Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Banks Twin ram

[DSpringstead]

Has anyone had any experience with the Banks twin ram? I'm looking at boosting my fueling & want to do something in the induction area. I already run a AEM intake. I might be able to pick up a sweet deal on one but depends on the input here. I'm not going crazy but would like to help out #1, #5, & #6 cylinders to stay a little cooler. I'd be pleased as punch with 325 hp.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I have one. I like it. Truck seemed to idle smoother, rev up easier. Splitting the heating grids in two is a pain. Mounting it is time consuming too. OEM intake cover gasket needed to be scraped every inch. Lining up the grid heaters & gaskets was not fun either.

 

[JMcCoy]

I had little problems with the install, though it was definately more difficult than the stock one. I noticed it would spool up much quicker. Unknown if the 4" exhaust and 3 piece exhaust manifold previously installed effected the results from twin ram intake. I didn't take an egt baseline, so I cannot comment on it. If you can get one at a deal (like I did), go for it. I do believe the retail price of $700. 00 is too much. It looks cool though. If you decide to get it, please take an egt before and after. It would be good to know. Good luck.

 

[DSpringstead]

I've had an eye on my EGT's for awhile now. I called Jeff at Banks Engineering & he said that they run sales on merchandise all the time. But what I want to do first is install a aftermarket fuel plate, a 3K GSK kit, New fuel heater/strainer, & fuel shutoff selenoid. Just looking at that manifold tells me it would be a PITA to work any where near it. as

soon as I get one installed I will give a update. I was wondering how easy those grid heaters were going to be... ... ..... NOT.

 

[JMcCoy]

I thought they were easy. You just have to make sure the are no shorts. The stock grid heater is actually two grid heaters inter-locked together. You just separate them and one goes in each intake runner. Just make sure you utilize the rubber bushings. They keep the grid from shorting out on the intake itself. The previous owner of mine had the grid heater shorting out on the intake. When I got it I saw where the grid was melted and the red paint on the intake was burned black. I just utilized my grid heaters and installed them properly. It was not that bad. Maybe a couple of hours. The hardest part, as previously mentioned, was scraping the stock gasket off. Not too bad. Scratch that. The hardest part was re-priming the system. Did I mention you have to remove the injector lines. I would do the things mentioned before installing the twin ram intake. The stock one is easier to work aroung, especially if it's off. Good luck.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

JMcCoy, I didn't have to break my injector lines on my '94. Perhaps a '98 is a little different.

 

[DSpringstead]

Boy I hope I don't have to break open any lines either on my '97. Jeff at Banks called me & I ordered one for $570. + shipping. Be here 2nd week of June.

 

[GCroyle]

I installed this one and the comments above are right on. Gasket scraping, lining up and splitting the grids, yup. I ran into one other issue, I had to file a groove in one of the heater cases to clear an injector line. This was back on '05 and I do have a pic with the lines off, think it was necessary to get the base under the lines IIRC.

 

[Bob4x4]

Gary,I like your clearancing better than the Banks recommended bending of the lines. I have seen a few fail at the bend when coerced a bit too much

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Make sure the injector line does not make contact w/ the ground stud. You almost need a mechanics mirror to see the underneath.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Has anyone had any experience with the Banks twin ram? I'm looking at boosting my fueling & want to do something in the induction area. I already run a AEM intake. I might be able to pick up a sweet deal on one but depends on the input here. I'm not going crazy but would like to help out #1, #5, & #6 cylinders to stay a little cooler. I'd be pleased as punch with 325 hp.

TDR Issue 25 page 48 there's an article by Scott Dalgleish where before & after dyno runs were made testing the EGT improvement of the Twin Ram. They took 6 pyro probes, carefully calibrated them and placed one in each exhaust port. This was on Scott's '98 I beleive, running about 275 horsepower. . .

STOCK
#1- 1296°
#2- 1272°
#3- 1216°
#4- 1248°
#5- 1264°
#6- 1232°

Twin Ram
#1- 1264°
#2- 1248°
#3- 1216°
#4- 1216°
#5- 1248°
#6- 1216°

As you can see it didn't make a marked reduction in EGT but it helped even out temps between cylinders. #1 runs the warmest because of the accessory boss intruding in the intake plenum in that area.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Vaughn,



Do you believe Scott really drilled & tapped 6 holes, bought 6 pyrometers for this test?



I think he used someting like an Laser Infrared Thermometer Temp Gun.

 

[WDixon27]

i like the concept but not the $610 price, if the damn thing was under $400 i could maybe choke it down and buy one but not for 1/3 the price of a ball bearing turbo



i may just need to get off my butt and buy a couple stainless 3" J bends then build my own using this for the plate or see what they want to build the split pipe and get all of it from him, i kinda don't want to eliminate the grid heaters in case i go somewhere cold

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I dyno tested one about 12 years ago and it gave -2 HP vs. stock. So, within experimental error, that is basically zero. The engine was around 400 hp iirc.