2006 GMC 2500 Crew Cab - Diesel Pow Pow Power

  |   Advanced Flow Engineering (aFe) offers its intake set-ups in different stages and configurations. We chose the full route with the company's Stage 2 intake, which will run from the air filter all of the way to the turbo. Do you embrace diesel power and performance? We do, because diesels respond to power adders with great horsepower and torque numbers. Drop the go-pedal to the floor, and a modified diesel will accelerate with enough G-forces to set your butt back in the seat and plant it there. Of course, not everybody wants their rig to be like ours and blitz the dyno rollers with 600 hp and 1,000 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. With that in mind, we talked with two of the heavyweights in the diesel-performance arena and set out to add a little breathing room in an '06 GMC 2500 Crew Cab powered by a Duramax turbodiesel engine. On the intake side, we went with an Advanced Flow Engineering (aFe) Stage 2 performance intake. Then, for the outbound duties, we used an MBRP stainless after-cat exhaust system. Northern California's premiere truck performance and suspension center is NorCal Truck, so we took a trip there to see what owner Nick Vazquez and his crew had in-house to play with. After showing us some cool trucks that we weren't allowed to take home, technician Nic Germano nabbed his tools and parts, and we jumped in with our camera to show you the easy installation.

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From The Driver SeatAfter ensuring that everything checked out okay, we slipped the key in the GMC's ignition and fired the turbodiesel mill to life. The engine settled into a chug-chug-chug staccato idle, as diesels tend to do, and the first impression we had was how quiet everything was. We normally hear a much louder decibel level, but so far it was quiet. Once rolling down the road, the combined parts allowed the turbo to really make some power, and while under a light throttle, the noise output was minimal. Standing on the accelerator allowed the rpms to climb much more rapidly and the exhaust and intake note changed from light to heavy and growling. Perfect! It's calm when you're cruising, clean and loud when you're not. YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED Time Spent Working: Approximately 30 minutes Degree of Difficulty: Beginner TOOLS NEEDED: Basic handtools PARTS USED: Advanced Flow Engineering (aFe) PN 54-10612 Stage 2 Intake MSRP $445.88 MBRP PN S6000409 Stainless Exhaust MSRP $631.34 Total Cost: $1,077.22 (Not including tax or installation labor)