Diesel of the Week is presented by
At the 2023 Ultimate Callout Challenge, the unmistakable roar of diesel engines reverberates through the air. If you’re lucky enough to be positioned near the starting line during the dragster runs, you’ll be greeted with vibrations up and down your body – just make sure you have ear plugs in!
We had the privilege of catching up with Jared Jones of Scheid Diesel during the event. If you’ve followed diesel drag racing at any point in the last decade and a half, you’ll know Scheid Diesel. They’re the name behind the first diesel to achieve 200 mph in the 1/4 mile and first diesel in the 6s. Scheid’s lightning-covered dragster has become synonymous with speed.
“What we do is start out with a blank billet, and it’s like 750 lbs. when it starts out, and it comes out to like 243 lbs.,” says Jared Jones. “It’s still based off of a two-valve engine and it’s got a 4.125” bore in it. It’s running a 6.7L crank, so it’s like 393 cid. We make our own fuel lines in-house as well, we did a billet intake on our 560XL, and we make the injector bodies for this engine as well.”
The entire manufacturing process is meticulously executed in-house, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment such as the Centroid 560XL and other advanced three-axis machines. Notably, the team at Scheid Diesel even manufactures its own billet heads, ensuring comprehensive quality control from start to finish.
When it comes to power, this engine doesn’t disappoint. It makes around 2,800 horsepower on fuel alone, but that’s just the beginning. This season, they introduced nitrous to the equation with a Hammer Tech Nitrous Cannon.
Data is crucial in the world of high-performance engines, and Jones takes it seriously.
“We usually do a dyno pass first of the season and last season to kind of see what the percentage of loss is and stuff like that,” he noted. “We monitor crankcase pressure and blow-by as well just in a pass itself.”
While Scheid Diesel does much of the work in-house, they also collaborate with trusted partners to enhance the engine’s performance. Key components include a Precision 88mm turbo, a custom-built atmosphere charger, a Steed Speed T6 race manifold, a dry sump system, an AMS 2000 boost controller, and a Nitrous Express nitrous controller.
It makes around 190-lbs. of boost in the quarter, and about 160-170 lbs. of boost in the eighth.
On the track, performance can be challenging, especially on hot days. Jones noted that “in the heat of the day, it’s hard for any rigid car like ours to get down the track.” To tackle this, they adjust nitrous delivery and boost controller settings to adapt to varying track conditions and temperature.
One standout feature of Jones’ dragster is that it’s one of the few running a mechanical motor in a field dominated by common rail engines. This unique mechanical setup showcases Scheid’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of diesel engine performance.
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].
