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2025-2026 Ram 6.7L Cummins Oil Filter Guide (68677810AA)
The Oil Filter I Couldn’t Buy Anywhere
A Ram owner I know did his first oil change on a 2025 3500 at 5,000 miles. He had done this job a dozen times on his previous truck — a 2018 — and he did what he had always done: poured five quarts into the crankcase while he walked to the shelf for a 5083285AA spin-on. It wasn’t there. Neither was anything else that looked like it. The 2025 Cummins doesn’t use a spin-on at all.
He left with nothing. Over the next few weeks he ordered three times before he got the right part: once he got a spin-on that “fits 2007-2025 Ram” from a marketplace seller (it doesn’t — the 2025 housing won’t accept it), once he got a cartridge that turned out to be for a different engine, and once the order simply never shipped because the listing was a drop-ship placeholder. By the time he had the correct filter in his hand, the oil had been in the engine for close to 9,000 miles.
That story is not unusual. It is what happens when a manufacturer redesigns a service part that a whole aftermarket ecosystem had spent eighteen years building around the old design. The filter itself is excellent. The problem is entirely finding the right one — and knowing which of the three or four “equivalent” numbers you’re being sold is actually the same filter.
This guide exists to close that gap.
Why the 2025-2026 Cummins Oil Filter Is a Different Animal
From 2007.5 through 2024, the 6.7L Cummins oil filter was a spin-on canister — Mopar 5083285AA, a steel can that threaded onto a nipple on the engine block. It was cheap, it was everywhere, and it was identical across nearly two decades of trucks.
The 2025 redesign changed the architecture, not just the part number. The 2025-2026 6.7L Cummins uses a top-load cartridge: a paper-and-synthetic element that drops into a permanent housing bolted to the engine, sealed by a threaded cap. The cap comes off with a 28mm socket, and the whole housing sits on top of the engine on the passenger side, reachable by standing over the fender. There is no can to spin off, and a standard oil-filter wrench is no use on the cap.
The redesign ran deeper than the filter housing. The 2025 6.7L Cummins also replaced the CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pump with the new CP8, moved the intake manifold off the cylinder head to a bolt-on aluminum piece, and went back to glow plugs instead of the grid heater that had shed bolts into engines for years. None of that changes how you change your oil — but it does mean the 2025-2026 truck shares fewer service parts with the trucks that came before it than any 6.7L before it.
Three consequences matter to anyone buying parts:
The old filter is not interchangeable. A 5083285AA threads onto an adapter on the block. The 2025 system uses a completely different canister with a threaded cap and a drop-in element. The two designs share zero common parts. If a listing says a filter fits “2007-2025 Ram 6.7L,” it is wrong about at least one end of that range, and probably both.
The year window is tight. The new cartridge fits 2025 and 2026 only — Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 with the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel. It does not fit a 2024, and it does not fit a 2019-2024 truck that has the spin-on.
The aftermarket lagged. Ram put the redesigned housing into production before most independent suppliers had tooled up for the cartridge. For the first year or more of production, owners were stuck with dealer parts or thin third-party listings — which is exactly how you end up running an oil filter 4,000 miles past its interval because you couldn’t buy a replacement. Even now, a diesel shop that keeps thirty of these cartridges on the shelf notes that Fleetguard — the company that actually makes the filter — still doesn’t sell this one under its own label, so the Mopar box is often the only way to buy it.
Ram’s own service literature acknowledges the friction. A Mopar technical service bulletin for 2025-2026 fuel filters exists specifically because owners and shops were getting the service procedure wrong. When a filter change generates a TSB, you know the platform is new enough that the details still trip people up.
What You Actually Get: A Cartridge, an O-Ring, and 30 Microns of Cellulose
The correct part is Mopar 68677810AA — also written LF68677810AA in Mopar’s alternate format. It is a cartridge-style engine oil filter for the 2025-2026 6.7L Cummins, and the box includes the sealing rings the job needs — the cap O-ring, plus the shaft O-ring that arrives pre-fitted on the element.
Here is the part that saves you money, if you care about it:
Mopar 68677810AA and Fleetguard LF16453 are the same filter. Fleetguard — the filtration arm of the Cummins organization, operating as Atmus Filtration — manufactures this cartridge for Mopar. The Mopar number and the Fleetguard number reference the identical product; the difference between them is the box and the price. If you see both on a shelf, you are not choosing between two filters. You are choosing between two labels.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Filter type | Cartridge (top-load, engine oil) |
| Location | Top of the engine, passenger side (reached from above) |
| Fits | 2025-2026 Ram 2500 / 3500 / 4500 / 5500, 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel |
| Mopar part numbers | 68677810AA, LF68677810AA |
| Fleetguard cross-reference | LF16453 / LF-16453 |
| Additional cross-references | 68724069AA, 68681024AA, M1-403A |
| Media | Cellulose (synthetic-blend, resin-impregnated on some listings) |
| Filtration rating | 30 micron at 99.8% efficiency |
| Height / diameter | 4.41 in (111.99 mm) / 3.05 in (77.47 mm) |
| Sealing rings included | Yes — cap O-ring plus the shaft O-ring pre-fitted on the element |
| Removal tools | 28mm socket (6-point) for the cap; an adjustable oil filter wrench for the element |
| Manufacturer | Fleetguard (Atmus Filtration), for Mopar |
One point worth being precise about, because a lot of listings blur it: the Fleetguard LF16453 is rated at 30 micron, while the Doc’s Diesel equivalent (D16453) is published at 25 micron at 99% efficiency. Those are different claims measured differently, and neither is automatically “better” than the other on a diesel that also depends on flow. What matters more is that the element holds together, holds pressure, and is dimensionally correct inside the housing. On this platform, the OEM-grade answer is the Fleetguard/Mopar cartridge.
For context on what the filter is protecting: the 2025-2026 Cummins runs a high-pressure common-rail fuel system and a turbo with journal bearings spinning on a film of oil only microns thick. The oil filter catches soot, metallic wear debris, and combustion sludge before it reaches those bearings. A cheap element that collapses, bypasses, or plugs early doesn’t just wear the engine — it starves the turbo of clean oil.
What You Actually Pay: Mopar, Fleetguard, Doc’s, Amazon, and eBay
This is the part most guides skip, and it is where the money is. The same physical filter trades at wildly different prices depending on how it’s boxed and who is selling it. Prices below were pulled from live listings in late September 2026.
| Channel | Price (single oil filter) | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| TruckTok (SKU FI-R-26-02) | $32.99 | Replacement cartridge with the required O-ring; cross-referenced to 68677810AA / LF16453 |
| Fleetguard LF16453 — Geno’s Garage | $20.95–$21.95 | Same filter, plainest box. Cheapest legitimate route |
| Fleetguard LF16453 — DDS Rubicon | $26.19 | Fleetguard-branded, same cartridge |
| Doc’s Diesel D16453 | ~$30 | Third-party media, published at 25 micron @ 99% |
| Amazon / marketplace white-label | $20.00–$31.99 | No published micron rating; frequently sold as inflated 3-packs |
| Mopar OEM — online discounters | $38.99–$39.95 | Genuine Mopar box; Diesel Filters Online, Geno’s Garage |
| Mopar OEM — dealer parts counter | ~$48–$60 | Counter price; varies shop to shop |
| Mopar-branded via performance shops | $61.18–$68.85 | Same filter, higher retail; Pure Diesel Power, EGR Performance |
| eBay | — | Single-filter listings are thin; the volume is in genuine Mopar 5-filter bundles (oil + both fuel + air + cabin) around $170 |
Read that table honestly and two things fall out.
First, the spread is enormous. The identical Fleetguard cartridge is $21.95 at one reputable diesel shop and $68.85 at another. Nothing changed but the packaging and the storefront. If your only goal is the lowest price for a genuinely OEM filter, the Fleetguard number is the answer.
Second, TruckTok’s $32.99 is not the cheapest option, and it isn’t trying to be. It sits above the bare Fleetguard box and below the Mopar-branded listings. What it buys you is the O-ring in the same box, a part number already cross-referenced to the Mopar and Fleetguard numbers so you don’t gamble on fitment, and a filter that’s dimensionally matched to the 2025-2026 housing. If you’re the type of owner who buys the branded part and wants one order to be correct, that’s the trade. If you’re chasing the floor price and you already know the Fleetguard number, buy the Fleetguard.
The one row to be careful with is the white-label marketplace cartridge at $20. It is cheaper than everything. It also publishes no micron rating, no efficiency figure, and no burst or collapse spec — which means the only thing you know about it is the price. On a $70,000 truck with a turbocharger that rides on a micron-thick oil film, that’s not a saving. It’s an unquantified bet.
For a sense of the whole job: an owner doing this change at home with three gallons of premium full-synthetic oil and a Fleetguard cartridge from a diesel shop is in for roughly $105–$115 all in. The same service at a dealership runs considerably more, and the only thing the extra money buys is someone else’s hands on your truck.
What to Look For When Buying
1. Match Part Number (68677810AA / LF16453). Confirm the listing explicitly states 68677810AA, LF68677810AA, or Fleetguard LF16453. Ignore listings claiming "fits 2007–2025" — 2007–2024 trucks use the old spin-on canister.
2. Verify 2025–2026 VIN Model Year. Check the 10th digit of your VIN: S = 2025, T = 2026. This top-load cartridge element ONLY fits 2025 and newer redesigned 6.7L Cummins engines.
3. Dual O-Ring Inspection (Cap & Center Stem Seals). Ensure the package contains TWO fresh O-rings: the larger housing cap seal and the smaller center-stem seal (pre-fitted on the cartridge base). Reusing old heat-cycled O-rings causes pressure leaks.
4. 28mm 6-Point Shallow Socket Tool Preparation. The aluminum housing cap requires a 28mm 6-point shallow socket. Avoid 12-point sockets or strap wrenches that strip aluminum cap corners.
5. Oil Viscosity Specification (5W-40 / 10W-30 MS-10902). The 2025+ Cummins requires 12 quarts of full-synthetic API CK-4 / Mopar MS-10902 oil (5W-40 or 10W-30). Do NOT use 15W-40, as thick oil starves the hydraulic roller lifters.
Installation Guide: 20-Minute Top-Load DIY Procedure
Step 1: Pull the Old Cartridge FIRST (Before Draining Sump)
- Open the hood and locate the aluminum oil filter housing on the passenger side.
- Use a 28mm 6-point shallow socket to unscrew the aluminum top cap.
- Allow Filter to Drain: Let the cartridge sit in the housing for 90 seconds so trapped oil drains back down into the oil pan.
- Lift out the old cartridge using an adjustable filter wrench or by gently rocking. (Pulling the filter first prevents 1 quart of dirty oil from draining into your fresh fill later).
Step 2: Drain Engine Oil Sump
- Use a 3/8" square drive ratchet to remove the oil pan drain plug beneath the truck.
- Allow 12 quarts of oil to drain completely into a collection pan (approx. 10 minutes).
- Inspect drain plug O-ring, reinstall, and torque to 35 ft-lbs.
Step 3: Install Fresh Cartridge & Dual Seals
- Wipe residual oil from the aluminum housing bore.
- Install the fresh cap O-ring into the cap groove and lubricate with clean engine oil.
- Push the new 68677810AA cartridge down onto the center stem by hand until it CLICKS firmly into place. (Never use the cap to force the element down).
- Hand-thread the aluminum cap, then torque to 18.5 ft-lbs (25 Nm) using a torque wrench (or align paint-pen marks).
Step 4: Refill Engine Oil & Verify Operation
- Refill crankcase with 11 quarts of 5W-40 (or 10W-30) Full Synthetic API CK-4 / MS-10902 oil.
- Start engine, idle for 2 minutes, and check cap for weeping (idle oil pressure: 45–50 PSI).
- Shut off, wait 10 minutes, check dipstick, and top off to the FULL mark (total capacity: 12 quarts).
- Reset `Oil Life Monitor` on dashboard.
Five Expensive Mistakes
Mistake #1: Ordering the 5083285AA Spin-On Canister
2007–2024 spin-on filters cannot bolt onto the 2025+ top-load housing.
Mistake #2: Pouring 15W-40 Heavy-Duty Oil
2019+ Cummins engines run hydraulic roller lifters requiring approved 5W-40 or 10W-30 MS-10902 synthetic oil.
Mistake #3: Draining Sump Before Pulling Cartridge
Draining the pan first leaves 1 quart of contaminated oil in the filter module to foul fresh oil.
Mistake #4: Using the Cap to Drive Cartridge Down
Forcing the element down with cap threads cracks internal center stem locators. Always click cartridge in by hand first.
Mistake #5: Reusing Flattened Cap O-Rings
Failing to replace the top cap O-ring causes slow oil weeping across the passenger side engine bay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which trucks use the 68677810AA oil filter?
It fits 2025 and 2026 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks with the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel engine.
Will it fit my 2024 Ram 6.7L Cummins?
No. The 68677810AA is confirmed for 2025-2026 only. Earlier 6.7L Cummins trucks use a different oil filter — the spin-on 5083285AA on 2013-2024, and earlier designs before that.
Is Mopar 68677810AA identical to Fleetguard LF16453?
Yes. Fleetguard (Atmus Filtration) manufactures this filter for Mopar. 68677810AA and LF16453 reference the exact same physical cartridge.
What oil does the 2025-2026 6.7L Cummins take, and how much?
12 quarts (11.4 L) with a filter change, of a full-synthetic diesel oil meeting API CK-4 and Mopar MS-10902. Ram approves exactly two viscosities: 10W-30 above 0°F and 5W-40 for all-temperature or severe service, and the oil fill cap labels them by season. That’s a flip from the 15W-40 that used to be the default diesel oil — and 15W-40 is not on the list for these engines. The valvetrain is why: 2019-and-newer 6.7Ls run hydraulic rollers and lifters over the tappets, and the thinner oil is part of how they’re designed to work. You will find people online saying they “just run 15W-40 in the summer anyway.” Don’t be one of them — if you ever file an engine claim, a non-approved viscosity is the first thing that gets looked at. On the fill itself, put in about 11 quarts, run the engine, then top off to the dipstick mark — that’s how you land on 12 without overshooting.
As for what these trucks actually leave the factory with: most likely 5W-40, and for an unglamorous reason. Trucks aren’t built to order for a climate — they’re built and shipped everywhere — so the factory fill has to be the cold-weather weight, not the hot-weather one.
On brands, the one worth knowing is that Valvoline Premium Blue is the oil Cummins itself endorses — the jug prints it, and it’s the usual answer when someone asks what the engine builder wants. Premium Blue 5W-40 is easy to find in both full-synthetic and synthetic-blend forms; the 10W-30 version is scarce, which is part of why so many owners just run 5W-40 year-round. Ram’s own branded oil comes from a different blender (one shop reports it’s Pennzoil), and that’s fine to run. Rotella, Mobil Delvac — also fine. Budget roughly $24 a gallon, three gallons per change. What actually matters is the spec and a viscosity from the approved list, not the label on the jug.
How often should I change the oil filter?
Under normal duty, the common service interval is 7,500 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. Ram’s maximum under the Oil Change Indicator is up to 15,000 miles / 12 months / 500 engine hours for normal operation, but the indicator governs — follow it if it calls for service sooner. Severe duty (heavy towing, extended idling, dusty conditions) drops to 5,000 miles. Many 2025-2026 owners skip the debate and just run a flat 5,000 miles / 6 months, because it’s simpler than tracking engine hours and it costs almost nothing extra per mile. One 2025 owner drained at 7,500 miles with the monitor still reading 51% — the gauge will happily stretch you toward 15,000, and the oil that came out was as black as you’d expect from any diesel. Black doesn’t mean worn out, and a healthy percentage doesn’t mean the oil is fine; that’s the whole argument for keeping your own interval. If you want to stop guessing entirely, send a sample for analysis at your first couple of drains — it costs about the same as a filter, and it tells you what your specific fuel, load, and climate are actually doing to the oil.
Is a drain valve worth it on the 6.7L?
Plenty of owners fit one — ValveMax, Fumoto, and similar — replacing the drain plug with a ball valve and hose nipple so an oil change is a no-mess job and sampling is easy. The 6.7L’s drain plug thread is M18 × 1.5 (confirm against your own truck before ordering), and one owner’s install torqued the valve to about 20 ft-lb. If you go this route, pick a valve with a secondary cap and O-ring: if the internal ball ever fails, that backup seal is what keeps your crankcase from emptying itself on the highway. It’s a nice upgrade, not a required one — the factory drain plug is a plain 3/8-inch square drive fitting that works fine.
Should I change the oil early on a new truck?
Many owners do — and the evidence has pushed that change earlier than you’d think. Oil-analysis work published by The Motor Oil Geek (Lake Speed Jr.) found that the factory fill in a new engine at around 500 miles carries wear metals and particulates at levels comparable to oil with 5,000 miles on it. That isn’t a defect; it’s break-in, and those particles are abrasive while they circulate.
So a common approach on these trucks is a first drain at 400–500 miles — or somewhere in the 1,000–1,500 mile window if you’d rather wait — then a second change at 5,000 miles, and normal intervals after that. Some owners skip the filter on that very first drain so the element can load up and filter better (a cartridge does get more efficient as it collects), then fit a new filter at the next interval; others replace both. Either is defensible — what matters is getting the break-in metal out of the sump early. A few owners also chase the drain with a quart or two of fresh oil to flush residual material; optional, and it does waste oil.
Is the 2025-2026 oil filter a spin-on or a cartridge?
A top-load cartridge. The 2025 redesign replaced the spin-on canister with a permanent housing and a drop-in element, sealed by a threaded cap you remove with a 28mm socket. No oil filter wrench will help you here.
What tools do I need for this job?
A 28mm socket for the housing cap — six-point preferred over twelve-point, because it grips the flats more securely on a cap that has been through thousands of heat cycles. A shallow or low-profile 28mm helps on builds where clearance above the housing is tight — a standard deep-well socket often won’t fit without hitting surrounding components. The same shallow 28mm also works on the 2025-2026 fuel filter caps, so it’s worth buying once. You’ll also want an adjustable oil filter wrench to pull the old element out of the housing once the cap is off, and a torque wrench for the cap.
What should I torque the housing cap to?
25 Nm / 18.5 ft-lb. Hand-thread the cap first to avoid cross-threading, then snug it to spec. The cap on 2025-2026 trucks is aluminum — stronger than the old composite caps, but aluminum still cracks, so don’t lean on it. No torque wrench? Mark the cap and housing with a paint pen before you break it loose and bring the marks back to the same position on reassembly.
Should I change the oil filter before or after draining the oil?
Before. Pull the old cartridge first and let the oil sitting in the filter housing drain back through the block into the pan, so it leaves with the rest of the old oil. Drain the pan first and that module oil drops in afterward, on top of your fresh fill — which is exactly how a correct 12-quart fill ends up slightly overfull.
Should I pre-fill the oil filter housing?
Some owners do, and on this design it’s easy: pour a little fresh oil into the housing before you drop the element in, then fit the cap. The upside is a shorter dry crank on first start. The argument against is that the oil you pour in hasn’t been through the media yet — though it will be the moment the engine runs, so it’s a small point. Practiced techs do it both ways. If you pre-fill, don’t fill it so full that it overflows when you set the element in. (This applies to the oil housing only — the fuel filter bowls on the same engine should never be pre-filled, because the lift pump self-fills them on the first key cycle, and you don’t want to pour unfiltered fuel past the element.)
How many O-rings does the oil filter job need?
Two. There is the cap O-ring that seals the threaded cap against the housing, and there is a shaft O-ring fitted to the bottom of the cartridge that snaps the element into the groove in the housing floor. Mopar 68677810AA and the TruckTok replacement both supply fresh rings — the element usually arrives with its shaft O-ring already fitted, and the cap O-ring comes loose in the box. Replace both every time.
Why did Ram switch from a spin-on to a cartridge?
Three reasons: it reduces waste (you replace the paper element instead of an entire steel can), it fits a larger element with more surface area inside the same packaging space, and it delivers more dirt-holding capacity and stable flow over longer intervals. The trade-off is that the housing must stay with the truck for its whole life, and a stripped cap thread becomes a much bigger problem than a stripped spin-on nipple.
Can I run a cheap white-label cartridge instead?
Physically, a correctly-dimensioned third-party cartridge will fit. The question is what you actually know about it: most white-label listings publish no micron rating, no efficiency figure, and no collapse or burst specification. If you want to save money on a genuinely OEM-grade filter, the Fleetguard LF16453 is the same filter as the Mopar part at a lower price — that’s the honest way to economize on this platform.
Should I change the fuel filters at the same time?
Most owners do, and it makes sense. The 2025-2026 Cummins uses two engine-mounted fuel filter cartridges — a stage 1 water separator rated at 5 micron and a stage 2 element rated at 3 micron with NanoNet media — sold together as Mopar 68677800AA or Fleetguard FK11008NN. Both are top-load and both come off from the engine bay, so they pair naturally with an oil change. The normal fuel filter interval is 15,000 miles or 12 months — though the fuel filter life monitor on these trucks commonly calls for service earlier, often in the 10,000–12,000 mile range, so watch the gauge rather than assuming you get the full 15,000.
What about the crankcase vent filter?
That’s a separate service item — Mopar 68677813AA, an engine-mounted CCV filter. It’s not part of the oil or fuel filter job and runs on its own interval, but if you’re already in the engine bay for the top-load filters, it’s a sensible thing to have on hand.
Get the Right Filter, in One Box
If you have a 2025 or 2026 Ram with the 6.7L Cummins and you’ve been putting off the first oil change because the correct cartridge is hard to pin down, this closes the loop. The TruckTok replacement cartridge is cross-referenced to 68677810AA, LF68677810AA, and Fleetguard LF16453, ships with the required sealing rings, and is dimensionally matched to the 2025-2026 top-load housing.
Get the 2025-2026 Ram 6.7L Cummins Oil Filter (68677810AA)
Want to see what other 2025-2026 owners ran into on their first service? A thread worth reading:
Legal Disclaimer
This guide is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for your vehicle’s factory service manual or the advice of a qualified diesel technician. Always verify the correct part numbers for your specific model year, VIN, and configuration before purchasing or installing filters. Installation of any aftermarket or replacement part is performed at your own risk; the author and retailer assume no liability for damage, injury, or loss arising from the use of this information or the products referenced. Filter change intervals are manufacturer recommendations and should be adjusted for your driving conditions, towing load, and fuel quality. All prices cited reflect live listings observed in late September 2026 and are subject to change.
