Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at a top diesel performance shop? Dennis from Strictly Diesel recently sat down with The Diesel Podcast, giving listeners the inside scoop on how his company develops fuel upgrades for Ford Power Strokes and why they decided to bring more manufacturing in-house, along with some real talk about the diesel industry.Dennis talked about how Strictly Diesel started over 20 years ago. He recounted, “I started out by building a silly little part that some people online liked and then I kind of built a diesel performance parts business around it.”

As the business grew, they initially outsourced computer numerically controlled (CNC) work, but about a year ago, they made the jump to bring CNC machining right into their own Arizona shop. This move, Dennis explained, gives them “the ability to control everything… and the ability to be creative when you have an idea.”

He pointed to their new billet aluminum fuel filter head as a perfect example of this new freedom. Before having their own CNC machines, Dennis noted, getting a custom prototype like that made externally “would have been paying so much money for his time.” at an outside shop.This new billet head, now used in their fuel system kits for 7.3-liter and 6.0-liter Power Strokes directly addresses previous product shortcomings. According to Dennis, “[On the new billet filter head compared to previous cast versions] the benefits difference is significant… I needed to improve the product.”

Beyond product development, Dennis also got real about how his views on competitors have changed. Early on, he admitted his focus was on fierce competition. But over the years, he commented, “I think the maturity change comes when people realize there’s enough business out here for all of us,” and he now values collaboration.

The Diesel Podcast Host shared a similar thought regarding the media landscape, observing that for the media, “as long as they’re listening to something about diesel whether it’s me or somebody else they’re listening about diesel that’s what really matters versus the other thing [like EVs gaining traction].”Dennis also touched on the enduring popularity of older Power Strokes, like the 7.3-liter and the 6.0-liter, noting that for the 6.0-liter, “People have figured out the damn motor will make good power… there’s enough quality upgrade products out there now to kill the common problems.”

What are your thoughts on keeping these older 7.3-liter and 6.0-liter Power Strokes running strong with modern fuel upgrades? Does a company like Strictly Diesel bringing more production in-house seem like a smart move for today’s performance aftermarket, and what’s your view on how companies in this space can best work together?