If you run a modified diesel truck, a roadside breakdown is not a matter of if. It is a matter of when. Todd, Will, and Myer dig into their best and worst breakdown stories to help you prepare for the inevitable before summer hauling season gets here.

The guys cover everything from blown intercooler boots and dead alternators to turbo failures, low oil pressure, and full engine carnage. Most of their stories happen while hauling a trailer, which is exactly when you do not want to find out your diesel performance build has a weak link. Some of these repairs got made on the side of the road with whatever was on hand. Others required a little creativity, a few phone calls, and people willing to help.

Along the way they hand out practical tips that apply to any diesel truck build, whether you are running a built second gen Cummins, a 12 valve, a 24 valve, or a common rail. Good intercooler boots, tight clamps, a tire plug kit, spare fluids, and a basic tool kit can solve a surprising number of problems that would otherwise leave you waiting on a tow truck.

The bigger takeaway is that preparation before a trip matters more than any roadside fix. Check your tires, top off your fluids, inspect your battery terminals, and make sure you have the right tools before you leave the driveway. Machines break. The guys who handle it best are the ones who saw it coming.

If you haul, race, or travel long miles in a diesel truck, this one is worth your time.

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0:00 Intro and episode overview

0:45 UCC context and Myer's trip to Indianapolis

2:00 The Mac: Ford Aero Max with 855 Cummins mechanical PT pump swap

4:15 Coming home from UCC with a blown turbo in the Midwest

5:30 Will Terry Fabrication: stovepipe turbo fix with Ace Hardware parts

7:55 Garrett 475 swap, T6 flange mismatch, and getting over the Rockies

9:45 Intercooler boots: when they blow and why it happens

12:00 Boot maintenance tips, clamp torque, and upgrading before you haul

13:15 Alternator trigger wire failure and diagnosing on the fly

21:00 Broken Smith Brothers pushrod strands the family truck

28:30 Alternator failures: 6.0 Power Stroke and the Las Vegas story

30:45 Montana breakdown: getting a store employee to deliver an alternator roadside

35:00 Low oil pressure on the 12 valve, loose turbo drain bolt, flagging down semi drivers

39:15 Cracked billet flex plate discovered on the way home

44:00 Carrying spare fluids, radiator hose stories, and what to keep in the bed

45:45 Transmission cooler bypass trick with a pair of pliers

46:45 Tire plug kit and 12-volt compressor: the tools that solve simple problems fast

48:00 Boonie kit concept and the pantyhose serpentine belt story

49:20 Always carry a flashlight

49:45 The value of a good friend network when you are stranded

51:55 Tyson borrows the truck and puts holes in the block

55:30 Pre-trip checklist: tires, spare, fluids, spline lug socket, battery terminals