Diesel of the Week is presented by
The 6.6L Duramax engine can’t be understated when it comes to diesel racing applications. Not only is the engine easily upgradable to be a powerhouse, it’s also very lightweight. At only 835 lbs. dry, the older LLY model of the 6.6L is a notable option for diesel engine builders looking for a formidable racing build.
Pairing a single cab truck with no bed and the lightweight diesel engine produces even stronger results without extreme alterations needing to take place. That’s exactly what Cameron Davis did when he decided to build this drag truck – now owned by Ethan Snider of Unleashed Diesel Performance. A polished black coating and SOTA Novakane wheels make the truck easy on the eyes, and it’s just as impressive under the hood.
The powerhouse truck currently gets anywhere from 800-1,300 hp over five different levels of tuning done by Danville Performance. Also from Danville is the fully built competition Allison transmission with all billet shafts and a Limitless Diesel kit. All machining and assembly of the engine was done by Wagler Competition.
The engine features a factory LLY block bored .020˝ over, Ross forged pistons, Total Seal piston rings, Wagler billet rods, Wagler valve springs and pushrods, Manton rocker arms, ported LLY heads, ARP 625 head studs and hardware, a Callies billet crank, a Suncoast billet flywheel, and a billet girdle.
Just like its older brother the LBZ, the LLY didn’t come with stock lift pumps on the engine. For this build, an Airdog 200gph lift pump with a 15-gallon fuel cell was added. Exergy Performance 200% over injectors and a 14mm race pump also help to bolster the fuel intake.
LLY Duramax trucks have also been known for overheating issues. This was solved by adding a Wagler billet water pump, an aluminum racing radiator and a Mishimoto intercooler.
The truck at one time boasted a triple turbo setup, but didn’t run correctly to the standards of the owner. Now the turbo system consists of a BorgWarner S476/87/1.10 over a Forced Inductions S491/102/1.32 with custom fabrication piping done by Werhli Custom Fabrication.
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].
