Pushing The Vertical Limits Of The 6.4L Power Stroke Fuel System
Cutting-edge 6.4L Power Stroke tech, drag race and truck pull season prep, and low-4-second expectations for David Petrick’s 4×4 Pro Mod.
When you remain dedicated to an engine platform, big things can happen. Such is the case for Andrew Kicak, whose partnership with Stauffer Powerstroke Specialties has helped push the absolute limit of his 6.4L pulling truck. Back in 2023, the duo was able to push actual rail pressure to 29,000 psi (vs. the factory limitation of 24,600 psi) with no negative side-effects. For 2024, a nozzle change (and 200-percent over units) along with a 39,000-psi rail pressure sensor and a K16/CP3 pump combination taught them that 32,000-psi was the extent of what piezo injectors like to see.
Last year, injector body mods, 300-percent over nozzles, and a triple pump arrangement—consisting of two K16’s and one Exergy Performance Alpha 550 CP3—showed them that K16’s are a limiting factory in terms of pressure, as the PCV’s tend to bypass pressure at 28,000 psi. This year, they hope to scrap the K16 altogether, run a stand-alone CP3 arrangement with factory ECU control, and get the 6.4L-based injectors to handle higher pressure. It’s this kind of relentless, on-an-island-all-by-yourself type of determination that brings ingenuity and innovation together to push a nearly forgotten engine platform to the front.
Preparing For Takeoff
David Petrick’s New Pro Mod Is Almost Ready To Hit The Track
The wildest 4×4 Pro Mod build in recent memory is sitting in the S&S Diesel Motorsport stable for wiring. This can only mean one thing…it’s just about ready for its first shakedown passes. With the truck’s MoTeC Systems USA harness layout currently in progress at the Seymour, Indiana facility, we can only hope this Firepunk-built, Wagler engine’d, top-shelf creation hits the track soon. But while we fully expect it to terrorize the ranks of diesel drag racing this year, David Petrick is adamant that private track rentals and baby-step shakedown passes will come first—as they should. Finding traction and achieving a solid 60-foot will be followed by pouring power on progressively, until the truck finds the mid (or low) 4’s everyone believes it will eventually see.
Cutting-Edge Engines
A 1,500HP Break-In At Fleece Performance Engineering
The place is Freedom Racing Engines, the engine building division of Fleece Performance Engineering. The customer is JDB Diesel Performance’s Jonathan Kaiser, but the engine is no 6.7L Power Stroke. This time, Fleece pieced together a fire-breathing 6.7L Cummins for JDB’s third-gen puller—and it’s ready to dominate. On Freedom’s engine dyno, the deck-plate bullet cleared an effortless 1,500 hp during break-in. And rumor has it that, though it won’t serve time in a 2.6 truck, this engine even set a new high mark for a 2.6-inch smooth bore turbo while it was bolted to the company SuperFlow. Look for it to run at the front of the pack in its native Great White North 3.6 class this summer.
At The ‘Strip
Over The Mark—Right Out Of The Gate
From battling stand-alone L5P harness headaches, to catching fire a few weeks ago, to running 6.40s right off the trailer, Dante Delaney’s Seventy 2 Fast truck has come a very long way in a very short period of time. His L5P Duramax-powered, cat-eye Chevrolet made its first shakedown pass in preparation for the upcoming $100,000 race on Friday—and it blew away his expectations. On a 1.48-second 60-foot, “Nugget” went 6.46 at 106 mph, and coasted to a 10.66 quarter-mile. Fuel only. VS Racing 72/89. Bone stock engine. Factory 2004 suspension. The lightweight GMT800 is backed by a built 48RE, and sports Exergy Performance 200-percent over injectors and a 14mm Dan’s Diesel Performance CP3.
New Truck, New Driver—CNC Fabrication and Matt Ryce Commit To ODSS Circuit
A unique combination of man and machine is set to mix it up in the ODSS 6.70 Index class this year. Not only is CNC Fabrication’s 7.3L-swapped second-gen Ram going to turn heads based on what engine is under the hood, but also because of its wheel man. Veteran LS drag racer, D&J Precision Machine head of marketing, Marcosm owner and CEO, and Hot Shot’s Secret media specialist, Matt Ryce will strap in behind the wheel of a diesel for the first time. Now, not only will Matt (and his media team) be covering the filming and photography side of ODSS races, but he’ll be competing in them, too. Look for Matt and the CNC Fabrication Dodge to hit the track later this week at Rudy’s Spring Truck Jam.
Written by Mike McGlothlin
