2004.5-2007 Dodge 5.9L Cummins Turbo Parts

Turbo on the 2004.5-2007 RAM 5.9L Cummins

Mid-2004 is where the turbo changed. The 2004.5-2007 5.9L Cummins carries a Holset HE351CW, a fixed-geometry turbo with a wastegate, where the 2003-2004 trucks used the HY35W. The wastegate is electronically controlled, and the ECM uses it to hold boost to about 30-31 psi. That cap is built in: the stock ECM and wastegate will not let boost go past it. The turbo feeds an air-to-air intercooler on its way to the intake. When the 6.7L arrived in 2007.5 trucks, it brought a different turbo entirely, the variable-geometry HE351VE, with its own manifold and control system.

What fails and why

Heat comes first. The 2004.5-up engine has a 1,500 F exhaust-temperature limit, and with the stock turbo and added fuel, EGT climbs past it. You'll see high pyrometer readings towing or at altitude, and smoke, and over time the valve seats take damage. A stock-turbo truck may or may not stay safe with 60-70 extra horsepower, depending on load, altitude and outside temperature.

Wear comes second. Dust that slips past a bad air filter or seal chews on the compressor inducer: small wear marks on the blades, slow boost build, oil at the compressor outlet. Shaft bearings and seals wear with age and oil quality, and the signs are oil in the intercooler piping, blue smoke, a whine or play in the shaft. Before you condemn the turbo, look for boost leaks. Aging factory rubber boots, and the plastic-tank intercooler commonly reported on 2005 trucks, can leak and mimic a bad turbo with low boost, high EGT and a hiss under load.

Stock replacement vs. upgrade

If the truck is stock and the turbo is worn, a new stock-replacement unit puts it back where the factory had it. If you've added injectors or plan to, the turbo is the next thing to address, because the factory unit falls short in high-performance use and EGT gets hard to manage. The stock turbine housing has been the biggest restriction in the Cummins exhaust path since 1994. On an early-2004 High Output truck with the older HY35W, a turbo swap took dyno numbers from 280 to 306 hp, mostly by going from a 9 cm2 to a 14 cm2 wastegated housing. Upgraded drop-ins lower EGT and support Stage 1-2 injectors. Compound kits are the route for higher power, and they are what let a fueled truck tow with EGT kept under roughly 1,100-1,300 F. Whichever way you go, pair the turbo change with intercooler and boot upgrades and a pyrometer.

What we carry

Turbos: new stock replacements from BD Diesel and XDP (the XD560 Xpressor), the Fleece Performance Engineering Cheetah, Stealth turbos, including HE351CW-based units, from Calibrated Power Solutions, the ATS Diesel Performance Aurora 3000/4000/5000 system and the ATS Aurora Compound Turbo System. Install parts: Fleece and G&R Diesel oil feed and drain lines, Fleece drain tube kits and installation kits, BD flexible oil drains and a turbo mounting kit, MAHLE T4, T6 and mounting gasket sets, and a PPE T4 oil drain fitting. Wastegate parts: a genuine Cummins wastegate solenoid, a BD wastegate control valve, and an ATS wastegate solenoid plug cap and harness jumper. Also here: titanium turbo blankets from PPE, Mishimoto and ATS; BD V-band and hose clamps and Turbosmart constant-tension clamps; BD's Cool Down Timer 2; and Calibrated Power Solutions Stealth Boost Tester inlet adapters and regulator for chasing leaks. Shopping for more than one truck? Browse all turbos.

Fitment notes

These trucks were sold as the Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500; we file them under RAM. Turbo parts on the 5.9L split at 2004.5: the 2003-2004 HY35W and the 2004.5-2007 HE351CW are different units with different housings and actuators, so match the part to your year. The 2007 model year is split too. Trucks built with the 5.9L take these parts, while 2007.5 trucks with the 6.7L use a different turbo, manifold and control system, so go by the engine, not the model year. Some accessories here, like the Holset oil feed line and flexible drains, are listed across many 5.9L and 6.7L years; others are cut for this truck only. If you're adding power, use parts that are legal where you drive and check each product page for a CARB EO number covering your model year. When in doubt, verify by VIN.

Frequently asked questions

Which turbo came on my 2004.5-2007 Ram 5.9L Cummins?

A Holset HE351CW, a fixed-geometry turbo with an electronically controlled wastegate. The 2003-2004 trucks used the HY35W, which often gets mislabeled as an HE341. A 2007.5 truck with the 6.7L has the variable-geometry HE351VE instead.

Why does my boost top out around 30 psi?

That's by design. On 2004.5 and later trucks the stock ECM and the electronically controlled wastegate hold boost to about 30-31 psi. Keep that factory wastegate control in place. If your boost is low rather than capped, start looking for leaks.

My boost is low and EGT is high. Is the turbo bad?

Not necessarily. Leaking factory boots, and the plastic-tank intercooler commonly reported on 2005 trucks, cause the same low boost, high EGT and hiss under load. Pressure-test the intake side first. Oil in the intercooler piping, blue smoke, whine or shaft play point at the turbo itself.

Do I need a new oil drain tube with a new turbo?

Plan on it. The bearings must be pre-lubed at install and the drain tube fitted properly, or a new turbo can fail quickly. Coat O-rings and bearings in clean oil, and install the drain tube after the turbo is mounted on the manifold. That's why drain tube kits, feed lines and install kits sit next to the turbos here.

When should I upgrade instead of replacing stock?

When you've added fuel or larger injectors. With the stock turbo and extra fuel, EGT runs past the 1,500 F limit, and the factory turbo falls short once injectors are upgraded. A stock-replacement unit is the straight fix for a stock truck that stays stock.

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.