Best Tuners For 6.6L LBZ Duramax (2006 – 2007)

| Last Updated: December 24, 2021

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Driving a truck is definitely one of the most fun activities out there, but driving an older truck with a tired old engine? Not the greatest. Did you know that one of the best ways to enhance your truck driving experience can be accomplished with a tuner?

Read on to learn about ways you can wake your 6.6L LBX Duramax engine up with the right tuner.

Comparison of the Best 6.6L LBZ Duramax Tuners (2006 – 2007)

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • Up to 180 HP & 440 TQ increase
  • Customizable 5" HD Touchscreen Display
  • Realtime Monitoring & Datalogging PIDs
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  • Evens out a truck’s speed and torque
  • Walks the fine line between power gains and safety
  • Maintains engine power, even when truck is heading uphill
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  • Comes with a two year powertrain warranty
  • Will cause a noticeable improvement in truck performance
  • Good at tracking different vitals while the vehicle is moving
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  • Durable, will last for years and years
  • Great for monitoring your truck’s vitals on long trips
  • Monitor & Datalog up to 100 PIDs
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  • Will fix any “check engine” light issues
  • Increases fuel efficiency by 20% or more
  • Improves both shifting and throttle response on your truck
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  • Tunes will upload quickly, within ten minutes
  • Will increase miles per gallon by three miles
  • Makes trucks run more efficiently, even when towing
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What Years Fall Under LBZ Duramax?

You will be able to find 6.6L LBZ engines on GM Duramax models, and for this article, we will be focusing on tuners that are compatible with those engines (although many of the tuners on our list are also compatible with other engine types, so if you happen to be a truck aficionado, you are in the right place). GM only produced trucks with 6.6L LBZ Duramax engines from 2006 – 2007, so make sure your truck falls within those model years before tuner shopping.

What can a Tuner Do for Your 6.6L LBZ Duramax?

Tuners can shake up your old engine and revitalize your truck in a number of ways:

Improved Power

Trucks with 6.6L Duramax engines likely are not as hefty as they used to be. But using a tuner can be like rubbing the sleep from your truck’s tired old eyes – and then hitting it with a really hefty shot of espresso. Tuners will unlock your truck’s power reserves and turn it into the monster it has always been meant to be.

Fuel Economy

All this talk about heftier power may be making you nervous – tuners are already pretty expensive, and now you are going to have to get more gas to fuel your newly powerful truck? It is actually exactly the opposite – tuners will improve your truck’s power and its fuel efficiency. It sounds too good to be true, but trust us, buying a tuner can actually save you some money in the long run.

How to Choose an LBZ Duramax Tuner

So how do you know which tuner is right for you? Here are some key characteristics:

Accessibility

Let’s face it, dealing with anything automotive can be pretty dang intimidating. Add high-powered tuning technology to that mix, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Invest in a tuner that is simple and easy to use, so you will not spend more time figuring out how to program it than you will actually driving your truck.

Efficiency

The best tuners will go beyond enhanced power and improved fuel economy, and will just make your truck run all out better, period. Whether that means enhancing its shifting smoothness, or evening out the balance between truck speed and truck torque, invest in a tuner that will be able to do anything and everything for your truck.

Vitals Monitoring

Tuners are awesome for keeping track of all that is going on with your truck’s engine – and there are some great ones out there that can run diagnostic error codes to tell you exactly why that “check engine” light came on. If you are looking for data on what exactly your tuner is doing for you, choose one of these models.

Review of the Best 6.6L LBZ Duramax Tuners

Keeping in mind everything you just learned about Duramax tuners, let’s check out some of the best products themselves:

Best Overall:
 Edge Evolution CTS3

PROS

  • 4 Power level tunes included!
  • Integrates with your rearview camera
  • Expandable with Edge's EAS system for extra functionality
  • Simple 30 minute installation
  • Doubles as an OBDII code reader (and can erase codes too!)

CONS

  • Relatively more expensive than other options

The Edge Evolution CTS3 is arguably the most complete and modern tuning device on the market today.

To start, the screen is a thin, high-definition touchscreen that is infinitely customizable. You can build numemrous pre-saved dashboards to display engine parameters like boost, RPM, fuel pressure, speed, EGTs, current gear, and loads more. Swap between these dashboards with a quick swipe, set one up for highway driving, performance runs against your buddies, or towing!

As for the tunes (which are included), LBZs are supported with 4 power levels: 

  • Level 0: Stock
  • Level 1: 30 HP / 60 Lb-ft TQ
  • Level 2: 60 HP / 135 Lb-ft TQ
  • Level 3: 85 HP / 185 Lb-ft TQ
  • Level 4: 100 HP / 220 Lb-ft TQ

Edge's system is also expandable with their EAS platform. You can incorporate custom probes to measure parameters at specific parameters, new modules, integrate it with your backup camera, and more!

Bottom Line

The Edge Evolution CTS3 is the cutting edge of tuner ability and technology. Also, many LBZ owners are quite happy with the tunes and feel they are safe enough for the engine and trans. Our recommendation would be to keep to the Level 1 or 2 tune when towing for the best MPG and to keep from damaging anything!

Best Monitor-Only Option:
 Edge Insight CTS3

PROS

  • Monitors every parameter your truck offers via PCM
  • Customize and save multiple dashboards
  • Easy to use
  • Expandable with Edge's EAS platform
  • Window Mount included

CONS

  • Tunes are not included! This is only a monitor, the Evolution series is the version that includes tunes

The Edge Insight CTS3 is the premiere tuner on the market when it comes to monitoring everything that is going on with your truck’s engine. This tuner can keep track of absolutely everything, including your truck’s injector balances, its fuel rail pressure, its transmission, its exhaust, its engine performance, and more – basically, if you want data on it, the CTS3 will be able to hook you up.

This kind of detailed monitoring system will make the CTS3 the ideal tuner for you if you anticipate putting your truck through any sort of unusual stress, such as taking it on lengthy road trips, or doing a large amount of towing.

And do not think for a second that because the CTS3 has such an advanced monitoring system, it will be difficult or cumbersome to use. Far from it – the CTS3 has a wonderfully simple interface that anyone would be able to figure out with ease.

Bottom Line

The Edge Insight CTS3 is a great tuner for keeping track of anything and everything about your truck’s engine. You will need to take a few minutes between starting your truck up and allowing this tuner to boot up, though.

Runner-up:
 Bully Dog GT Platinum Diesel Tuner

PROS

  • Versatile
  • Lightweight
  • Easy to install and easy to set up
  • Bully Dog provides good customer service
  • Strikes a balance between noticeable power gains and safety

CONS

  • Tuner cannot just be plugged in – will need to be activated by Bully Dog upon arrival

The Bully Dog GT Platinum Diesel Tuner is a fantastic tuner that gets its power from your truck – it hooks up to your truck’s unlock cable in order to release all of the raw power your truck’s engine has to offer.

This unlocked power will contribute to a number of benefits in your vehicle, including a noticeable evening out between speed and torque. And maximizing power also leads to maximizing fuel economy. Users report that with the Bully Dog GT, they are able to increase their engine’s average miles per gallon by up to four miles!

And perhaps best of all, when you are working with a Bully Dog GT, you will never have to worry about that most annoying aspect of driving a truck: the tendency of the vehicle to downshift unexpectedly when it is going uphill. This tuner will help your truck maintain its speed with ease, even when it is hauling something heavy along behind it!

Bottom Line

The Bully Dog GT Platinum Diesel Tuner is an excellent tuner that will take your truck to the next level. You will need to call Bully Dog to get it up and running, though.

Best for the Money:
Superchips FlashPaq F5 Tuner

PROS

  • Easy to install
  • Has a high definition color screen
  • Comes with a two year powertrain warranty
  • Produces a noticeable impact on truck performance

CONS

  • Superchips does not provide good customer service

The Superchips FlashPaq F5 Tuner is an awesome tuner that will blow your mind with all the incredible things it can get done for your truck. If you are looking for a tuner that can keep track of absolutely everything that is happening with your vehicle, even while the vehicle itself is in motion – look no further than the FlashPaq. This tuner has got you covered with the best in-motion tracking in the business.

Additionally, it comes with four pre-programmed tunes: Economy, Daily Driving, Towing, and Extreme Tuning. You can play around with these tunes depending on what you are looking for for your truck, whether that is improved gas mileage or streamlining your engine’s shifting capacity when towing.

Bottom Line

The Superchips FlashPaq F5 Tuner is a great tuner that is best for monitoring anything and everything that is going on with your truck, even while you are physically driving it. Just know that if you do run into an issue and need support, it will be difficult to find good customer service at Superchips.

4. EFILive AutoCal Tuner

PROS

  • Durable
  • Versatile
  • Easy to use
  • Lightweight
  • EFILive provides great customer service

CONS

  • Could use more detailed instructions
  • Does not come with any sort of carrying or storage case

The EFILive AutoCal Tuner is an excellent tuner that will ramp up productivity in pretty much every aspect of your truck, but most noticeably when it comes to fuel efficiency. Users report that installing this guy in your truck can increase your miles per gallon by up to 20%, even when on long road trips.

All that while also improving both your truck’s shifting and its auto response makes this tuner pretty hard to beat. It is also excellent at fixing that pesky issue you can experience when the “check engine” light pops on but nothing is actually wrong with your car.

And of course, for the fun part – it adds a pretty impactful amount of power, too. There is not much when it comes to enhancing truck owner’s lives that the EFILive AutoCal Tuner will not be able to do.

Bottom Line

The EFILive AutoCal Tuner is a great tuner that will enhance basically anything and everything when it comes to your truck. Be aware that the instructions are a little piecemeal, so it may take you some time to figure out how to operate it.

5. PPE Xcelerator Standard Power Programmer

PROS

  • User friendly
  • Easy to install
  • Safe and reliable
  • Will fix speedometer issues
  • PPE provides good customer service

CONS

  • Can cause truck to emit a lot of exhaust
  • Can’t program while truck is in motion, have to adjust fuses under the hood in order to program properly

The PPE Xcelerator Standard Power Programmer is a great tuner that you can rely on in order to take your truck to the next level. This tuner will make pretty much everything better: users report that it can increase fuel efficiency by up to three miles per gallon (and sometimes more on the highway), and make your truck overall run better, even when it is hauling a heavy load along behind it.

It uploads different tunes quickly so you will not waste time adjusting your programming when you could be out enjoying your truck’s newfound power. It even makes the process of shifting smoother, so you do not have to worry about your truck downshifting when you are going uphill.

Bottom Line

The PPE Xcelerator Standard Power Programmer is an excellent tuner that will enhance pretty much every function of your truck. The only issue is, the increased power on your truck will also lead to a noticeable increase in smog emission.

Conclusion

Tuners will take your old 6.6L Duramax engine and make it good as new again – and in many cases, even better than new. Keep in mind exactly what you are looking for and what you would want in your ideal truck experience, and we guarantee you will be able to find a tuner from our list that will get the job done for you.   

Sean comes from the forums actually and drives an OBS Ford. He writes fantastic DIYs and knows his way around a camera, too. We keep him caffeinated and away from DPF filters to avoid another rant about recent emissions restrictions.