Explore every episode of the podcast Diesel Performance Podcast

We had the pleasure of having Justin Hildebrand of JH Diesel & 4 x 4 take time out of his busy schedule and talk about everything diesel with us! Justin and the boys discuss wild truck builds, running a diesel business, documenting it all on his YouTube channel, and what it takes to build wild trucks that perform, handle abuse, and entertain the masses. Don't miss this episode; it's a fun one!

If you haven't seen the news (how have you not?) Edge has dropped the CTS4, and it is badass. We got to mess around with the new CTS4 in our trucks, in shop trucks, and enjoy all the new features it has available. That's why we have Jacob White of Edge Products is here to discuss everything about the Edge CTS4 on this episode! He discusses the progression the Edge CTS has gone through since it's inception, how they developed the newest CTS4, and so much about the new features. We do a deep dive into the Edge CTS4 right here; take a listen!

We often get asked what new buyers should look out for when purchasing a used 2011-2016 LML or 2017 or newer L5P Duramax. The boys decided to discuss what red flags to pay attention to, what is an instant purchase, and more tips. The boys also discussed the new L5P Y-Bridge that WCFab just launched. Tons of info on this product and it's wild. Check it out!

We got back from the WCFab Open House and saw so many badass high horsepower trucks throwing down huge numbers on the dyno that it got all three of us thinking; do I really need 1,000 horsepower? The boys discuss the fun of it, what it takes to get there, and the practicality of a diesel truck that powerful. See what Anthony and Chris had to say here!

Anthony and Chris are back to tackle a topic we often get a ton of questions about: compound turbo kit or single turbo? The boys figured why not bring Nick Priegnitz, Stealth Turbos creator, back on to discuss this topic. We tackle the value of each setup, what works for certain driving styles, and a ton more. Class is in session on turbos!

We have a mid-week bonus episode! The boys wanted to get Nick Priegnitz, founder of Calibrated Power/Duramaxtuner, into the podcast to discuss what he and they think of the initial numbers and news on the 8.3L Duramax L6P "Mongoose." They chat about the insanity of the new displacement, what Nick expects to see out of the aftermarket industry, and a hot take on what Nick sees as a miss by the engineers over at GM. There's a ton to talk about on this one. Listen in and give us some of your thoughts on our social channels! What do YOU think about the new 8.3L Duramax? 

Anthony and Chris got an episode that will get diesel enthusiasts talking. Which modifications are overrated or underrated? The boys discuss, argue, and debate how they feel about certain mods such as box tuners, intakes, rail plugs, lift pumps, and more! Drop us a comment and let us know how you feel about certain mods for diesel trucks!

You've probably seen the news; if not, we are going to discuss it in depth on this episode of the Diesel Performance Podcast. EZ Lynk and HP Tuners have eliminated the need to have an unlocked ECM installed. This means no more downtime, a significant cost drop, and no more ECM swaps! Anthony and Chris break down all the details, what this means for the future of tuning, and much more!

Chris and Anthony have a specific topic they want to discuss today. Lately, the boys have been fielding a lot of calls and questions regarding how sluggish and underpowered a lot of these big cab & chassis Cummins, Power Stroke, and Duramax trucks are. Many of these owners are purchasing these trucks for towing and hot-shotting larger loads long distances and notice just how much less they have in terms of power, acceleration, and more compared to the regular medium-duty diesel pickup trucks. The guys discuss exactly what they have seen in terms of what these stock cab & chassis trucks drive like and discuss exactly what they've seen others doing to them to solve the issue. 

Chris and Anthony have on Dylan Stewart, Production Manager for Stealth Turbos. They sat down to discuss how much has changed in the Stealth Turbo department in the 8+ years that Dylan has been involved at Calibrated Power. From offering only a 67MM LB7 turbocharger with the Stealth Turbo inception, to having 3 turbos available when Dylan stepped in, to now Stealth Turbos offering 25+ different turbocharger options. From how different the department is, to the development of new products, and more. We talk all thing turbos! 

This week on the Diesel Performance Podcast, we're talking LB7s, big power, and this year's Sick the Mag's Michigan Miles!

Jake Maher, shop tech at Calibrated Power, joins us to talk about his experience driving his LB7 and what it takes to put one of these trucks through the abuse. We're also joined by David from Cold Front Diesel to talk about his truck as well(LB7) and their experience at this year's Michigan Miles.

Two LB7s, two builds, and plenty of wild things to talk about. 

In this episode, we sit down with Natalia and Dustin to talk about the upcoming WCFab Open House on October 3rd in DeKalb, IL. The crew is going massive this year!

We get into what's new this year, the $11,000+ Dyno Competition, Show & Shine, raffles, vendors, the Mullet Competition, and what you can expect when the diesel community rolls into WCFab.

We also talk about the bigger mission behind the event and how it helps support the WCFab Scholarship Fund and students pursuing careers in the trades.

October 3rd. DeKalb, IL! See you there!

Chris and Anthony are joined by Nick Priegnitz, founder of Duramaxtuner and Calibrated Power, to discuss what he's been up to specifically with the LB7 (2001-2004 Duramax) platform. The boys over at Calibrated Power have dropped a new LB7 Stealth STR and in the process Nick thought, it would be a good idea to take my two decades worth of tuning knowledge in the vastly evolving world of diesel trucks. With the amount of possible calibrations on the L5P platform (2017-2026), the way you attack building a perfect tune is very different than back in the day with the immense amount of parameters to modify. He sat down to talk with the boys about his tuning advancements on a platform he already pushed to a different level, but if you know Nick like we do, if there is any room to get more out of truck, he is going to push for it. We also discussed turbo development and many more topics.  

Anthony and Justin have Riley and Lacey on talking about the fast growing, amazing events for diesel trucks and any auto enthusiast, the 2026 Hub City Diesel Truck Challenge, on this week's episode! We talked about what makes this event one of the premier diesel competitions, how it has grown over the years, and what attendees and competitors can expect this year.

We discuss the different events, the trucks and builds that show up, the behind-the-scenes work that goes into putting on a competition of this size, and what it takes to bring the diesel community together for an unforgettable weekend.

Whether you're a competitor, a spectator, or just a diesel enthusiast looking for your next event to attend, this episode gives you an inside look at what makes the Hub City Diesel Truck Challenge special.

Sled pulls, dirt drags, show n shine, fan dyno, and a burnout road! You don't want to miss this event at the Richland County Firgrounds in Richland Center, Wisconsin October 9th and 10th. We are stoked to get out there and witness some of the wildest trucks. 

Click the link to learn more about the event: https://hubcitydirtdrags.com/

Anthony and Chris have two of our favorite guys on, David and Caden fron Cold Front Diesel. You may remember them breaking records emissions-compliant LML that threw down 706 horsepower and 1,200 FT-LBS of torque. To go completely the other way, the Cold Front boys bought a "winter beater" aka a former plow truck, and these boys are from Northern Michigan, so you do the math. From there the 290,000 mile truck was just too reliable, so they decided to make it a drag and drive truck. This truck was built from many different used parts to the point the boys named it Project Hand Me Down. Our crew talked to them utilizing it for Sick Summer 2026 and the upcoming Sick Michigan coming up this month (August). From breaking the truck doing burnouts to running their diesel shop up north, we talked about it all!

This week the boys wanted to discuss how much the industry has pushed diesel truck modifications to a different level. Turbo technology has drastically chaged for the good. Today's chargers are handling more power than ever while delivering better reliability and durability than what was possible just a few years ago. 

Anthony and Chris discuss how much advancement we've seen, a few fallacies (smaller wheel is bad, bigger is better), and roll into Nick Priegnitz discussing the stock turbo charger of the L5P versus an L5P Stealth STR comparing power, spool, and more!

Anthony and Chris got to thinking after the AMSOIL UCC event, you see these beast trucks competing, but no one talks about what they used to get them there. Diesel trucks modified and created to be towing machines. The boys wanted to discuss building a reliable, bad ass tow rig. Wheter you are towing boats, campers, your race car or truck, the boys put together mods they think make an ultimate tow rig. Enjoy!

Dustin West dropped into the studio to discuss him and Ryan Wehrli of WCFab's week at the Sick Summer 2026. 800 miles of street driving to throw down over a week at 5 different days of drag racing. He recaps the ups, downs, and everything in between! If you're into diesel racing and the stories that come with them, you won't want to miss this episode.

Anthony is joined by Justin Norris of S&S Diesel Motorsport to discuss all things happening at their new facility! They talk everything from the Double-Barrel Cummins Rail, the upcoming 6.7L Ford Fuel Leak Prevention Kit, and all things fuel based. We appreciate Justin taking his time to sit down and talk on the exciting stuff happening over at S&S!

Chris and Anthony discuss something that every new to diesel person should probably hear from others that have been around the block, what you learn from your experiences with modifying diesel trucks. Both have ran the upgrade path on multiple trucks and want to discuss many facets when it comes to upgrading your first diesel truck. The boys touch on turbo sizing, suspension, tires, fuel system sizing, intakes, and much more!

The boys got their hands on one of WCFab's employees(shout out Sergio!) 2024+ L5P that's got quite a bit of goodies on it. We took the truck out and recorded the podcast in real time while testing her oout. What exactly does this 2024+ L5P have going on with it? Here's the list:

Stealth Mach 2 Turbo
Duramaxtuner ECM Engine & TCM tuning
WCFAB STAGE 2 High Flow Bundle and Down Pipe
WCFAB Y-Bridge
WCFAB Intake Horn
WCFAB Coolant Tanks
WCFAB Coolant Pipe
WCFAB Rear Diff Cover
WCFAB Splash Shield
WCFAB Traction Bars
WCFAB Fuel Filter Housing
WCFAB 3/4 Inch Bumper Spacers
Fox Shocks 
Cognito 3 Inch Leveling Kit
Axe 22-Inch Wheels on 35s

Sergio went all out and the truck looks and drove amazing. Now take a listen to hear what Chris and Anthony had to say!

Myer Stump came and conquered the AMSOIL UCC this year. Myer threw down numbers that are so impressive all of us at the podcast had to double take the stats we were reading. Myer ran ran a 4.903 sec drag time, 3,662!!!! horsepower on the dyno, and hooked to the sled and pulled 355 feet to take home the title at this years event. It's the most overall points accumulated at the event and it is insane how amazing he did. We had a a great time talking with Myer and he breaks down how he put the win all together right here!

We often get a ton of questions regarding what we would do with necessary upgrades for the LML Duramax. We figured we'd bring in one of the Calibrated Power Shop Techs, Nick Evertsen, to answer that question. Nick has been a GM tech and moved around to independent diesel shops to arriving over at Calibrated Power now. He is taking his decades plus amount of expertise to answer the question, 'Top five reliability upgrades for the 2011-2016 6.6L Duramax.' These trucks are now between 10 and 15 years old(insane to think), and we have the best upgrades that will keep your LML running optimally and for the long haul. Enjoy!

Austin Denny is a dude that makes you realize why you enjoy the diesel world. He and his 6.0L Powerstroke are back for a 3rd time at the AMSOIL UCC 2026! He wants a top 5 overall and with him placing 4th and 2nd in the drag racing portion of the event in his prior events, we think he can do it. Austin is diesel racing at heart, taking the 6.0L platform and puhing it into a different world. You definitely got a couple fans in us, Austin. Good luck!

We are joined by the Lucero brothers! Shop owners, massive racing fans, and now first time AMSOIL UCC competitors. We are big fans of these guys and we believe they can make huge waves at the event in a rookie season. They discuss the Cummins they're bringing, what they expect to see out of the competition field, and how they are going to attack the event. We are ready to see what they do!

Black smoke and power always kept Patrick Brown going! Since he was a young kid wrenching on tractors, combines, and farm equipment, Patrick was hooked on diesel. Patrick has been the owner of Moonlight Diesel And Fab now for just under 9 years and last year decide it was time to go after the biggest diesel event of the year. With this being second go round at the AMSOIL UCC he's looking to push his Blue VP44 Cummins into the top of the pack. We have always been massive fans of Patrick and we are stoked to see him continue to push the envelope of what the VP44 can do!

We are interviewing our first rookie of this years event, Jonny Hooper! Jonny is ready to put his 12 Valve Cummins into the competition and make some waves. Coming from a background in sled pulls and dirt drags up in Wisconsin, he is hooked to the experience of competition. Jonny is looking to have fun and achieve his own goals at this years AMSOIL UCC 2026. As avid 12 valve fans, we are going to have fun watching Jonny take on this years competitors!

From wrenching on everything to starting his own diesel shop, Black Magic Performance, to competing in his third AMSOIL UCC event, Colt Carter joins the podcast to talk his about his Cummins and what he expects from this year's event. From putting down a 2nd place finish his first AMSOIL UCC and then improving the next year in the drag race and dyno portion of the challenge, this man has left it all out there. Fracturing his foot from his piston blasting apart on the dyno and spending all night trying to mke sure the truck could make the sled pull portion, this man embodies a no quit attitude. Colt has what it takes to win it and when you hear his story and what he's dealt with this past year, you can't help but root for him. Good luck Colt!

Cody Hawk! If you are into Duramax trucks, you know the name. He's Setting records of over 3,000 horsepower in a Duramax. Cody has switched up the mods on the LB7 this time around. He's got a secret up his sleeve being announced in a video on his social channels coming soon. What exactly? We are patiently awaiting to see as well. We are ready to see what she does for you this year at the 2026 AMSOIL UCC, Cody!

Mike Brown is back on the show ahead of the AMSOIL UCC 2026! This will be Mike's third go round with the event. Mike has been hooked on diesel since his first truck purchased in 2016 and you'll hear in this episode his passion is even stronger now. Mike first competed in 2024 and he came out with a bang, placing on the podium with a 3rd place finish. Mike came out in 2025 and shaved a full half second off his drag race time, put down bigger dyno numbers, and pulled the sled farther than in his rookie event the year prior. We think Mike and his Cummins are going to push the limits even more so! 

He's back! The back-to-back two-time AMSOiL UCC champion is returning to reclaim the title he last won four years ago. Justin has been racing Pro Street and racking up wins in the race circuit since his last time competing at the AMSOIL UCC. Has the competition changed drascitaclly since 2022? Will he be able to get the truck ready for the sled pull portion? Justin talked to us about a ton of things and how he sees his experience going at the 2026 event. Get ready, we are stoked to see what Justin Zeigler accomkplishes this go round!

We are stoked to kick off our UCC 2026 Competitors gauntlet starting with a 5-time veteran, Robby Garcia! Robby is the true definition of unrelenting and enthusiast. Robby has steadily climbed the standings ladder in every competition his truck has finished, but this year he is changing it up. He is bringing a new Cummins for his 5th run at the AMSOIL Ultimate Callout Challenge. With that new truck he has his sights on a top 5 finish! Robby and Chris breakdown the new truck, what Robby expects, and how he thinks the Cummins will fair in this year's competition!

The podcast has the man that brings the whole diesel industry together for an amazing weekend of chaotic fun, Chris Searle! The AMSOIL Ultimate Callout Challenge is back for it's TENTH year. Wow. That means get ready because the event is going MASSIVE for it's year 10. Chris Ehmke talks with Chris Searle to discuss how the AMSOIL UCC went from it's inception of an event to squash talk talking and put their money where their mouth is.... in the most fun and friendly way possible, to one of the biggest diesel events in the industry. We discuss all that is going down at the event in 2026! Fan dynos, a massive Show N Shine, a joint points event with the ODSS & NHRDA, a 1st Gen Homecoming with 200 1st Gen Cummins driving to the event for spectators of drool over, and don't forget Lavon Miller of Firepunks Fast72 event is happening too! This is just the tip of the iceberg, so sit back and relax while Chris Searle dishes everything happening at the AMSOIL Ultimate Callout Challenge 2026!

Looking for tickets to the event? Click the link below!

https://ultimatecalloutchallenge.com/Tickets

"I will never own a diesel!" That's what shop tech Jake Maher said forever. Now he is rushing against the clock to get his LB7 build ready for two events, one that is less than two weeks away. The boys talk to Jake about his turn from anti-diesel to going absolutely HAM on restoring his regular cab. From a rusted out plow truck to a fresh, clean looking beast. Jake has a slew of modifications that keep changing as he hunts down lower time slips at the track, still having a blast sled pulling, and now getting the motor assembled and installed before the Cleetus event in a couple weeks and making his ultimate event goal, Sick Michigan Miles. If you love diesel enthusiasm and passion, you're going to love this episode!

Kory Willis is back! He joins the show to discuss everything emissions and diesel. You've seen all the news surrounding DEF and charges for deletes. Kory called in to discuss his experience fightiong his battle to keep his company PPEI alive despite the massive blows it faced with charges. Kory also discusses what we can expect to see from here, emergency vehicles dealing with reduced power mode in times of crisis, and much more! Thanks for carving out some time for the show, Kory. Listeners, this one is a good one. Enjoy!

Anthony Bruneni and Chris Ehmke are here with an episode on upgrades! You have $5k to spend on your truck, how are you going about picking upgrades? Truck mod paths they discuss are the 01-10 Duramax, the 3rd Gen 5.9L Cummins, the LML/L5P 6.6L, 6.7L Cummins, and 2017+ Powerstroke 6.7L. 

If you had $5k to spend on your diesel truck, how are you spending it? Let us know in the comments or on our Diesel Performance Podcast Facebook page!

Anthony Bruneni and Chris Ehmke are joined by CPS transmission builder, Jared Ewert. He is here to discuss the 10-Speed "Allison." How does the GM 10L1000 stack up to its fraternal twin, the 10-Speed Powerstroke transmission? What are the common issues with the 10-speed equipped Duramax? How are we looking at beefing up the 10L1000 transmission? The boys cover it all and more right here!

Anthony Bruneni and Chris Ehmke are joined by Julian Filipovic of PTL to discuss what hes heard after his recent experience at an emissions conference in San Diego. With the amount of talk we see on forums, Facebook, and other online platforms, we figured it'd be a good time to touch on the future of emissions with medium duty diesel trucks. Julian discusses what he learned from the conference, how Performance Test Labs (PTL) offers aftermarket diesel products and opportunity to get pre-certification testing (CARB EO Pipeline) for their parts, and discusses much more with the guys in regards to the inductry. Thanks for stopping by Julian!

We love diesel. Not just medium duty trucks, that's why we brought in Ben Evers of Farm Focused and Calibrated Power to discuss Spring planting and custom tuning for ag equipment! 

Ben breaks down how tight planting windows, long days, and heavy workloads push tractors and equipment to their limits, and where factory calibrations often leave performance on the table. We get into how custom tuning can improve throttle response, usable power, and fuel efficiency, helping farmers cover more ground without adding unnecessary stress to their machines.

We also touch on some of the misconceptions around tuning in the agriculture space, how it differs from the diesel truck world, and why more farmers are starting to look at performance solutions as a tool, not a risk.

If you've ever wondered how diesel performance translates outside of pickups and into the field, this episode gives you a real-world look at how tuning is helping keep farms running efficiently when it matters most.

Anthony Bruneni and Chris Ehmke sit down to talk about weighing out what you look for when purchasing a new diesel truck. The thing we notice is despite the amount of sh*t talking each brand loyalist does, each the Cummins, Duramax, and Powerstroke are all well made trucks. It really comes down to what you plan to do with the truck. Is it your daily driver? Is it your tow pig? Are you looking to wrench on it? Drag strip? It comes down to quite a few factors and the boys discuss their opinions on the newer models especially when shopping around. 

Chris Ehmke and Anthony Bruneni are back to touch on a subject we got quite a few listeners asking us for, 2017+ L5P Duramax horsepower recipes! The boys break down what the ultimate towing recipe is for this Duramax. Then they tackle what they think is the best daily driver recipe. Followed by going big on a build for this RPO and what you should look out for when pushing your newer Duramax truck. 

Got any interviews or suggestions for the podcast? Hit us up on our Facebook page, Diesel Performance Podcast!

Chris Ehmke is joined by Nick Priegnitz, of Duramaxtuner, to discuss in detail the evolution of engine control modules and how tuning has progressed over the years!

Nick breaks down the history of GM's Duramax ECM platforms, walking through key model year ranges,from early LB7 and LLY trucks to LBZ, LMM, LML, and the latest L5P platforms, and explains how hardware changes, operating systems, emissions systems, and security updates shaped the tuning landscape. 

They also discuss the major ECM milestones that changed the diesel performance industry, how emissions regulations impacted tuning development, differences in tuning strategy, and where ECM technology and diesel calibration are headed next

Professor Nick utilizes his almost 20 years of diesel tuning knowledge to give us an episode with immense amounts of knowledge. Enjoy!

We got a bonus episode! Anthony Bruneni and Chris Ehmke are joined by Charlie Fish of KC Turbos. He called in to discuss a new diesel class he created for this weekend February 26-28th, The Average Joe Blue Collar 2WD No Prep Diesel Truck Class. Why did he create this race? The spirit of racing isn't how much money you throw at a truck, it's about the passion. Charlie breaks down the rules, what drivers and spectators can expect, and what this class means to the diesel industry. Oh, we forgot to mention that $20k goes to the winner!

Want to go to the race? Buy tickets by Clicking here 

Want to learn more about the race? Click Here

Anthony Bruneni and Chris Ehmke are joined by Lavon Miller to discuss what he's been up to, but really they had to get the scoop on what's up with the Seventy2fast race going on this year down in Indy during UCC weekend. The amount of interesting aspects and the amount of money that is on the table for the competitors is mind boggling. The Seventy2fast has $500 callouts, where racers can target a specific driver to beat after putting down their money and the target matching, winner of a head-to-head race takes the money. Contigencies for Powerstroke and Duramax, Powerstrokes can win an extra $11k if they take home 1st place and Duramax drivers can earn an extra grand per round if they beat a Cummins or Powerstroke and an extra $3,000 to a winner racing a Duramax. $70k goes to the winner! Lavon walks us through everything about this race and we have to be honest, we haven't been this excited for an event in a while. Check out the event by visiting www.seventy2fast.com or following Lavon Miller's social media channels. Take a listen!

Anthony Bruneni and Chris Ehmke have on our resident engineer / engine dyno / data man / destroyer of turbos guy Dan Timmer! Dan sits down to discuss what it actually takes to get the engine dynos running, the tyoes of testing he conducts, the occasional fire and explosion and more. We've now utilized 6.7L Cummins engine; LBZ, L5P, and 3.0L Duramax engines, and soon a Powerstroke 6.7L engine. If you like data or carnage, you will love this episode! If you have any ideas for episodes for the future or would like a certain guest on, please let us know on our Facebook page or message us or drop a comment!

The Diesel Performance Podcast is back! Chris Ehmke and Anthony Bruneni have resurrected the show and we have plans that will make our fellow diesel enthusiasts excited for what the future holds. Interviews, horsepower recipes, diesel events, competitions. Get ready! First off, we reintroduce ourselves with what has been happening around the industry with tuning (specifically the 2024+ L5P, 2023+ Powerstrokes, and the 3.0L Duramax). The boys also discuss what 2027 is looking like in regards to change for diesel truck makers. We are stoked to be back! If you have anything you want us to cover or discuss, leave a comment, message our podcast Facebook page, or reach out to any of us. We look forward to a new chapter of the Diesel Performance Podcast!

Chris Ehmke and Tim Mahoney are joined by someone you have heard a few times on this show, Josh McCormack! Josh fresh off his UCC win earlier this spring decided he was done with wowing the masses and put down a new record on the dyno. 4,157 HORSEPOWER. Insanity. He walks the boys through how he accomplished it and what you can expect to see out of him in the future. 

Chris Ehmke is joined by the lead tuner at Calibrated Power, Tim Mahoney, to discuss how the 2020+ Powerstroke 6.7 liter world is about to change. They discuss what this means for your 2020+ 6.7L, the ease at which tuning for the end user will be, and how adding 100+ HP is going to feel a lot different in these newer Powerstroke trucks. 

Show favorite, Chris Patterson, owner of Unrivaled Diesel, took second at the Ultimate Callout Challenge 2025! He sits to talk with host Chris Ehmke to discuss how grueling and how much it takes out of the competitors and their teams. The whole thing is about survival. Chris is a survivor, he put down a screaming 5.54 at the drags, 2,300 horsepower on the dyno, and 318 feet in the sled pull. He gives us all the details on this episode!

Josh McCormack has won the Ultimate Callout Challenge 2025! He joins Chris to discuss the weekend. Family man, YouTuber, and an overall great guy. Josh lef it all out there and came back with first place. He breaks down the weekend, his big 3,100+ horsepower dyno run, racing, and his Sunday at the pull. Congrats on the win, Josh! 

Follow him on Instagram & TikTok: @justacommonrail24v
YouTube: Horsetorques Diesel