Shop Talk

Stay Tuned

Bullet Proof Diesel’s new ScanGaugeIII can help monitor your vehicle’s most vital systems and provide real-time information. Features include built-in digital gauges, five sets of trip data, and an easy-to-use Scan Tool that reads and clears trouble codes. And it’s all in an ultra-compact design that installs in minutes. Having a scan tool to read transmission temperature can be a big help when you’re towing with your truck. In addition, you can monitor manifold air temp, instant and average fuel economy, exhaust back pressure, and injection control pressure. This ScanGaugeIII digital data monitor connects in just minutes, is simple to use, easy to read, and will tell you everything you need to know about your truck’s performance. (www.bulletproofdiesel.com)

Handheld Power

the Milwaukee M12 Hammer Drill/Driver and Impact Driver kit parts displayed in front of their carrying case

The Milwaukee M12 Hammer Drill/Driver and Impact Driver are the most powerful in their class—even outperforming other 18-volt drills. The combo comes with one Redlithium CP 2.0 and one Redlithium XC 4.0 extended capacity battery, battery charger, and a carry bag. The 1/2-inch Drill/Driver is less than 6 inches long to fit in tight spaces. Rated at 400 lbs/inch peak torque, it has an all-metal ratcheting chuck and gearcase that are more durable than composite parts, and a mechanical clutch delivers consistent torque for driving fasteners. The 1/4-inch Impact Driver is just 5 inches long and 7.6 inches tall (with CP 2.0 battery) to provide greater access in tight spaces and overall portability. It’s rated at 1,500 lbs/inch peak torque and has tri-LED lighting for greater visibility in dark, hard-to-reach spaces. (www.milwaukeetool.com)

Chill Out

the I-M Shield featuring Kool Core insulation and an aluminum surface

As the intake heats up, that heat is transferred to the air flowing through the manifold. Hotter air is less dense air, which hurts engine performance. Thanks to its Kool Core insulation and aluminum surface, I-M Shield blocks engine-radiated heat from soaking the intake manifold and keeps intake air temperatures as low as possible. Multiple chassis dyno tests have shown up to 20 points of horsepower and torque are gained after installation. I-M Shield sells for less than $100; no other part can deliver that kind of horsepower and torque improvement for such a low cost. I-M Shield installs on the underside of the intake manifold using high-temperature adhesive backing, and no special tools are required for installation and no ECU tuning is needed to realize I-M Shield’s benefits. (www.heatshieldproducts.com)

New Vintage?

Upgrade the instrument cluster in your 1973-96 Ford F-Series from ancient to modern with a New Vintage USA Gauge Package. They feature New Vintage USA’s Direct Drive system that makes installation a lot easier. The electronic speedometer and tachometer have built-in drivers for all of the gauges, and wiring is literally as simple as 1-2-3.

The electronic speedometers and tachometers have New Vintage USA’s Phoenix system that displays several functions in an OLED display about the size of a traditional odometer window. You can add additional inputs for other functions such as transmission temperature, fuel pressure, and boost—just plug the sender into the appropriate port on the driver board and select the function to show in the display. (www.newvintageusallc.mybigcommerce.com)

Get A Grip

The DECKED Traction Mat by SeaDek creates a grippy surface on top of DECKED’s truck bed Drawer System, while adding some color and unique style to the top deck. The Traction Mat by SeaDek is router-cut to match the topography and geometry of the DECKED Drawer System for uninhibited access to stored gear. Similar to the grippy foam on a premium boat deck, the traction mat provides a grippy surface in your truck bed which can live outside and hold items such as coolers, cases, and even pets (www.decked.com)

Offroad Nightlight

LED light output is measured in lumens, which describes the brightness of a light over a given area. You need all the lumens you can get when you’re off-roading at night, and a good LED light bar like the Philips Ultinon Drive 5000 Series bars deliver up to 7,000 lumens that can reach 400 to 500 yards in front of your vehicle depending on the bar you choose. The Ultinon light bars have IP69K waterproof-rated, one-piece die-cast aluminum bodies and stainless steel mounting brackets so they can handle aggressive off-roading, dust, high temperatures, and high-pressure water. (www.usa.philips.com)

Fix Your Floor

four weld-in Dorman Bed Floor Patch Panels

When a truck bed went off to the big work site in the sky due to a severely damaged or rotted-out floor, the only option was to replace it with a fresh bed. Now you can fix your original bed for a fraction of the cost with weld-in Dorman Bed Floor Patch Panels. The steel is matched to the OE thickness for your application and is identical in design and appearance. The panel’s surface is finished in weldable primer so it’s ready for installation right out of the box. (www.dormanproducts.com)

Easy Install

Gear Ring and Pinion Gear and Installation Combo parts on display

Save yourself some time and effort when doing a gear swap by getting a Gear Ring and Pinion Gear and Installation Combo from Yukon Gear & Axle. They come with top-quality ring and pinion gear sets and a Master Overhaul Kit that has the necessary parts to install the gears. Their kits include a ring and pinion gear set and installation kit for the rear axle. (www.yukongear.com)

Bat Signal

The Morimoto 4Banger A-Pillar LED system is the perfect solution for more light, aimed exactly where you want it. From long-range spotlights for high speed driving to ditch lights to illuminate the side of the road, their A-Pillar kit is all about versatility. Select a set of high performance 4Banger LED pods in your choice of beam pattern, pair that with the brackets to make installation a breeze, and power it properly with their switched wire harness. (www.morimotohid.com)

Mini Kick

a Summit Racing high-torque mini starter

You can get up to 50 percent more starting power when you pick Summit Racing high-torque mini starters. They’re 40 percent lighter, as well as a third smaller. That latter characteristic translates into increased clearance, but both factors can be equally important. So can features such as full ball-bearing construction, which allows these starters to work great while lasting a long time. (www.summitracing.com)

Cool Spool

three custom Turbo Heat Shield from Design Engineering, Inc. in grey, black and dark taupe

Keep your turbo cool and running strong with a custom Turbo Heat Shield from Design Engineering, Inc. Available in a variety of styles and fitments for all turbo types, the shields reduce under-hood temperatures while protecting sensitive components and encouraging faster spool-ups. DEI’s complete line of Turbo Heat Shields provides the ultimate means of reducing turbo lag and serves as a superior heat barrier. Whether you’re racing, towing or just out for a cruise, maximize turbo performance. (www.designengineering.com)

Riveting

Just the right tool for fastening door panels, trim pieces, and more, Titan’s Poly Rivet Guns’ self-adjusting jaws rivet perfectly in a single stroke. It’s compact to fit where lever-type rivet guns can’t, making it ideal for working in tight spaces. Additional features include an ergonomic design for one-handed operation, it never requires nose piece adjustments, and it will not cause damage to painted or delicate surfaces. (www.titan-us.com)

Pick Me Up

EZ Red Monster Hood Props are the only props strong enough to hold heavy hoods, trunk lids, and rear gates while you’re underneath them. The double-locking design makes sure the prop stays at the length you set it. Additional features include a thick wall tube construction, a safety button lock, a special guide channel ensuring the button lock lines up every time, and a secondary clutch lock for added safety. (www.ezred.com)

Crimp Your Style

the Astro Pneumatic Tools GM Weather Pack Crimper in black and lime green

The Astro Pneumatic Tools GM Weather Pack Crimper is a cut above other crimpers on the market because it’s built to work with 12-gauge wires and will crimp both male and female terminals. The heat-treated parallel jaws are super narrow for extra-tight and precise crimps, besting the ASTM pull-out force benchmark by 1.5 times the rated standard. With six crimping zones (four for AWG22-12-gauge wires and two for Delphi 150 and 280-type seals) the Astro Pneumatic Tools GM Weather Pack Crimper does the work of larger and more costly crimper kits in one much less expensive tool. (www.astrotools.com)

Reinforced Cylinder Head

Industrial Injection is proud to offer brand-new LLY Duramax Stock Cylinder Heads for your 2004.5-2005 GM Duramax. These GM OE cylinder heads have a reinforced casting to make them more durable and help eliminate cracking. Each head has been pressure tested and comes fully loaded. (www.industrialinjection.com)