It's towing season and if your gauges are climbing on the way up the grade, you need to know what's actually normal and what's a real problem. Will and Myer break down coolant temps, transmission temps, and everything that can push a Dodge Cummins diesel truck out of range while towing.

They start with what a healthy cooling system looks like going down the road. Thermostat opening temps on these trucks typically run 180 to 200 degrees depending on year and setup, and they explain why a hotter or cooler thermostat matters for winter heat versus summer towing, along with how boiling points, radiator cap pressure, and elevation all affect what your coolant temperature can handle.

A big part of the episode covers fan clutches, since a bad cooling fan clutch is usually the first thing they check when a diesel truck runs hot. They explain how to tell if your mechanical fan clutch is engaging and why electric fans aren't actually an upgrade over the factory setup on these Cummins trucks.

From there they walk through testing a thermostat the old school way with a pot of boiling water, the bypass port a lot of guys don't know exists in the block, and why a genuine Cummins thermostat is worth it over the cheap parts store version, especially on a second gen Dodge.

Radiator condition gets its own conversation too. They cover why a clogged or dirty radiator causes most cooling problems, why a factory copper core radiator often beats a cheap aftermarket one, and how they've flushed old radiators back to life with everything from radiator flush products to straight vinegar. They also get into heater core plumbing and why oversized fittings from a repipe can hurt your cooling in the summer.

The conversation wraps up on transmission cooling, the second gen's heat exchanger setup, why factory transmissions are designed to run around 185 degrees, and why colder fluid on a built performance transmission tends to live longer.

Along the way Will and Myer share real diesel towing stories, from Willard's cooling performance on a run to Saint George to a second gen Dodge gauge that pegs out hard at 230 degrees, plus a few lessons learned the hard way about fan clutches and stuck thermostats.

If you found this useful, subscribe to the Power Driven Podcast on YouTube and follow along on your favorite podcast platform.

Will and Myer reference several parts from their own builds throughout the episode, including compound turbo setups, VGT turbochargers, and stage two and stage three injectors. Shop everything mentioned in this episode at PowerDriven.com links below.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Myer just won the Ultimate Callout Challenge, and now that the documentary is out, the comments section has some strong opinions about it. Todd and Myer sit down together this week to work through the feedback and clear up a few misconceptions about what UCC actually is.

Most of the response has been positive, and the guys are genuinely grateful for it. But this episode digs into the comments they disagree with, starting with the drag race side of things. The truck runs a 48RE, a Dodge automatic out of the 2003 to 2006 trucks, built around the largest input shaft currently available in a 35 spline. They actually brought two built transmissions to the event on purpose, and they explain why.

On the dyno, a lot of people got upset about how fast the pulls looked and how much time the truck spent under load. They break down why that criticism misses the point. Competitors do not control the resistance on the dyno, the competition sets it, and every truck gets the same load. More power against a fixed resistance just means the run finishes quicker. They also cover why UCC moved away from scoring torque plus horsepower years ago, after competitors found ways to game that formula with gearing.

From there the conversation covers the aftermarket ECU running the whole truck, from injectors to timing, the mag valve controlling the second turbo, and why the nitrous stayed conservative until high rpm to keep the engine alive through the pass.

The sled pull gets its own breakdown too. Some commenters claimed the team ran three different trucks across the weekend. Todd and Myer clear that up. It is one drag chassis that also runs the dyno, then gets an axle and bracing swap for the sled. They also cover the sled weight box getting adjusted mid competition and why there is no out of bounds penalty in this class.

The bigger theme running through the episode is what UCC is actually built for. It is an invitation only event with almost no restrictions outside a weight limit and hitch height, designed to see what the industry can build without limits, not a street truck competition. If this episode got you fired up, subscribe on YouTube and follow along on your favorite podcast platform.

This build runs on parts that get proven under real pressure, not just talked about. If you want that same confidence in your own truck, PowerDriven.com is where to start.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Kyle from Dark Iron Diesel flew his blown up 12 valve Cummins out to Power Driven Diesel so the crew could rebuild it from the ground up, and this episode follows the build while the guys dig into what actually separates a fast truck from a truck that just sounds fast.

Kyle's 12 valve made 650 horsepower before a nitrous mishap put a freeze plug through the block and warped the head. Instead of a simple repair, Todd, Will, and Myer turn it into a full stroker build, taking the 5.9 out to a 6.1 liter on a 6.7 Cummins crank that Power Driven now manufactures in house. They cover custom Wagler rods, ceramic coated pistons, a reconditioned head, a Colt Stage 4 cam, and an Aggressor 60/65 over 98 compound turbo setup aimed at 1100 to 1200 horsepower.

We filmed the full teardown, machine work, and stroker crank install start to finish, so keep an eye out for the build video covering every step of this engine in detail.

The crew also compares Myer's 1300 horsepower race truck against Kyle's Lamborghini Huracan, which he had on hand from a cross country supercar rally, breaking down 0 to 150 times and why horsepower alone does not tell the story without weight and traction factored in.

Kyle also talks about walking away from a potash mine job to do YouTube full time and his approach to dyno testing.

Subscribe on YouTube and follow along on your favorite podcast platform.

This episode covers a full engine build, parts, and machine work, all done in house at Power Driven Diesel. If you want to build something similar, the team can help you spec it out at PowerDriven.com.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Todd, Will, and Myer dig into Fast 72, the new turbo limited diesel racing class that is already turning heads and stacking serious prize money. A single 72 millimeter turbo and a fuel only setup are producing six figure purses, and this episode breaks down why.

They start with the actual rules of the class. No nitrous, no water injection, no methanol, just engine, turbo, and chassis. From there they get into why the trucks making the biggest peak horsepower numbers on the dyno are not always the ones winning at the track, and why second gen Cummins trucks keep running away with it the same way they have been dominating UCC.

That leads into camshaft talk. Overlap, intake valve closing events, and how RPM range should dictate cam selection, and why a cam that makes huge peak numbers can actually bleed off boost and lose power down the track. The conversation then shifts to cylinder heads, covering valve sizing, port flow, and why a factory piston might outperform a forged piston at this power level.

There is also a quick detour into transmission durability, since the top two finishers in this class are both running stock automatics, plus a reminder that this is not a high dollar class. Anybody with an engineering mindset can be competitive here.

They close out talking about the next Fast 72 event in Texas this September, with a purse north of one hundred forty thousand dollars on the line for the season finale.

If you are into diesel performance, Cummins builds, or smart engineering beating raw horsepower, hit subscribe on YouTube and follow the show on your favorite podcast platform.

Everything the guys talked about when it comes to cams, cylinder heads, and turbo limited builds is the kind of work Power Driven Diesel lives in every day.

Head over to PowerDriven.com to check out the full catalog and get your own build dialed in.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Myer just made history at UCC 2026, becoming the first competitor to ever break the 3,000 point barrier with a total score of 3,393. This week Will sits down with Myer and guest Josh McCormack, a UCC 2025 competitor, to break down every run, every number, and every decision that went into the most dominant performance the event has ever seen.

Across three days of competition, Myer opened on the drag strip with a 4.903, followed it up with 3,620 horsepower on the Super Flow dyno to bank more than 1,200 points in that session alone, and closed out the weekend with a 355 foot sled pull. The crew breaks down the tuning decisions, the overnight chassis conversion between dyno day and sled pull day, and what it actually takes to put up competitive numbers across all three disciplines in a single weekend.

Having Josh in the room as a past UCC competitor adds real perspective to the debrief. The guys talk through what separated the top finishers from the rest of the field, why the West Coast teams dominated the leaderboard, and why pre-event testing at the drag strip and dyno is the difference between contending and just showing up. They also get into the sled pull setup, what happened on Myer's pull, and what the points game looks like when you are genuinely building toward something no one has ever done before.

This is an honest debrief from the guys who built the truck, drove it, and rewrote the record books at one of the most demanding diesel performance competitions in the country.

Subscribe on YouTube and follow the Power Driven Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Everything Power Driven Diesel builds and sells is at PowerDriven.com. If this episode got you fired up, go check out what the shop has to offer.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

Myer is one week out from the Ultimate Callout Challenge and the second gen Cummins build he has been hammering on since November is almost ready. In this episode Todd, Will, and Myer break down what the truck has become and what they are showing up to Indiana to do.

They cover the full transformation from street truck to UCC competitor, including the chassis work, the new deck plate engine, the Bosch ECM swap, a custom Air Dog lift pump, and the wild sled pull sub chassis that rolls completely in and out from under the truck without touching the weight box. They also get into testing results from Arizona and Vegas, including a 4.99 eighth mile pass on a 848 with a stock computer.

If you are thinking about making the trip to UCC this year, this episode is the reason to go. The field is stacked, the builds are insane, and Myer's truck is one of the most creative setups on the property.

Subscribe on YouTube and follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you catch the full UCC recap when the crew gets back from Indiana.

Everything you need for your diesel performance build is at PowerDriven.com.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

0:00 Intro and UCC one week out

1:45 72 Fast class and the $70k purse

3:00 Papa Saurus origin and Commonwealth swap

6:30 Cage build and chassis work

9:45 Arizona debut and first passes

20:30 Vegas test and tune

25:15 Breaking the five second barrier

28:30 The sled pull sub chassis explained

42:00 New deck plate engine overview

54:00 Air Dog custom pump and Bosch ECM upgrade

1:08:30 UCC goals for drag, dyno, and sled pull

1:18:00 AI says Myer has no chance

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.

Subscribe to the Power Driven Podcast on YouTube and follow along on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Shop everything mentioned in this episode at PowerDriven.com, including intercooler boots and everything else you need to keep your diesel truck on the road when it matters.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

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

Buying someone else's unfinished project truck sounds like a shortcut, but it can turn into one of the most expensive decisions you make. Todd, Will, and Myer break down exactly what to watch for when you're rolling up to a used diesel truck with a head full of optimism and a wallet that needs to survive the trip.

The guys get real about why sellers abandon projects in the first place, and why that reason matters more than the deal itself. Money, time, boredom, a problem they couldn't solve, all of it changes what you're actually inheriting when you hand over the cash. Not every truck listed with cool parts is worth what the seller thinks it is, and not every deal is what it looks like on the surface.

A big part of the conversation is the physical inspection. Pop the hood and you can tell a lot fast. Firewall insulation and hood insulation are some of the first things to check because they tell you how many times someone has been in there and whether they cared when they put it back together. Wiring is another one. If you see bare twisted wires and electrical tape where a proper loom should be, that truck is telling you something and you should listen.

The guys also talk through the secondary market and the reality of flip sellers on classifieds who buy trucks cheap, patch a surface problem, and resell without any real knowledge of the vehicle history. Knowing the difference between a guy who built something and a guy who bought it to move it is one of the most useful skills you can develop when shopping for a project.

They cover transmission talk specific to Dodge trucks, including what a shop-claimed "heavy duty" or "towing" transmission actually means versus a real built trans, and why you need to ask the right questions before you assume the drivetrain is sorted. For Cummins trucks from 2019 and up, there is also a conversation about the hydraulic roller lifter design and the failure concerns that make some buyers think twice about the newer platform when they are looking for something they can actually work on and source parts for.

The episode closes with the bigger question every buyer has to answer honestly before they shop: are you someone with the tools and knowledge to take on whatever you find, or are you someone who needs to start with a cleaner slate and let a shop handle the build. Neither is wrong, but getting that answer wrong before you buy can cost you a lot more than you saved.

If you are looking to pick up a diesel project truck, pull up a chair because this one is worth hearing before you write that check. Subscribe on YouTube and follow on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Part two of the engine building series picks up right where things left off, covering everything from bearing installation all the way through first fire and ring break-in. If you are building a Cummins or planning to, this is the episode you do not skip.

Todd, Will, and Myer break down the full Morley bearing lineup, covering P, H, and V bearings and which one belongs in which build. Coated bearings, bearing installation technique, and why cleanliness between the bearing and saddle matters more than most guys realize all get covered in detail. Plastic gauge gets a thorough breakdown too, including an honest story about what happens when you misread a dial bore gauge.

Wrist pin clip orientation, rod direction by platform, crank galley cleaning, and which way rods go in a 12 valve versus a 24 valve versus a VP44 are all walked through in real shop language. So are crank gear welding, cam retainers, piston protrusion targets, firing head gasket installation, head stud torque sequence, and valve lash strategy.

The break-in section is worth the entire runtime on its own. Proper cam break-in, why you do it without coolant in the block, how to track oil temp with an infrared gun, and why ring break-in requires load are all covered. The crew explains why babying a fresh built diesel causes glazing and oil consumption issues, and breaks down break-in oil, first oil change timing, and cutting open the filter to check for debris.

If you are wrenching in the garage and want to build a Cummins that lasts, subscribe on YouTube and follow the Power Driven Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Everything the guys talked about in this episode, including Morley bearings, assembly lube, and Power Driven Diesel oil, is available at PowerDriven.com. Links below.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

If you have ever cracked open an engine block and wondered whether you are missing something the shop guys never talk about, this episode is for you. Todd, Will, and Myer break down the real hands-on engine building process, step by step, using their Myers UCC build as the backdrop for a conversation that covers everything from the stuff you check before you turn a wrench to the stuff that will bite you if you skip it.

The episode kicks off with oil galley plug inspection, what the guys call the oil rail, oil rifle, or oil passage depending on who is talking, and why making sure every one of those plugs is seated before assembly is a non-negotiable. They get into cleaning procedures using an engine bore brush kit to pull out machining particles and metal flakes from the cylinder bores and oil passages before anything goes back together.

Bearing clearances get a solid breakdown here. The guys walk through main bearings and rod bearings on a Cummins engine, explain why the oil holes in the bearings do not line up the way you might expect, and talk through what proper clearance looks like for street builds versus high RPM race applications. They also hit a detail that trips up a lot of first-time builders: rod caps are matched to their specific rod during the machining process, and swapping caps between rods will cost you roundness and likely an engine.

Cylinder wall prep takes up a good chunk of the conversation too. The guys reference using the Total Seal ring break-in compound to verify cleanliness, where green means the wall is ready and brown means you are not done yet. From there the discussion moves into piston ring gap, how they set the second ring at or slightly larger than the top ring, ring orientation during installation, and their experience running Total Seal gapless second rings at higher horsepower levels where piston land strength starts to become a real concern.

The back half of the episode covers assembly lube, specifically the Joe Gibbs Driven line and other black assembly greases the guys have had good results with, where to apply it and where not to, and the proper way to lube a camshaft, lifters, and cam lobes before the engine goes together. The cylinder head side of the build runs long and gets pushed to next week, so consider this Part 1 of a two-part deep look at what it actually takes to build a diesel engine the right way.

Subscribe on YouTube to catch Part 2 the moment it drops, and if you are listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, follow the show so you never miss an episode.

Everything the guys talked about in this episode, rings, bearings, assembly products, all of it is the kind of stuff you can find at PowerDriven.com. If you are building an engine, start there.

Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com

0:00 Intro and Mars UCC engine build overview

1:18 Oil galley plugs and why they cannot be overlooked

2:30 Cleaning oil passages and cylinder bores

4:13 Main bearing installation and oil hole alignment

5:03 Measuring journals and bearing clearances

7:07 Cylinder wall prep and final cleaning order

10:00 Total Seal break-in compound and cylinder wall verification

10:35 Measuring rod journals, main journals, and bearings

12:30 Bearing clearance specs for street vs race applications

13:24 Why race clearances and thick oil do not work on a street truck

18:33 Rod cap and rod matching on Cummins and aftermarket rods

29:52 Piston ring clearance and piston wall clearance

31:42 Ring gap setup and second ring sizing

33:34 Ring orientation during installation

40:37 Total Seal gapless second ring discussion and high HP concerns

42:06 Loctite, fasteners, and oil galley plug sealing

49:15 Assembly grease selection and application

52:25 Camshaft and lifter lubrication

53:45 Episode wrap and Part 2 preview