5.9-Second Diesel Drag Trucks, Pt. 5: Compound Turbo’d Duramax, 6.0L Power Stroke, & An Immaculate 1st-Gen Cummins

• July 18, 2021
• Story By
  Mike McGlothlin

Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be another 6.0L Power Stroke competing in one of diesel drag racing’s fastest classes, we’ve got another one to tell you about. And just when you assumed that every Dodge Ram in 5.90 Index packed a common-rail Cummins under the hood, we’ve got an old-school, P-pumped 12-valve to show you. For even added diversity, the GM camp gets represented in this installment, too, and Dan Zelten’s compound turbocharged GMC does a fine job of proving what a Duramax is capable of in this extremely fast, neck-and-neck racing category. Whether you root for Ford, Ram or GM, we’ve got a wicked-fast example for you to study up on below.

Logan Yelton’s ’93 First-Gen

Things are certainly different for Logan Yelton now than they were when he was a teenager—and that includes his ’93 Dodge W250. The old-school, first-gen Cummins was his first diesel and he’s held onto it for many years, even transforming it into the 5.90-second screamer you see here. Logan has only been to one race so far in 2021 and has yet to use much of the truck’s immense potential, but when he becomes a regular on the ODSS circuit, watch out. Logan owns his own transmission shop, Loganbuilt, and works closely with industry icons Scheid Diesel and Goerend Transmission, so you know the powertrain will be rock-steady as soon as Logan is fully able to turn the truck loose.

Logan’s Mechanical Monster

Under the hood, it looks like something you’d find on a Pro Stock pulling truck. All Scheid, the P-pump hanging off the side of the block makes use of 13mm plungers and an auto governor, sending fuel through 0.120 oversize lines to a set of International-based injectors equipped with massive 5x0.035-inch nozzles. A concrete-filled, factory 5.9L Cummins block houses R&R rods, 14.8:1 compression Wiseco pistons, and a Scheid Diesel cam. Larger diameter, 14mm main and head studs are employed, with the OEM 12-valve head receiving extensive port work at Scheid. A single, Pro Mod 88 from Precision Turbo & Engine sits on a custom stainless steel exhaust manifold and we’re told the setup is good for at least 1,800 hp.

Steel Body, Back-Half, Four-Link Suspension And A Full Interior

As with most of the truck, Logan built the transmission. It’s a Loganbuilt dump valve trans-brake 48RE with a Goerend non-lockup converter and a full manual valvebody (also from Goerend). A Cory Dow-built NP241 constant 4-Hi transfer case sends power to a factory Dana 60 with aluminum 5-lug hubs and dual caliper Wilwood brakes, and to an Advanced Chassis-built 9-inch rear axle with a Strange HD third member and 35-spline axles. The truck sports an all-steel body but has been back-halved and graced with a four-link suspension system front and rear. The cage certifies Logan for 8.50s in the quarter-mile, but didn’t come at the expense of gutting the interior.

Dan Zelten’s Fire-Breathing GMC

Wisconsin native, Dan Zelten doesn’t mind traveling to the ODSS circuit’s East Coast events and has yet to miss a race in 2021. His GMC Sierra is different than most, with a Ford 4R100 from Brian’s Truck Shop parked behind his big cube Duramax. His Truck Source Diesel-supported GMC is nasty to say the least, competing at a 5,000-pound race weight whereas most competitors tip the scales at much less than that. Despite the heft, Dan has been 5.71 in the past on a different engine and believes his new power plant is capable of 5.50s.

SoCal Stroker, Big Compounds And Plenty Of Fuel

Machined and assembled by SoCal Diesel, Dan’s Duramax is one of the Valencia, California company’s coveted 7.1L stroker builds. As you can see, the engine is fed boost from two turbochargers, arranged in a two-stage compound arrangement. The big guy (i.e. atmosphere turbo) is a 98mm GT55 and the valley charger (high-pressure unit) measures 80mm on the compressor (inducer) side. The duo combines for as much as 119 psi of boost according to data logs and is matched by a potent fuel system from S&S Diesel Motorsport. The injectors are internally modified and equipped with 350-percent over nozzles, while twin 12mm CP3’s maintain rail pressure.

Trey Dunavant’s No-Frills 6.0L Ford

You’ve read about Trey Dunavant’s 6.0L Power Stroke on DrivingLine before, but now it’s even faster. Recently, Trey has been as quick as 5.72 through the eighth-mile (at 119 mph), making his truck one of the fastest 6.0L Fords in the nation. On race day, he slows the 4,300-pound Super Duty down a peg or two in order to avoid breaking out. Trey’s build represents another solid effort from the 6.0L faithful in a very fast racing category. Plus, his Power Stroke still sports the factory-based (HEUI) injection system.

Big Injectors, Single Turbo, Nitrous And A 4R100

Trey’s juiced-up 6.0L is made possible thanks to a host of companies that have remained dedicated to the 6.0L platform over the years. For high-flow injectors, Warren Diesel stepped in with a set of its 430cc, 7mm hybrids. Trey keeps the big sticks happy with a dual high-pressure oil pump system he pieced together himself. The engine was put together by Kill Devil Diesel and features Carrillo rods, Kill Devil’s stage 3 camshaft and O-ringed heads. An S476 with a 96mm turbine wheel from Forced Inductions pushes boost through an On 3 Performance intercooler and a 4R100 from Twisted Diesel helps the truck plant roughly 1,100 hp to the pavement. The engine is armed with a pair of Nitrous Express kits, too.

Select photography provided courtesy of Amy Gilbert from Stainless Diesel