6.5 Turbo Diesel 500+ HP

A 6.5 turbo diesel can’t make power, right? Wrong! Our podcast guest has made the most power out of one and we were really curious how he did it. We get questions all the time about affordable diesel performance platforms and rarely do people mention a 6.5. The engine is still used in military applications, but the Duramax platform garners the most attention in GM diesel trucks. This post goes into what we learned during the episode and how a 6.5 turbo diesel can be a fun, powerful truck.

The 6.5 has always had performance upgrades, but the aftermarket at that time wasn’t as large as today. Once the industry started to really grow, the Duramax was already on the scene and the 6.5 turbo diesel engine was almost forgotten. We had known about a few companies offering turbo and fueling upgrades, but we had no idea how far performance had come. One of the selling points with having a 6.5 is reliable power and fuel economy across a variety of trucks/SUV’s/vans. With fuel prices as high as they are, and the lower cost of the truck, it can be a bargain daily driver that can tow and haul. But, as gear heads, we always want more torque and horsepower.

6.5’s are like any other diesel engine – more fuel and air equals more power. We learned turbo kits, upgraded injectors and engine upgrades can really wake these trucks up. 500HP matches or beats new trucks, at a lower price point and with less strict emissions. There are some weak points that need to be addressed – connecting rods, heads can crack with higher miles and stock crankshafts. A quick internet search showed a lot of resources for fixes, upgrades and performance parts.

Is a 6.5 turbo diesel right for you? If you want to save money on the purchase price of the truck, put a premium on fuel economy, and reliability, it just might. Our episode guest told him the hardest part was not finding power receipes, so he had to chart the territory himself. A lot of trial and error is involved but what he discovered were power proven upgrades to reach the 500HP mark. And he isn’t stopping there! There are future plans to push it past 600HP and set the mark even higher for the 6.5. If you have one of these engines and want a budget build, check out the episode. We went into detail about pump upgrades, injectors, keeping the engine alive and building the transmission.

We love how the diesel industry has progressed and the technology used on producing newer truck parts trickles down to the older trucks. Not only are 6.5 turbo diesels benefitting from it, but also Ford IDI’s, 12V VE’s, 7.3L Powerstrokes and more. We hope you found this post useful to learn a bit more about the 6.5 turbo diesel and build options depending on your goals!