Episode
Everything You Need to Know About Cummins Engine Blocks
- Podcast
- Power Driven Podcast
- Published
- Mar 24, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3167
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/power-driven-podcast-7135337/episodes/everything-you-need-to-know-about-cummins-engine-blocks/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-driven-podcast-7135337/everything-you-need-to-know-about-cummins-engine-blocks.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
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 ent…