Diesel Performance Podcast

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke discuss Chris' jaunt down to the Thoroughbred facility for the event last weekend! Chris discusses how the dyno day went, the vendor side of things, and how Thoroughbred is one of the top diesel aftermarket distributors around!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are joined by Jeff Kelderman of Kelderman Manufacturing to talk about their industry-leading lift kits. Jeff breaks down what goes into developing these lifts as tracks add more electronics, where they all started, and a lot more!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke have longtime guest Tony Burkhard on to talk about ODSS and UCC coming up very shortly. Tony does it all. Shop owner, family man, competitions, EMT/Firefighter, and just a guy who wants to help his fellow enthusiasts. He sits down to talk about how his team are getting the feel for a different truck, what the UCC and ODSS in Indianapolis will shape up to be like, and more!

Randy Bolig, Editor-In-Chief of Diesel Army, sits down with Paul and Chris to discuss how Diesel Army is tackling hot topics in the world of diesel. Diesel Army covers all topics, but they are leaning heavily on DIY and the utilitarian side of the diesel world. Randy breaks down Diesel Army on this episode!

Josh Thornton of FASS Fuel Systems joins Chris Ehmke and Paul Wilson to discuss lift pumps. Josh has been a significant part of FASS for a while working in the research and development side and if you want to understand how these systems work truly, Josh is the guy. Josh sat down to discuss the evolution of newer products with newer truck models, how FASS continues to pump out what we believe are the industry-leading lift pumps, and many more topics are discussed! 

Guy Tripp joins Paul Wilson and Chris Emhke on today's episode. Guy has been pushing the boundaries of what a Duramax engine can do since he bought himself a 2003 LB7. He started out on the gas side of performance modifications and eventually would start what we know today as SoCal Diesel. Guy talks about the progression of Duramax engine builds, how competition continues to get pushed, and how much further these engines can go.

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke stopped by to visit Jason Wehrli and talk about everything going on for the Wehrli crew! Jason took time out of his busy schedule to discuss new projects, what 10 years mean to a successful business, and what he's bringing to diesel and the side-by-side industry!

We took a field trip to Auto Meter to discuss the operation they've got when it comes to making some of the nation's best performance gauges! Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke sat down with Marc Erikson and Mike Lovro to discuss why their gauges are some of the best, how the company has continued to evolve since its inception in 1957, and what the future holds for the company. Not only that but they discuss the other amazing facets of the company like its battery testers and more!  We'd like to thank Mike and Marc for taking time out of their busy schedule to sit down and talk with us. In addition, we'd like to thank Dean Panettieri (COO of Auto Meter) for his in-depth and knowledgeable tour of the facility. And we'd like to thank Sara White for helping to make this all possible. Thank you!    

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke address a topic we constantly get questions on, the 6-speed LB7. The boys want to sift through everything true and everything that is inaccurate when it comes to the 6-speed enabled LB7 diesel truck. 

Kory Willis of PPEI joins Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke! The boys have wanted to get Kory on for years and have finally delivered. Kory sits down to talk about the future of the diesel industry, the future of PPEI, and how the tuning industry is constantly changing. An hour-long episode packed with great talk that any diesel enthusiast would want to hear. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke have Chris Searle back on because the UCC 2023 is literally right around the corner! Chris discusses what folks attending the event can expect, what this competition holds, and the world's largest show and shine!

Andrew Bailey of HP Tuners joins Chris Ehmke and Tim Mahoney! We are glad to talk with Andrew again about the process at which the performance world is stoked about, getting access to allow 10-Speed Allison transmission tuning. A huge deal with the driveability for 2020+ Duramax trucks and they discuss the process that goes into R & D, what this means from here on out, and much more!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are discussing buying a used diesel truck and what you need to know before spending your money. They talk about things you should look out for, how to get the most out of your used purchase, and a ton more on this week's podcast!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are joined by the reigning back-to-back champion of UCC, Justin Zeigler. He checks in to let the boys know if he's going for a three-peat, what his plans are with ODSS, and how he wants to get back into sled pulling. 

Well, well, well. It's happened. HP Tuners has given tuners the ability to unlock the L5P ECM remotely. This is a massive deal within the industry. Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke break down what this means for diesel enthusiasts and the industry on this episode. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke discuss lift pumps in this week's episode! They break down top questions people ask when it comes to lift pumps. From beginner questions to veteran diesel truck tips the boys have you covered on this episode. 

What Do We Think Of The 3.0L Duramax? Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke got to take out the newly acquired 2019 3.0L Duramax to let you know what they think about the truck stock, what improvements tuning will be able to make down the road, and much more!

Chris Ehmke and Tim Mahoney have some interesting new developments with Cummins, turbos, and a few more things. They break down what you can expect to see coming here VERY SOON.

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are talking horsepower recipes for 5.9L Cummins on this episode. They discuss three different stages for horsepower goals that we see the typical Cummins owner looking for in their years of expertise. From a great daily driver to an all-out beast, let's get it!

With the diesel industry changing constantly, you may have noticed statements with aftermarket diesel products saying "49-State Tuning" or "50-State Tuning."  What does it mean? Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke break it down for you on this episode. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke want to discuss an ongoing topic that has been put on blast in a Facebook group. They discuss integrity within the community of diesel. Why? There's a name out there lacking in it and it's something that needs to be addressed. They boys do so in this episode! 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are joined by Calibrated Power/DuramaxTuner's head of R&D, Tim Mahoney, to discuss his upcoming project. Tim gives you his upcoming project which is building an LB7. He wants 674 horsepower, sub 13-sec quarter mile, and a reliable truck to haul side by sides, snowmobiles, and more toys across the Midwest into Colorado! 

As you all are diesel enthusiasts like us, you know we lost a real one this year. Turba Tom embodied everything that makes this community what it is. Passion, a drive to learn, the want to pass that along to newcomers, and most importantly, a great person to be around. This episode was recorded in June of this year and is dedicated to a man that will be missed, but never forgotten. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke round out a BIG year for the Diesel Performance Podcast and discuss all the episodes you loved. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for our listeners, and we thank you all! The industry continues to change, records continue to be broken or pushed, and the passion for diesel continues to grow. Merry Christmas from the crew at Diesel Performance Podcast!

We are picking back up after the Thanksgiving Holiday and Black Friday deals! The boys move on from the 5.9L Cummins they discussed a few weeks ago to the 6.7L and Cummins engineering progressions. The newer models made massive advancements, mechanically and cosmetically. The boys highlight the changes in this episode. 

Chris Ehmke is joined by Nick Priegnitz, CEO of Calibrated Power Solutions / Duramaxtuner, to break down towing heavy! They take you behind the wheel of a 4th Gen Cummins to talk about drive pressure to boost, aftermarket turbochargers, and more!

Paul Wilson breaks down everything you Cummins guys want to know about the new 50 state tuning available starting Monday! 

We are bringing back another highly received podcast episode, How common rail injection works. Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke break down how this system works, class is in session!

The crew have been busy over here so we are going with one of our most downloaded episodes today! Top 5 tuning myths. Paul and Chris touch on the 5 most common misnomers revolving around tuning.

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are covering the early Cummins models on this week's episode! They discuss the early 5.9L, the switch from 12 valve to 24 valve, P-Pump and more!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are back and this time they are behind the wheel of a HUGE 5500 L5D that was just tuned and had a Stealth 64 Turbo installed by DuramaxTuner. Let's just say, this thing can handle a lot! The boys give you an update on how she rides.

Chris Ehmke and Paul Wilson are joined by RJ Snider on this week's episode! RJ is a long-time listener and diesel enthusiast like us doing big things in his community with diesel. He discusses the dirt drag event The Cornfield Callouts and some 12 valve talk.  Are you in or near Ohio? Be sure to get out to this awesome event. Details of the event: The Cornfield Callouts November 5th 13603 Sand Rock Road Glenford, Ohio

Chris Ehmke and Anthony Bruneni discuss the Duramax era after the LBZ. They talk LMM, LML, and L5P! Changes made each RPO code, what they think the future holds for these 6.6L trucks, and what they may think happens with the Allison Transmission!

Paul and Chris go back and talk about how each Duramax RPO when released was revolutionary. While each RPO did have their weak points, the guys discuss which models are overrated and underrated. The results may shock you!

Nick Priegnitz of DuramaxTuner/Calibrated Power joins Paul and Chris to discuss the progression of tuning gas vehicles back in the mid-2000s, to calibrations for older diesel trucks, to where we are now with the L5P, 6.7L Powerstroke, and Cummins platforms. 

Paul is joined by local legend Matt Hart! You may have heard his voice on the PA at the local sled pulls or hell, if you're one that frequents auctions, you have heard this man doing his auctioneer work. Matt talks about diesel passion and more!

We wanted to share this older episode because of the amount of info and it's our most downloaded episode. Paul and Chris discuss the history of the Duramax engine. This is a great, informative episode on how much Duramax has evolved over the years!

Jason from Wehrli Custom Fab is on to talk this Saturday's open house for his new shop! Jason discusses how he went from fabricating in his parents garage to this new massive facility and everything in between. He also chats future production and much more. Come out to DeKalb this Saturday Semptember 17th and see a bunch of amazing stuff and maybe win in a few of the auctions!

Mike Hanzuk is back to discuss what the end result of his sentencing was for deleting diesel emissions equipment. Mike highlights how real this is with felony charges, possible jail time, and more. We thank Mike for sharing his story as this is some seriously personal things.

Chris is joined by Nick Priegnitz of Calibrated Power home of Duramaxtuner to give you a sneak peek ride along with the new EcoBoost Stealth Turbo prototype! He breaks down why they put this into development, what's the benefit, and what to expect. We know, it's not diesel, but we are all gear heads here.

You newer Powerstroke owners are going to want to listen in on this episode. Finally, there is a way to bypass ECM swaps to tune your 2020-2021 Powerstroke 6.7l diesel. The boys break it all down here!

Paul and Nick give you an update on the big Cummins that was supposed to be a UCC truck ions ago. This thing has gone through a ton and Nick breaks down all the upgrades, mods, and mishaps along the way!

Mike Hanzuk is back on the show to discuss what happens after the EPA raids your shop for deleting diesel trucks. This stuff is rough for us enthusiasts and that is what Mike is at his core. Mike thanks for sharing your story and we look forward to having him back!

The title says it all. You're doing manual regens wrong! The guys tell you how to know if you need to put your truck in a manual regen, why it's important, and how to actually perform a manual regen.

Going back and re-sharing this episode on tuning and smoke! Paul and Chris discuss how much smoke is the enemy when it comes to tuning. A smokey diesel is an unhappy diesel. Tuning is a science and if done improperly, it can make for a truck that has issues.

Our How-To Series rolls on. The boys tackle crank no-start this week. It's something many of us diesel owners have experienced, but how do you diagnose this? Paul and Chris have got that question covered this week!

Paul and Jaden show you how to do a boost test on this Roxor. This kit from Calibrated Power works the same way on diesel trucks as well. Boost testing is something every diesel owner should do to ensure their truck is performing optimally.

Chris and Super Tech Jeremy run down how to remove a valve body from this LBZ Allison Transmission. They give you tips and pointers on what you need to do when/if it's time to replace yours. Be on the lookout for our How To series over these next few weeks!

Paul and Chris take out the L5P beast that is known as "Can't Stop." 40-inch tires, massive lift, freshly installed Stealth 64 for the L5P Duramax. The boys are shocked at how this monstrosity drives.... take a look!

The boys take you for a ride with the 2017 PowerStroke and the BRAND NEW 2015-2019 Stealth 67G2 for 2015-2019 PowerStrokes. They touch on the process at which it was designed and built, what you can expect from this turbocharger, and how much they enjoy getting behind the wheel of this 6.7L even more so.

The DIY GOAT himself, Turba Tom, is here to discuss his weekend with ONE truck in the Ultimate Callout Challenge! Tom put it down and had one hell of a weekend. He also talks to the boys about how he learned what he did and how he documents it to help more diesel enthusiasts get their hands dirty and into building a bad ass truck.