The 14mm Main Stud Upgrade Every Builder Needs

Not all Cummins blocks are built the same, and if you are pushing serious power, the one under your hood matters more than most people think. Todd, Will, and Myer break down the full spectrum of Cummins engine blocks in this episode, from the various 12-valve generations to the 5.9 common rail and the 6.7, and explain exactly why the differences matter when the power numbers start climbing. The 6.7 gets a lot of attention here, and for good reason. The conversation covers what makes it structurally superior to earlier platforms: a thicker deck, a larger bore, longer wrist pins, and pistons that have held up to 3,000 horsepower in competition builds without giving up. The guys talk through how modern tuning lets builders get even more out of what is essentially a factory race motor sitting in everyday trucks, and why the 6.7 has earned its reputation as the current king of Cummins diesel performance. The 12-valve conversation goes deeper than most. There are meaningful differences between block variations that matter at high power levels, and the guys cover what to look for. Power Driven offers a 14-millimeter main stud upgrade across their block lineup, including as a standard feature on their 12-valve block, because the math on clamping force versus a stock bolt simply does not leave room for argument. One topic worth paying attention to is the roller lifter issue on newer 6.7 trucks. The guys call it out as a real problem already hitting a significant number of engines, potentially on the scale of what the VP44 pump failure was for the 24-valve crowd. If you own a 2019-and-up Ram with a 6.7, this part of the conversation is worth your time. There is also a breakdown of why dropping a 12-valve head onto a 6.7 block causes combustion problems. The 12-valve injector enters the cylinder at an angle, so the piston bowl is offset toward that injector. A centered bowl piston paired with an off-center injector creates combustion characteristics nobody wants. It is a simple geometry explanation that answers a question the comment section apparently asks regularly. The guys wrap up with some real-world context, including Todd running 10-second passes in his tow truck and a story about winning the fastest pass at an airport drag race against mustangs and a supercharged F-150 on a 6.90 slip. The point being that the power these engines support on the street right now is genuinely historic. Subscribe on YouTube for full video episodes and follow the Power Driven Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. OUTPUT 2: PRODUCTS & LINKS If this episode has you thinking about your next block build, Power Driven has you covered with prepped and upgraded Cummins blocks and everything else mentioned in the episode at PowerDriven.com. Shop Power Driven Diesel: https://www.powerdriven.com 0:00 Intro 1:30 5.9 vs 6.7 Cummins block overview 3:00 Why the 6.7 deck is stronger and what that means at high power 4:30 Deck plate advantages for competition and high-power builds 6:00 The 6.7 as the current king of big power Cummins builds 7:00 12-valve block variations and generation differences 8:00 14mm main stud upgrade and why Power Driven includes it on their blocks 10:00 Main bolt vs main stud math explained 13:00 Real-world block survival stories and race engine anecdotes 18:00 Street truck power levels and tuning strategy around gear changes 23:00 Can better tuning squeeze more out of older 5.9 blocks 34:00 6.7 pistons and why they handle extreme power loads 35:00 The golden age of diesel performance on the street 36:30 Airport drag race story and 6.90 slip 44:00 Roller lifter issues on newer 6.7 Cummins trucks 47:00 Why mixing a 12-valve head with a 6.7 block creates combustion problems 52:00 Wrap up and final thoughts Power Driven Diesel is a specialty performance shop engaged in the engineering and development of high-performance turbo diesel technologies. Contact Us: 435-962-9555 [email protected] https://powerdriven.com   / powerdrivendiesel     / powerdrivendiesel