Diesel Performance Podcast

Chris has Mike Brown on this episode! Mike has ditched the mega cab in favor of a leaner regular cab, will it push him to the top? Mike left last year's UCC finishing third in his inaugural run at the competition. New Cummins, big win? We are excited to find out. Thanks for joining the show, Mike! 

Chris is joined by Colt Carter to discuss how the hell he went from rookie at the start of UCC 2024 to grabbing a 2nd-place finish. Colt is a gamer, and it's going to be fun to watch what his Cummins will do at the event this year. Another podium finish? One spot higher and grab the win? He's got what it takes. Be sure to check out Colt's shop as well, Black Magic Performance. 

Chris Patterson is back! The green Cummins from Texas that has thrown down 3,000 horsepower multiple times is ready for his final run at the UCC. Chris is a true competitor. He's taken first in the dyno portion of UCC, first in sled pulling, and as high as 2nd in the drag races. Will this be his year to finish atop the pack? He's got a damn good chance. Thanks for chatting with us Chris, we appreciate you. 

Josh McCormack joins Chris Ehmke to kick off our UCC 2025 driver interviews! As the official podcast of the Ultimate Callout Challenge, it's time to get to know the drivers. Josh discusses with Chris what he's looking forward to at this years competition. After taking a year off for family, Josh got the itch to compete again while watching the event last year on the live stream. Will he improve that 2nd place podium finish in 2023? He definitely looks like one of the strong contenders.

First things first, this is Paul Wilson's final episode on the Diesel Performance Podcast. Paul has been hosting this podcast and founded it since it's inception in 2015. Over 2 million downloads and millions of more listens. We can't thank Paul enough for all he's done. Thanks for the 10 years bro, we love you. Our episode today is with Kory Willis of PPEI. Paul and Chris discuss everything Kory knows about what is going on with the EPA and DOJ, how these things have effected his life in diesel tuning, and so much more. Kory is always one of our favorite guests and this episode is an absolute banger. Enjoy!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke get behind the wheel of a 2025 Cummins and let you know how they feel about this 5thish? 6th Gen? Cummins.  New turbo ✓ Grid Heater... Out, Glow plugs In External injectors ✓ Side Draft Intake ✓ New 8-speed transmission✓ So how do the boys feel about it? Take a listen!

No more swapping ECMs, no more plugging in unlock cables. EZ Lynk has the goods where all you do is plug into the OBDII and flash your 2017-2023 L5P Duramax, and the custom tunes will flash without needing to do an unlock or ECM swap! Paul and Chris are joined by Tim Mahoney, the lead tuner at Duramaxtuner, to discuss the future of tuning now and what you can expect!

The little intricacies of what a diesel owner needs and utilizes his truck are something you always have to take into consideration when it comes to building mods and tuning.  How did that come into factor how the custom tuning of a the underpowered L5D come about? What about building the Stealth STR for these very specific 6500 Duramax trucks? Well, Nick gives you the minutia of detail right here!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke take you on a ride with a truck that dwarfs our L5P. The boys get behind the wheel of a 6500HD L5D Duramax that is massive. These trucks leave the factory with a lot of power to be desired and that's where DuramaxTuner stepped in with custom tuning and a Stealth STR Turbo. The results? Well let the boys tell you in detail!

Paul sits down with Jeremy Garnett, technician at Duramax / Calibrated Power, to talk about big blocks, L5Ds, why the LML is the worst to wrench on, and what he tries to show online for others that don't get under the hood of as many trucks as he does. Paul closes out the show with a diesel insights regarding blowing up an engine dyno. Anything you want to hear talked about? Let us know!

The boys are back! First episode up.... 2024 L5P tuning?? Oh yes. Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are joined by Jacob White of Edge Products to discuss just that, 2024 L5P tuning. They have all the new info right here and discuss much more such as how custom tuning is expanding on the Edge CTS 3(+), they discuss the complexities of unlocking the new ECMS and TCMs, and discuss what other makes are on the horizon for Edge's plans(Powerstroke, Cummins guys pay attention). Enjoy this episode and get ready for many more!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are joined by Jake and Spencer of FASS EGR Solutions, which is its own entity of the FASS Fuel family. We are big fans of all their products and in this episode, they detail all the interesting products, developments, and the future of EGR solutions! This episode was recorded in late 2024 and we had some technical difficulties, but we are happy to share this with you now. Enjoy.

The title says it all! Jacob White of Edge Products joins Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke to discuss the newest Edge feature, flashing custom L5P tuning with the Edge device. They discuss the process it took to get here, Duramaxtuner working with Edge to launch the custom L5P tuning, and what the future holds for other RPOs and Makes with Edge!

Paul Wilson is joined by Robert Rowley! You probably have seen at least one of his videos on (TheBuiltCmax.Creations) Instagram or TikTok and we got a chance to chat about all the amazing things he's doing within the diesel world. Robert chats about 10K budget build projects, the spirit of competitions that are made for modified trucks that are streetable, destroying driveshafts on street drives, and the Poor Diesel Challenge. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Robert!

Chris Ehmke is joined by Nick Priegnitz of Calibrated Power, home of Duramaxtuner and Jason Wherli of WCFab to discuss innovation in diesel aftermarket products. The boys discuss how much it's changed, what the future holds, and discuss the Performance Test Lab they created.

Ben Hinz of Southern Diesel Supply joins Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke in the studio this week. Ben has been building his company Southern Diesel Supply for some time now and the boys wanted to have him on to discuss what it's like owning a diesel business out in Florida. They discuss his diesel roots, the hardest aspects of owning a business in the diesel industry, and much more. Thanks for the great interview, Ben!

Kenny Bruner. You know the man, we literally had him as our competitor interview just a bit ago. Well, he showed up to the Ultimate Callout Challenge and took home 1st place. Ken talks the weekend win with Paul and Chris on this episode! Congrats Ken Bruner on winning the UCC 2024, buddy. 

The boys are joined by Kenny Bruner to discuss  his second attempt at the Ultimate Callout Challenge! Kenny brings his 2006 Cummins and hopes to put in a solid performance over the weekend. Kenny does it all; family man, an engineer, and a fabricator. The man does it all. Ken is a great guy and of course we had a blast interviewing him. Talk a listen....

Paul Wilson is joined by rookie UCC 2024 competitor Morey Logue! Finally the boys got ahold of someone that isn't using a Cummins in the Ultimate Callout Challenge 2024. Morey was gracious enough to take time away from wrenching on his Dmax to discuss all he's done to the truck, what he expects accomplish this year at the event, and what working with the Dirty Hooker Diesel boys is like. Yes you read that correctly, Morey is apart of the DHD crew which means you know this interview was a blast. 

Logan Epling joins the guys for this next driver interview featuring UCC 2024 competitors! Logan talks about juggling shop life, the UCC, and his last time competing. His 2006 Cummins hopefully has the electrical gremlins solved and with his experience in drag racing, the dyno, and sled pulling he's expecting a lot more this year. Check it out! 

Chris Patterson called in to talk with Paul and Chris about what he wants to see from his truck at the Ultimate Callout Challenge 2024. From settings records on dynos, competing in multiple events over quite a few years, and putting his Cummins through anything and everything; Chris is back for another go round at the UCC! With his 2007 Cummins, Chris' competition history is one of perseverance and he's looking to get to the top of the standing board from last year's top-five finish. We always enjoy having Chris on and this interview was no different. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are joined by Michael Brown for our first UCC 2024 competitor interview of the season! Mike was such a fun interview. He enters his first UCC competition with his 2007 Cummins Megacab with a slew of mods. The boys and Mike sat down to discuss strategy, what he expects of the competition, and had quite a few laughs as Mike is quite a fun guy to chat with. Can't wait to see how you handle the Ultimate Callout Challenge in your rookie season, Mike!

Paul Wilson is joined by Chris Searle to discuss UCC 2024! Chris discusses all the amazing things you'll get to experience at this year's event. Outside of the competition that has a laundry list worth of amazing competitors, this year you can find a fan dyno, the show and shine is back, epic pull pits, ODSS races, and of course the DPI Expo showcasing the industry's best vendors. It's going to be a great event, be sure to get down to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park May 31- June 2 to experience this!

Chris Ehmke and Paul Wilson are joined by Katie Pajestka on this release. You know the name, you know the 2003 LB7 of hers. Katie calls in to give the boys an update on her LB7 being resurrected and she discusses what life is like wrenching and having fun with the Supra. Katie is always a great interview, we hope you enjoy this one as much as we did!

Chris Ehmke is joined by Nick Priegnitz, CEO of Duramaxtuner, to discuss something they both wanted to partake in. They put the 3.0L Duramax shop truck up against the 6.2L gas truck of one of our employees when it comes to towing. Well, let's just say this one was very interesting..... Have a listen. 

Paul Wilson brings you the most data-intensive episode when it comes to putting a turbo through quite the test. Nick Priegnitz, CEO of Calibrated Power/Duramaxtuner, put together a set of tests including towing, spool-up, and max horsepower smoke output limited and unlimited. Yes it's a ton of information. The turbos? 5.9L 3rd Gen Cummins stock turbo vs. a modified wastegate turbo vs. a Cummins Stealth STR turbo. If you like to hear real-world data, you'll want to listen to this episode!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are back with a hot button topic. We've all been around enough to have seen a ton of misinformation make its rounds when it comes to emissions equipment and tuning around the LML and now the L5P. Paul and Chris discuss in-depth about the what you should look out for, what the future is next, and much more on this episode of Diesel Performance Podcast. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are back to discuss 5th Gen Cummins horsepower recipes. We have been getting a lot of requests via messages and comments to do a horsepower recipe episode on the 5th Gen Cummins and the boys delivered. They tackle upgrades, why your transmission in your 5th Gen needs a little something extra, and much more. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are back with some educational content this week! They bring you a couple of segments on Diesel Insights where Nick Priegnitz of Calibrated Power / Duramaxtuner breaks down the differences between a 2024 L5P stock turbo and compare it to the prior years of L5P 6.6L Duramax trucks. Then they bring you another turbo analysis where Nick discusses the 2023 High Output Powerstroke stock turbo compared to the standard output model. Class is in session!

Paul Wilson is joined by Bruce Mallinson of Pittsburgh Power. Bruce details his beginnings with tinkering with Cummins diesel engines in the late 70s, how he grew a one-man operation into this massive empire known as Pittsburgh Power, and just how effective Max Mileage is and why it's one of the best things on the market for semis!

Chris Ehmke brings you Anthony Bruneni and Tim Mahoney as they give you the final few updates of the DIY 'Till I Die LB7 project truck. They discuss fuel and air modifications, the issues they ran into with the injectors install, some sick WCFab parts, and if the accomplished what they had in mind when it comes to goals with the truck. We want to give a massive shoutout to Tim and Anthony. Anyone that has subjected themselves to a build knows these are never easy. Great work boys!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke get their hands on a 2023 Powerstroke High Output model.... It comes from the factory at 500 HP and 1,200 ft-lbs, so what do the boys think of it? They touch on what they like, what they'd fix, and other things from behind the wheel of the 2023 HO Powerstroke!

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are bring you the first five installments of Tim Mahoney's LB7 project truck they are calling the DIY 'Till I Die! Anthony Bruneni and Tim Mahoney walk you through the project idea, tuning a truck that's 20+ years old, getting it on the dyno, adding a 6th gear, and yanking/building the transmission. Be sure to follow the truck build on Duramaxtuner's YouTube channel.

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are joined by Jason Wehrli on this week's episode! Jason talks to the boys about why Y-Bridges are important and how their new re-design are a big deal. He talks about new product development as well.... Specifically 6.7L Powerstroke products!

Paul Wilson is joined by Randy and Jordan Harkema of Exergy Performance to discuss misinformation on their products from unauthorized sellers. Folks, the diesel industry is susceptible to these things just like any other. They discuss what to look out for and why buying from authorized sellers is worth the $20 extra spent. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke have an interesting story for you all this week. They detail and discuss a NOx sensor issue that was misdiagnosed at multiple locations. They break down what went wrong, how it was corrected, and how much this job costs compared to going with the alternative options. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke are joined by Jaden McKinley to discuss how his weekend went with the BEAST known as the Big Block Cummins at the Paw Paw Sled Pull. It was hot, 15+ pounds of ice were consumed by the cooler, and how'd it far on the track? Well, find out here!

Paul Wilson and Alex Hogue are joined by Robby Garcia to discuss climbing his way up the standings board with his truck. Robby started competing in 2020 at King Of The Streets and has been going to events ever since. He discusses the progression, what it's like to do these events, and just sending it!

Paul Wilson and Alex Hogue want to let listeners in on a pre-launch secret regarding an STR turbo for the 2019-2023 6.7L Cummins, how a turbo gets certified for emissions standards, and they discuss another charger development that is about to be released by Calibrated Power / Duramaxtuner.

With Tim's LB7 project truck/budget build/DIY 'til I Die coming close to completion (be on the lookout), we thought it'd be a great time to reshare when we had an LBZ budget build with our buddy Tyler Franzen. Paul Wilson, Chris Ehmke, and Tyler discuss the truck and everything on this episode. 

Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke talk with Colin King about his 2006 5.9L Cummins. He has made a few mods and in the process has seen issues arise throughout the build. He discusses that journey with his 5.9L on today's episode 

Paul Wilson and Jaden McKinley discuss how sled pull season is going for Jaden with the Calibrated Power 2017 6.7L Powerstroke so far. Dry weather, tracks being beat down, and other factors have had Jaden rethinking his strategies this season; He discusses that on today's episode!

We have a research episode! Paul, Chris, and Alex get into the history of the 2.8L Duramax. They breakdown it's origins, what made it so unique, and ultimately it being done in lieu of the 3 liter. They have all the info on the 2.8L featured on this podcast!

Paul Wilson and Alex Hogue are joined by Jaden McKinley, shop tech at Calibrated Power/Duramaxtuner. They had Jaden on the show to discuss the first sled pull of the season with the 2017 6.7L emissions-equipped Powerstroke, what it's like putting the truck through that much stress, what to look out for, and much more!

Paul and Chris welcome Nick Priegnitz on the show to discuss Gas Vs. Diesel! It's one of our biggest downloaded episodes so we figured it would be a good time to reshare. Have a great one!

Paul Wilson, Chris Ehmke, and Alex Hogue tackle a topic everyone wants information on: fuel economy. Is 30 MPG obtainable or is it a myth? How do you increase fuel economy? Is there a secret to it? They tackle the question on this episode.

Paul Wilson and Alex Hogue are joined by Robert Rowley on today's episode! Robert is an enthusiast through and through. Between juggling tons of projects, his 1967 GMC c1500 with an LB7 chassis, his passion for burnout competitions, and just finding new things to wrench on or fabricate, the man has a passion. This one is interesting and fun, enjoy. Happy 4th of July to you all!

Chris Ehmke and Alex Hogue take you with them for a ride along in a tuned 2022 Cummins. They give you why you may want to finally tune your newer 5th gen, what it takes to have it done, and the benefits of the tuning!

Josh McCormack joins Paul Wilson and Chris Ehmke to discuss the weekend at UCC 2023. Josh Missed out on 1st by a mere 15 points, but threw down one of the best pulls of the weekend and put up a number of 2,879.6 HP on the dyno. He discusses the toll this weekend takes on every competitor, the camaraderie, and how he juggles being a shop owner and Youtuber amongst all the chaos. Always a blast having Josh on, hope all the dads had a great Father's Day!

They'reeeee back.... And they return to the show with the title of Ultimate Callout Challenge 2023 Winners! Tony and Tyler Burkhard join us after taking 1st at this year's UCC event. The boys join us to discuss their big weekend, what happened on the drag strip to Tyler, and being the FIRST Duramax to win the Ultimate Callout Challenge. Two of our favorite guests do not disappoint.... Take a listen

UCC 2023 is a wrap! Huge shout out to Tony & Tyler Burkhard for taking home first place. We are currently trying to catch up after the madness of the UCC weekend, so we are bringing back an episode from 2021. It was after Justin Zeigler's first win and the wild weekend the Burkhards had. Enjoy, new episode next week.