Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Diesel World

Here at Diesel World, we’ve seen our fair share of swaps and wild custom builds, but every so often something rolls in that forces us to stop and rethink what’s possible. This boat checks every box. Meet the MasterCraft X-80—but it’s not the one you think you know. This particular X-80 ditched its gas-fed roots and now roars across the water with the heart of a 6.6L Duramax diesel thanks to the crew at DmaxStore. On paper, dropping an LMM Duramax into a wake boat sounds like the kind of project you dream up late at night but never actually follow through on. But DmaxStore made it happen, and the result is more than just a proof of concept; it’s a statement about what diesel power can do outside its…

REPLACING INJECTOR O-RINGS ON A 7.3L POWER STROKE The 7.3L Power Stroke diesel is known for its reliability, but like any engine, it has a few maintenance issues that are critical to keeping it running strong. Today, we are dealing with “Jan,” our 7.3L-powered F-250, putting oil through the fuel system, and returning it back into the tank—about three gallons of it. These small seals play a big role in fuel delivery and oil pressure, and when they fail, you’ll notice hard starts, white smoke, fuel in the oil, or even oil in the fuel like we are dealing with now. Replacing them isn’t the most glamorous job, but it’s straightforward if you follow the right steps. WHY O-RINGS MATTER Each injector in a 7.3L uses multiple O-rings to keep…

The Useless Truck Meet has quickly grown into one of the most unique gatherings in the truck scene, and 2025 carried that tradition forward in Lafayette, Indiana. Held at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, the Meet once again proved that it’s not always about trophies, awards, or competition—it’s about community, connection, and the passion we all share for trucks. A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRUCK MEET What sets the Useless Truck Meet apart is its philosophy. There’s no judging and no pressure to have the “best” build on display. Instead, it’s an open space where lifted, lowered, stock, half-built, and even daily drivers are all welcome. This year’s turnout reflected that spirit with an impressive lineup of trucks spanning every style imaginable. From spotless show-quality diesels to wellworn farm rigs, the event…

In a diesel aftermarket crowded with companies trying to be everything to everyone, it’s refreshing to see a business plant its flag in one camp and own it completely. That’s what DmaxStore has done. Since 2007, DmaxStore has solely concentrated on Duramax. There are no scattershot catalogs padded with filler for all makes and models—just Duramax from front to back, parts to service, all under one roof. That singular focus didn’t come from thin air. Founder Mike Durand spent years at a GM dealership, honing his craft, earning accolades like GM’s Mark of Excellence, and living inside the Duramax world long before he put his own name on the map. By the mid-2000s, he was ready to step out on his own. What started as a backyard dream became a…

Atlantic City Truck Meet 2025 roared into Bader Field on June 7 and 8, bringing with it two days of horsepower, custom builds, and nonstop action. Set against the backdrop of Atlantic City’s boardwalk and casinos, the event drew thousands of enthusiasts from across the Northeast to celebrate lifted, lowered, and diesel-powered rigs in one of the region’s most unique venues. This year, the weather set the tone early. While gray skies loomed over the boardwalk and the breeze off the coast kept the temperatures cool, the action on the showgrounds was nothing short of hot. The gloomy conditions proved a blessing in disguise, keeping the 22,000 spectators comfortable while the trucks did all the heavy lifting—literally and figuratively. The heart of the show was the massive display of trucks,…

I know many of you have a specific project hidden in your barn, shop, garage, yard, or elsewhere that you would love to transform into something special one day. You are all thinking of it right now, telling yourself that you will find the time and cash to give it a new lease on life. Well, Dave Simmons recently did just that. He took his beloved 1963 Willys Wagon that had been in the corner of his shop for 20 years, ripped out its heart, and slammed it on the ground so that it could become his newest cruiser. The 1963 Willys Wagons came from the factory with the new (in the 60s) Tornado gas-powered motor that churned out an eye-watering 140 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque, which produced…

Jake Bailey reached a crossroad one day. He had a 1967 Chevy Impala, a cool car with endless possibilities, but he wanted to do something dramatically different with it. Normally, you’d see builders turn a ’67 Impala into a rip-roaring muscle car, a clean lowrider, or even just a simple restomod. Jake weighed all those options out but ultimately decided to go another route instead. While the exterior of Jake’s Impala looks like an unassuming project car, it’s what’s lurking under the hood that really makes this Chevy different than the rest. “I wanted to build the ultimate road trip vehicle,” Jake says. “A 1960s American land yacht with a modern diesel engine just sounded like a fun combo to run with.” With a solid plan of action, Jake was…

"FRAME-OFF," THEY SAID… "IT WILL BE FUN," THEY SAID… There’s no doubt that we spend a ridiculous amount of time wrenching on our project truck, Stock to Not. We’ve been on a mad dash building and absolutely abusing our 1994 12-valve Ram 2500, but have taken a small step back from making big power to show off at the 2025 SEMA show with our friends at Liberty Forged Wheels. To make that happen, we’re tearing down this truck one last time for old time’s sake. Here are a few before pics in case you haven’t seen her before today. In the last issue, we refinished our new-to-us donor frame with KBS Coatings so it was fresh and ready to show to a couple hundred thousand people in a few months.…

When I was stranded 500 miles from home with the truck I had bought only a week earlier, I was really hoping for some good news. Maybe it was just overheating, or even a blown turbo—something I could have accepted more easily. But when I got the call from the shop saying there was no compression in cylinder 5 and that I’d have to replace the entire motor, I was shocked, to say the least. At the time I honestly didn’t believe them, and that was my first mistake. I asked them to run another diagnostic test. The mechanic chuckled and said, “Oh dear, I ran the test a few times.” He then proceeded to quote me $25,000 to fix a truck that only had 150,000 miles on it. Being…

We recently went out west to Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado, to check out the Wild West Showdown and see what kinds of rigs the Rockies had to offer. It did not take long until we laid our eyes on Anthony James’ maroon 1974 Ford F-350 dually. This thing stood out in the best way. From the well-polished 22-inch Alcoa wheels to the hidden 100-shot of nitrous in the tool panel of the flatbed, this Cummins-swapped retired tow truck had no problem getting to the show or hauling ass down the drag strip. As we’ve said many times before, we absolutely love hearing about the stories that are usually lovingly cemented alongside these older trucks. This one is no different. On the shoot, Anthony was telling us all…

Our favorite question to ask owners of killer diesel machines is why they built them. What drove them to invest so much time and money into creating such a unique vehicle? Most of the time, truck builders have stories that date back decades as to how they got so far along in their diesel journey. When we asked Chelsey Hennig of Barrie, Ontario, Canada, this very question regarding her 1986 Ford Bronco, she fired back with an impressive response. “I never really have a straightforward answer for that question,” Chelsey admits. “I just wanted something cool that my fiancé, Cory Dixon, and I could Cummins swap together. We looked at Jeeps, Blazers, OBS F-150s, and even International Scouts (still on my wish list). At one point, I even considered building…

In every industry, there are names that stick. They’re the ones whispered about in forums, chatted about at trackside, and debated over shop benches long after the wrenches were put away. In the diesel world, one of those names is Kory Willis. To some, he’s a pioneer—the man who pushed tuning into places most never dreamed it could go. To others, he’s a symbol of what happens when innovation runs headlong into the cold wall of regulation. Either way, it’s impossible to tell the story of modern diesel performance without telling the story of Kory Willis. Kory Willis grew up with an instinct for horsepower. Tinkering with machines wasn’t just a pastime; it was a calling. In 2008, he turned that passion into a business—Power Performance Enterprises, Inc. (PPEI), based…