The age of hot rod diesels is in full bloom. Truck owners these days are definitely treating their diesels like prizes, and rightfully so--most of them have thousands of dollars invested in them. Some set out to build 700hp monsters right off the bat, while others build their rigs progressively, with a long-term power goal or quarter-mile time in mind. Mike Walker of Reeds Spring, Missouri, decided to pursue the latter power-adding method--over time he would build a twin-turbo'd, streetable, reliable truck sporting one of the cleanest looks around. And he would do all the work himself.
Ordered with GM's slick, dark green metallic paint option, Mike wanted to make the truck's engine bay look equally unique. A twin-turbo kit from MPI, which utilizes the factory variable geometry unit, offers both an awesome look once you pop the hood, and since Mike is still running the factory injectors and injection pump, makes for a virtually smokeless truck on the street. The factory Garrett VGT combined with the 2.8-inch inducer low-pressure Garrett turbo provides plenty of extra air for the LLY Duramax to breathe in. An upgraded BD Diesel exhaust manifold and a custom 4-inch straight-pipe route exhaust gases out a 5-inch tip.
With just 37,000 miles on...
With just 37,000 miles on the clock, Mike's '06 Chevy 3500 HD has come a long way, and he plans on doing a complete teardown and buildup on the Duramax mill this winter.
For fuel, Mike installed a 150-gph fuel system from AirDog. And knowing that he needed fuel pressure to be maintained while on the throttle, he also installed a race fuel valve from PPE.
The Duramax is calibrated via EFILive, courtesy of former Diesel Power Challenge contender "Idaho" Rob Coddens. And thanks to Rob's fine-tuning, Mike's truck has run an impressive 12.5-second quarter-mile pass at 107 mph.
In the future, he plans to step up fuel delivery by adding another CP3 injection pump from ATS Diesel, which will probably be on his truck by the time you read this. "Slowly but surely, I'll turn it into a racing truck," Mike told us. "My ultimate goal is to get it into the 11s and keep it a reliable daily driver."
Harnessing all the LLY's power and getting it to the ground is a Stage V six-speed Allison transmission from Sun Coast. A triple-disc 1058 torque converter, also from Sun Coast, has proven bulletproof so far and can be locked manually thanks to an ATS Diesel CoPilot lockup controller.
 The low-pressure turbo in...  The low-pressure turbo in the MPI twin setup is a Garrett unit with a 2.8-inch-diameter inducer. The turbo houses a 78mm compressor wheel and an 87mm turbine wheel. |  Being very limited for space...  Being very limited for space in the engine bay, the only way to mount the AFE air filter to the low-pressure turbo was to add some 90-degree plumbing and point it downward. |  An external wastegate from...  An external wastegate from JGS Precision Turbo helps relieve exhaust pressure, and the black anodized finish makes for a clean look under the hood. |