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The diesel engine as a viable performance option

58K views 543 replies 78 participants last post by  Powerstroked162 
#1 · (Edited)
First I’m primarily a gas racer; I cut my racing teeth as a Competition Eliminatorcrew member, and racer. I get a woodie when I put my foot on the throttle of a 11,000 rpm small block.

I was stranded without a affordable and competitive engine program at the end 2001 season, after a fairly successfully 5 years of campaigning a D/ed with a Splayed valve V6. I stumbled in to the diesel performance world, and found it to be a new found passion.

The diesel engine development curve is where the gas world was 30 years ago. I speculated it would rapidly catch up, and it’s coming along, there are a lot of inovatators in the diesel couminity .
When I first started with diesels, mentioning cylinder head and cam development was laughed at. They stated that boost would overcome it all. 6 years later the shop that I begged to do my head, and build a sheet metal manifold has a 3 month waiting list to get a head and manifold.

So is the diesel engine as a viable power plant for a muscle car, bracket car, or even race car .
I don’t mean the typical smoke belching engine, but well refined engine programs. The diesel engine has made huge gains in this arena with the advent of electronic common rail high pressure with 20,000 to 30,000 psi fuel systems.
With the CR systems you can tune around destructive peak cylinder pressure as the engine goes thru peak torque. The solution to this before, on mechanical fuel systems was to reduce compression ratio, killing low eng cylinder pressure, and this worked on all out engines, but killed bottom throttle response. These lack of bottom end , also effected the AR selection on turbo’s

The advent of cylinder heads that in effect doubled air flow (Cummins stock 144 CFM ) ( Duramax stock 140 CFM ) to both heads flowing close to 250 CFM on streetable heads and 300+ CFM on all out race heads.

Cam design, which I made one of my pet projects, was way behind. The major player would grind BBF RV grinds on the Cummins 54.5 mm core, the events were to big , and with way to much overlap
Problems was the turbo diesel engine cores were on at best 102 to 106 LSA and the overlap was one of the greatest no no’s on a diesel . The diesel engine has little scavenge with 1.2 to 1.5 boost to turbine inlet pressure ratio’s . The tipical street cams would open the intake 10 ATDC and close at 2 or 3 ABDC . I use a cams that is 230 230 on a 116 in at 116 . and do it on 60 mm cores


So to the latest in Chevy Duramax engine for a street engine
First forget the huge injectors, twin pumps and compound turbo’s. A stock short block Duramax with a good cylinder head, and cams program will breath well, and make 600 hp and 1000 ft lbs of torque, and rev to 5000+ rpms and last forever. The great part about doing the heads and cam, on a entry level engine is, that now this good breathing engine will make a good power curve at low boost levels. The great part is no need for an intercooler at this boost level. Just use Water injection on the street.

This engine in a muscle car will run good, smoke free, and get 40+ MPG on # 2 diesel fuel. Go ahead and put a good set of rods in the motor and the hp level is close to 1100 hp with nitrous , which doubles as an intercooler.

Here are some pictures of the NX Mustang and My Dragster and their engine programs based around the Dmax diesel engine.

Oh and I love this forum, the knowledge level is humbling.













 
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#3 ·
No not really, the engine in race trim will turn up to 6000 rpms the real sweet spot is between 4500 and 5500. The engine will make a flat torque curve from all the way down to 2500. Down there the peak cylinder pressure is destructive.
I run a PowergGlide with a GearVendors and a Coan Mega convertor.
 
#4 · (Edited)
here is the new manifold on the NX Mustang


dropping the pin back to a 1.156 .300 wall pin saves 125 grams . This JE piston for the Dmax saves another 200 grams

we drop the rod throw back to hemi , and take the stroke to 4.00 making any inexpensive 427 cid engine.




here is a twin turbo 68 Z28 build

 
#6 · (Edited)
#12 ·

you did the rods in the Mustang are yours , they are hemi big eng , and 1.156 pin .

I would like to have some that are designed for this size, and lighter. I am using Aluminum rods in the dragster .

I also need a short crank for the dragster 3.700 I need to rev it up and if you can't feed it air , no since in making it bigger .

The Mustang is a 4.00 stock crank and 4,125 bore 427 cid , its great on the street .

I have a set of heads that Chris Franks is doing at Frankenstein racing heads.
With a little wielding he is confident that he can get 300+ cfm of air.
 
#9 ·
I'm new to YellowBullet , so I don't want to get on the wrong side by posting too much , so as long as it ok , I’ll keep posting more pictures of some of my builds

Here is the first diesel to race in an NHRA National event , I ran the first 8 second pass anyone had ever done in any diesel , and did it on Sunday just before the final round of the pro’s 8.72 @ 154 .

I eventually got the truck to go 8.29 @ 167 in Vegas

Notice that the exhaust is clean , in a diesel it’s just like a gas motor , lean is mean .



here is the motor on the Dyno 1157 hp with power from 4500 to 5500 over 1000.




here is a header for the Cummins that Pollydyne makes its worth about 30 hp on a 400 hp street truck



here is me wearing out a GT at Hot rod drag week , notice again no smoke , 8.30's @ 129 mph in a 6200 lbs truck and got 23 mpg on the trip


 
#11 ·
this is the side draft manifold that Greg younf at ZZ custom fam makes .
to port the cummins head you have to cut the intake off to even get to the ports .



Tommy at KPE making seats , for the Dmax , and the heads from ZZ .






and since this is YB here is my faverite picture of the intake manifold

 
#13 ·
here is a finished picture of the heads on the NX Mustang




here is a stock piston cut for piston to valve , and coated .

notice the second piston, this is a JE , it has the open bowl design and it allows a lot better burn .







On a lower hp build, not only keep compression in , but will bump it to 18.5 to 1 . this give unreal throttle response on a 650 hp and below motor. it will not work great on big hp builds , but under no circumstances go under 16 to 1


here is the transmission on my Top Dragster
a Coan glide with a GearVendors




 
#453 ·
here as well

here is a finished picture of the heads on the NX Mustang




here is a stock piston cut for piston to valve , and coated .

notice the second piston, this is a JE , it has the open bowl design and it allows a lot better burn .







On a lower hp build, not only keep compression in , but will bump it to 18.5 to 1 . this give unreal throttle response on a 650 hp and below motor. it will not work great on big hp builds , but under no circumstances go under 16 to 1


here is the transmission on my Top Dragster
a Coan glide with a GearVendors




 
#14 ·
As a diesel mechanic I just flat out love them. Granted my race car is a BBF. I did indeed debated going into the diesel seem. You can make monster power out of them. Most people don't think they will go fast cause all they ever see them in is 6000+ lbs trucks. Next year we are going to start building our 7.3 Powerstroke land speed truck. Nice pics by the way.
 
#15 ·
the 7.3 would be great in LSR , it would run in A diesel truck, and that is a soft cass

NHRA has spec a diese engine in SS to run in GT/DT ar 12 bs per factory hp the engine is a 285 hp Duramax . the index is 12.85
 
#17 ·
I enjoy this, the diesel engine is no different than any other race engine. Get more air in it, and rev it up. My recommendation is to use your gut feeling with these engines, and stay as far away from the traditional diesel people.
The new electronic diesel is closer to gas tuning then they are to old world mechanical dinosaurs. It would be just like tuning a nitrous BBC with a locked in distributor. Imagine this try to explain a MSD 7 digital and all of the timing curves to a pro stock guy from the early 70’s. Or for that matter the early 80’s .
The engine in the Mustang is very streetable, and will make 1100 + hp , more if the car could take it.
I have a lot of respect for the people that made power before with these engines, but the world is a changing, and the diesel is going mainstream as a viable alterative
 
#320 ·
more reading .

I enjoy this, the diesel engine is no different than any other race engine. Get more air in it, and rev it up. My recommendation is to use your gut feeling with these engines, and stay as far away from the traditional diesel people.
The new electronic diesel is closer to gas tuning then they are to old world mechanical dinosaurs. It would be just like tuning a nitrous BBC with a locked in distributor. Imagine this try to explain a MSD 7 digital and all of the timing curves to a pro stock guy from the early 70’s. Or for that matter the early 80’s .
The engine in the Mustang is very streetable, and will make 1100 + hp , more if the car could take it.
I have a lot of respect for the people that made power before with these engines, but the world is a changing, and the diesel is going mainstream as a viable alterative
 
#19 · (Edited)
I have a lot of respect for the people that made power before with these engines, but the world is a changing, and the diesel is going main stream as a viable alterative
I’m not implying they are dumb, or I’m that smart, I just got lucky and started my racing with a competition eliminator team. I eat a lot of shit , and had to fetch a lot of hamburgers and clean a lot of parts , but I learned what it takes to think outside the box




this is the last SB I had built 292 cid C/ED motor , made 748 , and it;s not even a player now



here is a race I went to 5 years ago, the waste gate stuck open, so it was hard and smokie coming up , but its clean and 6000+ rpms after it gets off the line




here is a dry sump pan I had Greg at ZZ build me ,

 
#319 ·
look at his words


I have a lot of respect for the people that made power before with these engines, but the world is a changing, and the diesel is going main stream as a viable alterative
I’m not implying they are dumb, or I’m that smart, I just got lucky and started my racing with a competition eliminator team. I eat a lot of shit , and had to fetch a lot of hamburgers and clean a lot of parts , but I learned what it takes to think outside the box




this is the last SB I had built 292 cid C/ED motor , made 748 , and it;s not even a player now



here is a race I went to 5 years ago, the waste gate stuck open, so it was hard and smokie coming up , but its clean and 6000+ rpms after it gets off the line




here is a dry sump pan I had Greg at ZZ build me ,

 
#22 · (Edited)
I could have gone a low low 8 then if I had not know that I was going to leave, to help GBE . I left that night , and they that got a registered letter on Monday. I closed that chapter on that pass. I spent 3 years building that truck for a Bickel truck, that Darrel Alderman once drove ,

Here was where I went, a place full of really great people , I left to do my own dragster , but still conceder Gale one of my good friends , and he and his team of people are some of the most knowledgeable people in the diesel world


 
#494 ·
dose this look like a street truck


I could have gone a low low 8 then if I had not know that I was going to leave, to help GBE . I left that night , and they that got a registered letter on Monday. I closed that chapter on that pass. I spent 3 years building that truck for a Bickel truck, that Darrel Alderman once drove ,

Here was where I went, a place full of really great people , I left to do my own dragster , but still conceder Gale one of my good friends , and he and his team of people are some of the most knowledgeable people in the diesel world


 
#24 ·
Very impressive write up, pictures to back it and experience to speak from. Thank you for dropping bye. Yes I do think the diesel is a viable power plant in a drag race application. I do enjoy seeing them run and hope to see more from the sources of parts and aftermarket tweaking.
 
#321 ·
the response was good from the YB

Very impressive write up, pictures to back it and experience to speak from. Thank you for dropping bye. Yes I do think the diesel is a viable power plant in a drag race application. I do enjoy seeing them run and hope to see more from the sources of parts and aftermarket tweaking.
 
#26 ·
The Dmax engine is basically a Chevy, bellhousing and weight as well. One of our new projects is a 69 GTO judge with a supercharger off of a Ford GT , this is not a high hp build , but a cruiser . We expect 600 + hp and an exhaust note that will be unreal, without turbo’s and complete to the bumper duals.

There is many places this engine will go, with the stand-alone computer based off the stock computer it’s easy to tune as well. I am putting one in a old Jet Boat, with a tight pump, this could bring the jet boat back as the ultra tight pumps are so much more efficient.

I will be posting more pictures when I get time; I’m getting ready for the Texas Mile this weekend in a 400 hp VW TDI Beetle that I build for my niece to drive. Went 132 last year, and she drove it until it quit wiggling, not a piston left. But the record for 2 liter diesel ant Bonneville is only 129, so I was happy .


 
#323 ·
And now the coordinated attack, I received a pm from a individual that I will leave nameless, He stated that this attack was premeditated and planed in the moderator forum on the Competitiondiesel.com




A moderator on that forum , who has a long history attacking Greg , he claims to be a crew member of Todd Moyers , yet he was not at the ADRL finals a few hundred miles from home.
Hi Greg...welcome to yellowbullet.
I've heard a few things over the years....maybe you'd like to address them?
You've never owned any of your own diesel projects?
You were fired from Banks, not left on your own?
Your dragster has never made a pass?
Things like that....I'm just curious.


BTW....you don't have to call people we both know asking about me because you're scared.
You should be scared. lol

Go ahead....tell everyone how I'm jealous of you and I don't know anything nor have I ever done anything.
You can probably copy and paste it from CompD....jut like your infomercial of a thread so far.
Did you run out of people in the diesel world to milk for free parts and feel the need to start here? lol

See ya soon, buddy.


I was wondering when CompD was going to find this thread when I started reading.




We were notified immediately. lol

Hey stupid....you spelled your own username incorrectly.
You always capitalize everything. lol


And the shit stain of the diesel industry slides on to YB.
 
#28 ·
Hi Greg...welcome to yellowbullet.
I've heard a few things over the years....maybe you'd like to address them?
You've never owned any of your own diesel projects?
You were fired from Banks, not left on your own?
Your dragster has never made a pass?
Things like that....I'm just curious.


BTW....you don't have to call people we both know asking about me because you're scared.
You should be scared. lol

Go ahead....tell everyone how I'm jealous of you and I don't know anything nor have I ever done anything.
You can probably copy and paste it from CompD....jut like your infomercial of a thread so far.
Did you run out of people in the diesel world to milk for free parts and feel the need to start here? lol

See ya soon, buddy.
 
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