Cummins Turbo Shootout!

6 Turbo Chargers + 1 Month of Testing = Cummins Turbo Shootout

If you ask five different diesel shops which single turbo upgrade is best, there is a good chance you will get 4-5 different answers.  To separate fact from fiction, we put together a rigorous test for five of the industry’s top turbo chargers.  Also included was the factory HE351 to see if the usual reported improvements over stock are true.  You might be wondering,  How did they choose the turbo chargers? What tests were run? And most importantly, What were the results?

 The turbochargers in this test are the stock Holset HE351CW, BD Killer B, Industrial Injection 62/80SB, Fleece Holset Cheetah, Engineered Diesel 63mm Billet S300, and ATS Aurora 3000.  The turbochargers were selected because of their popularity in the aftermarket, their price point, and the blind recommendation of the manufacturers’ sales staff to our buyer.  The goal of the test is to offer a broad scope of performance characteristics by collecting data under a variety of common truck usages.  Specific tests were designed to best characterize the drive-ability, towing utility, and peak power potential of each unit tested in a quantitative way.  The tests focus on turbocharger responsiveness (lag time), exhaust gas temperature control in towing scenarios, and peak horsepower/torque output.  The tests were carried out in a dyno cell where operating conditions could be held constant, and turbocharger type could be made the only variable.  Data sets for these tests are presented and analyzed in a way that clearly defines the strengths and weaknesses of each unit.  This analysis allows buyers to match their performance goals to the strengths of the turbos tested.

1. How did we choose the turbo chargers?
       A: We called the some of the industry’s top turbo manufacturers as a customer and asked them what they would suggest for our 5.9L Cummins truck. The turbo's in the shootout are their recommendation. 
2. What tests did we run?
       A: We focused on what we get asked about the most when it comes to turbo charger performance. Those things were: Spool up, Towing Power, and Max Horse Power.
3. What were the results?
       A: Download the complete shootout PDF below for yourself. It has 27 pages that outline the test procedure, dyno graphs, and test results.

Since this testing was completed we have developed an all new Drop-In, Upgraded, Stealth 64 Cummins Turbo.  To learn more about it, request information through the link below: