After bending the rods in his 6.0-liter Power Stroke at over 700 horsepower, Joshua of Powerstroke Central had a choice to make. He chose to go bigger, teaming up with Cameron of KC Turbos on a mission to create a 1,000-horsepower 6.0-liter Power Stroke. Cameron admitted his role in the previous engine’s demise, saying, “So, I might have bent seven or eight of his rods last time we were here.” This time, with a fully built engine, the goal was clear.
The Recipe for 1,000-plus Horsepower
The new foundation was a bulletproof J&K engine with Wagler rods and ARP 625 head studs. To feed the beast, a Warren Diesel dual HPOP system was installed, and the star of the show was a compound turbo setup featuring a KC Turbos Stage 3 68mm unit in the valley, fed by a massive S400 from O’Dawg’s Diesel.
A Dyno Struggle And A Major Breakthrough
The first day on the dyno was a struggle until they found the secret. Charlie Fish, owner of KC Turbos, explained the breakthrough and said, “Simply by turning up the ICP from 4,000 to 5,000, we gain from 760 to 920, which is crazy.” On day two, with the tuning dialed in, they crept towards the goal, hitting 946 horsepower, then a nail-biting 994 horsepower.
Unleashing the 1,000-horsepower 6.0-liter Power Stroke
Finally, with one more adjustment, the truck roared past the mark, laying down an incredible 1,039 wheel horsepower on fuel alone. With the goal of a 1,000-horsepower 6.0-liter Power Stroke officially crushed, they added a shot of nitrous and made a mind-blowing final pull of 1,404 wheel horsepower.
Too Much Power for the Street?
With the dyno session complete, it was time to see if the monster could be tamed on the street. The test drive was pure chaos, with the truck roasting its tires at 90 mph. Charlie Fish summed it up perfectly: “Way too much power for two tires. Got to be in four-wheel drive to use it.” The build was such a success that the builder’s final advice to Joshua was a warning. “I asked him what I could break on the truck,” Joshua recounted, “and he said, ‘I’m more worried about you crashing the truck.’”
