SoCal Diesel

SoCal Diesel: Pioneers of Duramax Performance Engineering

When it comes to extracting every last horsepower from a GM Duramax diesel engine, few names carry as much weight as SoCal Diesel. Founded in 2006 as a subsidiary of Advanced Motorsports Technology and headquartered in Valencia, California, SoCal Diesel was built on decades of high-performance cylinder head engineering, design, and manufacturing experience applied directly to the diesel performance market.

At the helm is Guy Tripp, a seasoned engineer whose career spans race-winning cylinder head development for NASCAR and NHRA competition, as well as the creation of robotic manufacturing cells. That same culture of precision and innovation defines every SoCal Diesel product. Most notably, SoCal Diesel was the first company to release CNC ported Duramax cylinder heads to the market — a landmark achievement that set the standard for what Duramax performance could look like.

A Product Lineup Built for Serious Power

SoCal Diesel's catalog is purpose-built for diesel enthusiasts and competitors who refuse to compromise. Their engine component offerings span the full spectrum of internal Duramax hardware, including:

• CNC Ported Cylinder Heads – Precision-machined for maximum airflow, these heads are the cornerstone of SoCal Diesel's reputation and are engineered for both street performance and all-out competition.
• Billet Main Caps & Main Girdle Kits – OEM main caps can collapse under extreme horsepower loads, causing bearing and crankshaft damage. SoCal Diesel's aircraft-quality steel billet main caps solve this problem and are recommended for engines above 800 RWHP.
• Super Damper Harmonic Balancers – The SoCal Diesel Super Damper provides balanced dampening of torsional crankshaft vibrations across all RPM ranges. Featuring laser-etched degree marks and exceeding SFI 18.1 Safety Certification, it is a direct OEM replacement that is also approved for competition use.
• Forged Piston Sets – Complete performance piston kits including rings, wrist pins, and clips, engineered for the thermal and mechanical demands of high-output Duramax builds.
• Alternative Firing Order Camshafts – A unique solution for protecting the Duramax crankshaft by altering the engine's firing order, a concept pioneered by SoCal Diesel.
• Billet Flexplates – Lighter and stronger than stock, SoCal Diesel flexplates meet SFI 29.3 specifications for competition safety.

Racing Roots, Street-Proven Results

SoCal Diesel's close collaboration with the EFILive team helped make Duramax engine tuning software accessible to the public — a contribution that extended far beyond their own product line and shaped the entire Duramax tuning community. Whether you are building a weekend drag truck, a competitive sled-pulling rig, or a high-horsepower daily driver, SoCal Diesel's parts are developed with race-engine precision and validated under real-world conditions. Every component in their lineup reflects the philosophy that serious performance demands uncompromising engineering.