Ram 2500/3500 Cummins Turbo Upgrade Guide

# Ram 2500/3500 Cummins Turbo Upgrade Guide

If you're running a 6.7L Cummins in a 2500 or 3500 and the stock turbo is tired, blown, or just holding the rest of your truck back, replacing it is one of the few upgrades that changes how the truck feels every time you get on the throttle. It's also one of the pricier single parts you'll buy for this engine, and this is a pick-one guide. You're choosing one turbo to fit your truck's year range, not stacking every option below onto one build.

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The catalog currently lists active, priced turbos from four manufacturers for the 2500/3500 Cummins: Calibrated Power, BD Diesel, Fleece Performance, and Stainless Diesel. That's what's live and priced today, not a claim that these are the only turbo brands that exist for this engine.

One rule before you shop

Every listing in this category carries the same warning in its own description: a turbo swap by itself isn't the upgrade. The 6.7L Cummins needs fuel delivery and tuning that match whatever the new turbo can flow, or you're paying for hardware that can't do its job. If you're not planning to touch fueling and tuning at the same time, a turbo upgrade probably isn't the right first move for your truck. Start there, not here.

Why the year range matters this much

The 6.7L Cummins has run a variable geometry turbo (VGT) since it launched, but the actuator, the electronics that drive it, and the housing have all changed across the truck's production run. That's the practical reason this guide is organized by year instead of by brand. A turbo built for a 2019-2023 truck is not a universal fit for a 2013-2018 truck even if both are technically "a 6.7L Cummins VGT," and a listing that doesn't specify your exact range is one to walk away from. When in doubt, match your truck's build date and engine calibration ID to the listing, not just the model year on the title.

2019 to 2023 (Standard and High Output)

This is the newest VGT turbo generation in the catalog, and the prices run highest here too.

• Calibrated Power CALIBRATED POWER STEALTH MACH 1 (64) TURBOCHARGER DM1LO2080203000 19-23 6.7 CUMMINS: the most expensive turbo in this lineup, fits both Standard and High Output 6.7L Cummins for 2019-2023. No published horsepower or torque gain.
• BD Diesel BD-POWER 1045772 SCREAMER TURBOCHARGER 19-22 6.7 CUMMINS: BD Diesel's listing claims a support rating of +690 hp. Read that as a ceiling the turbo can flow toward once fueling and tuning are built up around it, not a horsepower gain from bolting the turbo on by itself. No single turbo adds that much power on its own, and BD's own product page doesn't claim it does.
• Fleece Performance Cheetah VGT Turbocharger [FPE-351-1920]: no published gain figure. Fleece markets this one on spool-up and drivability instead of a dyno number, and it's the only turbo in this batch with a CARB Executive Order listed by the manufacturer. That matters if you're in a state that checks for one, though a seller's compliance claim is not a guarantee your install will pass. Fleece also states this turbo keeps the factory exhaust brake and cold-weather warm-up cycle, features some drop-in turbos lose.

2013 to 2018

• Stainless Diesel Boss 63/67 VGT Drop-In Turbo | 2013-2018 6.7 Cummins: Stainless Diesel's drop-in VGT unit for this range.
• Stainless Diesel Underboss 63/64 (No VGT Actuator) Drop-In Turbo | 2013-2018 Dodge Ram 6.7 Cummins: the cheapest turbo in the entire lineup. It ships without a VGT actuator, meaning you reuse the one already on your truck, which is why it costs less. Worth checking your actuator's condition before you go this route.
• BD Diesel BD-POWER 1045771 SCREAMER PERFORMANCE TURBOCHARGER 2013-2018 DODGE 6.7L DIESEL 2500/3500: the same BD Diesel Screamer line as the newer version above, with the same support-rating caveat.
• Fleece Performance FLEECE FPE-351-1317 CHEETAH TURBOCHARGER 2013-2018 RAM 6.7L DIESEL 2500/3500: Fleece's Cheetah turbo for this year range. No published gain figure.

2007.5 to 2018

• Calibrated Power Calibrated Power Stealth STR Turbo 07.5-18 Ram 6.7L Cummins: Calibrated Power's Stealth STR is the one turbo in this batch listed to fit the full 2007.5-2018 span in a single part number. No published gain figure.

2007.5 to 2012

• Stainless Diesel Boss 63/67 VGT Drop-In Turbo | 2007.5–2012 6.7 Cummins: Stainless Diesel's drop-in unit for the earliest trucks in this range.

What to check before you buy

• Match the year range exactly. The VGT hardware and the electronics behind it changed enough across 2007.5-2012, 2013-2018, and 2019-2023 that a turbo built for one range won't bolt up clean to another.
• Ask whether the unit includes a VGT actuator or expects you to reuse your factory one. The no-actuator options in this batch cost noticeably less for exactly that reason, so make sure your existing actuator is in good shape before you go that route.
• Every turbo in this batch is rated a difficult install by the catalog, typically a 6 to 10 hour job. This is shop work for most owners, not a weekend driveway swap.
• If a listing claims a CARB Executive Order or any other emissions compliance, treat that as the seller's claim, not a verified guarantee. Emissions rules for modified diesels vary by state and change over time. Check with your state's emissions authority and, if you're unsure where you stand, an attorney, before you buy. This isn't legal advice, just a flag to go verify it yourself.
• Budget for fueling and tuning alongside the turbo itself. None of the pricing above includes what it costs to actually feed and tune the new hardware.
• Ask about warranty terms and whether a core charge applies. Turbos are precision parts, and how a manufacturer or retailer handles a failed unit or a defective actuator matters as much as the sticker price.
• Get a labor quote before you commit. A 6 to 10 hour shop job on top of the part itself changes the real cost of this upgrade, and that labor rate varies a lot by shop and by region.

The honest gap in the numbers

Only two of the nine turbos in this batch publish any performance figure at all, and both are BD Diesel's Screamer line claiming a support rating rather than a tested gain. Everything else lists no horsepower or torque figure. That's not unusual for a part this size. Real-world gains depend on your fueling, your tune, your altitude, and whatever else is built on the truck, which is exactly why no honest turbo manufacturer puts a single dyno number on a part that never runs alone. Treat every figure you see for this category, including the ones here, as a starting point for a conversation with a shop, not a promise.