Show Notes
Ever wonder if cylinder heads actually matter on your diesel truck, or if it's all just turbo talk? In this episode of the Power Jam Podcast, we're diving deep into the world of cylinder head performance after picking up a massive 73 horsepower on our short bed 12 valve Cummins with our stage two street performance head.
For years, diesel guys have been told that boost solves everything. Got a restrictive head? Just add more boost and call it good. We're here to bust that myth wide open and explain why your engine actually cares about head flow, even when you're running a turbo. Whether you're driving a 12 valve, 24 valve, or common rail Cummins, understanding how air actually moves through your engine is the key to unlocking real power.
We break down complex concepts like pressure differential, coefficient of discharge, and port velocity in ways that actually make sense. No engineering degree required. You'll learn why bigger valves aren't always better, why some expensive ported heads actually perform worse than stock, and how something as small as a valve job can make or break your entire build.
This isn't just theory either. We talk real world results from trucks like Vendee, which is making 739 horsepower on a single turbo while staying remarkably clean. We discuss the differences between tow heads, street heads, and race heads, and help you understand which option makes sense for your application and budget.
Whether you're building a dedicated sled puller, a reliable tow rig, or a street truck that needs to last, we cover everything from intake shelf modifications to induction hardened seats. We even tackle common questions about dimpled ports, oversize valves, and why some performance heads fail sooner than others.
If you've ever wanted to understand what really happens inside your diesel engine and how to make smart decisions about cylinder head upgrades, this episode is for you. We keep it real, keep it practical, and give you the knowledge to make your truck perform better without wasting money on parts that don't deliver.
More from Power Driven Podcast
Single turbo or compound turbo: which one really makes more horsepower? This episode started with a comment from viewer @V8Lenny (youtube.com/@V8Lenny) claiming a single turbo will always make more power than the same charger run in compounds, so we put that claim up against years of diesel dyno numbers and real Cummins builds.
What happens when an $11,000 VP44 Cummins with a short parts list out tow trucks that cost five times as much? Willard, our 2001 Dodge Ram dually, just pulled a race trailer home from Diesels in the Mountains and held the speed limit up the grades. This episode breaks down why this old 24 valve keeps surprising everybody and what it takes to turn a 25 year old diesel truck into a legit cross country tow rig.
A shelf on cylinder head just won the biggest payday in diesel drag racing, and it beat trucks running heads that flow a lot more air. If you think bigger is always better on a race build, this episode of the Power Driven Podcast might make you rethink your whole combo.
What does it actually take to keep a Cummins alive past 3,000 horsepower on the dyno? It is not just more fuel and a bigger nitrous shot. This episode breaks down the real engineering behind Myer's second gen common rail race truck and why so many mega power builds scatter before the pull is over.
Every diesel guy has a list of mods he would take back, and in this episode Todd, Will, and Myer own up to theirs. From pushrods that snapped on a tow to Texas to a 12 valve Cummins quietly running out of oil, this is a shop floor confession about diesel truck mistakes that cost real time and money, and how to avoid repeating them on your own build.