If you want more horsepower from your diesel, performance upgrades can help give you the power boost you’re after.

In Salt Lake City and throughout northern Utah, diesel trucks are a popular vehicle choice. They stand up to the rigors of our weather extremes and they take on the backroads – and off-roads – without a second thought.

But, as with all new vehicles, today’s diesels focus on improved energy efficiency and fuel mileage, but not so much on performance or image. Fortunately, you can upgrade your diesel truck to increase power without compromising efficiency.

Air Intake & Exhaust Modifications to Improve Diesel Engine Performance

Upgrading your vehicle’s air intake will allow you to push more fuel-burning oxygen into the engine, increasing its capacity for horsepower. This modification can also help pump cooler, denser air to the engine. The cooler the air, the more oxygen it can carry, helping improve compression even more.

The more air you draw in, however, the more exhaust you’ll have to pump out. If your truck came from the factory with a less-than-impressive exhaust system, this might be another one of the first performance upgrades to consider – especially if you plan to make additional aftermarket upgrades.

Installing a high-performance exhaust system helps keep the heat down by allowing the engine to expel its exhaust as efficiently as possible. When you make other performance upgrades, this will help minimize the pressure. Both intake and exhaust upgrades will also help improve the deep, throaty sound you want to hear from your truck.

Diesel Fuel System Upgrades to Increase Horsepower

Once you increase and improve air flow and exhaust, you need to increase the amount of fuel available to burn. Upgrading your fuel pump and injectors is the next step in increasing performance.

Factory injectors are meant to maximize fuel economy, not power. High-flow fuel injectors are one of the most common aftermarket diesel engine performance upgrades. In most cases, however, you will also need to upgrade your fuel pump to keep up with the demand of the new injectors. Otherwise, you will never get the amount of fuel pressure you need to boost performance.

Depending on your vehicle and the type of fuel system upgrades you choose, you can potentially get a substantial boost in horsepower with this modification.

ECM Modifications for Amping Up Diesel Performance

One of the most cost-effective ways to pump up the power of your diesel truck is through the engine control module (ECM), your vehicle’s on-board computer. These modifications can change the way your vehicle manages engine and transmission functions to milk every drop of horsepower from the engine.

Depending on your truck’s make and model, these modifications can adjust timing and pressure to increase horsepower, tweak compression ratios and allow your transmission to improve efficiency.

Diesel ECM tuning, chipping and remapping are sensitive operations, however, and not something you should ever try yourself. Let the pros handle this type of aftermarket upgrade or you could find yourself with a truck that can’t pass emissions testing or, worse, a blown engine.

The experts at RUSH Diesel & Automotive provide diesel service to customers in the Salt Lake City area. Our Midvale auto repair shop specializes in all types of automotive repair. Contact us today to learn more about how we can increase your vehicle’s power with diesel performance upgrades.

How to Improve Diesel Truck Performance

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Keeping up with regular engine maintenance and investing in a few diesel engine mods can help improve diesel engine performance and fuel efficiency. As one of the best Edmonton diesel performance shops, Revolution Motors offers full diesel engine repair, tune-ups, and diesel performance upgrades that will make your truck faster, stronger, and more efficient.

Here are six tips to help boost your diesel performance:

1. Use Diesel Fuel Additives

You can also ensure your diesel fuel injection system is running smoothly and efficiently by using diesel fuel injection cleaners when you fill up and change your filters regularly. There are other diesel fuel additives that can help your engine including deposit modifiers, lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, water demulsifiers, freeze depressants, and others. Learn more about diesel fuel additives.

Ask us for recommendations or pick up our favourite diesel fuel cleaner at Revolution Motors!

2. Consider Diesel Tuners

Diesel tuners, also known as programmers, are small electronic devices that can help manage and improve your diesel engine’s performance, more or less ‘tuning’ your engine to your specific needs as a driver. Tuners are easy to install, cost-effective, and can greatly improve fuel economy. Some of the tuners we use include EDGE tuners, STT tuners, EFI Live tuners – which allow custom tuning – and many others. If you want to learn more about how you can improve performance with diesel tuners, contact us today!

3. Install Performance Air Filters & Cold Air Intakes

Aftermarket air filters and cold air intake kits can improve your diesel engine’s performance. They help to reduce airflow restriction while effectively filtering contaminants and keeping your engine clean. Because you are getting more air in, you’ll get more power out and with the latest innovative technology you won’t sacrifice fuel economy either. Revolution Motors uses S&B performance filters for diesel trucks we service.

4. Upgrade the Exhaust System

The exhaust system plays an important role in your diesel performance. For the engine to expel a larger volume of exhaust at one time, Edmonton diesel truck owners can consider installing an exhaust system that has a bigger capacity. This will allow the engine more horsepower and the more horsepower you have, the more exhaust it needs to expel. This is a worthwhile upgrade because it helps your diesel truck achieve perfect balance.

5. Use DPF, DEF, and EGR Delete Kits

Commonly used diesel performance mods are DPF, DEF, and ERG Delete aftermarket kits. If your truck has a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), Diesel Engine Fluid (DEF) system, and an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) installed in the engine, you could benefit from one of these aftermarket delete kits. While each system has a different function and can help burn off soot and reduce exhaust emissions, they come with their share of problems and can reduce performance, mileage, and even shorten your engine’s lifespan. Delete kits can remove these systems from your engine to improve performance and fuel economy and reduce costly engine repairs. Learn more about DPF, DEF, and EGR Delete kits.

6. Upgrade your Diesel Fuel Injectors

Upgrading to performance fuel injectors can give your diesel engine a higher range of power output and even improve fuel efficiency. Some fuel injector mods claim to increase diesel engine horsepower by 50 to 100 hp with the right mechanical adjustments. These special fuel injectors use an effective hole pattern to provide the most optimal delivery of fuel to your engine.

You should also book an appointment for diesel fuel injector service every 100,000 KM.

7. Install a Turbocharger

When it comes to diesel performance upgrades, a turbocharger is a good investment that can give you more engine power. It can be especially useful if you use your diesel for towing and hauling heavy loads. Basically, a turbocharger will force more air into your diesel engine’s combustion chamber, giving it more oxygen which gives it more power.

8. Schedule Regular Diesel Engine Tune Ups

Regular check-ups for your diesel engine will help detect any issues that could be deterring your engine’s performance and could prevent costly repairs in the future. Because components of your diesel engine run at very high pressures, it can put a lot of wear and tear on your engine. Periodic maintenance performed by an experienced diesel technician will help improve performance and efficiency and keep your engine running longer.

Edmonton Diesel Performance Shops

Revolution Motors is passionate about diesel engines and dedicated to giving you the best advice, service, and diesel performance mods available. Our certified technicians are specifically trained to work on your diesel engine and our shop uses top-of-the-line equipment and technology to ensure your diesel engine repairs, service, and modifications will give you better performance, reliability, and fuel efficiency.

If you’re interested in some of these diesel engine mods, contact us today!