2004.5-2007 Dodge 5.9L Cummins Air Intake Parts

Air intake on the 2004.5-2007 Ram 5.9L Cummins

Air enters a sealed plastic airbox at the passenger fender, passes through a panel filter, and runs down a plastic intake tube to the Holset HE351CW turbo. On these trucks that tube carries a long silencer and plastic turning vanes in the elbow at the compressor. From the turbo, charge air goes through an air-to-air intercooler mounted in front of the radiator, up a cast aluminum air horn, through the grid heater and into the intake plenum cast into the cylinder head. When Cummins released the 325-hp Cummins 600 engine in mid-2004, Dodge enlarged the airbox inlet from about 19 to 26 square inches and added a vertical baffle that picks up cooler air at the front of the wheel-well liner. The ECM and the electronically controlled wastegate hold boost to about 30-31 psi, and that cap shapes every buying decision on this page.

What fails and why

The intake parts that give trouble on this truck sit downstream of the turbo. Factory rubber intercooler boots crack with age, and added fuel or boost speeds that up. A leaking boot shows up as lost power, a whistle or hiss under boost, higher EGTs and black smoke, and a boot that lets go can leave you limping home. 2005 trucks are commonly reported to carry an intercooler with plastic end tanks that crack even at stock boost; Ram went back to metal tanks for 2006. That one can fail at any mileage and tends to be sudden: a big power loss, a hiss or an oil film at the end tank, and sometimes a stranded truck. The third trouble spot is one you create during service. The air horn gasket tears easily any time the horn comes off for injector or grid heater work, and a torn gasket leaks unmetered, unfiltered air at the horn-to-head joint.

Stock replacement vs. upgrade

Start with what you want the truck to do. At stock power the factory intake is already well-sized. A 2006 Diesel Power magazine test of six aftermarket intakes on a stock 2005 found none made more horsepower than the factory system, and changing filter media alone moved peak power by only about 3 hp. Because boost is capped, a lower-restriction intake mostly improves spool and response, not peak boost. The gains show up with more fuel: in testing, a complete intake (box, filter and tube) added 9.9 hp and 13.5 lb-ft on a truck with about 80 hp of added fueling, and tubes larger than 4 inches inside diameter showed no gain below 400 rwhp. A sealed, fender-fed box makes the same dyno power as an open cone-filter kit with a heat shield, and the sensible upgrade order is filter first, then inlet area, then the tube.

On the charge-air side, silicone boots with spring-loaded clamps replace the cracking rubber ones. An upgraded intercooler can lower EGTs (Diesel Hub cites up to about 200 F) and handles higher aftermarket boost that a factory cooler may not withstand, though at stock fuel the power gain is small. If you add fuel, use CARB EO-numbered products only and verify the EO per product and model year.

What we carry

For filters and intakes, S&B offers the 75-5094 cold air intake kit, KF-series replacement filters, a filter wrap, a performance intake elbow and the Precision II cleaning and oil kit. Banks Power has the RAM-Air cold air intake, the Monster-Ram intake system and replacement filter elements, and MAHLE has the LX2947 air filter. On the charge-air side you'll find CSF OEM+ replacement and heavy-duty intercoolers; Mishimoto intercoolers, an intercooler and pipe kit, a factory-fit boot kit, a silicone intake hose and a radiator, transmission cooler and intercooler bundle; and Banks intercooler upgrades. Wehrli Custom Fabrication (WCFab) supplies Stage 1 and Stage 2 high-flow intake bundles, a 4-inch intake kit, a 3.5-inch intake horn and pipe kit, hot-side and cold-side replacement intercooler pipes, a dry air filter and silicone boot and clamp kits. BD Diesel has positive air shutdowns, an intercooler replacement pipe and high-torque clamps, and PPE has a 3-inch silicone hump coupler.

For grid heater and sensor work there are genuine Cummins parts (heater grid and MAP sensor), XDP heavy-duty grid heater relay wiring and an ambient air temperature sensor, and gaskets from Alliant Power and MAHLE, including intake manifold gasket sets and head sets. Shopping across platforms? See all intakes, or go back to the Cummins hub for the rest of the engine.

Fitment notes

These trucks were sold as Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 (single rear wheel and dually) in ST, SLT and Laramie trims, in Regular Cab, Quad Cab and, from 2006, Mega Cab. The Power Wagon is a Hemi truck, not a Cummins, so it does not belong here. A 2004.5 truck is titled as a 2004; the 325-hp 600 engine is what puts it on this page. The airbox, inlet ducting and intake tube changed at 2004.5, so read the year range on any tube, hose or elbow and match it to your engine, not just the model year. 2007 is a split year too: trucks built after January 1, 2007 got the 6.7L Cummins and belong on the 6.7L pages. Replacement intercoolers are commonly listed 2003-2009, so confirm end-tank style and boot sizes, and note the Banks intercooler upgrade comes in separate 2003-2005 and 2006-2007 versions. When in doubt, verify by VIN.

Frequently asked questions

Will a cold air intake add power to my stock 2004.5-2007 5.9L?

Not much. A 2006 magazine test of six aftermarket intakes on a stock 2005 found none beat the factory system for horsepower. Since the ECM holds boost near 30-31 psi, what you will feel is quicker spool and response. Gains of roughly 10 hp showed up only once the engine had more fuel.

Why does my truck whistle and lose power under boost?

Start with the intercooler boots. The factory rubber boots crack with age and leak boost, which shows up as a hiss or whistle, lost power, higher EGTs and black smoke. On a 2005, also check the intercooler end tanks, which are commonly reported to crack. Silicone boots with spring-loaded clamps replace the factory rubber.

Which air filter does my truck take?

The factory filter is Mopar 53032700AB. Chrysler TSB 14-002-10 released an upgraded element, Mopar 53034249AA, for trucks that work in dust. If you run an aftermarket intake, use the filter made for that kit, such as the S&B KF-series or Banks replacement elements.

Do I need a new air horn gasket after injector work?

Plan on it. The horn and grid heater have to come off for injector service, and the gasket tears easily when they do. Use Cummins 3969988, the heat-resistant gasket that replaced the old pink 3938158, and keep a spare on the shelf. A torn gasket lets unfiltered air in at the horn-to-head joint.

Is a bigger intercooler worth it on a stock truck?

At stock fuel the power gain is small, because the ECM caps boost. An upgraded intercooler earns its keep when you add fuel: Diesel Hub cites up to about 200 F lower EGT, and factory coolers may not hold higher aftermarket boost. On a 2005 with a cracked plastic-tank cooler you are replacing it anyway, so that is a good time to choose an upgraded unit.

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.