More than just an event that celebrates an engine platform, Summit 7.3 is an annual gathering where enthusiasts, business owners, mechanics and manufacturers come together to improve the industry.
When Power Hungry Performance hosted the inaugural Summit 7.3 event in 2024, it quickly became clear it would be an annual occurrence. And not only did the business-to-business style trade show come about at the perfect time—to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 7.3L Power Stroke—but it provided some of the biggest names in the 7.3L aftermarket a place for face-to-face conversation, problem-solving, and renewed motivation to grow their businesses. Building on what took place the year before, the 2025 Summit 7.3 event expanded to include an open-to-the-public day, complete with a truck show to close things out.
Make no mistake, Summit 7.3 is more than just another trade show or truck show that celebrates a cherished engine platform. It’s about bringing the brightest minds in the diesel industry together, networking, initiating and expanding relationships, and ultimately growing and bettering the industry as a whole. Bill Cohron, Co-Owner & CPO at Power Hungry Performance, may have put it best: “We appreciate when people understand that we’re not just putting on an event, but we’re building a community of folks driven by a common passion for this platform and this industry.” This is what Summit 7.3 had to offer in Year Two.
Following the optional Minotaur training day—where novice and professional 7.3L calibrators alike are shown the ins and outs of Power Hungry Performance’s industry-leading tuning software—Summit 7.3 kicked off with a State of the Industry Day. It would be chock-full of fascinating history, insightful data, and even a few laughs. But first, Bob Barnum (shown here on Bill Cohron’s right) gave the audience a brief history on the HEUI injector and how its production process was automated. Bob was the original electrical engineer that installed and implemented the production line at Caterpillar for assembling HEUI injectors for the 7.3L, which began in 1993. Injectors would be produced at an incredible rate of 6,800 to 7,200 units per day!Speaking of injectors, Full Force Diesel Performance was once again a sponsor at Summit 7.3 and the company had a booth populated with some of the products they offer. Full Force is a well-known name in the world of aftermarket 7.3L Power Stroke injectors, and it’s how the company got its start. Now, in its 20th year in business, Full Force has grown to become one of the largest online retailers in the diesel industry, offering products for the Power Stroke (of any variety), Duramax, or Cummins. Injectors, its dual HPOP kit, an electric fuel system, and a set of billet intake plenums for the 7.3L could be found front-and-center.Day 2 was geared toward shop owners, manufacturers, and mechanics with presentations on business development. Here, it was illustrated by guest speaker, Lamar Tyler, that improving the customer’s experience directly correlates with higher profitability. After all, “you’re not selling horsepower and dyno results, you’re selling an experience,” he said. Tyler disclosed that companies which focus on the customer experience can drive five times more revenue growth than companies that don’t. He also went on to say that 96-percent of customers believe customer service is a critical element in their choice of being loyal to a brand.Now for some eye candy… Not only did Jelibuilt Performance sponsor this year’s Summit 7.3, but company owner, Brian Jelich, brought his newly finished drag truck with him. Over the course of 20-plus years, Brian’s 2000 F-350 has gone from high-powered street truck to dedicated drag racer, and it currently sits in full race trim—complete with 9-inch axles, fiberglass body panels, and even a Rossler TH400 transmission. Under the front clip, a Jelibuilt-tuned 7.3L Power Stroke built by Kill Devil Diesel belts out more than 1,400 hp thanks to 455/400 Unlimited Diesel Performance injectors, a T-6 S480 from KC Turbos, and a three-stage Nitrous Express system.Goose Bellows’ ’94 Bronco Centurion is called “Buckin’ Behemoth” for a reason. It sits high in elevation thanks to 18-inch travel coil overs from Big Shocks and massive 21/58-24LT Mickey Thompson Baja Pro XS tires mounted on 24-inch TIS Wheels. Of course, it’s also 7.3L-powered. To help get the gigantic 58-inch tires rolling, Goose enlisted help from Jelibuilt Performance in the form of a custom tuned Power Hungry Performance Hydra Chip, a turbocharger from KC Turbos, Obsession Diesel Performance intercooler piping, and an engine built by GapTrain Performance’s David Keyser (using a rebuild kit supplied by Riffraff Diesel and select components from CNC Fabrication). Goose’s captivating monstrosity took home the trophy for Best Of Show.In an industry where small businesses dominate the landscape, many diesel shop owners work long hours and subject themselves to a lot of debilitating stress. According to Complete Performance’s Paul Rutledge, most business owners overlook their own health when running a company—which is the exact opposite of what should be happening. “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” he said, and continued by saying that looking after your own health will only serve to help your business in the long run. Since taking charge of his own health, better moods, an improved work ethic, a more positive attitude, and higher productivity soon followed. As an added benefit, Paul’s health-focused mentality became contagious within the company, with other employees making lifestyle changes that helped improve the quality of their work as well.Brandon Indiviglio from The 7.3 Garage made the trip to Summit 7.3 in his ’97 F-250—a truck he’s owned and wrenched on since 2010. Now packing a built engine, Brandon’s 7.3L Power Stroke benefits from a set of 300/200 hybrid injectors, an S472 turbo mounted in the valley thanks to an Irate Diesel Performance T4 kit, and Jelibuilt Performance tuning, available on a PHP Hydra Chip. His potent horsepower combination is backed up by a Legendary E4OD transmission built by DieselSite. Brandon’s royal blue OBS was parked at the Jelibuilt booth during the final (public) day of Summit 7.3.Irate Diesel Performance’s Matt Maier is on a mission in 2025, and that mission is to race the same truck he tows his camper to events with—and do it all on a stock, forged-rod bottom end. Matt’s first test entailed toting his fifth-wheel Open Range Ultra Lite RV on a 3,800-mile round trip to the NHRDA season opener in Arizona, where he raced in the 7.70 Index class. At Summit 7.3, he showed us a few items that he never leaves home without. Among the dozens of miscellaneous parts he had stowed within his bed-mounted toolbox was a brand-new belt tensioner, an idler pulley, and even a full replacement engine harness.Another OBS Ford representing the 7.3L crowd was Christian Breznik’s two-wheel drive ’96 F-250. At 432,000 miles, Christian melted six factory pistons after running the truck up to an incredible 153 mph. If you were wondering what an OBS with 3.55 gearing, 33-inch tires, and an E4OD could top out at, now you know… On the next engine, Christian made sure to run an intercooler. The rest of his setup included an S364.5 BorgWarner and a T4 turbo mount, 250/100 Unlimited Diesel Performance hybrid injectors, and a prototype T-850 HPOP from Terminator Engineering. Unfortunately, Christian was involved in a wreck on the way home and his OBS didn’t make the trip back to Houston. Luckily, no one was hurt. Not wasting any time, he already has a replacement truck sourced, and big plans for it.You can debate T4 turbo setups vs. drop-in turbo options for the 7.3L Power Stroke all you want (to be sure, each setup has its pros and cons), but it’s clear that KC Turbos changed the drop-in turbo game for ’94.5-’03 Fords. Before the Mesa, Arizona company appeared on the scene, performance replacement turbo options were extremely limited for both the OBS and the early and late Super Duty 7.3L engines. Now, multiple versions exist. From KC’s stock plus billet turbo to its popular KC300x line to its Gen 3 chargers, 7.3L customers have a variety of turbos designed to support anything from stock horsepower to well beyond 500 hp at the wheels.Driven Diesel was a sponsor for Summit 7.3 once again this year and company owner, Dennis Schroeder, offered up a very informative presentation on the various lift pumps used in the 7.3L aftermarket. A well-executed chart (which you can find here) illustrated which lift pump(s) will support each common injector size, from 140cc’s all the way up to 455cc’s. For more than 20 years (you may remember the name ITP Diesel…), Dennis has been building some of the highest quality fuel systems money can buy for the 7.3L. From complete, bolt-on fuel systems to regulated return systems to fuel bowl delete kits and high-flow banjo bolts, Driven has your ’94.5-’03 Ford covered.73dipstick.com’s Mitch Olsen is a former mechanic and shop owner who came up with a new take on permanently fixing the 7.3L’s infamous leaky oil dipstick flange. His million-dollar idea solves the problem externally, requires only basic hand tools to perform, and retails for $89.95. Mitch also owns this 350,000-mile E-350 based shuttle bus, which he named “Agnus” and transformed into a motorhome for cross-country drives. He’s tasked himself with visiting all lower 48 states over the course of 18 months, stopping in for lunch with existing 73dipstick dealers and prospective new ones along the way. He and Agnus won Best E-Series trophy at Summit 7.3.No other vehicle on the property compared to Sean Peterman’s combination camper and tow rig. Built on a 2003 model year International school bus chassis, it boasts a ’55 Ford F-700 cab up ahead of a nicely remodeled ’68 Avion truck camper. Under the 70-year-old hood, we found Navistar’s version of the 7.3L Power Stroke, the T444E. Power Hungry Performance and KC Turbos chipped in to help with the engine swap, as well as getting the blue 7.3L to run right. All told, the build took roughly a year and a half to complete—and now Sean’s durable, one-of-a-kind home on wheels (which we’re told is also used to pull a 40-foot gooseneck) can be enjoyed into perpetuity.Unlimited Diesel Performance is another major player in the performance 7.3L injector game, and they raffled off a set of Stage 1.5 units during the truck show. To fine-tune the 175cc/30-percent over nozzle injectors, Jelibuilt Performance threw in a PHP Hydra Chip packing its custom tunes. The 175/30’s and custom tuning have been known to push a 7.3L-powered Ford into the 390-rwhp range. Here, Unlimited Diesel Performance owner Nate Bailor and Jelibuilt Performance’s Brian Jelich shake hands with the lucky winner. His Excursion will never be the same…Twenty-four-year-old trucks don’t come any cleaner than David Garcia’s ’01 F-250. Repainted Highland Green Metallic, outfitted with 2017 style tow mirrors, an ’05 front clip, 24×12’s, and a host of other cosmetic touches, it’s obvious a lot of time, money, effort, and pride has been poured into it. Then once you spot the inconspicuous set of Flight Fabrications traction bars, you realize it’s more than just a show truck. Come to find out, David’s Super Duty rocks a built 7.3L, Full Force 400/300 injectors and dual HPOP’s, an Irate competition fuel system, a Carson Stauffer T-4 kit with a BorgWarner S369 SX-E, and Jelibuilt tuning available on a PHP Hydra Chip. Last but not least, it’s also rocking a ZF-6.2025 Summit 7.3 sponsor list: KC Turbos Full Force Diesel Performance Jelibuilt Performance Driven Diesel Mishimoto Diesels And Dirtbags S&B Filters SEMA Complete Performance RD2FS Diesel Performance & Parts Alliant Power Premier CNC Fabrication Eco Diesel Dynamics Mahle Motorsport Diesel Motorsports The Diesel Podcast 73Dipstick.com Houston’s Diesel Repair The Diesel Source Honey Badger Motorsports Edge Products
