January 1st has arrived and the new Diesel emission laws have taken effect and Ford, Dodge, and GMC have all released new versions of their Diesel Engines to meet the new requirements and pump up the power.  The new Powerstroke has been upsized to 6.4L and given twin turbo chargers.  Ford also made some improvements to the intercooler and water pump to help out with intake air temps and the cooling system.  Dodge has brought the Cummins to a new level by increasing displacement to 6.7L and changing the turbo to a variable geometry configuration.  The trucks are also being supplied with an exhaust brake.  The Duramax engine has been given some turbo improvements, but the big power jump is coming from new injectors.  GM has finally figured out what the performance market has known for years, use a seven hole injector, and you get much better performance.  They are also going to an electrically controlled fan to help avoid power bleed off.  Consequently, right now, Chevy is in the lead in the Horsepower Race, with their engine coming in at 365 HP.

 All three of the big players are now exclusively making trucks with the new emission control systems.  These changes are going to have a big effect on how the aftermarket industry relates to them.  The big three have all been touting the fact that these new engines can’t be “chipped”.  Our sources laugh at that, for as long is there are sensors on the engines or diagnostic ports, we can access and change what they have done.  However, the new exhaust systems are creating quite the challenge.  The new particulate filters are a difficult item to work with.  The new performance programming is going to have to produce no more smoke than the factory set up or run the risk of fouling the soot trap.  Development is underway to get the right programming.  It will be interesting to see who produces the new programs first.  Unlike past years, when it seemed like only one truck line had undergone any real change, this year all three have.  It may be a while before we see a chip that really works come to the table.  Stay tuned, we will always bring you the latest!