Reference

Every Power Stroke, Cummins, Duramax and Gas V8 Since 1994, on One Page

Published October 21, 2026 · 4 min read

"2007 Ram 2500 diesel" can mean two different engines. "2008 F-250 diesel" is a different engine from the 2007. If you read used-truck listings, the model year is the first clue to what you are looking at, and the clue is only useful if you know where the lines fall.

Here are the 27 truck and van engines we track, on one timeline, with the years that matter most.

The years when everything changed

Most of the bars break at the same few years, and for the same reasons: emission rules, and the fuel systems built to meet them.

1. Mid-1998: the 5.9 Cummins goes electronic verifiedThe mechanical 12-valve gives way to the 24-valve with the electronic Bosch VP44 pump.
2. 2003: Ford switches to the 6.0, Cummins to common rail verifiedEarly 2003 Super Duty trucks still have the 7.3. A 2003 F-250 can have either, so check the VIN.
3. 2007-2008: the particulate filter (DPF) arrives verifiedThe 6.7 Cummins and the Duramax LMM in 2007, the 6.4 Power Stroke for 2008. Regeneration becomes part of owning a diesel.
4. 2011: DEF and the CP4 pump verifiedThe new 6.7 Power Stroke and the Duramax LML both add DEF and both use the Bosch CP4.2 pump. Ram adds DEF to its 6.7 pickups for 2013.
5. 2017-2020: new pumps verifiedThe L5P Duramax moves to a Denso HP4 in 2017. Ram uses the CP4 on 2019-2020 trucks only, and replaced it under recall.

How to use this when you read a listing

Start with the brand and year, then confirm with the VIN. The changeover years are where listings are most often wrong, and they are 2003 for Ford and 2007 for Ram. The eighth character of the VIN is the engine code, and our VIN lookup reads it for you.

Then ask which side of the emissions line it is on. A 2006 diesel has no particulate filter and no DEF. A 2013 Ram 2500 has both. That changes the maintenance, the parts that fail and the questions to ask the seller. Our glossary of diesel terms explains what each part does.

And remember the gas engines. Every heavy-duty brand sells a big gas V8 next to its diesel: the 7.3 Godzilla at Ford, the 6.4 HEMI at Ram, the 6.6 L8T at GM. If you do not tow heavy, they are worth a look. Our diesel or gas guide compares two of them.

All 27, with what is worth knowing

What this page does not cover

• Trucks outside our platforms. First-generation Dodge Cummins trucks (1989-1993), the Ford 6.9 and 7.3 IDI and the GM 6.2 and 6.5 diesels are not in our records yet.
• Output by year. Horsepower and torque changed within most generations. Each platform page lists the ratings it can source.
• Heavier trucks. Chassis cabs and some vans have their own calendars; the platform pages note the exceptions.

FAQ

Go deeper

• Comparisons: 6.0 vs 6.4 vs 6.7 Power Stroke · 5.9 vs 6.7 Cummins · Duramax LML vs L5P
• CP4 pump: which diesel trucks have it
• How the Cummins ended up in a Dodge
• Vans and half-tons: Sprinter limp mode: what owners say causes it · 3.5 EcoBoost cold-start rattle
• Used truck checklists by engine · Recalls by engine

Sources. Model years and changeovers from Torque Index platform records, each sourced on its platform page (manufacturer brochures and catalogs, NHTSA product data, reference sources). Fuel-system and aftertreatment changes from the same records and our engine articles, which cite the bulletins and recalls behind them. US market only. Torque Index takes no paid placement.