2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo - Boost It Loose

Once all the manifold bolts are in place, torque down the bolts to 50-55 lb-ft and then reinstall the heat shield at the front of the manifold. The factory hardware is reused with the bolt sleeves. This allows the manifold to expand and contract, reducing the likelihood of a crack. One of the advantages of the ATS manifold is that it is equipped with a pyrometer opening so we could easily screw in our EGT probe for our TS Performance gauges.

Lining up the new turbo with the exhaust housing was a bit of a pain for a number of reasons: aftermarket exhaust, new turbo, different manifold, and so on. The rear of our turbo didn't line up with the exhaust as closely as we would have liked. After a few minutes of moving things around and loosening parts, we were able to get everything shifted into place and tightened down.

Before reconnecting your oil lines it's a good idea to fill your new turbo with oil. Also, the turbine housing bolts come loose on the compressor housing so that you can line up the inlet hose exactly. Be sure to tighten the housing and double-check all your hose clamps and fittings before moving on.

One of the first things we noticed about the new turbo was that there was no waste gate or place for the factory electronics to plug into. The solution came in the form of a three-wire contraption appropriately named the boost fooler...

...You will need to tap into your vehicle's MAP sensor and ECM so that the fooler can fool your motor into allowing more boost without tripping an engine light. Despite its cheesy design, the boost fooler works flawlessly, and we haven't had a single engine code yet.

We went with TS Performance's Heads Up digital gauges for our '06 Ram. They allow us to monitor EGT, boost, rpm, and fuel pressure and store maximum and minimum settings for each. The Heads Up display is a bonus, keeping our eyes on the road. With a quick glance to the corner of our windshield, we can put our mind at ease.