TSD’s Flagship F-350 Gets A Billet-Aluminum Cummins And IFS?!
One-of-a-kind Cummins swaps, a P-pumped 7.3L Power Stroke for sale, and Megatron earns its third straight PPL title.
The folks at Truck Source Diesel have never been known to shy away from trying different things, and that’s especially true with the most recognizable race truck in their fleet: The Mick. It’s an ’00 F-350 that’s worn many hats over the years, but the latest version will be the wildest rendition yet. Up front, The Mick will sport a GM-based AAM 925 IFS arrangement. Different steering knuckles, track widths, and control arms are all being played with right now, with weight savings and optimized geometry being high priorities. Speaking of weight, TSD’s Chris Buhidar reports it’s a wash between GM IFS and a billet 9-inch axle. As for producing horsepower (rather than trying to apply it to the track), this version of The Mick will conceal a billet-aluminum block Cummins from Freedom Racing Engines… Expect it to be pretty serious.
Diesel Conversions
Not Your Average Cummins Swap
A Cummins-powered classic with an out-of-the-box power plant? Why not! The folks at Herring Automotive are at it again. Another Big Bear engine, another one-of-a-kind swap project. This time, it’s a ’69 Chevy C10 shop truck graced with a 4.5L common-rail, the successor engine to the infamous 4BT (3.9L) Cummins. Following a trip to the dyno, where different ECM calibration and turbo combinations will undergo testing, the rear geartrain Cummins will be dropped in place between the frame rails. Big Bear’s ISD4.5 complete swap package will serve to simplify the integration process, and Herring plans to bolt a 4L80E transmission in place behind the 275 ci Cummins.
Modified Classifieds
P-pumped 7.3L Power Stroke For Sale
If you’ve followed the progression of Jumping Jack Flash, the only Ford-powered Blue Oval in the Pro Stock diesel truck category (3.6 smooth bore), you know the JJF team is committed to running a common-rail 6.7L Power Stroke. However, you also know they have a P-pumped 7.3L somewhere in their stable from the old days, when plans were on the table to bump up to the Super Stock class. Well, here it is, up for sale. The Hypermax-built monster packs a CGI block (with dry sump oil pan and billet bed plate), heads with “big” valves, a balanced rotating assembly with Hypermax rods and low compression pistons, and 9/16-inch head studs. A Hypermax fuel system, complete with an eight cylinder P-pump and International style mechanical injectors, is also part of the deal—as are a sizeable duo of turbos. The chargers measure 4.4-inches on the atmosphere unit and 3.0-inches for the high-pressure. At full steam ahead, the compounds build a wild 185-psi of boost.
In The Dirt
Jason Wayman and Megatron 3-Peat In PPL
As far as the Pro Pulling League’s Champion Seed Western Series Limited Pro Stock diesel truck points chase is concerned, Jason Wayman’s “Megatron” Ram is king. His clinching of the 3.0 smooth bore class championship in 2024 makes it three in a row for the north Missouri native. On the back of four wins and top three finishes across the board, Jason squeaked past a hard-charging Skyler Leeper (Legal Limits) 622 points to 616. As a bonus, Jason finished second in points within the ranks of the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulling Association. With his newly acquired awards safely in place in the trophy room, Jason is turning his attention toward another championship season in 2025.
No Rest For The Determined
Perseverance is key when you’re chasing points and run into mid-season engine problems. Luckily, there is no quit in Travis Richards, owner of Mild 2 Wild Motorsports. After dropping a valve and hurting cylinders 1, 5, and 6 in his 6.4L Cummins, he made a call to D&J Precision Machine for a new block and head. With help from good friends, Derik Nearhood, and Ethan and Dom McCready, Travis’s ’07 Megacab was up and running again the following weekend, having never relinquished his points lead in CS Pulling Productions’ Unlimited Street Diesel Truck class. And in an awesome case of his and hers, Travis’s wife, Nicki, brought home the hardware in the organization’s Unlimited Street Gas class, behind the wheel of her turbo LS-powered Silverado.
Written by Mike McGlothlin
