When modifying any diesel vehicle, there's always the question of "what's next?" In Colton Ahlberg's case, he had already modified his truck with larger injectors, a bigger turbo, modified injection pump, and a ported and O-ringed cylinder head. Since Colton was set on turning his driver into a competitive sled puller, he wanted all the power he could get, so he turned his attention to the camshaft.
An aftermarket cam, when installed in a modified engine, has many advantages. The camshaft is the "brain" of the engine, telling it where its power peak should occur. With a ported head and larger turbocharger, an aftermarket cam with more lift and duration will keep the valves open for a longer period of time. This allows the engine to become more efficient at higher speeds, effectively increasing the engine's usable powerband.
In addition to moving the powerband further up in the rpm range, a larger cam can lead to lower exhaust gas temperatures, better fuel economy, and can even help larger turbochargers spool up quicker. A turbo that starts making boost sooner will also increase the engine's peak torque.
Again, an aftermarket cam isn't for everyone, but in the case of heavily modified diesels, it can be a big advantage over your competition. We followed along on Ahlberg's camshaft swap to give you an idea of what it takes to install a new cam in a 5.9L Cummins. DP
 We'll save you the pain and...  We'll save you the pain and suffering of watching us remove the grille, bumper, radiator, intercooler, hoses, intake, valve covers, and cowl. Basically, for a cam swap, the whole front of the truck has to be disassembled to gain access to the camshaft (arrow). |  Wooden dowels that are part...  Wooden dowels that are part of a Cummins camshaft installation kit are used to hold the lifters in place when the stock camshaft is removed and also when the new camshaft is being installed. |  To install a new set of lifters,...  To install a new set of lifters, the Cummins camshaft kit comes with a small rubber stopper that is hooked on a string. This is dropped down the lifter bore and used to pull the new lifters back into place. |
 The small stopper snaps into...  The small stopper snaps into the Cummins lifter, then the lifter is set into this specially designed tray. The lifter is then pulled through the tray and up into the bore. The camshaft tray is momentarily turned upside down to keep the lifter from falling back down until it can be secured with a wooden dowel. |  After the cam gear is pressed...  After the cam gear is pressed on, the camshaft is coated with assembly lube and installed in the engine. |  The camshaft that is being...  The camshaft that is being installed is a re-ground piece from Scheid Diesel that features increased lift and duration. This will improve power up high in the rpm range, while keeping low-end torque strong. |