Banks 'smokeless' 1000hp Duramax
Banks 'smokeless' 1000hp Duramax
05-11-2008, 02:55 AM
#1
Propane?
Meth/H2O?
AAZ staged nozzles?
VNT turbos?
What do you think??
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@
Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
Telecommbrkr
05-11-2008, 02:55 AM #1Since I've read about this truck I have been wondering what all has Banks done to this engine to eliminate smoke? What can we use in our quest for more hp that will keep us from being heavy smokers?
Propane?
Meth/H2O?
AAZ staged nozzles?
VNT turbos?
What do you think??
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
05-11-2008, 04:59 AM
#2
Telecommbrkr Since I've read about this truck I have been wondering what all has Banks done to this engine to eliminate smoke?
Proper tuning. Designing the performance parts to work together rather than just dumping in gobs of fuel.
ForcedInduction
05-11-2008, 04:59 AM
#2
Telecommbrkr Since I've read about this truck I have been wondering what all has Banks done to this engine to eliminate smoke?
Proper tuning. Designing the performance parts to work together rather than just dumping in gobs of fuel.
05-11-2008, 11:23 PM
#3
GREASY_BEAST
05-11-2008, 11:23 PM #3Fuel curve that rises with boost (properly sized turbo(s)) so you can't give the engine more fuel than it can burn.. like an ALDA but better.
05-12-2008, 12:19 AM
#4
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
Telecommbrkr
05-12-2008, 12:19 AM #4So Forced, at your present level of proven HP with given mods, how is your smoke? I haven't scoured the other forums in detail yet; but out of the DieselTuners involved in these North American based forums, who has the highest proven (dyno'd) HP results and what kind of smoke do they produce? I'm just trying to get a feel for the progress that is being made here, and compare it to the benchmark that Bank's has put out there for the DieselTuners. ie: smokeless power
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
05-12-2008, 09:22 AM
#5
Beers,
Matt
'07 W211 OM642
'95 W124.131/722.435, 211k - daily driver/Superturbo project - OM606.962 with "M" pump...under construction! (build thread here)
'99 W210.025 - gone, but not forgotten
'94 Dodge/Cummins - gone, but not forgotten
HoleshotHolset
05-12-2008, 09:22 AM #5That Banks truck has 3 carbon fiber nitrous oxide bottles, Bosch engineers on speed dial and two turbos with teeny tiny turbine housings. Need I say more? :roll:
Beers,
Matt
'07 W211 OM642
'95 W124.131/722.435, 211k - daily driver/Superturbo project - OM606.962 with "M" pump...under construction! (build thread here)
'99 W210.025 - gone, but not forgotten
'94 Dodge/Cummins - gone, but not forgotten
05-12-2008, 11:49 AM
#6
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
Telecommbrkr
05-12-2008, 11:49 AM #6The teeny turbos, quick to spool and variable vaned to achieve high-end boost?
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
05-12-2008, 12:16 PM
#7
Beers,
Matt
'07 W211 OM642
'95 W124.131/722.435, 211k - daily driver/Superturbo project - OM606.962 with "M" pump...under construction! (build thread here)
'99 W210.025 - gone, but not forgotten
'94 Dodge/Cummins - gone, but not forgotten
HoleshotHolset
05-12-2008, 12:16 PM #7I'm not sure if the turbos are variable geometry - but the teeny turbine housings definitely would help with making the spool nice and quick (and also choke the engine at high RPM...it's a tradeoff.).
Beers,
Matt
'07 W211 OM642
'95 W124.131/722.435, 211k - daily driver/Superturbo project - OM606.962 with "M" pump...under construction! (build thread here)
'99 W210.025 - gone, but not forgotten
'94 Dodge/Cummins - gone, but not forgotten
05-12-2008, 01:53 PM
#8
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://bankspower.com/sidewinder-s10-pg1.cfm">http://bankspower.com/sidewinder-s10-pg1.cfm</a><!-- m -->
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
Telecommbrkr
05-12-2008, 01:53 PM #8I was on the Banks site last night and was studying the buildup of that truck and there were a few shots of the exhaust turbine and it looked like a variable unit to me. Check it out you may know better than me. I tried to find the exact picture but couldn't quickly, I think there is a shot of it in the video of Banks on Muscle Car TV.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://bankspower.com/sidewinder-s10-pg1.cfm">http://bankspower.com/sidewinder-s10-pg1.cfm</a><!-- m -->
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
05-13-2008, 08:07 AM
#9
Quote:So Forced, at your present level of proven HP with given mods, how is your smoke?
Just a little black whiff at the start and then a light gray haze. Unless I WANT smoke, then I open up the turbo vanes and I can lay down a really nice smoke screen. :twisted:
ForcedInduction
05-13-2008, 08:07 AM
#9
The sidewinder uses the Cummins engine. They were supposed to sell that in a kit called "Shapeshifter" but I have yet to see an ad for it ot one in actual use.
Quote:So Forced, at your present level of proven HP with given mods, how is your smoke?
Just a little black whiff at the start and then a light gray haze. Unless I WANT smoke, then I open up the turbo vanes and I can lay down a really nice smoke screen. :twisted:
05-13-2008, 02:32 PM
#10
Telecommbrkr *snip*...there were a few shots of the exhaust turbine and it looked like a variable unit to me...
Based on the still photos I saw, those hairdryers do look interesting (small compressor inducer, but 'normal' to large compressor housing?), but not VNT/VGT... I'm not saying that they're definitely not - but I just can't tell from the few pics I've seen. A friend of mine from KY saw it in person - but he didn't comment if they were VNT/VGT or not - but he did see the 3 carbon fiber nitrous oxide bottles.
You need to flow a LOT of gas to need 3 bottles like that...dang.
Beers,
Matt
'07 W211 OM642
'95 W124.131/722.435, 211k - daily driver/Superturbo project - OM606.962 with "M" pump...under construction! (build thread here)
'99 W210.025 - gone, but not forgotten
'94 Dodge/Cummins - gone, but not forgotten
HoleshotHolset
05-13-2008, 02:32 PM #10Telecommbrkr *snip*...there were a few shots of the exhaust turbine and it looked like a variable unit to me...
Based on the still photos I saw, those hairdryers do look interesting (small compressor inducer, but 'normal' to large compressor housing?), but not VNT/VGT... I'm not saying that they're definitely not - but I just can't tell from the few pics I've seen. A friend of mine from KY saw it in person - but he didn't comment if they were VNT/VGT or not - but he did see the 3 carbon fiber nitrous oxide bottles.
You need to flow a LOT of gas to need 3 bottles like that...dang.
Beers,
Matt
'07 W211 OM642
'95 W124.131/722.435, 211k - daily driver/Superturbo project - OM606.962 with "M" pump...under construction! (build thread here)
'99 W210.025 - gone, but not forgotten
'94 Dodge/Cummins - gone, but not forgotten
05-13-2008, 10:49 PM
#11
When you watch one of the first videos in the first couple of pages, after the video is done you get the chioce to watch some more. Along the bottom is another one of about 10 minutes where Gale Banks is on Muscle Car TV and he talks at length about the engine, there is also a few shots of the innards of one of the exhaust turbines sitting on a bench. Wish I knew how to take a screen-shot off youtube.
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
Telecommbrkr
05-13-2008, 10:49 PM #11I ended up reading everything about the S-10, and they explain that they have that much NOS volume so that they have consistent pressure all the way through the run, not cause they actually use it all. Also, the primary use of the nitrous is to cool the charge down to 120deg. F (if I remember right) to achieve the smokless power. From what I read they had the HP without the NOS using twin cummins marine A/W IC's.
When you watch one of the first videos in the first couple of pages, after the video is done you get the chioce to watch some more. Along the bottom is another one of about 10 minutes where Gale Banks is on Muscle Car TV and he talks at length about the engine, there is also a few shots of the innards of one of the exhaust turbines sitting on a bench. Wish I knew how to take a screen-shot off youtube.
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
05-14-2008, 09:54 PM
#13
Attached Files
Image(s)'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
Telecommbrkr
05-14-2008, 09:54 PM #13Ok, here's a shot of it:
Attached Files
Image(s)'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
05-14-2008, 10:14 PM
#14
While I was watching the vid to get the above pic, Gale Banks passed these nuggets along:
For every 10deg. F you can cool the air charge in the manifold, you recieve 1% more power, as long as the pressure remains the same.
1lb of boost = 7% more power.
So Gale said that he was getting the S-10's air down to 120deg. F with the nitrous. Thats 8-)
Anyone got a temp sensor installed on their manifold air?
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
Telecommbrkr
05-14-2008, 10:14 PM #14I didn't know where else to put this, so I thought I'd put it here cause we're already on the subject.
While I was watching the vid to get the above pic, Gale Banks passed these nuggets along:
For every 10deg. F you can cool the air charge in the manifold, you recieve 1% more power, as long as the pressure remains the same.
1lb of boost = 7% more power.
So Gale said that he was getting the S-10's air down to 120deg. F with the nitrous. Thats 8-)
Anyone got a temp sensor installed on their manifold air?
'Jurgen' - 1982 300sd cream paint with palimino MB tex interior. Now running with new cooling system
.......discovered oil cooler has pinhole @#$%@ Nitrile gloves back on......'Otto' - 1985 300sd anthracite? grey/silver? with grey leather interior. (heated front seats!!!!
) Euro headlightsMods are in the works...
05-15-2008, 12:22 AM
#15
ForcedInduction
05-15-2008, 12:22 AM
#15
IF you have a computer to adjust for temp. Our mechanical engines don't know about the temp, only how much pressure is in the manifold.
05-19-2008, 11:23 AM
#17
bgkast That's a VGT alright.
Sure is. Good to know...
I know folks running '150hp' shots on gassers that only need to run one bottle...no pressure issues at all. That Banks engine must need a LOT of laughing gas...
Of course - Banks disputed a lot of what we were speculating with posts in the TDR forums around the end of October 2007. He and his employees claim that the engine was smokeless even without the N2O - and is the result of tireless tuning efforts. Until I personally see them run without the N2O - I'll have a hard time believing them. That said, there are a few 1200hp (at the wheels) common-rail Cummins ISBe 5.9's running a lot of N2O and hardly smoke at all...
Here are Banks' posts to the TDR...(member's only section...):
"Hey Guys,
It has been a while since I posted here, but I would like to provide some details on the Sidewinder Type-D for those of you that are interested. Just a brief disclaimer, although I have a lot of endurance and left-turn racing experience, I am not heavily experienced at drag racing. That means that I occasionally need to get information from those in our race shop that are very talented drag racers.
The truck is powered by a 6.6L Duramax LBZ producing over 1000 HP at the flywheel. The engine is actually one of our road-race builds that has been recalibrated for drag racing. We expect even better performance when we are able to do a drag race specific build.
To answer some of the previously asked questions:
The truck is running on #2 diesel and nitrous, although it is not as much nitrous as some are speculating. There are no other additives. One of our prime objectives has been to have no smoke. This is a reflection of proper tuning, not just the use of nitrous. The nitrous is primarily used because this truck is not intercooled. The road race truck makes about 780 flywheel horsepower with air-to-air intercooling and it produces no smoke as well. There are no exhaust aftertreatments on either truck. The fuel is not synthetic, it is #2 ULSD purchased at a truck fueling station (specifically the CardLock station around the corner from our shop).
The truck is now being prepped to run at the AC-Delco Nationals in Las Vegas this weekend. There is still a lot left in the truck.
I think it is fair to say that the success of this truck is due to proper engineering and good old-fashioned sweat and long hours by a dedicated bunch of guys.
Peter Treydte
Banks Power
__________________
Peter Treydte
Director of Technical Communications
Banks Power
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bankspower.com">www.bankspower.com</a><!-- w --> "
From Gale Banks himself:
"Gentlemen, let's clear the air.
First I want to deal with those that claim that Banks' racing success is because of money. You've got it backwards. Our money success is because of racing (and winning) for the last 50 years. You can give a fool all the money in the world and he'll never win a race. I'm sorry, money is no substitute for knowledge and know how gained over time. If you've got that, then the money will help a ton. Without that, as the Bard said," a fool and his money are soon parted." So enough with your sour grapes.
As to money, I started in 1958 in my dad's garage, he was an LA cop and a hell of a wrench. He made $395 a month of which I got none. I'm damn proud because I started with nothing and I know what it is to race building engines using other guys junk.
This is my 50th year building racing engines. I've screwed with every type of fuel from nitro methane to hydrogen. In 1974 while working on a future engines study, funded by the Ford Foundation, I became interested in diesel. By 1980 I found myself teaching graduate level, turbo diesel engine design, at General Motors Institute. At the same time I was running twin turbo marine versions of the then upcoming GM 6.2L diesel in my engine dyno cell. Those prototype 6.2's didn't go along with the joke and found various ways of putting their parts on the walls and floor of my dyno room. So I never did a marine version of that engine.
By late '81 we came out with our Sidewinder turbo for the 6.2 pickups, being careful to honor the capabilities of the 6.2. And, that started the light truck diesel power aftermarket. Every guy who came along with diesel products since then paints a target on my back and does his best to hit it. Some of them do it behind screen names on forums such as this one that's BS. I deeply respect my competition with the exception of those individuals.
Enough about my career, I'm not writing this to bore you. This is about giving you the facts behind our D-Max powered drag truck. That truck is a follow on to the Cummins powered Sidewinder Dakota we ran at Bonneville in 2002 and the Donahoe/Banks F-250 Power Stroke Baja racer we are currently running against gas powered competition. We are currently second in points and have won a few races as well.
My S-10 Pro Stock truck is one that never saw the light of day as NHRA shut down Pro Stock Truck racing just after it was built. I bought it from the Panellas and it sat for years in my shop getting dusty. I've been wanting to put a D-Max in this thing but we've been working on a road race GMC pickup the last few years. The engine in the road race truck kills everything in the drive train south the clutch and we've spent the last two years building a durable drive train that will live 30 hours. It has not been easy, our longest race is a 25 hour enduro, and we're getting close.
Even though I'm in business, my budget is limited and since building my Bonneville Firebirds in the '80's I have had no factory money at all. The Cummins guys gave me used dyno test engines in 2001 and a lot of volunteer engineering help learning and running the then prototype CR 5.9 engine. I paid it back by sharing my intake and exhaust port modifications with them and by bringing Cummins a world record for pickups. Those years were a dark time at Cummins, the stock was down in the $26 range, but when we toured the Banks Sidewinder Dakota thru the Cummins facilities in Columbus there were smiles all around.
As regards GM, I get no money from GM on my D-Max projects but they did give me a deal on my LLY support truck. So as to those of you who claim that we do our thing with factory money, please tell me who to call to get reimbursed.
Also, for the last 5 years we have been marketing partners with Bosch and we help each other in our mutual effort to popularize Diesel in the United States. I figure that if we can help the OEM's sell new diesel vehicles then all of us in the aftermarket will have more engines to victimize and a greater market for all.
At the end of the day, I'm a gearhead and hot rodding is my hobby. I do the business part of my day so I can earn enough to experiment in the shop. I love the shop, the engine room, the flow benches, the dyno rooms and the race track. I'm surrounded by a group of employee/friends who are living my dreams and I'm living theirs. We do the things we do together and they make me look like way more than I actually am. Some have been with me 30 years, the ones with more seniority have retired.
These are good guys and when you do not understand what we are doing some of you attack. Frankly, I don't get it, but when you attack my company in the future, do it in my name. These guys don't need their success diminished by the Banks haters.
As to the fellow, Greg Hogue, who was to be our driver on the drag race S-10. When he recently spent a few days with our team of volunteers great conflict resulted. So his driving this project is a non starter. Some of you have commented that he has been hard on Banks competitors in many of his posts. Thank you for pointing that out, it is not my style and I hope it's over. He is not going to run my truck and I trust he will stop running his mouth in such a harmful manner.
Greg Hogue is the main reason that we got the S-10 running, he bugged us all and it worked. I have him to thank for that and wish the chemistry had been better with my guys, but it was not to be. Please understand that he is not an employee of Banks and never has been. He is not our spokesman and posts his own stuff.
As I write this the guys and our racer are in the tech line at the Las Vegas NHRA meet. I've been successful in getting NHRA to accept turbo diesels running nitrous. I asked this such that NHRA would allow serious diesel competition at their meets. The deal with nitrous is smoke prevention. There are NHRA tracks running across the country every weekend. We need their acceptance to grow diesel drag racing beyond the cult status it currently seems to be stuck in.
Running smoke free is the only way in to NHRA meets. There are a lot of bandits out there who think smoke is macho, I'm not one of them. Smoke is the result of incomplete combustion. I prefer to burn the fuel in the engine. Smoke is power you can't read on the dyno or feel in the seat of your pants, period. And the EPA is watching the street smoke boys. Thanks to that, as a board member of SEMA I with others will be dealing with EPA at the upcoming SEMA show trying to protect the very guys who build and sell such products. Products who's smoke production will blot out the Sun.
Smoke is defended in some of the posts with a "stick it where the sun don't shine if you don't like it" attitude. As to those guys, I guess that would be where ever they happen to be.
I think diesel can "Kick Gas" and the way to prove that is to race the gas burners where they are. We've done it at Bonneville and Baja, We're faster at Willow Springs and Thunder Hill and our new gearbox is looking tough. And, with what we've got going in NHRA, you can run classes as quick as 6.50 seconds west of the Rockies and in 3 classes east of the Rockies. Our effort at Las Vegas marks the beginning of actual, non exhibition, serious NHRA diesel competition. That's where you will find us. We will be happy to see those of you that drag race, step up and compete, let's show the world what we've got.
As to the parts and engines we are developing; for Cummins we have just finished our high pressure testing on our Big Hoss intake manifold. It allows porting, mounts all stock components, has a 4" inlet, fits under the hood and is streetable and available. We are working on a stand alone racing ECU for common rail and have run a prototype successfully. Internal engine parts will follow.
For Duramax; Our Big Hoss manifold set is available, our 1800 lb-ft Banks Billet Allison torque converter and billet flex plate will be introduced at SEMA and available soon, many internal engine parts will follow. Also we currently have approximately 40 Duramax engines in stock for immediate shipment. These are complete "engines as shipped to the assembly line." Our racing ECU will be available soon as well as a proper wire loom.
I look forward to seeing you at the races or welcome you to visit us in Azusa,
Gale Banks
Visit us on the web: <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bankspower.com">www.bankspower.com</a><!-- w -->"
'07 W211 OM642
'95 W124.131/722.435, 211k - daily driver/Superturbo project - OM606.962 with "M" pump...under construction! (build thread here)
'99 W210.025 - gone, but not forgotten
'94 Dodge/Cummins - gone, but not forgotten
HoleshotHolset
05-19-2008, 11:23 AM #17bgkast That's a VGT alright.
Sure is. Good to know...
I know folks running '150hp' shots on gassers that only need to run one bottle...no pressure issues at all. That Banks engine must need a LOT of laughing gas...
Of course - Banks disputed a lot of what we were speculating with posts in the TDR forums around the end of October 2007. He and his employees claim that the engine was smokeless even without the N2O - and is the result of tireless tuning efforts. Until I personally see them run without the N2O - I'll have a hard time believing them. That said, there are a few 1200hp (at the wheels) common-rail Cummins ISBe 5.9's running a lot of N2O and hardly smoke at all...
Here are Banks' posts to the TDR...(member's only section...):
"Hey Guys,
It has been a while since I posted here, but I would like to provide some details on the Sidewinder Type-D for those of you that are interested. Just a brief disclaimer, although I have a lot of endurance and left-turn racing experience, I am not heavily experienced at drag racing. That means that I occasionally need to get information from those in our race shop that are very talented drag racers.
The truck is powered by a 6.6L Duramax LBZ producing over 1000 HP at the flywheel. The engine is actually one of our road-race builds that has been recalibrated for drag racing. We expect even better performance when we are able to do a drag race specific build.
To answer some of the previously asked questions:
The truck is running on #2 diesel and nitrous, although it is not as much nitrous as some are speculating. There are no other additives. One of our prime objectives has been to have no smoke. This is a reflection of proper tuning, not just the use of nitrous. The nitrous is primarily used because this truck is not intercooled. The road race truck makes about 780 flywheel horsepower with air-to-air intercooling and it produces no smoke as well. There are no exhaust aftertreatments on either truck. The fuel is not synthetic, it is #2 ULSD purchased at a truck fueling station (specifically the CardLock station around the corner from our shop).
The truck is now being prepped to run at the AC-Delco Nationals in Las Vegas this weekend. There is still a lot left in the truck.
I think it is fair to say that the success of this truck is due to proper engineering and good old-fashioned sweat and long hours by a dedicated bunch of guys.
Peter Treydte
Banks Power
__________________
Peter Treydte
Director of Technical Communications
Banks Power
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bankspower.com">www.bankspower.com</a><!-- w --> "
From Gale Banks himself:
"Gentlemen, let's clear the air.
First I want to deal with those that claim that Banks' racing success is because of money. You've got it backwards. Our money success is because of racing (and winning) for the last 50 years. You can give a fool all the money in the world and he'll never win a race. I'm sorry, money is no substitute for knowledge and know how gained over time. If you've got that, then the money will help a ton. Without that, as the Bard said," a fool and his money are soon parted." So enough with your sour grapes.
As to money, I started in 1958 in my dad's garage, he was an LA cop and a hell of a wrench. He made $395 a month of which I got none. I'm damn proud because I started with nothing and I know what it is to race building engines using other guys junk.
This is my 50th year building racing engines. I've screwed with every type of fuel from nitro methane to hydrogen. In 1974 while working on a future engines study, funded by the Ford Foundation, I became interested in diesel. By 1980 I found myself teaching graduate level, turbo diesel engine design, at General Motors Institute. At the same time I was running twin turbo marine versions of the then upcoming GM 6.2L diesel in my engine dyno cell. Those prototype 6.2's didn't go along with the joke and found various ways of putting their parts on the walls and floor of my dyno room. So I never did a marine version of that engine.
By late '81 we came out with our Sidewinder turbo for the 6.2 pickups, being careful to honor the capabilities of the 6.2. And, that started the light truck diesel power aftermarket. Every guy who came along with diesel products since then paints a target on my back and does his best to hit it. Some of them do it behind screen names on forums such as this one that's BS. I deeply respect my competition with the exception of those individuals.
Enough about my career, I'm not writing this to bore you. This is about giving you the facts behind our D-Max powered drag truck. That truck is a follow on to the Cummins powered Sidewinder Dakota we ran at Bonneville in 2002 and the Donahoe/Banks F-250 Power Stroke Baja racer we are currently running against gas powered competition. We are currently second in points and have won a few races as well.
My S-10 Pro Stock truck is one that never saw the light of day as NHRA shut down Pro Stock Truck racing just after it was built. I bought it from the Panellas and it sat for years in my shop getting dusty. I've been wanting to put a D-Max in this thing but we've been working on a road race GMC pickup the last few years. The engine in the road race truck kills everything in the drive train south the clutch and we've spent the last two years building a durable drive train that will live 30 hours. It has not been easy, our longest race is a 25 hour enduro, and we're getting close.
Even though I'm in business, my budget is limited and since building my Bonneville Firebirds in the '80's I have had no factory money at all. The Cummins guys gave me used dyno test engines in 2001 and a lot of volunteer engineering help learning and running the then prototype CR 5.9 engine. I paid it back by sharing my intake and exhaust port modifications with them and by bringing Cummins a world record for pickups. Those years were a dark time at Cummins, the stock was down in the $26 range, but when we toured the Banks Sidewinder Dakota thru the Cummins facilities in Columbus there were smiles all around.
As regards GM, I get no money from GM on my D-Max projects but they did give me a deal on my LLY support truck. So as to those of you who claim that we do our thing with factory money, please tell me who to call to get reimbursed.
Also, for the last 5 years we have been marketing partners with Bosch and we help each other in our mutual effort to popularize Diesel in the United States. I figure that if we can help the OEM's sell new diesel vehicles then all of us in the aftermarket will have more engines to victimize and a greater market for all.
At the end of the day, I'm a gearhead and hot rodding is my hobby. I do the business part of my day so I can earn enough to experiment in the shop. I love the shop, the engine room, the flow benches, the dyno rooms and the race track. I'm surrounded by a group of employee/friends who are living my dreams and I'm living theirs. We do the things we do together and they make me look like way more than I actually am. Some have been with me 30 years, the ones with more seniority have retired.
These are good guys and when you do not understand what we are doing some of you attack. Frankly, I don't get it, but when you attack my company in the future, do it in my name. These guys don't need their success diminished by the Banks haters.
As to the fellow, Greg Hogue, who was to be our driver on the drag race S-10. When he recently spent a few days with our team of volunteers great conflict resulted. So his driving this project is a non starter. Some of you have commented that he has been hard on Banks competitors in many of his posts. Thank you for pointing that out, it is not my style and I hope it's over. He is not going to run my truck and I trust he will stop running his mouth in such a harmful manner.
Greg Hogue is the main reason that we got the S-10 running, he bugged us all and it worked. I have him to thank for that and wish the chemistry had been better with my guys, but it was not to be. Please understand that he is not an employee of Banks and never has been. He is not our spokesman and posts his own stuff.
As I write this the guys and our racer are in the tech line at the Las Vegas NHRA meet. I've been successful in getting NHRA to accept turbo diesels running nitrous. I asked this such that NHRA would allow serious diesel competition at their meets. The deal with nitrous is smoke prevention. There are NHRA tracks running across the country every weekend. We need their acceptance to grow diesel drag racing beyond the cult status it currently seems to be stuck in.
Running smoke free is the only way in to NHRA meets. There are a lot of bandits out there who think smoke is macho, I'm not one of them. Smoke is the result of incomplete combustion. I prefer to burn the fuel in the engine. Smoke is power you can't read on the dyno or feel in the seat of your pants, period. And the EPA is watching the street smoke boys. Thanks to that, as a board member of SEMA I with others will be dealing with EPA at the upcoming SEMA show trying to protect the very guys who build and sell such products. Products who's smoke production will blot out the Sun.
Smoke is defended in some of the posts with a "stick it where the sun don't shine if you don't like it" attitude. As to those guys, I guess that would be where ever they happen to be.
I think diesel can "Kick Gas" and the way to prove that is to race the gas burners where they are. We've done it at Bonneville and Baja, We're faster at Willow Springs and Thunder Hill and our new gearbox is looking tough. And, with what we've got going in NHRA, you can run classes as quick as 6.50 seconds west of the Rockies and in 3 classes east of the Rockies. Our effort at Las Vegas marks the beginning of actual, non exhibition, serious NHRA diesel competition. That's where you will find us. We will be happy to see those of you that drag race, step up and compete, let's show the world what we've got.
As to the parts and engines we are developing; for Cummins we have just finished our high pressure testing on our Big Hoss intake manifold. It allows porting, mounts all stock components, has a 4" inlet, fits under the hood and is streetable and available. We are working on a stand alone racing ECU for common rail and have run a prototype successfully. Internal engine parts will follow.
For Duramax; Our Big Hoss manifold set is available, our 1800 lb-ft Banks Billet Allison torque converter and billet flex plate will be introduced at SEMA and available soon, many internal engine parts will follow. Also we currently have approximately 40 Duramax engines in stock for immediate shipment. These are complete "engines as shipped to the assembly line." Our racing ECU will be available soon as well as a proper wire loom.
I look forward to seeing you at the races or welcome you to visit us in Azusa,
Gale Banks
Visit us on the web: <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bankspower.com">www.bankspower.com</a><!-- w -->"
'07 W211 OM642
'95 W124.131/722.435, 211k - daily driver/Superturbo project - OM606.962 with "M" pump...under construction! (build thread here)
'99 W210.025 - gone, but not forgotten
'94 Dodge/Cummins - gone, but not forgotten
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