Diesel truck - tuner / program?

[fly boy]

If you are going to get a tuner, look into Custom tunes as well. They will design a tune based on your needs that fits best with your exact truck. Worth the extra money.

[blackford76]

Get with DFBrews, get a custom tune, and loose the muffler. 26mpg and more is possible, with loads more power.

[opie011]

Haven't been up to date on the latest and greatest so correct me if I'm wrong. My brother in Utah has some buddies converting their trucks to natural gas and getting close to 30mpg.

[brutal]

Return on investment for a chip/programmer is approximately eleventybillion years.

Do it for the powa.

[Lars]

I put the H&S Minni Max on my 6.7 cummins. I did a 5" flow pro turbo back, with the Sinister diesel erg delete and the Dpf delete as well. I then added the AFE Momentum intake. It is an entirely different machine. I went from 14 mpg to 18 in town and around 19 to 20 hwy. will the increase in milage ever save me the money that all that cost, probably not. But my Dpf was in need of service as well as my Egr system, and I figured if I was gonna be spending all the money anyway, I might as well get some bang for my buck.

[Planner]

CTD just turned over 100K yesterday, and with that the end of the engine (and all) warranty.
Should I get a tuner / program / computer? I'm not looking for speed, it would be probably mileage setting. If so, which one and how soon to pay for itself?
This is a 2007 with a 6 speed manual. I'm right now getting about 17 mpg (as opposed to the 22 my 2003 auto got). Only drive it in bad weather, camping, bicycle races, etc.


Do I want one with a digital read-out or go ahead and get a guage pod? I hate seeing that on the A-pillar, so I'd be looking for one to go between overhead console and RV mirror.

Do you have 4.10 gears? That could explain the difference in mileage with your 2003 (assuming 3.73 rear end).

On topic - I had an 04 w/ the HO Cummins (305hp/555tq). I ran it very successfully with a Predator Power Puck. It's a simple install with a two-mode switch you can run into the cabin. One is the tow-haul mode and added (on mine which was the 5.9L) 60hp/100tq. The other position was the performance tune. I don't remember the specs off the top of my head but I never used that setting because the fuel economy was better w/ the tow-haul setting. Won't overwork your injector pump either. I also had an AFE full cold air intake and flow through muffler (but this was before emissions equipment was added to the 2004.5 model year). That was enough to satisfy me, and with routine maintenance, kept my Cummins humming along well into 150k when I sold it.

[brutal]

FWIW, unless something has changed, I believe nearly any RAM 2500/3500SRW with a factory LS rear end setup is going to be 4.10.

[opie011]

FWIW, unless something has changed, I believe nearly any RAM 2500/3500SRW with a factory LS rear end setup is going to be 4.10.

My 03 had the LS and had 3.73 gears.

[brutal]

My 03 had the LS and had 3.73 gears.

That's odd. My 98 (2500 gas NV4500) and my 04.5 (CTD 5.9HO 48RE)both had LS and the only factory option to get LS was 4.10 gears.

Perhaps it was a later model year AUTO thing? Was your 03 a stick?

[opie011]

That's odd. My 98 (2500 gas NV4500) and my 04.5 (CTD 5.9HO 48RE)both had LS and the only factory option to get LS was 4.10 gears.

Perhaps it was a later model year AUTO thing? Was your 03 a stick?

Nope came from the factory with a 47re which was later swapped for the 48re.