It's hard to imagine, but there was a time when 1,000-1,500hp diesel sled pullers didn't exist, and it wasn't long ago. In the summer of 2001, Billy Zimmer, a die-hard Ford fan, began pulling this F-250 in area events near his hometown of Jacksonville, Illinois.
But, as he found out alongside everyone else, it's not easy being a Ford loyalist in the sled pulling world. The Power Stroke's HEUI fuel system just doesn't provide enough fuel for high horsepower, which oftentimes pushes Blue Oval fans toward Cummins-powered Dodges. After pulling with the factory HEUI system for several years, it was either throw in the towel or go all out. Obviously, he chose the latter. In January of '06 Billy completely gutted his truck and began building the standard-cab monster you see here.
Going against the grain and building something different has fueled Billy's drive to create a unique 3.0-inch inducer truck, and also allows him to remain true to his Ford roots.
In order to be competitive in 3.0-inch inducer pulling classes, Billy decided to replace the hydraulic oil-injected version of his 7.3L, and do so as affordably as possible. With that in mind, he knew a lot of custom fabricating and late-night wrenching sessions lay ahead of him.
A Bosch inline P-pump from a DV800 International V-8 is responsible for fueling the beast and sits in the engine valley. Wipe Out Enterprises of Sidney, Ohio, helped Billy make the mechanical setup work, as the engine had to be modified with a new front cover, lines, and injection system. From there, the stock heads were ported and polished and a set of fire rings were added for the high boost pressures the truck would see. ARP head studs hold down the fort and keep the heads mated to the block. The block uses a girdle that ties the main caps together and has been sealed with Hard Blok water jacket filler to reduce flexing. The stock crank spins a custom-ground cam, a set of Crower connecting rods, and Arias pistons.
Area Diesel Performance of Carlinville, Illinois, built the P-pump and injectors. The injectors were robbed from an 8.3L Cummins and were modified with 9mm tips. | 
Billy assembled the radical 1,000-plus hp P-pumped Power Stroke himself, but he got a helping hand from Wipe Out Enterprises, Extreme Diesel Performance of Gillespie, Illinois, and Precision Engines of Edwardsville, Illinois, which did the machining work. | 
The trick intake manifold is the result of Billy's stellar craftsmanship. He stated he "just started cutting and welding" scrap metal in his garage and ended up with the fabbed piece you see here. |