Dyno Test: 2006 Dodge Cummins 362 SXE Drop In with EFI Live Tuning

In our latest dyno test, we’re putting a 2006 Dodge Ram with a 5.9 liter Cummins diesel on the dyno. The only modifications this truck has is EFI Live by Power Driven Diesel and the BorgWarner 362 drop in turbo. Everything else power-wise is stock. We’re going to see what kind of power this setup can create. Then we’ll put on a high-flow air filter to see if the stock air box is a restriction or not.

One thing that’s nice about this setup is that it’s going to be a quiet running truck. Towing or on the freeway, this setup does not make a lot of noise. Let’s see what it can do.

Dyno Test 1: EFI Live and BorgWarner Turbo Setup

The first run will be from about 1,500rpm to about 3,400rpm so we can see if we can get max power out of this turbo.

After the first run, the numbers show 539 horsepower and 1,014lbs of torque. That’s pretty good power for a 62mm charger – on par with what we see from 69mm chargers with stock fueling. We’re going to do a second run just to make sure these power numbers are repeatable and not a fluke.

Run number two produced essentially the same numbers. So, with a stock intake and only a 362SXE turbo and EFI Live for modifications, this 5.9 Cummins is producing over 500 horsepower and more than 1,000 feet of torque. And it’s quiet.

Let’s put a different filter on it and see how it goes.

Changing Out the Stock 5.9 Cummins Air Filter

Right away when we opened the hood, we could see that the air minder was maxed out, so the stock filter is definately maxed out with this turbo.

We swapped out the stock box for a Power Driven Diesel air filter we had in the shop and a janky intake tube so we could see what a high intake filter will do for this ‘06 Dodge.

Dyno Test 2: 5.9 Cummins with BorgWarner 362 and High Flow Air Filter

Before we start the dyno test, we need to explain that there are a few things that can be done to influence dyno results. For example, if we wanted to show that there were big gains with our air filter, we would do that run with the engine cold for maximum numbers, then, we would swap out for the stock air box and do a comparison run while the engine is heat soaked to show a massive gain with our filter.

This test with our PDD filter is happening literally just a few minutes after the first one. The filter swap took a couple minutes and the engine is now sittin at 180 degrees. We’re going to do to runs back to back.

The first run is the same as our previous test, 1,500rpm to 3,500rpm. The results for the 5.9 Cummins with a high flow filter were 573 horsepower and 1,056 pounds of torque. A horsepower increase of 34.

We did a second run to see if it was repeatable. This time we turned out 565 horsepower and 1,039 pounds of torque. So, we lost a few horsepower due to heat, but overall, there is a benefit to going with a high-flowing air filter with this turbo.

Dyno Test 3: Towing and Incline Simulation

For the third test, we’re simulating towing 17,000lbs behind the truck, and we’re also going to be adding different grades. We’ll start at a 3% grad and gradually increase up to 6%. All the while, we will be monitoring how the turbo does with all the different conditions. We’ll also put the cruise at 80mph and turn the air conditioning on to truly simulate freeway towing.

With zero incline, you can see that we’re running a little hotter normal because we don’t have 80mph winds pushing across the radiator. Let’s see what happens when we go up to a 3% grade.

At a 3% grade you can see that we jump up to 18 pounds of boost. We still haven’t lost any speed. Lets jump up to 4%.

At a 4% grade, we see a bit more boost come on and the temperature go up a little as well. Also, the fan kicked on to help cool the engine. What will 5% do?

With a 5% grade, the EGT gets up to 1,250 degrees and boost from the BorgWarner gets up to around 26 pounds. Finally, how does the Cummins, 362 SXE combo perform on a 6% grade?

On a 6% grade, you can see we’re having no problem maintaining speed with the Borg Warner SXE362.  Not something we would get from a stock setup. The EGT is getting hot, but not as bad as it would have been with a stock turbo. Overall, this is not too bad for a common rail truck.

The best thing about the setup we have on this truck is that the BorgWarner SXE362 drops right into place. No replacing the stock exhaust manifold or anything else.

If you have questions about the setup we tested here; a 5.9L Cummins with a BorgWarner SXE362 turbo and EGT, or any other products for your diesel truck, contact us at 435-962-9555 or text us at 435-962-9506, or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, or leave a comment below. We try to answer any and all questions as quickly as possible.