When it comes to making some serious horsepower (500+) in your Duramax, like any other diesel engine, you're going to need more fuel and air. On the fuel side of things, you start looking into bigger injectors, modified injection pumps and performance lift pumps, depending on the kind of power you'd like to make. But when it comes to choosing the right turbocharger, your options can be a bit overwhelming.
On the initial test vehicle, an LB7 model running the stock injectors, CP3 injection pump and turbocharger, tuning smoke was extremely controllable and nearly nonexistent. Running a low 500-hp performance tune, EGTs are limited to around 1,450 degrees, making for a fun daily driver. With their initial testing completed, it was time to really push the turbo and find its limits.