Project Trucks: Page 2

Top End Mods: Valvesprings, Pushrods, and Head Studs

It was time to address the 15-year-old Ford’s suspension and drag our 1999 Ford Lightning into the realm of modern performance trucks.

Last month we transformed the ordinary 350 motor in our 1989 Chevrolet C1500 into something special. Now, it was time to tie up a few loose ends and add a fuel system before firing it up for the first time. Follow along to see how our 383 fared on the engine dyno.

When it comes to making power with a diesel, we judge an engine’s performance potential by its ability to handle boost, cylinder pressure, and rpm.

After collecting an 8.26-second eighth-mile timeslip (high 12s in the quarter), we made it over to Randall’s Performance for some dyno time. Once the rollers stopped turning at 515 hp, it was clear we needed to find another 35 hp to reach our goal. What to do…

When you’re shopping for a twin diesel setup for your engine, chances are it’s not going to be an off-the-shelf kit.

If you missed last month’s issue, this LB7 Duramax engine (out of an ’02 Chevy 2500) spent most of its life towing studio trailers in Hollywood. The LB7 went through the usual wear and tear of being an LB7 engine, which included injectors being redone two times before 200,000 miles.