2008 Dodge Cummins 6.7L Gauge Installation

Today, we are hooking up a Dodge Ram with a 6.7 Cummins with a boost (Part #7504), pyrometer (Part #7544), trans temp gauge (Part #7557) and an A-Pillar Mount (Part #17213).

For this particular vehicle, the owner wanted LED lit Phantom II gauges. We also have a Dodge Factory Match series that is an exact match to the OEM instruments.

The A-pillar gauge mount (Part #17213) we make for this truck is a full replacement piece. The factory pillar cover is removed completely in this installation. All of the AutoMeter pillars for these years are finished in the factory taupe color for a seamless integration with your interior.

To connect the lighting on our gauges, we pull the factory dimmer to jump onto its output circuit. Because we are using LED lit gauges, we need to wire in an AutoMeter Dimmer Module (Part #9114). LEDs are either on or off and don’t actually dim on their own with a factory dimmer. This module will allow them to be dimmed just like a conventional incandescent light.

The wire we want to splice onto on this ’08 is the Orange one with the Brown stripe.

And here it is back in place.

We will start by installing the boost gauge.

The upper intake needs to come off the engine so we can drill and tap it.

Here is the engine with the intake removed.

With our intake on the bench, we will drill a 5/16″ hole in the cast aluminum portion.

Once our hole is complete, we will run a 1/8″ NPT pipe tap through it.

Make sure you don’t tap it all the way down. Pipe threads are tapered, so going too far can compromise sealing.

Our boost port is ready to go.

After we carefully blow out any remaining drill shavings, we install our male 1/8″ NPT fitting and it is ready to go back on the truck.

Here is our boost line run to the intake. Be careful not to overtighten this sealing nut. Tighten it finger tight, then an additional 3/8 to ½ turn at most.

Here you can see an expanded view of it all.

The next step will be to drill and tap the exhaust manifold for the pyrometer probe. While the best way to do this is to remove the manifold, if you are methodical in your approach, it can be done safely on the engine. The key is to start with a very small pilot hole and work your way up to the 5/16″ drill bit. This keeps the shavings very small and dust-like and makes them easy for the bit to eject.

Some people will put grease on the bit, but we don’t recommend this. This can cause shavings to stick inside the manifold which will ultimately find their way to your turbo. A dry bit that gradually works its way up in size is the best method. We have got our hole tapped out to 1/8″ NPT, just like the intake.

The probe is installed into the manifold.

With this body style, there’s no longer a place on the trans to access the fluid to measure temperature. We used a series of compression fittings to get access in the factory trans cooler line. It’s a little bit of a job, but not terrible. You can also get a complete kit from the folks at Diesel Manor here.

Here you can see ours installed. Make sure you’re going into the hot side line for the most accurate temperature. We aren’t as interested in what the fluid looks like after it has gone through the cooler.