Diesel of the Year Contest - Engine Builder Magazine

Diesel of the Year Contest

Our Diesel of the Year contest, sponsored by AMSOIL, is now in its fifth year, and this year’s crop of diesel engines are all awesome! To help us choose the 2023 Diesel of the Year winner, we’re going to need your votes! Simply scroll through the Top 10 diesel engines below and choose the engine you think deserves the honor of Diesel of the Year 2023.

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The Top 10 engines are the most popular engines from our Diesel of the Week series, sponsored by AMSOIL, and one will be named Diesel of the Year with your help. Vote below by clicking the circle under the engine you think should win, then hit submit at the bottom of the page. Your name and email IS required. Voting ends at 12am EST on October 27, 2023. The winning engine and engine builder will be announced in December.


Select your favorite diesel:

Shop: Kill Devil Diesel
Engine Builder: Jared Alderson
Location: Poplar Branch, NC
Features: a Warren Diesel Injection billet aluminum block bored to 7.0L, Mahle pistons, Total Seal rings, Wagler connecting rods, a stock cryo-treated crankshaft, a KDD solid roller camshaft, Jesel solid roller lifters, Jesel adjustable rocker arms, chromoly pushrods, KDD CNC-ported Icon series cylinder heads, a Rudy’s Diesel Performance sheet metal intake and intercooler, a Peterson dry sump oiling system, a Warren Diesel high-pressure oil pump kit, 800% over Warren Diesel injectors, a KC Turbo’s single turbo, and nitrous.
Performance: 1,500 hp on turbo and 2,00-2,500 on nitrous
Application: Charlie Fish’s / KC Turbo’s race truck
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Shop: LinCo Diesel Performance
Engine Builder: Jeff McCord
Location: Troy, MO
Features: a 5.9L Cummins block bored .040” over, cast pistons, Total Seal rings, Boostline forged connecting rods, Clevite H-series bearings, a steel Hamilton 178/208 camshaft, Hamilton pushrods, a Beans Machine 12mm girdle, a LinCo Diesel reman’d cylinder head, Inconel valves, Fleece billet valve bridges, D&J valve springs, a Fluidampr harmonic damper, ARP 625 head studs, a Kingspeed billet timing cover and intake horn, a LinCo Diesel billet intake plate, a JEGs electric water pump, a Diesel Power Source Turbonator, a DPS T3 manifold, a Stainless Diesel 5-blade 362/68 high pressure charger and a 5-blade S480/93 charger, S&S 200% over injectors, and an S&S 12mm CP3 pump.
Performance: 1,200 horsepower
Application: Mercedes Unimog
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Shop: Freedom Racing Engines
Engine Builder: John Benshoof
Location: Brownsburg, IN
Owner: Scott Birdsall
Features: Dynamite Diesel Super Mental injectors, an S&S CP4 fuel pump, a Chuckles Garage manifold, a Banks Power racing intake manifold, S&S Diesel / MoTeC tuning, TiAL Sport MVR wastegates, a custom Armstrong Race Engineering dry sump system, Diamond pistons, Wagler connecting rods, ARP hardware, Vibrant Performance AN lines, tubing, and HD clamps, a Garrett G45-1125 turbocharger, and a Magnusson TVS1900 supercharger.
Performance: High horsepower and torque
Application: Scott Birdsall’s Pike’s Peak Hill Climb LMP-1 racecar
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Shop: Apex Diesel Performance
Engine Builder: Dustin Harrison
Location: Atlantic, PA
Features: a sleeved Cummins block, 3.0 smooth bore turbo, a ported and polished factory Cummins cylinder head, a Wehrli 24v billet runner intake manifold, mechanical fuel injection, a Scheid Diesel 16mm P7100 injection pump, a 14mm girdle, 1”-longer connecting rods, custom Diamond pistons, Total Seal rings, a custom LSM Engineering flat tappet camshaft, and ARP hardware.
Performance: 1,600 horsepower
Application: 3.0 Limited Pro Stock
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Shop: Choate Engineering Performance
Engine Builder: Cass Choate
Location: Bolivar, TN
Features: upgraded machine work on both the block and cylinder heads, new bearings, tig-welded gears, stronger connecting rods, and billet main caps.
Performance: 550 horsepower
Application: a work truck or tow vehicle
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Shop: HDP Performance
Engine Builder: Cody Helms
Location: Chesterfield, SC
Features: the factory Cummins block, factory Cummins crank, an o-ringed and ported cylinder head, Manton pushrods and valve springs, Wagler Street Fighter connecting rods, Mahle forged pistons, ARP 625 studs, a 13mm Farrell injection pump, Industrial Injection R6 fuel injectors, a Stainless S485 turbo, and a Steed Speed T6 manifold.
Performance: 5.90 index class
Application: ODSS diesel drag truck
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Shop: CNC Fabrication
Engine Builder: Corey Hurtts
Location: Bryan, OH
Features: a tool steel bed plate, Carrillo connecting rods, 450/400 hybrid injectors, fire ringed cylinder head, a large camshaft, a Fuelab Prodigy pump, and a Harts turbo.
Performance: 1,000+ horsepower
Application: ODSS diesel drag racing
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Shop: Freedom Racing Engines
Engine Builder: John Benshoof
Location: Brownsburg, IN
Owner: Jen Pushlar
Features: a 6.7L factory Cummins block that has been filled, a factory Cummins crankshaft, Wagler connecting rods, Diamond pistons, a 1” deck plate, a solid double iron cylinder head, a Fleece Performance billet intake manifold, a Fleece front cover, a Waterman lift pump, two CP3 fuel pumps, Dynomite Diesel injectors, and a Harts turbo with 3” inducer.
Performance: 2,000+ horsepower
Application: truck pulling
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Shop: New Performance Automotive
Engine Builder: Steve Burton
Location: Rural Retreat, VA
Features: a 12-valve 5.9L block, a 24-valve cylinder head, a factory Cummins crankshaft, billet rods, a Northeast Diesel P7100 P-pump, a Stainless Diesel T6 manifold, and an Apex Turbo 2.6” smooth bore turbocharger.
Performance: 1,200 horsepower and 2,200+ lb.-ft. of torque
Application: Pro Street diesel truck
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Shop: Wagler Motorsports
Engine Builder: Jeremy Wagler and Matt Hatfield
Location: Odon, IN
Owner: Paul Vasko
Features: a filled stock Duramax block, Wagler ductile iron cylinder heads, a Wagler intake, a Wagler rotating assembly, S&S 500% over injectors, twin 12mm CP3 pumps, MoTeC engine management, a Stainless Diesel GT55 102mm turbo, and two kits of nitrous from Nitrous Outlet.
Performance: 1,600-1,700 horsepower
Application: diesel dragster
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