The Ultimate Dodge Cummins Performance Package

Flowmaster Mufflers, Edge Products and K&N Air Filters Team Up To Create an All-New Performance Package That Dramatically Increases Power as Well as Fuel Mileage

Today's late-model performance aftermarket is filled with a wide range of options consumers can invest in to add more power to their trucks. There is little doubt that when it comes to late model pickups, including the popular diesel models, air intakes, power Programmers and Tuned Exhaust Systems lead the pack in popularity. These are three of the easiest ways to get more ponies from your engine, most of the time each being a total bolt-on application as well as largely being emissions legal.

Over the last few years diesel powerplants have become extremely popular. For Starters they come fresh out of the box with impressive torque and horsepower numbers as well as generally getting decent fuel mileage too! Another aspect which makes diesel powertrains so popular these days is that consumers are developing an understanding that these engines have the inherent ability to produce much, much greater power numbers with a few specific performance additions. In some cases and when combined with the right components, it is not uncommon for diesel engine owners to experience an increase of torque figures by the hundreds while greatly increasing horsepower too.



But it should be said in this day and age of record high fuel prices which includes diesel fuel too, fuel economy is becoming just as important as making more power. Generally when we talk about adding performance related products such as an air intake system, power programming modules or exhaust systems, we relate to the power increases from such products. Today we seek to not only discuss the increase in performance, but how these products can also increase the miles you can get out of a tank of fuel. This in turn means you get your performance fix while saving money every time you fill up your tank.

To address the issue of finding out just how to "hot rod" your diesel engine while providing a system which can increase fuel economy, the brains at Flowmaster Mufflers teamed up with K&N Engineering and Edge Products Inc. to put together what can be considered the "ultimate power package" for the big three diesel trucks. The trio of technical forces gathered at Flowmaster's R&D center in Hayden, Idaho where three 2006 model diesel trucks were tested. Those included the Dodge Cummins, Ford Powerstroke and Chevy Duramax. For this installation we will address the 2006 Dodge Cummins 5.9L Turbo Diesel.

Flowmaster built a very high-tech research facility that features the best testing equipment and dyno on the market. The goal was to document the installation of Flowmaster's American Thunder Exhaust Systems four-inch cat back, featuring the new Hushpower muffler, along with a AirCharger Performance Kit as well as the popular Edge Products Juice w/ Attitude power programmer. Each of these kits by themselves have proven to be extremely popular with consumers as well as each product by itself being capable of notable to substantial power and economy increases. The goal was to give the consumers cold, hard facts in terms of power enhancements if these three key ingredients were combined into a performance package.

In the following photos you will see how each kit was installed. This is the part of the article where we show you how you can install the products yourself should you feel the urge to do so. Each is really that easy to install. Prior to the installations the 2006 Dodge Quad-Cab 4x4 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel was tested on Flowmaster's SuperFlow dyno to get a baseline average of the stock power and torque figures. After several runs the average stock power was 249 hp/525 lb-ft torque. Max power achieved was 294hp/546 lb-ft. torque. After the installations of the Flowmaster American Thunder cat-back exhaust, K&N AirCharger intake system and Edge Juice w/ Attitude programmer, the Dodge was driven around town for a while to let the computer learn about its new products. Then the truck was secured back onto the SuperFlow dyno where more than a dozen test runs were made with the Edge Attitude "on the fly" adjustable power level was set to level 3 which is the most commonly used level by consumers.

After compiling the data the Average results from the runs produced an average of 329hp/656 lb.-ft torque, which translates into an increase of 74 horsepower and 131 lb.-ft torque! The maximum horsepower achieved was 350hp/739 lb.-ft torque, which translates to a 55 horsepower and 193 lb.-ft torque increase from the maximum baseline stock numbers. The dyno graph shown will give you a visual as to the power increase the Cummins delivered when benefiting from this new combination power package, the black lines showing the stock average baseline figures as compared to the red average power package figures. The dyno graph itself speaks volumes for the power increase this trio package produces.

But there is a catch. You could get better fuel mileage too! With more power available from the Cummins engine, that translates into the potential to save a lot of money on fuel since the engine is actually working more efficiently. There are plans for this kit to be marketed in the near future exclusively through several major retailers. But you don't have to wait since we have laid all of the kits and information out here for you. So if you are looking to greatly increase the performance of your 2006 Dodge Cummins engine while trying to squeeze a few more miles out of every gallon of gas, this could be the aftermarket upgrade package you have been looking for. After seeing the dyno runs in person, I hardly doubt you would be disappointed.

FLOWMASTER MUFFLERS
For dealer information contact:
tech line: 800-544-4761

EDGE PRODUCTS
1080 South Depot Dr.
Ogden, UT 84404
888-360-3343

K&N FILTERS
PO Box 1329
1455 Citrus St.
Riverside, CA 92502
800-858-3333

Before starting the installation of the three performance components, the 2006 Dodge Ram powered by a 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel was strapped to Flowmaster's SuperFlow dyno to get an average baseline of the stock horsepower and torque.	STEP ONE: INSTALLING THE K&N AIRCHARGER The first kit to be installed onto the Dodge was K&N's AirCharger intake kit (P/N 63-1532) which is labeled as "off-road use only" pending federal emissions approval. The K&N AirCharger 63-series intake kit features molded plastic tubes to decrease air temperature and intake sound along with a metal air box and of course, the famous and efficient K&N air filter.	First step was to disconnect the air temperature sensor from the factory air intake tube.
Remove the factory hose clamp that secures the inlet tube to the air box outlet.	After removing the factory 10mm nuts, the factory air box is removed, followed by the intake tube which connects to the turbocharger inlet.
Next we installed the factory filter mender and grommet into the port at the top of the K&N cone-shaped air filter. It is important to use the factory "filter checker" as it is an easy way to know if your filter needs to be cleaned or not.	The kit comes with plenty of edge trim to create a gasket that will connect with the underside of the hood. This edge trim is installed around the perimeter of the heat shield.	Install both the long and short "L" brackets onto the heat shield which will act as the new mounting brackets for the shield.
	After removing the factory temp sensor from the original air tube, the temp sensor is now installed onto the outside of the K&N heat shield.	Remove the bolt that secures the radiator fan shroud to the radiator. This will be the new mounting location for the heat shield.
On the alternator, the upper mounting bolt is removed so the saddle bracket which will hold the new air tube can be installed and then secured by reinstalling the factory alternator bolt.	Install the heat shield as shown with one side using the radiator shroud mounting location and the other using the factory fender bracket. A new 8mm bolt is supplied for the radiator mount.	The silicone-based connector hose and clamps are then installed onto the turbo inlet.
The one-piece K&N air tube is now installed by attaching and securing the tube outlet end to the previously installed connector hose on the turbo.	Secure the upper side of the tube to the saddle bracket using the provide hose clamps. Align properly with the turbo and heat shield opening, then permanently tighten.	Nearing the conclusion of this first segment of the three-kit package, the K&N air filter is attached to the tube and secured while a smaller K&N filter is inserted onto the air temperature sensor.
	INSTALLING THE FLOWMASTER ''AMERICAN THUNDER'' CAT BACK EXHAUST SYSTEM Now we tackle the installation of Flowmaster Muffler's new American Thunder cat-back kit for the Dodge Cummins trucks. Designed and developed to maximize the potential increase of power, this kit features four-inch pre-bent pipes, new clamps and Flowmaster's brand new Hushpower muffler which is designed for max flow while toning down the resonant noise. To begin removal of the stock exhaust from the cat, the muffler connector must be "sliced" to remove it from the catalytic converter exit pipe.	Once the muffler attachment is removed from the cat pipe, the entire factory exhaust can be removed from the truck in one piece.
With the factory exhaust removed and placed next to the new Flowmaster American Thunder kit, you'll immediately notice the visual differences in the mufflers along with how fewer bends the Flowmaster kit has as compared to the stock pipes.	This truly is one of the easiest cat back kits to install. Here Lee from Flowmaster uses a muffler stand to hold the new Hushpower muffler onto connector tube and cat exit pipe.	With some help the over-the-axle section is installed and attached to the rear of the muffler.
Once satisfied of the alignment of the Flowmaster cat back exhaust, the provided clamps are permanently tightened and the bright and shiny new five-inch stainless steel tip is installed, allowing us to move onto the last and final segment of this transformation.	STEP THREE: PLUGGING INTO POWER WITH THE EDGE JUICE MODULE To maximize this venture, the decision was made to use the Edge Products Juice w/Attitude power module which provides five different adjustable power levels along with a turbo timer, cold engine protection, trouble code analysis, along with numerous real-time readings including EGT, boost, tranny temp and a long list of other features that basically replace your stock gauges while providing the opportunity to fully tap into the power potential of the Dodge Cummins motor.	The first job is to remove the injector connectors located at the top and back driver's side of the engine.
Though it is rather difficult to see in this photo because of the tight quarters to work in on the back side of the engine, the two Edge injector connectors are installed in between the injectors and the factory connectors removed in the previous step.	Next we open up the fuse box where we look for the 30 amp fuse from which power will be drawn for the programmer system.	Using the provided fuse tap, the removed 30 amp fuse is attached to the tap which is then attached to the red power wire leading to the Edge harness. With the tap on the fuse, reinsert the fuse back into its original location.
	Connect the ground to the truck by removing the 10mm bolt from the fender, located just above the battery. Add the black ground wire from the harness with the round terminal to the wires already on the bolt then retighten.	Now the MAP connector which is located on the manifold down between the two injector connectors is installed from the harness.
Next we attached the harness to the Juice module then give it a new home along the outside of the battery box where the harness is tied to the bracket just adjacent to the box.		With someone helping on the engine compartment side, the Attitude wires and data link are ran through the firewall and to the underside of the dash.
There are three remaining connections to be made. The data link, turbo timer, and Attitude three-way connection switch.	It is easy not to get them mixed up as each wire has a specific type of connector that will only adapt to the proper wire.	With all of the wires ran (excluding the installation of the EGT sensor for this article), the Attitude monitor is mounted on top of the steering column where the engine data can be easily viewed while driving.
Once the Edge installation was completed, the truck was driven around the block a few times to get the engine up to operating temperature before putting the truck back on the dyno. Before making any runs the truck was ran at a slow speed while everything that could be monitored was check and calibrated using the SuperFlow system. It was important to establish the test results under normal engine temperatures and pressures.	Once strapped down the truck was ran through numerous runs in various power levels to establish both average and max power gains in each level of the Edge programmer.	After over half an hour of making runs on the Dodge, the SuperFlow diagnostics system displayed all of the new data for each level. Here Lee checks over the various runs while the system finalizes the averages and maximum figures.
The graph doesn't lie. Here we see the difference between the stock average power and torque figures shown in black as compared to the much greater red "power package" figures. Average results from the runs produced an average of 329hp/656 lb.-ft torque, which translates into an increase of 74 horsepower and 131 lb.-ft torque! The maximum horsepower achieved was 350hp/739 lb.-ft torque, which translates to a 55 horsepower and 193 lb.-ft torque increase from the maximum baseline stock numbers.