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Sep 01, 2023

1,000 Horsepower LB7 Duramax Engine

One of the biggest milestones for someone with a performance diesel truck is

One of the biggest milestones for someone with a performance diesel truck is hitting the 1,000-horsepower mark for the first time. Four digits is a huge milestone, and one that many builders are inclined to rush to straight out of the gate. However, for some, building that first high-powered engine is a journey in itself – one that takes a good deal of time to get planned out and acted on appropriately.

For Bryan Woitas, building the Duramax of his dreams took 8 years of blood, sweat and tears to fully come together. Like many before him, he got bit by the diesel power bug after experimenting with some mild power adders on his daily driver. Some fuel system upgrades including a set of 60% over injectors allowed him to make his ’02 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD race ready. But after four years of competing at local diesel events, the abuse took its toll.

The factory LB7 had a rod thrown out of the block and put Woitas out of commission for a period of time. This mishap ended up being a new beginning, as it prompted him to rebuild the Duramax from start to finish in the comfort of his own garage.

Aside from the machine work, which was done by a local engine shop, Woitas handled the entirety of the 6.6L LB7 engine build. To get 1,000 horsepower out of the engine, he worked with a number of professionals in the industry to acquire the aftermarket parts that would aid him in building the power he needed.

The engine features Mahle Motorsport .020″ over pistons, Carrillo rods and ported and polished cylinder heads that were fire-ringed and fitted with COMP Cams valve springs, Industrial Injection threaded injector cups, and SoCal billet injector hold-downs. Ultra-strong ARP fasteners were used throughout to keep components from flying apart. A Stage 2 camshaft from Extreme Engine Development activates the intake and exhaust valves, which are connected to TTS chromoly pushrods.

On the front of the crank, an ATI damper is bolted on to absorb vibrations. Aiding exhaust flow from the engine to the high-pressure turbo, Woitas utilized PPE exhaust manifolds and stainless steel up-pipes. The oil pan also comes from PPE, which he chose for its full draining design and heat-dissipating, cast-aluminum construction.

Most of the power Woitas’ engine is making is thanks to the fuel and air combo he has set up. A PPE Dual Fueler CP3 kit was added to deliver the precise amount of fuel needed, along with Lincoln Diesel Specialties 100% over injectors and a FASS fuel system.

The forced air system is equally as impressive, with a compound setup consisting of an S475 out front that handles one stage of compression and a BD Super Max S364.5 SX-E in the valley handling the other. A BD Xtruded intercooler cools the air down before it enters the engine and combustion chamber by way of turbo piping fabricated by Black Sheep Industries.

Diesel of the Week is sponsored by AMSOIL. If you have an engine you’d like to highlight in this series, please email Engine Builder Editor Greg Jones at [email protected].