Dodge Cummins Fuel / Air Upgrades
Fuel supply pumps/lift pumps:
Your Dodge Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, 5500 Cummins-powered truck comes from the factory with a fuel lift pump. Since 2005, this pump has called the fuel tank it’s home. While the factory unit does the job, it is not as strong as we would like it to be. If it lacks in its ability to provide fuel to the injection pump, power and efficiency will decrease, and check engine lights may follow.
Upgrading to an aftermarket pump may be the right solution. While not necessary if your OEM pump is working as intended, these pumps are worth the investment with the potential for improved filtration, water separation, air separation, and significantly increased flow with direct return of unused fuel to the tank for additional filtration.
Turbo replacements/upgrades/compounds (factory replacement to custom):
Many dream of upgrading injectors to improve their diesel performance, but forget that bigger injectors will demand more fuel supply. Additionally, tuning command increased injection on time, which requires more from the fuel supply system. There is more to helping your engine run efficiently and smoothly when adding more fuel. In order to use the additional fuel to your advantage, you must also have additional air in the cylinder to complete the combustion process effectively.
We mention on our Dodge Cummins engine performance page how improving cylinder head and camshaft air flow will help with overall combustion. Most people do not wish to go through the financial and mechanical effort to accomplish adding air with the carrot, so they prefer to go with the “big stick” method. That big stick comes in the form of increased boost, and typically calls for larger turbo chargers to make that boost happen.
We have installed countless factory replacement turbos in Dodge Ram Cummins trucks, but have also designed and installed numerous modified OEM Holset and aftermarket Borg Warner turbos in single or compound systems. Yes, we’ve even installed a few triple turbo systems for extreme power applications.
Injectors (stock to highly modified):
Going back 10+ years in diesel performance, we used to be leery of large diesel injectors as the tuning at the time was not capable of customizing the necessary injection duration and pressures to keep the Dodge Cummins engines running efficiently. This made for a smoky mess on the street which many thought was cool at first, but then turned to embarrassing and frustrating. The industry has come a long way since then.
Some people still want that smoky trail behind them. Here at Titan Diesel Sports, we prefer to help build efficient running Cummins engines that minimize inefficiencies such as unburnt fuel and maximize power to the ground for better towing, fuel mileage, and longevity of the overall powertrain. Titan Diesel Sports is here to help you choose the right quality injector for your application.
Injection pumps (stock to highly modified):
We discussed previously the potential need to upgrade your lift pump if you are increasing your injector size on your Dodge Ram Cummins 2500, 3500, 4500, or 5500 truck. Additionally, depending upon the generation of Cummins-powered truck, you may need to address the injection pump to get the full potential of the injector upgrade.
Factory injection pumps are typically designed for the OEM power rating of the engine they are attached to. The industry has found ways of pushing those limits, but sometimes you cross over into a gray area where your injection pump may not be able to keep up with the fuel the larger injectors and tuning are demanding.
Titan Diesel Sports is here to help you ascertain if a larger injection system is in your best interest, and which products and modifications make sense.
Intercoolers & boot/piping kits:
An intercooler, also known as a charge air cooler or CAC, are an air-to-air heat exchanger that cools the air from the turbo charger to the engine. As the air gets “charged” or boosted by the turbo charger, the temperature of the air increases. Going back to your junior high chemistry class, as pressure increases, so too does temperature. So, as boost is created and increased, so too does the temperature of the air.
To obtain optimal combustion, the cooler the air, the better. This is exactly the opposite of what happens in a turbocharged or other boosted engine. To cool the incoming air, the air travels through the intercooler. While temperatures can exceed 400* coming out of the turbo, an efficient intercooler may be able to bring temperatures of pressurized air down to ambient temperature outside.
Most Dodge Cummins-powered trucks do not need an intercooler upgrade. Factory intercoolers are adequate for typical street-driven trucks. If an intercooler needs to be replaced due to damage, failure, or internal contamination (think turbo failure and oil puddled inside the intercooler), it may be time to consider a more efficient upgrade. If you are getting into the realm of bigger turbos and injectors, you may benefit from a more efficient intercooler. You can also check our Dodge Cummins suspension and steering upgrade.