GM 8.3L Duramax Diesel: Gale Banks Does the Math
Gale Banks breaks down the math behind GM’s new 8.3L Duramax V8 (L6P “Mongoose”), evaluating its 555 HP rating, CGI block, flat torque curve, and how a Derringer tuner on an L5P beats it today.
LokJaw: Braille Battery
With any high-performance vehicle, weight is crucial. And, as we call know, lead-acid batteries are incredibly heavy. Most modern full-size heavy-duty diesel pickup trucks are equipped with two 75 lb lead-acid batteries. Weighing our ’66 Chevy down with 150 lbs of batteries was unacceptable so we called the best name in lithium-ion power — Braille.
We ordered one Braille i31S Intensity lithium battery. This single battery weighs 23.7 lbs and boasts 3,100 cold-cranking amps. Another advantage of the Braille lithium battery is that it won’t self-discharge. If the battery is disconnected (no draw or via power disconnect switch), it can sit for over a year and still have over 13 volts to start the vehicle. And the icing on the cake is that all Braille lithium batteries are hand-built in Sarasota, Florida.
Pike’s Peak racer and famed stunt driver, Mike Ryan ran a pair of Braille MicroLite ML30C lithium batteries, which is the model used by the factory racing Corvettes for the past 11 years, the Ford GT program, and currently in the Lexus GT3 cars. When Mike ran the batteries, they were the “Gen 2” batteries. Braille is now on “Gen 4” which features more cranking power, and less voltage sag under high load/starting than previous models. Not surprisingly, Braille has thousands of the original Gen 2 units in the field 8-10 years old that are still in use in street and track cars. A properly spec’d Braille lithium battery in normal use (excluding extreme racing) should last 10-15 years and they have the track record to prove it.
Visit braillebattery.com
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