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Diesel Hootenanny

Dyno Numbers, Tire-Shredding, And A Massive Show ‘N Shine In East Missouri

By Mike McGlothlin

A lot of diesel shops hold open house events when cutting the ribbon on a new building. Not only is this used as a means of giving current and future customers a glimpse at an all-new facility, but it can serve as a great way to showcase your specific areas of expertise, sell parts, and especially unload company paraphernalia such as T-shirts and hats. LinCo Diesel Performance did all of the above when it opened the doors at its new location back in September—only they took it a step further. Billed as the east Missouri company’s Grand Opening Hootenanny, it was more of a party than anything else, and attendees stuck around into the wee hours of the night to soak up all the goings-on.

With countless dyno pulls, smoky burnouts, and dozens of first-rate builds on display in an expansive show ‘n shine, LDP’s move into its brand-new Troy, Missouri facility kicked off with a bang. Between trucks turning the rollers and shredding rubber, show-goers were given tours of both the drive-in service shop and machine shop, treated to giveaways, played cornhole, consumed BBQ (and a few thousand cold ones), and did so with a local DJ providing a backdrop that consisted of the kind of country music many of us were raised on. All we can tell you about the gathering was that hundreds showed up—and hundreds more will be there next year. If you’re in the area next September, you should come, too.

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S&S Diesel Motorsport’s Justin Norris drove his sleeper third-gen over from central Indiana to try his luck on Maverick Diesel’s respected Mustang dyno. A stock bottom-end 5.9L that’s been treated to S&S fueling (including 200-percent over injectors with body mods) and a wicked 71mm charger from Precision Turbo & Engine, the truck belted out 935 hp and 1,704 lb-ft of torque on the rollers.
Well before the large crowd showed up at LinCo Diesel Performance, Jake Unkrich’s ’12 crew cab short bed Ram was the first truck to be strapped to the rollers the morning of the Hootenanny. A Midwest Truck Products’ S475, 250-percent over Exergy injectors, dual CP3’s, and a 48RE swap said the truck had the right parts to make big power, but—as is typical of the finicky ECM’s on ’10-’12 Rams—it was in need of a bit of fine-tuning to make the setup play well together.
The day before the Hootenanny kicked off, Maverick Diesel’s Paul Cato not only brought his mobile Mustang chassis dyno to the event but also hauled his tuning equipment and live-tuned a handful of trucks. In Jake Unkrich’s case, or rather his fourth-gen’s case, Cato was able to find the limit of the stock CP3’s in the truck’s old-school, dual pump setup, but also deliver Unkrich a street-friendly, highly-drivable 897 hp ride when all was said and done.
Nothing says you’re ready to party like three large frame turbos and a 15-pound bottle of nitrous sitting around. We’re not sure what vehicle(s) these oxygen enhancers were bound for, but we do know at least one dyno entrant swapped turbos in search of better numbers.
Another truck that benefitted from Paul Cato’s tuning prowess on the eve of the Hootenanny was this immaculate ’03 Dodge owned by Sam Gingerich. After clearing 1,020 hp and more than 1,700 lb-ft the day before, different (and likely hotter) conditions the day of the event yielded 994 hp and 1,650 lb-ft. Then it was time to break out the spray. After a good ghetto fogging, Sam walked away with a dyno sheet that read 1,228 hp, 1,953 lb-ft, and also earned top honors on the dyno.
It’s a familiar sight to find a big single, a Steed Speed, and loads of fuel under the hood of a common-rail Dodge Ram these days. Huge power and sound drivability has made this combination so popular that it’s becoming a rarity to find compounds on a newer Cummins, especially on trucks running around in the Midwest.
On top of finding out how much horsepower they were making, dyno-goers were afforded a buy-in that went toward the payout for highest combined horsepower and torque numbers for Ford, GM, and Ram owners. This second-gen didn’t get into the payout money, but the old 12-valve did put up a very respectable 696 hp.
This rowdy red common-rail hit the rollers more than once in an attempt to grab dyno king honors. Dual CP3’s and a big S400 (as part of a second-gen style turbo swap) were part of the potent combination that allowed the truck to make 990 hp and 1,630 lb-ft on fuel.
The truck pull culture runs deep in Missouri, and as such several sled pullers showed up to earn a dyno sheet. Storm Campbell’s LMM Duramax competes in the local Street Stock class, which limits him to running a 63.5mm turbocharger. Despite the airflow restriction, his Silverado made 729 hp and more than 1,400 lb-ft while strapped to the rollers.
Sled pulling shenanigans? Anywhere else, we’d be surprised—but not here. After Paul Cato performed a few file tweaks in Cory Bokermann’s ECM, it was time to hook his dedicated Pro Street puller to the sled, ‘er skid steer, out back for a test hook.
Justin Norris’ ’06 Dodge Ram 2500 is an all-original survivor, and by that we mean the 5.9L Cummins is stock as a rock and zero body work has been performed. The common-rail has 196,000 miles on the clock and Justin threaded the ARP head studs in one at a time. After laying down the aforementioned 935 hp on the dyno, Justin loaded up and made the 4.5-hour drive home without issue.
There was a large turnout for the show ‘n shine competition, with plenty of late-model daily drivers, clean second-gens, and unique swap projects in the mix. Each entry was judged for best-in-show honors. First, Second, and Third Place awards (and prizes) were eventually handed out to the owner of a GMC, a Ford, and a Ram.
Sun Coast had an array of 68RFE parts on hand, which consumed half of its booth. Among the upgrades they offer for the Chrysler six-speed is a billet valve body plate to keep the valve body from flexing, a billet Low/Reverse sprag to replace the failure-prone factory unit, an upgraded thrust washer, and a billet V2 drum that provides 24-percent more clamping force than stock. Sun Coast also manufactures a flex plate that fits both the 68RFE and the Aisin AS69RSC.
A great example of a clean street truck that packs a lot more than a built transmission and a 500hp tune was found in this GMC. At crunch time, it made 764 hp along with 1,251 lb-ft. Under the hood, we found an S400/VGT compound arrangement from Screamin’ Diesel Performance, as well as dual CP3’s.
Though there was a strong turnout for Duramax-powered Chevy’s and GMC’s, Dodge trucks dominated the entry list in the dyno competition—especially those with common-rail power plants between the frame rails. This candidate knocked on the door of 700-rwhp with a 688 hp, 1,201 lb-ft pull, and then produced 694 hp on its next run.
In the days leading up to the grand opening, the guys at LDP made sure to pour a fresh slab of concrete for attendees to lay rubber on. At crunch time, FASS’s Spencer Ekstam and his ’17 6.7L Cummins put on a heck of a show in the burnout contest, lighting up the tires and rotating the truck’s massive 26×16’s at will.
Back at the show ‘n shine, we found out why Spencer’s fourth-gen was capable of laying down so much rubber. How does a 6.7L Cummins packing 150-percent over injectors, a 12mm CP3 from Dynomite Diesel Products, a T4 S480, and a built 68RFE sound? And as if the truck’s stunning looks weren’t enough to attract a crowd, the pipe protruding out the passenger side fender tends to  pique one’s curiosity as well. It’s what Spencer’s 45mm TiAl external wastegate feeds excess drive pressure out of…
Even in the age of 800, 900 and 1,000hp common-rails, a 12-valve Cummins approaching 500 hp at the wheels is still a notable achievement. Kade Marriott’s clean standard cab second-gen turned out 470 hp and 990 lb-ft of torque on the dyno. The truck’s top notch body work, performed by central Missouri’s 5 Star Truck & Fab, also helped Kade take home a Third Place trophy in the show ‘n shine.
Blake and Adam Twiehaus are a pair of twins born two minutes apart, and we’re thankful both of them love playing with trucks. The brothers put together one of the more unique swaps we’ve yet seen, converting a ’98 half-ton Chevy into a Duramax-powered daily driver and tow-rig. Robbing parts from a wrecked ’06 2500 HD, the GMT400 platform was graced with a ¾-ton front-end, the aforementioned Duramax, and an Allison 1000. The best part is that everything works, including the ABS system and even the TapShifter.
Under the hood, you can see how clean the LBZ swap is. Taking their time, Blake and Adam completed the K-series Duramax conversion in just under a year, but the results speak volumes about their attention to detail and no-corners-cut attitude. The LBZ benefits from a single 80hp tow tune with the CP3 receiving ample fuel supply pressure courtesy of a 165-gph FASS system.
When Dalton Bruns spotted this ’95 F-350, a 7.3L-powered OBS Ford with a ZF-5 manual, he knew he had to have it. Running as well as it looked, the old Power Stroke held its own on the dyno thanks to a set of 238/80 hybrid injectors, electric fuel, a Hydra chip, a drop-in turbo upgrade, and a South Bend clutch. When the rollers stopped turning, Dalton’s non-intercooled Ford put up 429 hp and 751 lb-ft of torque.
Phil Prinster’s perfectly-executed body swap was on display in the morning hours for all to see. His 1950 body Chevrolet 4100 sits atop an ’06 Silverado 2500 HD frame, axles, LBZ Duramax, and Allison 1000. Work trucks don’t get any better than this!
Along with the handful of trucks knocking on the door of 1,000 hp, there was a strong daily driver crowd that hit the rollers. This classic body GM laid down 565 hp and 1,127 lb-ft. While these numbers won’t exactly set the world, they do make for a fun commuter, a truck that’s still plenty capable of towing heavy, and a vehicle that can surprise a lot of cars at the track (think high 12’s).
Austin Magruder drove his ’85 GMC down to the dyno to see what his 4BT Cummins-swapped square body could do. His P-pumped 4BT sports an HX25 over a Stainless Diesel S363 compound turbo arrangement that’s backed by a six-speed NV5600 with a South Bend clutch.
The only problem for Austin Magruder’s 4BT GMC was that once the load from the dyno was applied, the compounds instantly responded by building 75-psi of boost, which kept blowing the cold-side intercooler tube off of the intercooler outlet. With a quick trip into the shop to find his bead roller, LDP’s Tyler Turay made sure it didn’t happen again. With a full dyno pass finally being made, the neat, 4BT-swapped square body put down 272 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque despite having a set of mystery (and possibly stock) injectors in the mix.
We didn’t see many (if any) 24-valves hop on the rollers, but that doesn’t mean the VP44-fueled Dodges weren’t welcome. For a Midwest truck, this is one of the cleanest 24-valves we’ve come across in a while. Are Missouri winters growing milder, or has this one lived most of its life indoors?
In a rare display—not only for IDI’s but for an IDI apparently being swapped into a pre-IDI truck—this ’79 F-250 drove onto the rollers under diesel power. Despite making just 172 hp and 337 lb-ft on the dyno, it was clear that the 6.9L IH V-8’s DB2 injection pump had seen a screw driver (6.9L’s made 170 hp at the crank in stock form). It sent its power to the wheels via a manual transmission, but we’re not sure if it was the ancient T-19 four-speed or the ZF-5 five-speed.

 

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