If all the diesels currently available, Duramaxes are among the kings of big-horsepower programming. There are many programmers out there offering 150-plus horsepower at the wheels, with some even nudging the 200hp mark. One of the most extreme horsepower programmers out there is the new PPE Hot+2 Xcelerator that's rated at an incredible 290 extra ponies at the flywheel. Even with drivetrain loss factored in, it should still be good for an extra 200 hp at the rear wheels. To find out how the PPE stacked up to these claims, we took a trip down to Orange County Diesel, where the PPE Hot+2 was installed on Tim Blount's '06 Duramax.
Blount's Duramax had already been outfitted with an AFE Stage 2 intake, a 5-inch turbo-back exhaust, a FASS fuel system, and Dannen Gauges in preparation for the Hot+2 installation. To handle the extra power the truck would be making, an ATS 5-star converter and an ATS copilot were added.
 Pop open the hood and you'll...  Pop open the hood and you'll notice the intake and exhaust, but not much else. This truck lends itself very well to the "C'mon, all I have are an intake and exhaust" sleeper status. |  The PPE Hot+2 programmer we...  The PPE Hot+2 programmer we used is rated at a 290hp increase at the flywheel, which led us to believe 500 rear-wheel horsepower was possible. |  The PPE Hot+2 was plugged...  The PPE Hot+2 was plugged in, and Noe Roman from Orange County Diesel immediately dialed it up to level 6. We were ready to see what the PPE programmer could really do. |
Once the truck was on the dyno, a few pulls in the stock setting were made so we could get a baseline number. With the modifications listed above, the truck put out 310 rear-wheel horsepower at 3,200 rpm and 525 lb-ft of torque at 2,700 rpm, showing that a near-stock Duramax is still fairly healthy in the power department. We were after big power numbers, so we immediately turned up the PPE programmer to level 6-its highest setting. With the programmer cranked, the transmission kept wanting to kick down, so the pull had to be made easing into the throttle to avoid dropping into Third. Even so, the PPE produced an impressive 478 rear-wheel horsepower at 3,200 rpm and 845 lb-ft at 2,900 rpm-that's a 168hp and 320-lb-ft increase over stock. The EGTs were manageable during the quick dyno pull and never went above 1,200 degrees F on level 6.
 Why was Roman on the left...  Why was Roman on the left side? Well, the exhaust was on the right, and the evacuation hose that attaches to the exhaust wouldn't fit on the truck, so if you're on the exhaust side, watch out. |  Like black smoke? This might...  Like black smoke? This might be your programmer. This picture was taken only a few seconds into the dyno run, and the truck was already turning day into night. |  At peak power, the smoke was...  At peak power, the smoke was intense. With an opacity level this high, cars and everything else disappear behind a wall of black smoke. Be on the lookout for cops under full throttle. |
Even at the 478 rear-wheel-horsepower level, Blount's 2WD Duramax was a blast to drive, smoking like a freight train and hazing the tires in Second gear without a problem. Without an engine dyno, it's hard to verify PPE's 290hp flywheel claim. However, 168 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque over stock at the wheels is still impressive in our book.
 We strapped the truck down...  We strapped the truck down to the dyno for a baseline pull, and we were rewarded with 310 rear-wheel horsepower with the truck in stock mode running on the intake, exhaust, and transmission modifications alone. |  Once the dyno rollers stopped...  Once the dyno rollers stopped spinning, we had our results: an impressive 477.7 rear-wheel horsepower. This figure was reached by easing into the throttle at about 2,500 rpm, so there might have been even more left in it if we could have floored it off-idle. | |
The 350hp ProgrammerNeed even more power? PPE now offers a 350hp version of its programmer, which has reportedly made 528 rear-wheel horsepower in testing. At that level, an upgraded transmission will be mandatory because the stock transmission will start to slip internally.