2004.5-2007 Dodge 5.9L Cummins Cold Air Intakes

Intakes on the 2004.5-2007 Ram 5.9L Cummins

Dodge did real work on this intake for the 325-hp 600 engine. The sealed plastic airbox at the passenger fender got a bigger inlet, from about 19 to 26 square inches, plus a vertical baffle that pulls cool air from the front of the wheel-well liner. The intake tube to the HE351CW turbo has a longer silencer and plastic turning vanes in the elbow at the compressor; 2003-2004 tubes have the silencer only. The ECM and an electronically controlled wastegate cap boost at about 30-31 psi.

What an intake can and can't do

Because boost is capped, an intake cannot raise peak boost by itself. What a lower-restriction intake does is improve spool and response. A 2006 Diesel Power magazine test of six aftermarket intakes on a stock 2005 found none made more horsepower than the stock system. With about 80 hp of added fueling, a complete intake (box, filter and tube) gained 9.9 hp and 13.5 lb-ft. Tubes with a larger inside diameter and bend radius gave slight gains in power and boost response, but tubes over 4 inches inside diameter showed no gain below 400 rwhp. Pulling the intake-tube silencer gained about 1-2 hp, with better spool. The one way an intake can hurt you: over-oiled or poorly sealed cone filters show up as dust erosion on the turbo inducer wheel.

Sealed box or open element

A sealed, fender-fed airbox, or a well-sealed stock box with a larger inlet, makes the same dyno power as an open cone-filter kit with a heat shield. So choose on other things: filtration, sound, how well the kit seals and how easy the filter is to service. If you want to upgrade in steps, the filter comes first, then the inlet area, then the tube. If you add fuel, use CARB EO-numbered products only and verify the EO per product and model year, especially if the truck is registered in California.

What we carry

Complete kits: the S&B 75-5094 cold air intake kit and the Banks Power RAM-Air cold air intake, both listed for 2003-2007 Cummins trucks. Wehrli Custom Fabrication (WCFab) offers a 4-inch intake kit and a Stage 2 high-flow intake bundle kit. For a tube-only change, Mishimoto makes a black silicone air intake hose for 2003-2007 5.9L trucks. The MAHLE MS19355 intake manifold gasket set is here for jobs where the intake side comes apart. Browse every platform at intakes, or the rest of this engine at our Cummins hub.

Fitment notes

The factory airbox, inlet ducting and intake tube changed at 2004.5 when the 600 engine arrived, so intake parts are year-split there. A 2004.5 truck is titled as a 2004, so make sure the listing covers your engine, not only your model year. Several kits here are listed 2003-2007; read the listing and use the fitment checker. On a 2007, confirm the 5.9L; trucks built after January 1, 2007 got the 6.7L Cummins. If your intake uses its own filter, buy replacements made for that kit.

Frequently asked questions

Is a cold air intake worth it on a stock 2004.5-2007 5.9L?

For power alone, not really. At stock fueling the sealed factory box with a Mopar filter is as good as any aftermarket intake, and a 2006 magazine test of six kits found none beat the factory system. Buy one for response, sound or filter service, or because you have added fuel.

Will an intake raise my boost?

No. On 2004.5 and later trucks the ECM and wastegate limit boost to about 30-31 psi, so an intake cannot raise peak boost by itself. What it can do is help the turbo spool a little quicker.

Do I need an intake tube bigger than 4 inches?

Not unless you are making serious power. Tubes with a larger inside diameter and bend radius than stock gave slight gains, but nothing above 4 inches helped below 400 rwhp.

Are open cone filters bad for the turbo?

Only when they are over-oiled or poorly sealed, which shows up as dust erosion on the turbo inducer wheel. Open kits with a heat shield made the same dyno power as sealed fender-fed boxes, so pick the design you will maintain.

Not sure what fits? Call the shop at the number in the header, or use the fitment checker on any product page. We install everything we sell.