diesel

Proper vehicle preparation and maintenance can ensure your truck survives the low temperatures of winter. We put together a list of 12 items you can complete to give you peace of mind as the temperatures drop. We recommend starting this list around October if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere and May if you’re south of the equator. Follow this checklist to make sure you’re ready for the season ahead.

1. Test Your Battery

If possible, have your battery tested prior to the cold weather snap. If your battery tests poorly or is teetering on the acceptable vs. bad line, you should consider replacing it. This preventive maintenance could save you from missing a day at work or being stranded after a no-start.

So why does this happen in winter?

Your battery uses chemical reactions within it to generate electrons. Even when your battery isn’t connected to your terminals, this chemical reaction is still happening which is why some batteries will die if they’re left in storage for too long. When

This Universal High-Flow Catch Can Kit is now available! Click here to check it out!

It's no secret that the world relies on the diesel engine. From the mega-motors powering cargo ships across the ocean to the 4-cylinder TDIs, the turbodiesel has become synonymous with longevity and dependability. Even after hundreds of thousands of miles, the deep chugging and piercing whistle of a turbodiesel keeps going. While the diesel engine is a staple of reliability, its lifespan is still determined by how it's taken care of. Even with all the advancements in technology and engineering, the diesel engine is still susceptible to one of the same issue that plagues its gas-powered cousin, blow-by.

Blow-by comes in all shapes and sizes, and is never good for your top end internals.

The silent menace that is blow-by might be familiar to some, but for those of you in the dark on the subject, let's review. Oil blow-by is the by-product of the standard operation of an internal combustion engine.

When it comes to the icon of reliability, durability, and longevity in the automotive world, all eyes are on the diesel powertrain. The recognizable chugging sound of a diesel engine has become synonymous with the thought of tractor trailers, incredible fuel economy, and reaching 300,000 miles with ease. "Built Ford Tough" reigns true for all the general features of the diesel platform, the Powerstroke. Giving our loaner F-250 a look over, it's easy to see why. Everything incorporated into the design was done so with the intent to develop an invincible machine. Everything except for the expansion tank, it seems.

Our spare stock tank gets a light coating in preparation for it's 3D scan.

It goes without saying that the cooling system routed throughout the engine bay of your 7.3 Powerstroke works best when the coolant stays in it. In fact, that's one of the main design requirements. Losing coolant pressure, or coolant in general, is already frustrating enough for anyone, but there's no quicker

Everything about Ford's Super Duty Powerstroke brand screams, well, Super Duty. It has done so since they were first put in the Econoline Vans in the mid "90's. Our 2011 is equipped with the 6.7L turbodiesel V8 engine, and it's clear Ford has engineers who really took the Super Duty term to heart. There are two batteries, two radiators, two thermostats, two coolant expansion tanks, an engine oil cooler, a transmission oil cooler, an EGR cooler - this truck even has a fuel cooler. Just looking at the engine bay of this monster can be a bit daunting, especially to a guy used to dealing with smaller, beat up, four-cylinder engines. Fortunately, our engineers are well-versed in the nuances of this truck, as we already have many items out on the market for this application including a full charge pipe kit and both upgraded secondary and primary radiators.

The engine bay of this 6.7L is very busy

One component we have yet to tackle is the intercooler, or the charge air cooler (CAC) as it's

Preparation is an elusive concept. No matter how much time you spend getting ready, you find yourself at the event remembering everything you did not bring. Perhaps this applies more to me, the least prepared individual of all. I constantly find myself in situations where if I had prepared, I could have been ahead of the eight-ball rather than feeling like it was tumbling down a hill after me. For instance, I once showed up to a track day without a tire pressure gauge, rookie mistake. Since then, I have learned the merits of taking some extra time to be prepared.

The Titan XD is no different. The truck is relatively new, so many won't choose to modify it just yet, but we have a feeling that the XD has big things in its future. That is why we decided to be prepared with our intercooler.

Render of Mishimoto's Titan XD intercooler

Render of Mishimoto's Titan XD intercooler

Render of Mishimoto's Titan XD intercooler

In our last post, with the help of our 3-D printed prototype, we confirmed