealth 64 Turbo
• 10mm Cp4 Exergy Stroker Pump
• DT550 Built Transmission
• S&B Intake
• Tie Rod Sleeves
• Traction Bars
• Fass 165 Lift Pump
• Beans Fuel Tank Sump Kit
• Edge Insight CTS2 Monitor
• EGT Probe

It's what every Duramax lover is talking about right now!

As you’re well aware the L5P Duramax is all diesel enthusiasts are talking about right now.  It’s not unwarranted though as tuning is slowly becoming more an actual thing rather than a hope.  Now that HP Tuners have unlocked the possibilities, Duramaxtuner is wanting to know more.  While getting there hands on the ECM and doing intense R&D.  It would be a good thing to discuss what exactly comes with the L5P. 

If you’ve been following the Duramax world, you know that these trucks change every few years.  The LML ran from 2011-2016 and gave way to this new truck, the L5P.  The new L5P comes stock with higher horsepower numbers than it’s predecessor, but what exactly is different with this Duramax?  Let’s take a look at three major components this truck brings to the table.