Dmitri Millard's truck got its name from a friend who tried to make fun of it. The joker had the nerve to call it a Duramini. Big mistake. After the score was settled at the local dragstrip, the name just stuck. The competitive spirit continues in this buildup as Dmitri constantly strives to make his '01 Silverado faster and better looking. The last time we talked to this Duramax guru, he was getting ready for a battle on the television show Pinks. We had this conversation right after he got done replacing the turbo on his truck at a hotel parking lot in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Luckily for the other guy, the show never happened. When Dmitri told us he was driving his truck down to Southern California, we knew we had to take a look at it.
 Dmitri Millard told us he...  Dmitri Millard told us he chooses to work with the older 6.6L Duramax LB7 engines because in his opinion they have more durable injectors than the newer LLY, LBZ, or LMM offerings. Another benefit he mentioned was that the LB7's two-piece valve cover uses a reusable gasket (lower) and some silicone (upper) to reinstall it. Randy's Engine and Machine, located in Richfield, Utah, did the machining work, including balancing the rotating assembly and cutting the pistons (the engine now runs 15.8:1 compression). Randy's also put two keys in the crank and one in the cam for durability. The stock connecting rods are a weak link in performance-orientated Duramax engines, so Dmitri used Howard's Ultimate X Duramax rods fitted to thermally coated pistons. The heads sport Comp Cams high-load beehive valve springs and retainers. The turbo is a custom BorgWarner S480 setup by Gillett Diesel Service, and the engine is fueled with twin ATS CP3 injection pumps. |  Rick Lance built the exhaust...  Rick Lance built the exhaust up-pipes and a set of headers out of Schedule 60 mild steel pipe. Due to a hot spot which developed, the next set of headers will be built from Schedule 110 pipe. The copper coil spiraling from the header is designed to dissipate heat before it can reach the drive pressure gauge. Dmitri told us it's a good idea to run at least 18 to 24 inches of copper before switching over to 1/4-inch air brake hose. The fuel filter in this picture is an ACDelco. |  Here is the Turbonetics Newgen...  Here is the Turbonetics Newgen wastegate rated up to 1,000 hp. Its job is to release exhaust drive pressure and make sure the turbo does not overboost or overspeed. The copper line going to it is the same one coming from the header. At the tee you can see where the air brake hose was spliced in and then routed to the drive pressure gauge. Air brake hose is cheaper and easier to run compared to copper. The smaller clear tube also connected to the wastegate is a regulated boost line, which controls when the 2-inch Inconel valve swings open. |
 The two Boss Noss Smart Boxes...  The two Boss Noss Smart Boxes are the brains of the Duramini's nitrous setup. Boss Noss specializes in performance snowmobiles and quads but is looking to expand into the diesel segment as well. These boxes electronically regulate the flow of nitrous coming out of the bottle at an extremely high 1,200 psi to a more manageable and constant 300 psi. They help Dmitri spool at the line and deliver supreme consistency. The nitrous is sent to eight injectors that were tapped directly into the intake manifold. These same injectors also receive water and methanol. The nitrous triggers the release of the water and methanol, and all three are delivered in one shot. Dmitri calls his combination of injectables Nitronol. |  This solenoid is from Nitrous...  This solenoid is from Nitrous Express and has a 0.125-inch orifice (PN 15300L). There is another big solenoid under the hood that's used when Dmitri is going for broke on the dragstrip. |  Dmitri added a fuel cooler...  Dmitri added a fuel cooler to the return line of his Duramax. The factory has a small one, but many feel it's not big enough, especially when it comes to performance applications with the LB7. |