Magazine / High Performance Diesel Engines

  • The Little Space Can Make A Big Difference

    Jordan Greathouse & Bruce Mallinso
    July 2022
    Some customers will come to us and ask, “why do I need a new intake manifold on my ISX? Isn’t stock good enough?” The short answer is, yes, the stock intake manifold is perfectly adequate… If you’re looking for stock performance! At Pittsbu...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson
    June 2022
    Burned Turbochargers, there is a reason to have a good working pyrometer, with the thermocouple in the exhaust manifold and a turbo boost gauge, and know what they read and mean. On April 28th, I returned a phone call to an older gentleman, who was, ...
  • MATS, Copy Cats And Avoiding Major Highway Crashes

    Jordan C Greathouse, Bill Felman, and Bruce Mallinson
    May 2022
    MATS  It's been two years since the last Mid-America Trucking Show, and in that time, a lot has happened for Pittsburgh Power. Max mileage FBC has come forward leaps and bounds; we took over OPS (Oil Purifications System) and began manufacturing the...
  • Do's and Don'ts after Regenerations…

    Leroy Pershing and Jordan Greathouse
    April 2022
    In the span of two weeks, we have seen the same failure on two different trucks. These engines were different model years with different after-treatment configurations. One had a DPF and SCR, while the other only had a DPF. The failure is the DPF out...
  • The Benefits of Maintenance

    Jordan Greathouse
    March 2022
    It's 2010, and you have finally bought yourself that shiny new 3/4 ton Diesel-powered monster that you have wanted since you can remember. You couldn't be happier. Skip ahead ten years, and your faithful friend is starting to show its age. The Dodge ...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson and Leroy Pershing
    February 2022
    Winter brings extra challenges for truck owners with DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) equipped trucks.  DEF needs to be at a certain temperature in order to vaporize properly into the exhaust stream.  The temperature in the tank, lines and injector are c...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson, Andrew Wilson, & Leroy Pershing
    January 2022
    Be careful, plan ahead. The shortages our country is experiencing are making their way to diesel fuel and Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF).  If the current shortages of mechanics, trucks, and drivers does not improve then shortages may continue to get wor...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson, Andrew Wilson, & Leroy Pershing
    December 2021
    Repair shops struggle as the scarcity of replacement parts are keeping trucks in shops and drivers in waiting rooms. Here at Pittsburgh Power, we are feeling the impact of these shortages. It is maddening to know the issue but are unable to perform r...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson, Andrew Wilson, & Leroy Pershing
    November 2021
    For those of you who came to our 2021 Victory Road Truck show, we’d like to thank you. We had 93 trucks this year and a very healthy spectator turnout. It was nice to have the Pittsburgh Power team together talking trucks and catching up with old f...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson, Andrew Wilson, & Leroy Pershing
    October 2021
    If you’re looking for new ways to increase efficiency, one thing to keep in mind is the overall weight of the tractor. Lightweighting is a popular new trend fleets are using to increase fuel economy, but you can take advantage of Lightweighting as ...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson, Andrew Wilson, & Leroy Pershing
    September 2021
    When you call us with engine or truck related problems, please help us help you. Know exactly what engine, transmission, and rear gear ratio you have. Also know your cruising RPM, cruising turbo boost, and peak turbo boost. I need this information to...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson & Andrew Wilson
    August 2021
    What an amazing industry the diesel engine and trucking business is. You never know who is going to call, stop in, what they know and what they are capable of.  About 1 month ago a gentlemen called me and mentioned he purchased an older Superliner M...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson & Andrew Wilson
    July 2021
    High performance trucks are a keepsake! Chuck Carlson of Western PA owns this beautiful 4300 IHC originally powered with a Big Cam III 400 horsepower Cummins engine. Once it was time for an in-chassis rebuild he brought it to our shop for an ultra-hi...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson & Andrew Wilson
    June 2021
    Please take 5 minutes today to learn what engine you have. There should be a tag or a plate on the engine that will give you some information about the engine like the model number and it’s factory specifications including horsepower, torque, and R...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson, Andrew Wilson, & Jane Gates
    May 2021
    Even though the Detroit Diesel Series 60 was discontinued in 2011, it’s still one of the most common engines for Class 8 trucks. Some may not know about the fascinating story behind these engines. At the onset of WWII General Motors created the GM ...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson and Andrew Wilson
    April 2021
    Differential gear ratios: there is a lot of confusion in the trucking industry about what is the best gear ratio for pulling power, fuel mileage, and a good cruising speed.  This article will pertain to the over the road semi-truck, NOT heavy haul, ...
  • High Performance Diesel Injection

    Bruce Mallinson and Andrew Wilson
    March 2021
    For many owner operators the love of performance runs deep in their soul and many times extends into their siblings. Mark Dinslage is one such person, he is 58 years old, owns a 2016 579 Pete powered by an ISX Cummins tuned by the engineering departm...
  • Cab Corrosion and DD15 Maintenance

    Bruce Mallinson and Andrew Wilson
    February 2021
    Cab Corrosion: it’s winter again and our part of the country has seen no shortage of snow so far this year. When the season is over, we often find lasting damage in the form of corrosion on the cab floor of many trucks. Calcium chloride and magnesi...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson and Andrew Wilson
    January 2021
    Unusual phone calls from unusual people, or should I say unique people.  Bill McCammon from Emporia, Kansas called and was building a hot rod 1972 skinny windshield Peterbilt.  The skinny windshield Pete is 8inches lower than a 359 or 379 Peterbilt...
  • High Performance Diesel Engines

    Bruce Mallinson & Andrew Wilson
    December 2020
    Injector cups, tips, sleeves, and tubes; there is some confusion in the industry about what these parts do and where they are. Injector cups are mounted on the injector. It is where the injector plunger compresses the fuel and injects it into the com...