The 6.7L Cummins engine is the thing legends are made of. From the factory, it produces some exceptional torque and horsepower numbers; however, with the right diesel tuner, this engine will do some amazing things. For this reason, we’ve compiled this list to help you find the best diesel tuner for 6.7 Cummins. The best tuners can increase horsepower and torque while improving your MPGs, all without turning a wrench. It is one of the most popular upgrades truck owners are using and is commonly paired with cold air intake and exhaust upgrades. However, with many tuners to choose from, all claiming to give your truck the biggest power gains, it’s tough to pick the right one. For this reason, we’ve compiled this list of the best tuner for 6.7 Powerstroke.
4 Best Tuners for 6.7 Cummins:
Rank | Picture | Product | Brand |
---|---|---|---|
#1 | SCT Performance - 40490 - BDX Performance Tuner and Monitor | SCT | |
#2 | Edge Products 31105 Juice with Attitude CTS | Edge Products | |
#3 | Bully Dog 40420 GT Platinum Tuner for Diesel Applications | Bully Dog | |
#4 | RaceME ULTRA DPF Delete Programmer | Raceme |
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#1 – SCT Performance – 40490 BDX Performance – Best Tuner for 6.7 Cummins
Our best tuner for the 6.7 Cummins engines is manufactured by none other than SCT Performance. SCT Performance is one of the industry leaders when it comes to vehicle tuning. From Ford Mustangs to 6.7 Cummins diesel, SCT offers something for just about everyone to kick up the performance.
Through hours upon hours of research, SCT delivers the highest quality parts and services designed with customers like you in mind. If you want to step up your diesel engine’s performance to the next level, you need an SCT Performance product.
The SCT 40490 may well be the most widely used in North America – and for a good reason. This programmer has been shown to produce up to 128 extra horsepower in both stock and emissions deleted trucks. It offers tons of parameters for you to maximize your engine’s performance to levels that you prefer, adding a customization aspect to the SCT that you are sure to love.
Additionally, the full-color monitor on this system lets you keep track of your engine’s inputs and outputs. This helps you to protect your truck from anything you might find alarming on your readouts. It’s also a touchscreen that enables you to switch in and out of different performance modes on the fly.
With this feature, you can adjust for the best MPG possible or maximum torque for effective towing. The box the tuner comes in contains everything you need to install this unit. You’ll find the monitor, any necessary wiring, and an instruction manual with detailed step-by-step notes to make installation a breeze. This awesome tuning option is compatible with any GM truck from 2008 to 2014, so it will definitely fit your 6.7 Cummins and increase your performance in an immediately noticeable way.
According to reviews, the SCT is exactly what you would be looking for out of the best tuner for 6.7 Cummins engines. It currently holds a 4 out of 5-star review on Amazon from over 200 customer reviews, pointing to widespread satisfaction in the market. Reviewers commonly note several things about this tuner that make it their favorite option for their Cummins.
Most of these reviews are claiming that this tuner is the best diesel tuner that they have used. Not only does it improve the performance of their truck, but most have also noted that their fuel economy has improved.
Many find that the installation process is simple, both in terms of hardware and software. The physical installation is simple enough for the average truck user because everything you need is included for multiple power sources.
Lastly, many applaud SCT for making the tuner so easy to use. When it comes to tuners for Dodge Cummins engines, there are many to choose from. Since engine tuning is one of the most complicated aspects of modding your vehicle, having a tuner that is easy to use is essential. From setup to loading pre-loaded or custom tunes, SCT has truly made one of the best, easy-to-use tuners on the market.
#2 – Edge Products 31105 Juice with Attitude CTS
Edge Products is an industry leader that has produced a high-quality option for tuning your 6.7 Cummins. Since 1999, Edge Products has carved itself out a place above the rest as an innovator in the diesel truck tuning game. Over time, though, Edge began creating products for gas cars, trucks, and Jeeps, proving a formidable competitor in those markets, too. All of Edge Products’ aftermarket, performance-enhancing electronics have proven to be game-changers due to Edge Products’ outstanding engineering.
According to Edge Products what makes them stand out is the unrivaled user control and style in all of their products. They produce modules, programmers, and monitors under several different brand names that can be equipped to nearly all major car manufacturers.
In February 2011, Edge chose to be a part of the MSD Performance Family, specifically joining Edge Products and Superchips (a competitor) into the new entity “Powerteq,” with both continuing to operate under their own respective brands. Edge continues to make high-quality tuners that perform at or near the top of the market, including their 31105 Juice tuner, possibly the best tuner for 6.7 Cummins engines available.
This tuner is unique – and powerful – in a variety of ways. This unit receives the signals from your truck’s onboard computer and monitors those indicators, constantly looking for ways to improve performance. It can capture and show numerous engine readings that you would never have the opportunity to look at on stock gauges like exhaust temperature, turbo boost, and engine temperature.
The ability to monitor this information can mean the difference between maintaining a healthy engine and unknowingly driving around with serious problems. Using the 4.3-inch color touch screen, you can switch between multiple power levels, on the fly, with the tap of a finger. But the extra features on this product do much more than get you improved gas mileage or torque.
The scan tool allows the unit to read and clear troublesome codes within your truck’s computer, meaning your engine will be getting better information and commands and, in turn, improved performance. Additionally, the maintenance manager programmed into the software of this product lets you set up mileage-based alerts to get maintenance done on your truck.
With this feature, you will be able to make sure that you keep your vehicle in top condition. This capability alone could pay for the unit’s sticker price by letting you do preventative maintenance when it is needed. Accordingly, the engine boosting abilities and added features of this tuner land it high up on our list for the best tuner for 6.7 Cummins Ram models.
Looking at reviews of this tuner, it appears that the Edge Products 31105 Juice with Attitude CTS is a serious contender. This particular model is rated at a striking 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon with comments speaking to some serious added value to customers’ trucks. Consumers say that this product is really easy to install as long as this is indeed the right model for your truck.
Additionally, people write that their engine instantly performs like they bought a brand new truck with an entirely different engine in it. Users cite better accelerations, fuel efficiencies, and towing torque as evidence of their improved performance levels. All told, this tuner definitely belongs near the top of any list for the best tuner for 6.7 Cummins engines.
#3 – Bully Dog 40420 GT Platinum Tuner for Diesel Applications
Stationed in American Falls, Idaho, Bully Dog set out focused on improving diesel engine performance – and succeeded. Their high-quality tuners are built to stay on the cutting edge of technology by utilizing advances in mobile computing, cloud computing, performance monitoring, and Wi-Fi & Bluetooth technologies.
Bully Dog’s ECU calibration technologies help those who want to add performance to their vehicles through the beauty (and ease) of computer code. Their tuners have come to be known as the top of the line and loved by customers all over the world, making the Bully Dog 40420 GT Platinum Tuner quite possibly the best tuner for 6.7 Cummins engines.
This tuner comes preloaded with tunes that add immediate power, and torque and increase fuel economy. Case closed, right? Well, as they say: But wait, there’s more. The monitor that comes with this tuner gives you opportunities beyond using simple preset tunes and wistfully driving along. The display can show you vehicle data that is critical to both understanding the performance of your engine as well as monitoring any possible issues that your truck could be having.
The monitor also lets you switch power options on the fly, making it so you can go from towing to climbing to cruising, all with the best performance possible, with a few taps of a finger. Additionally, this tuner allows you to set custom tunes by visiting SCT Custom Tuning Dealers near you, adding greater value to this unit. Looking at the whole package, this Bully Dog product is exactly what you need for getting the best out of your 6.7 Cummins.
Reviews of this product actually show a bit of mixed emotion. More than half of reviewers say that this is the best product they could imagine and will take it to the grave. They say that it is everything that they could have wanted out of the best tuner for 6.7 Cummins vehicles and love the increased engine performance that the unit gave them.
However, many poor reviews talk about issues with the software in this product. Some say that the software simply wasn’t compatible with their truck or that updating their unit caused major problems. Still, others say that the product fit their truck just fine but, unfortunately, never showed any improvement in performance. So, customers are somewhat split about this product. Fortunately, you are the only one that can decide if this product is right for you and get your hands on Bully Dog’s tuner for yourself.
#4 – RaceME ULTRA DPF Delete Programmer
RaceME is a Canadian company that creates racing tuners for Cummins-equipped RAM trucks. These tuners have come to be known for their prowess in getting far better performance out of Cummins engines, making them a competitor in the race to be the best tuner for 6.7 Cummins users. This particular tuner provides all of the features available on this list from other products in one – plus more.
This tuner programs into your truck in, at most, seven minutes. This could save you hours off of your installation time all by itself. Once installed, this product uses a 4.3-inch display to show you tons of information about your vehicle with the ability to modify your performance on the fly. The tuner provides 10 different stages of tuning that can provide up to 200 more horsepower to your vehicle.
Using the touchscreen, you can make on-the-fly adjustments to these stages. You can even change fuel duration, rail pressure, timing, and torque, among other options. Additionally, this product has the capability of saving tons of information about the performance of your vehicle so that you can look back at your race information.
The software for this product is also top of the line. The updates are downloaded onto MicroSD cards that are inserted into the unit for easy installation. The tuner reads and clears troublesome diagnostic codes, keeping your engine running fresh. Altogether, these features give you a great value for this tuner.
Reviewers of this product all say that this tuner unleashed the beast within their Cummins engine. Everyone mentions how this tuner provides a ton of options for customizing your engine’s tuning to your exact specifications. However, customers took this two different ways. Most enjoyed getting to fiddle with their engine until it was to their exact desired characteristics.
But, others found all of the tuning options to be cumbersome and confusing. They also felt that getting a hold of someone at RaceME’s tech support to help them out with their turning was difficult. All told, it looks like this tuner is the best tuner for 6.7 Cummins engines if you are looking for a lot of customizing options. If not, you may want to look elsewhere.
6.7 Cummins Tuner Buyer’s Guide
If you own a Dodge Ram with a Cummins engine, chances are, you have thought about improving the performance or gas mileage. The 6.7 Cummins was seriously limited from the factory, and your Dodge Ram has plenty of room for improvement. One way to get better fuel economy and more performance is by purchasing a tuner for your truck. Truck tuners allow you to load pre-loaded tunes, download custom tunes, and adjust various parameters of your engine. This will allow for more horsepower, more torque, better towing performance, better fuel economy, and much more. Let’s take a look at a few things to take into consideration when purchasing a tuner for your Cummins engine-equipped Dodge Ram.
Performance
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that people choose to purchase a tuner for their Dodge Ram is for the additional performance. A tuner or programmer allows you to unlock your engine’s hidden potential, allowing for a large increase in horsepower and performance from stock or modified engines.
All tuners are going to be different, but most are going to be geared toward performance. One of the first steps you need to take before making your purchase is to figure out what you want to accomplish with a tuner. Do you want more horsepower, more torque, or simply better-towing capacity? This will allow you to fine-tune your search and find the best tuner for your 6.7 engine. You will want to find a tuner that allows for great performance gains and something that is compatible with the tuning shop you are going to go with.
Fuel Economy
Fuel economy is another big reason that Dodge Ram owners choose to go with a tuner. The 6.7 Cummins is no gas-sipper, and most did not buy it to save gas. However, with advancements in tuning, getting better fuel mileage from your Cummins is just a tune away.
The factory tune on your Cummins was designed to meet certain EPA restrictions and is based on stock configurations. When you start to add different modifications, your fuel economy can increase or decrease depending on the modification. A custom tune with a tuner will allow all of these modifications to work in harmony.
Look for a tuner that offers a great fuel economy improving tune straight out of the box. There are many tuners that will offer various strategy tunes with their tuners, and a fuel economy tune is usually one of them. If you really want to take your fuel economy to the next level on your Cummins diesel truck, speak with your tuning shop about a custom fuel economy tune.
Ease Of Installation
When it comes to the ease of installation of your Cummins tuner, you will want to look at both the software installation and the physical installation of the power source. Both of these factors can be a make or break for a tuner and taking a look at the reviews above should give you a better idea of how the installation is for both.
Software installation is one of the biggest hurdles that many have when purchasing a tuner. You are going to want to look for a tuner with easy-to-use software and compatibility with your specific computer. The best software is going to be compatible with both Macs and PC, so make sure you fully understand the installation process before purchasing.
As far as the physical installation goes, you are going to want to look for something that fits your type of installation. If you like hidden wires, a hardwired system or attachment may be best for you. If you want something that can easily be removed, a simple 12V plug should be sufficient, which most come with.
Amount Of Tunes It Can Hold
For those who are wanting to load multiple tunes on their Cummins-powered vehicle, a tuner with multiple tune banks should be sought. Having the ability to switch between tunes for when you need more power, towing capacity, and fuel economy is never a bad idea, so be sure to put this into consideration when searching for a tuner.
Many tuners are going to offer 10-20 tune banks for you to keep various tunes at your disposal. This is not going to be a must-have for everyone, but it is definitely a good feature to have and is well worth the investment.
In-Vehicle Mounting
One of the coolest features of a tuner is the ability to monitor the real-time metrics of your vehicle. This means that you can have a quick and easy way to read your vehicle’s temperatures, boost levels, fuel mileage, and much more right on your dash. This is where in-vehicle mounting is going to be a deciding factor in your purchase.
Many tuners are going to offer windshield mounts, dash mounts, and other mounting brackets to affix your tuner inside your vehicle to easily read these metrics while driving. Most tuners are going to offer touchscreen capabilities, so you are able to quickly adjust and customize your tuner on the fly.
While there are many aftermarket universal mounts made for tuners, having one that is made specifically for your vehicle can make things much easier and cleaner for your truck.
Customization
Last but not least, the list of things you should look at when purchasing a tuner for your 6.7L truck is customization. A tuner’s main job is to make things more custom for your truck, so the last thing you will want is a tuner that you cannot customize.
Just about every tuner is going to be set up to make it much easier for you to customize the parameters of your truck. If you are wanting a tuner that allows you to make as many adjustments as you can, you will want to find one that allows for this. If you want a tuner that is just built to accept tunes from a professional tuning shop, then this may not be as big of a concern. However, it certainly will not hurt to have this extra ability.
6.7 Cummins Tuner FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions
Is A Tuner Safe To Use On My 6.7L Engine?
This is perhaps one of the most popular questions when it comes to tuning a 6.7 Cummins engine. This is a tricky question as it can be both safe and unsafe, depending on how it is used.
A tuner is perfectly safe when used correctly to tune a 6.7 Cummins diesel engine. Using pre-loaded tunes or a tune developed by a professional tuner is the safest way to get more performance and fuel mileage from your vehicle. As long as your tune is not over the top and your tuner is reputable, you should have no problem getting years of great performance from your truck.
A tuner is unsafe when you are adjusting parameters you are not familiar with or using tunes from non-professional tuners. This can quickly damage your engine and put you and the safety of others at risk. Always seek the help of professionals when it comes to tuning and only used approved tunes on your truck.
Which 6.7L Tuner Is Best For Performance?
Another popular question regarding tuners for 6.7L trucks is which tuner is best for my truck? This is going to be subjective to what you really want to get out of your tuner. We can point you in the right direction with our best suggestions and the highest-ranked tuners, but ultimately, you will want to find one that checks all of the boxes for you and your goals.
Even if a tuner is loved by many, it may not have all of the features that you need for the goals of your truck. It is very important that you think about everything you will want your tuner to do and make sure the tuners you are looking at, accomplish all of these goals. This is going to lead you to the best 6.7L tuner for your truck.
Can A Tuner Use These Tuners To Tune My Vehicle?
Absolutely! You are going to need a tuner to download a customer tune onto your vehicle from a professional tuner. They are also going to want to use these tuners when tuning your vehicle to make sure everything is adjusted correctly. There are two types of ways a professional can use your tuner to tune your truck, remotely or in person.
Remote tunes, often called mail-in tunes, are done by a professional in-house and then sent to you by email to download onto your device. The tune is downloaded onto your device by you and then uploaded onto your truck.
In-person tunes are usually the best way to get performance as your tuning professional can see exactly how the tune affects your truck and make adjustments on the fly. This will cut down on the back and forth of a mail-in tune and cut time on data logging. You will pay a heftier fee, but you will have more performance quicker than a mail-in tune.
Can I Easily Remove A Tune From My Truck?
Yes! That is one of the biggest benefits of using a tuner. If you are wanting to remove a tune from your truck, you can simply return it back to stock with the push of a button. This is a great way to get your truck ready to sell, ready for someone else to drive it, or returned to stock if you are selling your tuner.
Will A Tuner Improve My Fuel Economy?
Yes! A tuner is often used to improve the fuel economy of vehicles, including the 6.7L engine found in Dodge Rams. Fuel economy tunes use the tuning capabilities to their advantage to allow you to get the best fuel mileage available. Talk to your professional tuner or the company you buy your tuner from about fuel economy tunes and what you can expect from a custom tune.
Conclusion
The right tuner for your Ram 2500 or 3500 is an essential component of every attempt to get more power out of your truck. Especially if you’ve installed a leveling kit or lift kit with larger tires, or you tow, a tuner will help you keep that truck feeling nimble and fast.
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