A quick search of the diesel market reveals a plethora of power adders capable of pumping black soot from a 5-inch sewage pipe. The setting lends itself to some macho fun with a set of big wheels up in flames. Over fueling the engine and destroying the injectors is standard, as is torching the turbo with excessive EGT and shattering gearboxes unsuitable for managing the extra stress of bigger tires and roughly twice the manufacturer’s power output. Torque becomes less linear and increases as the tune ramps up into a short redline, making towing more difficult. You have a washing list of problems when you factor in the mandatory diesel emissions that some jurisdictions implement.
Banks Power welcomed us into their facility, giving us a behind-the-scenes peek into the potential of diesel technology. Gale Banks sat down with us to discuss why he opted to place his firm on the cleanest side of things regarding diesel. “I want everyone to realize that all that black soot implies the engine is inefficient and squandering power,” Gale said. “I don’t claim to create the highest horsepower and torque for every application,” he said later in the interview. Instead, I can confidently assert that I have the most economical, cleanest, and safe systems on the market.
I want everyone to realize that all black soot indicates that the engine is inefficient and squandering energy. ‘Gale Banks’
We drove to Banks Power’s R&D facility in Azusa, California, in a 2008 GMC Sierra HD with a 6.6L LMM Duramax engine to see what we could accomplish without all the smoke. We also chose the Banks SpeedBrake because the truck will be doing a lot of towing. Cooler outside air is forced into the airbox by the Super-Scoop, resulting in increased oxygen density and efficiency. Depending on the choices selected, the Six-Gun tuner lets the driver adjust power levels on the fly from zero to over 130 hp using the touchscreen iQ or a dash-mounted knob. The new iQ 2.0 boasts the giant screen on the market, measuring 5 inches diagonally, and offers more than 30 different gauges, as well as a variety of color and arrangement choices. There’s also GPS navigation, a backup camera, Bluetooth, music and video playback, the ability to read and delete OBD-II problem codes, and the fuel economy and fuel cost minders may help you become a better driver. It is, without a doubt, the best in-cab controller for your turbodiesel vehicle. Finally, the SpeedBrake is a speed controller that monitors and controls your truck’s speed, especially when towing on a descent, using all factory components. The device enhances towing safety by regulating the transmission’s shifting, torque converter, and variable vanes of the factory turbo to keep your selected speed, letting you efficiently operate the vehicle and load through the Banks iQ.
- The factory exhaust was taken from the muffler back and placed in the scrap steel bin, as we were eager to recoup what we had lost and more with the after into place.
- Because we chose the Monster Duals, the Y-Pipe was installed next, allowing the piping to go to both rear bedsides.
- The exhaust system on the passenger side only required one pipe to travel over the axle.
- Banks devised this clever hanger to support the tubing because the driver’s side does not typically have an exhaust exit. It was attached to the frame and held the trailer hitch in place with factory hardware.
- To cross the distance, the driver’s side required two pipe sections.
- The Monster Duals come with polished stainless tips soldered to the exhaust ends right out of the box. We had to remove the welds keeping the stainless tips in place since we wanted black tips to match our black BMF wheels.
- Satin black new The Banks tips were welded on and looked much better with our GMC’s overall appearance. Banks will have already added black tips to its kits by the time you read this.
- The mandrel-bent intake pipe and flex coupler were the following items on the list. Since testing revealed necessary, it was installed on the turbo’s original intake tube and did not replace the air silencer.
- The Banks Ram-Air intake box was the first to be fitted. The filter from underhood heat by employing a sealed container, allowing the engine to produce greater power.
- After removing the truck’s original air intake, it was clear that it needed some repair. We don’t check our filters nearly as regularly as you do.
- The standard pipe grows as it approaches the turbo, but abruptly and without smooth bends. The bends are flatter, and the piping is a consistent diameter from one end to the other with the Banks Boost Tube improvement. Works together to keep the boost pressures high and allow the fluid to flow more effectively along its course.
- The Six-Gun and SpeedBrake’s brains to the fuse and relay center beneath the vehicle’s hood. We ensured that clean and away from anything that may harm it.
- The iQ 2.0 Man-Machine interface was installed to the windshield inside the cab, and we began going over the long list of possibilities before choosing ne we liked. We’ll be able to listen to music while adjusting the SpeedBrake for towing, selecting a power level for tearing down the road, and keeping an eye on the backup camera while reversing from here.
We opted to perform all of the testings on factory wheels and tires since this GMC Sierra has 37-inch tires, more representative of the bulk of end customers. To determine what we were losing from tire diameter and wheel/tire package weight, we put the 37-inch tires on the dyno before the factory tire baseline. The stock wheels and tires produced 249 horsepower, while the 37-inch rubber produced 293 horsepower. Surprisingly, the peak-to-peak difference was 44 horsepower.
