The factory intake on a Dodge Cummins necks down right where the air enters the engine. The stock plenum is small, it turns the air hard, and it does not feed all six cylinders evenly. On a stock truck you live with it. The second you start asking the engine for more air, that little factory casting becomes the bottleneck, and the cylinders at the far end of the plenum get shorted. The Banks Monster-Ram was built to fix exactly that.
What the Factory Plenum Costs You
Air does not like sharp turns or tight spaces. Every restriction between the turbo and the cylinder head is boost you paid for and heat you did not need to make. The factory plenum also distributes air unevenly, so the front cylinders and the back cylinders are not getting the same charge. That shows up as uneven EGTs and an engine that just does not breathe the way it should once you are working it.
What the Monster-Ram Changes
The Monster-Ram replaces the factory plenum with a much larger, smoother one that opens up the path and spreads the air evenly across all six cylinders. The Gen-2 versions come with the boost tube and the fuel line where the application calls for it, and the heater system versions keep your cold start manners intact so you are not giving up driveability to gain airflow. You get more even cylinder feed, cooler and more consistent EGTs, and an intake that flows what your turbo is actually making.
| Factory plenum | Banks Monster-Ram | |
|---|---|---|
| Plenum volume | Small, necks down | Large, opened up |
| Cylinder feed | Uneven front to back | Even across all six |
| On a built truck | Bottleneck up top | Flows what the turbo makes |
| Cold starts | Factory heater | Heater system retained |
Find Your Exact Monster-Ram
Banks builds the Monster-Ram for nearly every Cummins, in standard pickup and cab and chassis versions, and in a few finishes so it matches your build. Match yours by year, truck, and color below.
1998 to 2002 Dodge 5.9 (2nd Gen)
| Truck | Option |
|---|---|
| 98-02 Dodge 5.9L | Monster-Ram Intake w/ Boost Tube |
2003 to 2007 Dodge 5.9 (3rd Gen)
| Setup | Option |
|---|---|
| Stock intercooler | 03-07 5.9L w/ Stock Intercooler Monster-Ram |
| Upgraded / with boost tube | 03-07 5.9L Monster-Ram Intake w/ Boost Tube |
2007.5 to 2012 Ram 6.7 (Gen-2, with Heater System)
| Truck | Color |
|---|---|
| 2500 / 3500 | Natural |
| Black | |
| Red | |
| Cab & Chassis | Natural |
| Red |
2013 to 2018 Ram 6.7 (Gen-2, with Heater System)
| Truck | Color |
|---|---|
| 2500 / 3500 | Red |
| Black | |
| Natural | |
| Cab & Chassis | Chassis Cab Red |
| 3500 / 4500 / 5500 | Natural |
2019 to 2024 Ram 6.7
| Truck | Color |
|---|---|
| 2500 / 3500 | Natural |
| Black | |
| Red | |
| 3500 / 4500 / 5500 (Cab & Chassis) | Red |
2017 to 2024 Chevy / GMC 6.6 L5P Duramax
Running a Duramax instead of a Cummins? The L5P gets the Monster-Ram treatment too, as a turbo inlet elbow that opens up the restrictive factory inlet horn on the turbo.
| Truck | Color |
|---|---|
| 17-24 2500 / 3500 L5P | Monster-Ram Turbo Inlet Elbow - Natural |
| Monster-Ram Turbo Inlet Elbow - Red |
Which Color and Version
The natural finish is raw aluminum and the cheapest way in. Black and red are powder coated if you want it to match the rest of the engine bay. On the 07.5 and newer 6.7 trucks the Gen-2 versions include the fuel line and the heater system, so your cold starts stay exactly like factory. The only real fitment question is whether you have a standard pickup or a cab and chassis, because the routing is different, so pick the right one above.
Who Should Run It
If your truck is stock and stays stock, the factory plenum will get you down the road. The moment you add a tuner, injectors, a bigger turbo, or you tow heavy, the intake side is one of the cheapest places to pick up real, usable airflow and even out your cylinder temps. You can bolt on all the air you want, but if it has to squeeze through the factory plenum to get in, you left it on the table. If you are not sure which one fits your exact truck, hit up our parts support and we will get you the right one.
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