Banks Blog

Engineering & mechanics students visit Banks from Mexico...

Doug Stokes — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:06:00 -0700

Some 15 very eager students from the Centro Educativo Grupo Cedva in Mexico City recently toured the Banks facility in Azusa, California. They were given an up-close and personal look at many of the manufacturing processes: from design and prototyping, through production, right on to the boxing and shipping of the final product.

The young folks were in Los Angeles to participate in the annual “Formula SAE” event sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. While they were in southern California they took a little time out to show a curious crowd of Banks employees their entry in the formula car competition at the Speedway. Their cool little student-built single-seater featured a modified 600cc Honda motorcycle engine, all-independent suspension, motorcycle disc brakes, wide Hoosier slicks, on open cockpit, and sleek composite bodywork.

Banks Sidewinder Diesel Dragster Arrives

Doug Stokes — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:19:00 -0700

Mark down this date: Tuesday, June 17, 2008.

At precisely 8 a.m. the new Banks Sidewinder Duramax-powered diesel dragster stopped being a great idea, a few photos, some artist conceptions, a big stack of PO's, a bunch of invoices, about a hundred faxes and an equal number of phone calls back and forth to Greenfield, Ind., and actually became a tangible object, a real, honest-to-goodness racing car, all 31.5 feet of it. The 276 inches of that ultra-loooooong wheelbase, swathed in a sleek, all-carbon-fiber body, now sits smack dab in the middle of the Banks Power race shop in Azusa, Calif.

The real thing coming out of its seemingly block-long crate and getting its first taste of the warm California sun made it seem almost as though, with a set of tires and a few decals, the digger would be ready to race.

Speed Addicts or The Cool Factor

John Espino — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:48:00 -0700

Power is an interesting and cruel mistress: Get a taste of it and not only do you want more, but you often spend valuable brain cells and neurons scheming of a way to get it. Call it lust -- and an addiction if you will. Power can come in many forms, but I'm of course thinking of horsepower. Being who I am, where I've worked and what I'm surrounded by on a daily basis, it's no wonder I have these thoughts fermenting in my skull. Be it for work or for personal gratification, I can't stop thinking about the mechanisms that can bring about "more."

A Meeting of Engineering Minds

Doug Stokes — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:12:00 -0700

More than 50 members of the Society of Automotive Engineers gathered in the tech bay of Banks Power's North Engineering building on Tuesday evening to listen to company president and founder Gale Banks speak about the many great aspects of high-performance diesel power. The attendees, gathered from all around southern California, represented a wide cross section of industry and academia. Automotive engineers from Honeywell, Subaru, General Motors, Nokia, Mazda, Denso, HR Textron, US Hybrid Corp., and more mingled well into the night with representatives from local universities Cal Poly Pomona and the University of Southern California.

Diesel Roundup or Bosch’s Armada

John Espino — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:31:00 -0700

Howdy thar, partners. A couple of blog entries back I gave the lowdown on Gale's and my venture with Bosch in Las Vegas during the Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference, but I didn't get to write much about the demonstration vehicles we had there for our Ride & Drive event. Bosch has corralled a pretty impressive array of diesel steeds for the press to drive and write about. The idea is to get out not only the word but also the feeling one gets from driving any one of the examples of modern-day diesel - and to let people know that they're available on the market today.

Accelerated Breathing or Product Evolution

John Espino — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:17:00 -0700

You know the feeling when you have a cold and your nose is all plugged and it's a doggone burden to even breathe? Well, I imagine that is kinda how your vehicle must feel day after day with the stock intake and exhaust system that it was born with. It doesn't stop there, because if it's turbocharged, it just might have a terribly restrictive intercooler to boot. With all of the backup in airflow, it's a wonder your vehicle even moves, and with you behind the wheel demanding more performance to move around that Sunday driver in front of you, the situation is only exasperated. It's no wonder why the mileage is not really quite what that window sticker said your ride was supposed to get.

Many moons ago, when I worked in the Installation department here at Banks, folks would often ask what we do to get more power and economy out of a vehicle. I simply explained it like this: You have a fantastic athlete under the hood, that being the engine, which is designed and bred to be a winner. The factory tells that athlete that he has to wear an extra heavy backpack and carry arm and leg weights. Next, they tell him to run a marathon, but he has to run the race with a piece of tape over his mouth and an index finger up one nostril. What do you think will be the outcome of the race for the poor fellow under these conditions?

The Indy 500’s first and only turbo diesel

Doug Stokes — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:10:00 -0700

Q: When did the first turbocharged car appear at the Indy 500?

A: It was in 1952, and the car was not only turbocharged but it was a Cummins diesel - a first for both!

The inline 6-cylinder engine displaced 401 cubic inches and made 400 horsepower at 4,000 rpm on 20 inches of boost. The smart-looking yellow and red car sat on the pole for the 1952 Indianapolis 500 Mile Sweepstakes Race with California kid Freddie Agabashian in the driver's compartment turning a track record 139.10-mph lap.

The diesel engine's great mileage meant that the race car could theoretically go the full 200 laps of the race without stopping for fuel. Unfortunately, tire wear with the overly heavy car was dismal. (The machine came in at nearly 2,500 pounds dry and weighed a whopping 3,100 ready to race!) In fact, in qualifying trim, future racing hall of famer Agabashian had very nearly worn out a set of tires just running his four laps for the pole!

Gambling on alternative fuels or A mighty wind

John Espino — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:07:00 -0700

I spent last weekend (not this one that just passed but the other one) in Las Vegas with my buddies from Bosch. We were in the city of sin to set up Bosch's Learning Center for the Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference that was being held there. It's kind of hard to think of diesel as an "alternative" fuel since it's been around for such a long time, but it's lumped into the same category as all of the future fuels that are making headlines these days. I'm going to list these different fuels in an upcoming blog and go over what makes them real - or just plain wishful thinking - but right now I just want to share a little about the event we were getting ready for on Monday, May 12.

Sidewinder S-10 Drag Truck Update

Gale Banks — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:35:00 -0700

Dear gearheads and fellow diesel freaks,

It's mid-May 2008, and we are now at a power level with the Banks Sidewinder S-10 that is reminding me of all the nitromethane-burning engines I raced back in the day. We are using up pistons like a good thing. We're not changing them every run like I did with my nitro-burning rails and drag boats, but we're changing them too damn often for a diesel. We've been doing it for a while, and it's only gotten more problematic as we've made more power and gotten down into the 7.70s. Now we are too close to "running on kill" for my liking.

The culprit is injector on-time as measured in crank angle degrees. As we have gained engine speed (now 5,800 rpm at times) and increased fuel rate, our piston position at injector closing has gone down the hole. The truck weighs 2,930 pounds, we're in the low 7.70s, and we're making good power (1,280 bhp). Of course there's more power to come, but first we need to address getting more fuel in and using less crank angle to do it.

Right now, at 1,280 bhp, the thermal energy from the injected fuel is gradually drilling 7 holes in each piston right at the top edge of the firing cup. We have not killed an engine, but this is not good for long-term piston life. We have gotten to this level using a single Bosch 3.3 pump that we have modified for proper fuel control at the flow and pump speed (same as engine speed) that we are demanding. Honestly, with this engine combination, 1,200 bhp is probably the safe limit. Beyond that, we begin to have demanded rail pressure problems.

Fuel-injected childhood dreams

John Espino — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:11:00 -0700

It's Friday, but not an ordinary Friday by any means. It's actually a day that I have waited for most of my life. I've never kept it a secret that I'm somewhat of a nerd and a child at heart. Today, both of those traits are in for a treat as I use up a half day of vacation and split work early to catch a showing of Speed Racer! Yep, the show that gave me the automotive bug when I was just four years old is finally a movie!

I'd have to say I'm kinda lucky that my parents didn't really pay too much attention to me as a kid. There was TV, right, so why interact? No hard feelings; after all, I wouldn't be who I am today if it hadn't been that way. I had great playmates and teachers: Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, Johnny Sako and his Giant Robot, several Japanese super robots, Spider-Man, Batman, Ultraman, and Speed Racer.

Hoist the colors! or With great power comes great responsibility!

John Espino — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:35:00 -0700

I'm on my way back from Tampa and the Truck U shoot. I'm on the plane and just finished watching the third installment of Pirates of the Caribbean for the umpteenth time (a truly bitchin’ movie no matter what anyone says! Naysayers can walk the plank) and I feel compelled to finish my story from my first entry. Arrr... Ye sees me hardies me thinks the show is going to be pretty neat, says I. It focuses on safe towing power (that's where Banks comes in). Apparently the truck they borrowed for the taping was an '08 Chevy Duramax that was used to tow a five-car hauler. That alone takes a lot of grunt, and while the D-max is up for the job, it still could use some help by infusing it with Herculean power. So what we did was put a full Banks PowerPack on it, which if it was FDA recommended would come with a prescription.

Folks are jittery about doing something to a new truck with a particulate trap on it, and why shouldn't they be? You see, there are a lot of choices out there in Performanceville, but not all products are created equal. Sure, I work for Banks and am going to say my stuff is the best, but really it's true and not an overbiased opinion. At Banks, we spend a bundle getting everyone’s offerings and then proceed to test the snot out of 'em with equipment that rivals the original manufacturers. You see, companies rushing to get their products to be "first to market" aren’t really that good for you if quality and efficiency go out the window or, more importantly, out the window goes the safety factor that the stock system afforded you. What will it do to your rig while it unleashes its rush of power? You see, that smile on your face from the extra speed only lasts so long when your investment starts to puke parts like an anorexic model after a hardy meal. Three words can bring confidence to your choice of go-powerful parts: CleanTune™, ActiveSafety® and AutoRate®.

What's my motivation? or Trucking in Tampa

John Espino — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:14:00 -0700

For the plane ride back, I've got to remember to at least try for a window seat. It was bad enough being the middle child in my family, but it was torture being in the middle on a plane ride across the country. Heck, I even ran out of mints! At least sitting by the window on the plane trip back I can spend the hours looking for the gremlin that crawls on the wing and jacks around with the engine. I'm going to get that little jerk some day! Some day!

Anyways...

So here I am in Tampa, on the set where they film Two Guys Garage and Truck U. It's always cool visiting where TV and film magic happen. Most people think that it all happens in sunny California, but really it can happen anywhere. For example, the set where I am now happens to be in a very inconspicuous area next to what looks like an auto repair joint. Inside this bunker is everything you need to film whatever you want, really, and through the magic of HD recording gear, the process is a short one. Edits and all the other film stuff can be done on the fly, saving huge amounts of time. The shoot is expected to wrap up early this evening.

Being the middleman or Fire-breathing exhaust

John Espino — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:53:00 -0700

Wouldn't you know it, I'm trapped in the middle seat on this leg of the flight to Florida. It's not a good situation due to the fact that the gents on either side of me are asleep with their mouths open, a trait I deplore among sleepers. That and folks whom you can hear chomp, slurp and downright overly masticate their sustenance - be it gum or a meal. Worse yet is their lack of understanding for my personal boundaries as their lifeless appendages rest on me. Under these circumstances, I can't use my laptop and have to write this on my trusty pocket PC using a tiny keyboard. Urgh...good thing I'm a techno-geek.

Anyways, so I'm flying to Tampa. I've never been there, maybe because I've never needed to or the fact that it sounds like a medical condition. But now I'm headed there as a technical representative for Banks Power during a shoot for an episode of Truck U, which airs on Speed Channel. It's a companion show to Two Guys Garage, which is a pretty good show in its own right. The episode will cover safe power for DPF-equipped diesel trucks. (Aw geez! The guy next to me has frequent spasms while sleeping. Maybe he's dreaming about being in school again and not having his homework turned in...that or cobras.)

A diesel particulate filter, or DPF, is something relatively new to a diesel's emission system, and it is both misunderstood and feared...kinda like the Hulk. Unlike the green goliath, however, a DPF unit isn't infused with gamma radiation and can't tear up a city, but it can breathe fire and destroy property if provoked. Let me explain: The filter is in place to load up with soot particles that would normally make their way out of the tailpipe. After a certain amount of miles, the DPF goes through a regeneration cycle to burn itself clean. In order to do this, the ECU commands the injectors to spew an extra amount of fuel and plays with the timing so that it can be ignited, causing an afterburner effect. This event effectively makes the trapped soot burn to ash and makes the DPF clean again. The byproduct of this "event" is a stunning EGT level. This same exhaust that burns the soot into ash also blows out of the tailpipe, bringing about the need for a special kind of exhaust system that draws in colder outside air to mix with the blowtorch-hot exhaust.

A Tribute to Wally Parks

Gale Banks — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Wally Parks, 1913-2007

Dear friends,

Wally Parks was a friend to thousands, and I am pleased to have been numbered among them. His gentlemanly demeanor was an example that I have tried hard to emulate in my career. His sense of humor was always a pleasant surprise. His leadership was the stuff of legend. In my life I have had few heroes...but Wally Parks was one of them.

Wally helped me out from time to time and sometimes without my asking. As an example; back in 1997 the SCTA asked me to write an article for the 49th Annual Bonneville Speed Week Program. I was wondering about the details behind the first Speed Week in 1949 when I received a letter from Wally. It transformed the article, "My Memories of Bonneville Are All a Blur." Here is Wally's letter, or see the entire article here.

Dear Gale:

Alex Xydias told me you're having some difficulty unraveling the history of hot rod cars running at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Here, right from the old horse's mouth, are some details of the history of hot rod cars running at the Bonneville Salt Flats:

In 1948, when I was secretary and general manager of the SCTA as its first full-time employee, we had contacted the old AAA regarding the hope we might run our cars on the Salt. In a reply letter from Mr. Art Pillsbury, then the AAA's chief steward for auto racing in the United States, we were advised that "the world record in Class C is 203 mph and it is highly doubtful any hot rod will ever attain that speed."

The Re-Education of a "Gearhead"

Doug Stokes — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Last Friday (really my "first day on the job", even though I had only come in to fill out some employment papers), I was invited to sit in on meeting with Gale Banks and a number of members of the engineering staff.

My (just-bestowed an hour earlier) title is the lofty "Corporate Publicist" and so, I was pleased to be asked to be a part of the action so soon after signing on with the company.

As near as I could make out, the subject of the meeting was a new engine design, diesel to be sure, but after that the talk got a very technical very quickly. The parts looked familiar, lifters, valve train components and the like, but the numbers got blurry and the words became sort of muffled pretty fast from my side of the table.

Not unlike someone who has studied another language in school, but only now was in a place where that was all anyone spoke; I thought that I recognized certain key phrases and numbers, but the tribal council that Gale Banks had assembled around the table in his office seemed to be speaking in some arcane dialect of English that I was entirely unfamiliar with.

Oh, I could sort of make out a bit of what was going on, but there was still this complex series of handoffs and headings between design engineers and outside specialty suppliers that I couldn't have followed with a GPS.

It was, in truth, a dizzying dance of numbers and notations which went whizzing over my head like so many swallows returning to wherever they go when they're NOT hanging out at Capistrano.

My takeaway (which I dutifully wrote down) was that the new CNC-machined Banks cylinder heads not only increase power, but add very nicely to the overall efficiency of the motor as well. I thought that was pretty good for a guy who was "technically" stuck in first gear.

As the days go by I suspect that many of the words that are used around here which now make me wince in ignorance, will start to be making a bit more sense. This is sure highly technical fun that we're having here.

So to working directly with one of the true heroes of hot rodding is something that will take a bit of time to get comfortable with. While I'm sure that this Gale Banks guy actually does put his pants on "one leg at a time", I'll wager that he does it faster, or better, (or something), than your average company President. His pride shows, his attitude is always "at altitude" and his appetite for the fray is infectious.

I'm ready for my close-up or Alpha Male sighting

John Espino — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Hollywood is at it again: they're filming a movie in my neighborhood, but down the street from me. So close, yet so far away. The movie and television companies always seem to do this to me... they tease me knowing full well that I was meant to be immortalized on screen. I personally think that they're afraid of my vast talent. I mean, why else would I always get picked from the audience at one of those shows at Universal Studios? I do a mean falling off a building, and I was even a "Red Shirt" fighting a Klingon in a Star Trek stage show once. I have the VHS tape to prove it.

Atom is da Bomb! or How to Distort Your Face in Under Three Seconds

John Espino — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

I have to tell you all that Ginger Ale is just about my favorite drink... period. It brings back fond memories of days long past. I'll usually partake in a plastic Dixie cup of Canada Dry's version of the beverage on business flights, but on recent trip to Oregon I was treated to a Verner's. Ain't that a something? I mean I thought that brand went away when I was a kid, at least that's the way it is in California anyways. Then another blast from the past... I got on a plane with propellers. Yes folks, the futuristic world of the 21st Century is here... and without the flying cars, robot butlers, an Astro-Base on the Moon or the rocket-pack I was promised as a boy. Airplanes still have propellers.

Customer Q&A #5 (with Peter Treydte, Banks' Director of Technical Communications)

Peter Treydte — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

QUESTION #5:
You didn't directly answer some of my questions, but if I read between the lines, it would appear that there would be no benefit to me to add your upgraded intercooler, (I bought the Six-Gun etc. to tow 15,500 lbs) because the transmission and drivetrain may not take the power of a level 4 or 5 while heavy towing and climbing. Did I understand this correctly?

Smile, You're on Candid Camera or You Tubed

John Espino — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Some of you nice folks have been asking me "why the heck haven't you written anything lately?". The answer: aside from the massive amount of things I have to do on a daily basis... I've had writer's block. I mean I have plenty of ideas for cleaver, witty and informative blogs, but getting the time to write is almost impossible. Whenever I do get a chance to get in front of a keyboard to input my tails of wonder I get a blank stare and frozen finger syndrome. It's kinda like vapor-lock of the brain. But, with the help of ancient medicine, leeches, voodoo and vitamins I'm on the road to recovery. So here it goes...

Customer Q&A #4 (with Peter Treydte, Banks' Director of Technical Communications)

Peter Treydte — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800

QUESTION #4:
I recently had Camping World install a Banks Six-Gun, Speed-Loader with EGT and boost gauges in my 06 Ford F-350 CC SB 6.0L Super Duty P/U. I previously installed the Banks Exhaust system myself. My question relates to the Banks Speed-Loader owners manual. On Page 4, Paragraph 1, 2 and 3. There appears to be some contradiction and confusing information presented.

Customer Q&A #3 (with Peter Treydte, Banks' Director of Technical Communications)

Peter Treydte — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

QUESTION #3:
Your information has been most helpful. A couple of more questions.
1. How does Ford treat the "Six-Gun and Speed-Loader" re warranty issues?
2. Are any of the 6 settings optimized for Towing and or Economy? If not, which one's would be best for those applications?
3. Since I think you are getting more power by increasing the fuel, how are you getting better mileage at the same time?
Read on for the answers...

Boomerang Effect or Strange Bedfellows

John Espino — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

I may have mentioned this in an earlier blog, and then again maybe I didn't. Things have been pretty wild for me at GBE lately and I've had to increase my doses of Ginkgo Biloba. Ok... here it is: folks, we are finally getting back into the engine business. Back in the past we were pretty well known for our high performance marine and street machine engines, but like I said... that was in the past. Now I know we have our mighty twin turbo small-block, but we haven't really been pushing that as well as we could/should. The rest of this stuff that's coming will make real waves quite literally.

Customer Q&A #2 (with Peter Treydte, Banks' Director of Technical Communication)

Peter Treydte — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

QUESTION #2:
My situation is that I don't have a problem with my power output once the engine downshifts and the RPM's go up, but I want more power low down (1750 RPM) so that the engine does not have to down shift as often (and use more fuel). (One thing that I have noticed is that it downshifts when the turbo boost reaches 20 psi., is there any way to raise that figure?) This is why I am looking for figures in that range, apples and apples you know, which I understand you are unable to provide. I guess the factory figures that show lower power curves must be done on an engine dyno, instead of a chassis dyno. Speaking of the figures with a manual transmission, at least that would provide a reference point. Right now I am in the "dark", so to speak.
Another nice to have thing would be to have a second setting, or a desensitized cruise control, whereby it would act more like driver input in that it would not down shift with minor 1 to 2 mph speed losses.
Read on for the answers...

So did they win? or When we last left our heroes...

John Espino — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

It's been a while (again), but here's my latest entry. I've got about four more in the can, only it's just that they're only half done each. Since the last time I wrote I've been to pulled over, went to visit a guy we're selling engines to, went on vacation, went to Indy for the big race, and met with GM a few times. Although those "adventures" are something to write about... I bet your wondering how we did with the truck this weekend?

Customer Q&A (with Peter Treydte, Banks' Director of Technical Communication)

Peter Treydte — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

QUESTION #1:
I have installed a Banks Monster Exhaust and am considering a "Six-Gun and Speed-Loader." My primary application is towing a 15,000 lb. trailer (GCWR 23,000) with an '06 F-350 SRW 6.0L Auto 3.73 CC SB 4X4. I tow at 60 to 65 mph (3.73/18 in tires) which translates to 1700 and 1750 rpm. All of your charts start at 2000 rpm which is 74 mph in my truck, which it never sees towing. Consequently, my interest is in torque and power out put at 1700 to 1750 rpm.

1. What is the torque and Hp increase that I will see from the Monster exhaust and at what RPM, especially 1750 rpm?

2. What is the torque and Hp with the six gun and speed loader at 1750 rpm.

3. A product that I would like to see you offer for my truck is a way to manually select 4th gear. My choices are 1,2,3,or 5th.

The higher rpm max out put numbers don't do much good for the vast majority of trailer tower's like me who don't tow at 75 or 80 mph.
Read on for the answers...

Sidewinder Type-R: Ready to Race! or Ready to Race?

John Espino — Tue, 02 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Hi Folks,

Some of you might know (and most of you didn't have a clue) that we actually went out and put some miles on our little red pick-up a couple of weeks ago. "What, you went out and raced without telling me?" you say. Well, the answer is "yes", I guess. We didn't really want to make it a big production since she was going into combat for the first time, and in all reality we are still in the testing phase of this grand experiment. I mean we all like being in the spotlight, but who wants to get burnt? I'd kind of say it was like being a great singer and going to a Karaoke contest at a local club, rather than going on American Idol and bombing out on national TV while getting crushed by Simon (not that I ever watch the show... I hear things about it. Really).

M.I.A or Jane, stop this crazy thing!

John Espino — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Good golly Miss Molly! I realized that I've been lax on getting my Blog entries in as of late, but I honestly didn't think I was that over due! Sorry guys and gals (Umm... and Gale especially!). I looked at the site the other morning and saw the date of my last Blog. Shameful... just plain shameful.

Stoddard Valley Cleanup

Peter Treydte — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

I myself was amazed at the turnout and at the amount of fun that I had. Gale Banks Engineering supported the event by sending out a support trailer, a vehicle to participate in the cleanup, and just for fun we had the Banks Power #36 Trophy Truck on hand for some testing for the upcoming Best In The Desert Blue Water Casino Parker 425. The participants in the cleanup filled 4 full-size dumpsters to overflowing with all manner of garbage... everything from beer cans to sofas to burnt out shells of vehicles. Some may say that off-roaders don't care about the environment, but it was clear at the end of the day that this group of enthusiasts took special interest in the preservation of the wilderness that we enjoy.

#8117 Henderson's Terrible 400 Race Report

Peter Treydte — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800

By guest blogger Bob Bower The terms "Racing" and "Competition" are sometimes considered interchangeable. Yet, there are times when one defines the other. In the case of the 2005 Henderson's Terrible 400 the Competition clearly defined the Race. Yes, each class has its race, and each class has its drama. But for the Stock Full class in Best In The Desert Racing series there is more.

Not to say other classes have less competition, or the racing is less astounding, but gee whiz... how many of the classes had over seven of the nine entrants all in the 1.2 mile infield at the same time at the end of the first lap? More than that, how many of the classes saw the second through fifth place finishers within sight of each other during the last thirty miles on the last lap? Not exactly a parade, but more of a brawl.
It was a battle of risk, skill and luck.

The Donahoe Racing/Banks Power/Ford Super Duty team took that last thirty miles by ignoring the risk, mustering all the skill it could, and enjoyed a smidgen of luck to take the checkers with a second place finish.

But, let's go back to the beginning...

More SEMA wrap-up

John Espino — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Well, being that I worked the booth most of the time I didn't get to wander around like I had wanted to. I did meet some great folks who had great questions about our products... and even their own vehicles. One guy came to me a little frustrated and confused saying that the guys in the GM booth couldn't answer any of his questions on the changes to this year's iteration of the Duramax LLY or LBZ, and get this... they told him to go ask Banks because they know more about it than they did. Wow, it's nice to be recognized by your peers. Turns out they were right and the gent and I went over the changes from the cooling system to the block. He left pretty satisfied.

The notes from SEMA: Day 1 or Crazy Town

John Espino — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Guess what I'm doing? Gambling? Nope. Checking out the wom... um... sights? Nah! You got it: sitting in my hotel room on a Halloween night in Vegas watching the cinematic great "Catwoman". Man... isn't life great? How on Earth did I miss this gem? I mean, this has got to be one the finest films of our time. Who cares about the words of attractive females dressed as doctors, Indian maidens and showgirls when you've got something with such a gripping storyline?

Anyway, we're here and so far so good. Our new booth is better than it looked on paper. A two story structure that blows away anything we've done in the past. I'll post some photos tomorrow when the background isn't so full of empty crates and union workers "working". Nothing else really to report yet since the fun starts tomorrow.

Wild Kingdom or Fuzzy Memories: Take 1

John Espino — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Ok... let me start off by saying that one of the things I wanted to do when we first started out with this "blog" thing was to kinda open the vault into the company and the cool stuff we're doing and planning. A novel idea in theory, but when you do actually do that you let the cat out of the bag on things you really shouldn't. Products and projects wouldn't quite have the same effect if everybody knew about them, and then sometimes you end up sounding like a commercial... which is far from what we want to do.

So, what do you do when you're supposed to write stuff? Ah, the answer I've come up with is to reach into your mind and pull out the first thing your fingers squish. Hence you have my latest offering which won't make sense at first, but will later... maybe even leaking into another blog here and there.

One of my best fuzzy memories growing up was watching the incredibly kid-friendly Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. The reason I say "fuzzy" is because it was a long time ago and remembering it is like watching an old UHF television channel: no matter what you did to those rabbit ears the picture always had snow and occasional lapses in viewing pleasure. It's not like trying to watch ON-TV or Select TV on channel 22 or 52 (first cable stations for those of you too wee in years to remember). I mean with those you could spend hours just staring at a green, red, blue and yellow swirl of squiggly lines just to see a leg or something. Hours into it you may even see a clear picture, only to have it replaces with the color blob. Oh, but those few moments of victory over "the Man" provided bragging rights at school the next day.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah, Wild Kingdom! What a great show! For those of you who never watched this wonder each show was introduced by the host, Marlin Perkins, in his office. The office was filled with books and maps and souvenirs brought back from what could have been great adventures and expeditions to parts unknown. Sometimes he'd have an animal guest in the office, a monkey or tiger, which added to the fascination. The introduction usually started with an explanation of what we were going to see during the 30 minutes of adventure with the host pointing to a zone on a globe. Sometimes it was something adorable like watching cubs play around, but mostly we were treated the raw, savage rules of the jungle where the Alpha Male ruled his territory. The cool thing is that they would trank and tag an animal and follow it when it woke up to see how it interacted with the rest of the jungle world.... always watched and never being seen. Kinda like jungle ninja. By doing this they learned all kinds of valuable info.

So where am I going with this little portion of my childhood? One can put to good use what I learned from that show in the world of automotive progress and design The funny thing is that the sometimes from where I am I feel as if I am on that TV safari... observing the alpha male pound his chest and roar to show his supremacy, or seeing the bloody battle to see who rules the pride. Examples: at an auto show listening to folks in the crowd, or better yet the most dangerous place on the net... the "forums". I mean, where else can you see nature's wildest beasts tear into each other with such venom and fury? Have an opinion or a question and who takes the lead of the thread: none other than the Alpha Male. What's better is when there is a challenger or two... and then the fur flies as they claw, bite and ram each other into oblivion. The funny thing is that the loudest, I mean "strongest" Alpha Male is usually wrong with his stance, but he is the leader of his land none the less.

Next time you're bored and hankering for action, put on your adventure gear and let your fingers guide you to some of the best fights in the animal kingdom by surfing your favorite forums. It's a jungle out there.

WyoTech Happenings

Peter Treydte — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700

In the last couple of weeks there have been two events in which the personalities of Gale Banks Engineering and WyoTech Technical Institute have crossed paths. WyoTech is the leader in education when it comes to hands on training in the areas of Automotive, Diesel, Collision Refinishing and Hot Rod/Custom Vehicle fabrication. Banks has taken an interest in supporting WyoTech because of the quality and employability of the students that they produce. Two WyoTech graduates currently work in the Banks Race Shop prepping the D-Max type R for its racing debut.

Vacation... all I ever wanted? or "Dude, where's my car?"

John Espino — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

(Please note: there is a car story here... really.)

The word "vacation" has never been one that has meant much to me. Growing up time-off from school or work was an opportunity for my loving family to work on the house, an exercise in perpetual futility. Tear down a wall, build it back up. Paint the inside, outside, walls, parakeet and dog. Backyard flat? Hell, the kids can dig that fish pond. Oh, and it needs to be 4-ft. deep. I'm not really complaining... just unlocking the door so you can understand my malfunction. To me a vacation is really just a time to get things done, even if it is work related, and really not to lounge on a deck or vegetate. Not that something like that is wrong mind you... I'm just damaged in my way of thinking compared to most of the human race. Thanks for another thing, Mom and Dad.

Banks. A Household Name?!

Tim Gavern — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Hola. Just a little ditty to illustrate how much Banks has been in the media this Summer. It's been amazing!

It has gotten to the point that we've even coined a new term for hot rodding it to the max. We're going to "Banks it."

Nice.

Alpha Booster or H1: Sith Lord

John Espino — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

There are certain vehicles that are automatically associated with certain people. Let's try a few:
Batman
James Bond
Steve McQueen
The Green Hornet

Get the idea? Now tell me what comes to mind when I say Arnold Schwarzenegger? Hmmm... it has to be a Hummer, the really big kind. Everyone knows that association, even my grandmother. Well, maybe she isn't the best example, but you get the idea.

23.6 MPG from a Truck that Runs 222 MPH!

Peter Treydte — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700

OK, you haven't heard from me in a while and I'm going to use the same excuse as everyone else; Power Tour, blah, blah, blah. But since I am doing so, I would like to continue my theme on fuel economy with a report from the Power Tour. As you know, we took five vehicles on the Tour, four trucks with diesels of various flavors and one truck with a twin turbo small block Chevy. One of the trucks that completed the entire 1700+ mile trip was the Banks Sidewinder Dakota. You remember this truck, it holds the world record as the fastest pickup truck at a top speed of 222 mph. The cool thing is, it is completely street drivable and is actually fun to drive. Now here are a couple of interesting factoids to consider:

High School Biodiesel Brain Power

Gale Banks — Wed, 20 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700

There are lots of articles being written about "home-brewed" biodiesel today but I've felt that most of these backyard projects getting ink are the automotive equivalent of brewing moonshine. I say this, because while the end result is probably combustible in a diesel engine, the biodiesel fuel produced is not refined and finished to any known standard.

The World's First Roadracing Pickup Truck

Tim Gavern — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700

How many of you know that Banks' Race Shop is building a roadracing truck? Did you know that the truck is going to be diesel powered? That's right! A diesel powered roadracing truck! And it will be twin-turbocharged!

Running After the Ice Cream Man, or Picking up the Sidewinder

John Espino — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Remember when you were a kid and you heard that sound? You know, the sound that could motivate the dead to rise and you to drop whatever you were doing and run like hell screaming with whatever coins you could find clinched into your tiny hands? It was a melody that seemed to carry through the air even from miles away and could interrupt anything that was going on in your life at the time making you swing your head it the direction it was coming from. Yeah... that sound: the Ice Cream Man's theme. It wasn't the same theme every time and there were different vehicles, some yellow and some white... but they all had the same wonderful junk. Where else could you get an ice cream with gumballs for eyes for one hand and a giant Pixie Stick for the other hand? Ah, the rush.

Anyway, I can honestly say that vision is the only thing I could use to describe the excitement that quickly spread at the Bosch Technical Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan when Jim and I arrived to pick up the Sidewinder after the DCX Tech Fair. As we fired up the engine its sound traveled through the plant like the Ice Cream Man's theme, pulling people from their desks and stations. We had a long drive ahead of us traveling from Michigan to Chicago so we let the Sidewinder warm up for a while, and the crowd grew. The Bosch folks were genuinely excited to see the truck. Good. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to see the people who are responsible for some of the most advanced automotive systems on the planet impressed to see our "little engine that could." These folks are our peers, and partners in our upcoming Duramax race efforts. For them to be that thrilled says a lot about what we do, and what we can accomplish together.

Wait till the Type-R is done. We might have a riot on our hands.

Time Travel or Power Tour Epilogue

John Espino — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

And so here is yet another late entry in my log of blogs. Let's set the clock back... back... back... to June 8th...

... So this is my first time flying Southwest... and I have to tell you it ain't bad. Oh, I'm sure that if it was packed like my flight to Milwaukee I would have much more to say. But hey, airlines don't always smash as many folks as they can into a tiny plane like it was a dare or something like that... do they? The thing I thought was funny was that there are no assigned seats on Southwest, and it was every person for themselves. What a hoot it was to see everyone running to be first in line. I even got caught up in the rush. Hah... that little old lady never knew what hit her.

Well, if someone were to ask me if the Power Tour was worth it I'd have to answer "hell ya"! Where else could you go where there is a sea of pure power on four wheels, with some of the friendliest folks around? I mean it, not a jerk among them. The best part was that they were totally accepting of us and our vehicles, and let's face it... we were the invaders. When you think of "hot rods" you don't really think of a 4X4 with a diesel engine in it, but truth be told the times are a changing. Our mini fleet were hot rods in every way: they were over kill, flashy and could spin the tires till the rubber became molten shards of rage. The difference between our versions and the traditional idea of a hot rod is that you can haul lumber, groceries, a TV and the family... all at stupid speed. Yeah! Of course, if you're not careful in ours you may eventually run over a Chrysler Crossfire or something (whistles innocently).

There's something else I learned on my travels: some of the states we went through aren't allergy friendly. Chicago and Milwaukee both looked as if there was a horrible simultaneous accident on every street involving chicken trucks. I've never see so much junk floating through the air for so long! Sneezing for days... what a drag.

And now here we are in the futuristic time of the present...

Anyhow, it's good to be home and back at the grind. Hopefully I can get caught up with my blogs dazzling you all with wisdom, insight and dumb laughs.

... one can only hope.

What a Long, Strange Trip its Been

Tim Gavern — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Throwing a bunch of guys together for a seven day, 1,700-mile tour is bound to have its ups and downs. This sign found in Joe's Crab Shack in Kissimmee, Florida on the last day of Power Tour says it all. The merry bunch of Banks employees (and journalists) that traveled with us now share a common bond and many memories that will last a lifetime.

Bosch DCX Tech Fair or "Drive Sample Vehicles Like You Stole Them!"

John Espino — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I know... it's been a while since I've written, but I've got a good excuse. No, really... I do. See, I went on the Hot Rod Power Tour and before that, Bosch's DCX Tech Fair. Vehicles, meetings, logistics, details and way too many "what ifs" make Johnny a dull boy. It's as if I've been a cross between the proverbial one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest spliced with a chicken with its head cut off. Sort of a one-legged chicken-man with no head trying to kick some butt if you will. See the problem?

Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour: A Huge Success!

Tim Gavern — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Perhaps you've noticed the lack of blogs from all of us during Power Tour? The days went by like lightning. There was, literally, no time to blog. Here's how our tour went.

Air Travel Hell: Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour (Pre-Tour)

Tim Gavern — Sat, 04 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

4:44 a.m.
Okay, the trip stared off badly when the shuttle van that was supposed to pick me up at 4:00 a.m. hadn't arrived by 4:30. When I called, they told me, "oh, our driver just now told us he was experiencing vehicle trouble..." Great. What about my ride to the airport?

The shuttle company called a cab for me and my $45 trip to the airport wound up costing $68.30. The shuttle company is going to pay me the difference. Yea - there's money I won't be seeing again anytime soon. The only saving grace was Richard, my taxi driver, was also an Armenian philosopher. I got an Armenian history lesson on the drive to the airport. Interesting.

6:00 a.m
I made it to the gate with only a few minutes to spare. I glanced out the window at the plane and exclaimed to my traveling partner, John Espino, "Hey John, check out the antique we're flying on. Oh, sh*t."

Banks Sidewinder All-Terrains are Ready to GO!

Tim Gavern — Wed, 01 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

It's been a real thrash for the past few weeks getting ready for Hot Rod Magazine's Power Tour. You may have noticed the lack of new blogs recently. Sorry, but we've all been swamped. Imagine the logistics and man-hours involved in getting five trucks ready for the 1500-mile Power Tour...

Fuel Economy Methods, Part 1

Peter Treydte — Fri, 13 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

How do you calculate fuel economy? I read so many different claims about fuel economy, and I keep coming back to wondering how people arrive at their data. For instance, on the diesel forums it is not uncommon to see someone claim 24 MPG in a diesel pickup. And yet I have personally driven a Duramax LLY with a heavy load up a grade, and watching the digital mileage indicator, I have seen instantaneous readings as low as 3 MPG. That's a huge swing.

Cooling That Powerful Itch

John Espino — Mon, 09 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Some tough questions should be asked when venturing into the world of diesel power: Are you shopping for a product to speed up your truck for quick 0 to 60 sprints and quarter mile bragging rights, or are you looking to enhance its towing brawn? Is there a way to get both? Just why does my truck need to blow plumes of black smoke to make power, and what is it really doing to the engine?

The President Digs Diesel

Tim Gavern — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

President Bush told a business group last Wednesday (April 27, 2005) that anti-pollution measures for diesel "will remove more than 90 percent of the sulfur in diesel fuel by 2010." He also announced plans to provide similar tax credits to those already in place for hybrid and fuel cell vehicles for consumers who purchase light-duty clean diesel cars and trucks.

A Ragin' Good Read

Peter Treydte — Mon, 02 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I just finished reading an article in the May 2005 issue of Four Wheeler magazine entitled "Rage Against the Machine." Awesome! Robin Stover details the success of Kent Kroeker's virtually stock Dodge truck in the 2004 Baja 1000 (http://www.koreperformance.com). Check out this preview article on Four Wheeler online: (http://www.fourwheeler.com/brandpages/129_0411_500/) This adventure impresses me for many reason's, but I think I just love to absorb as much off-road racing as I can, and this article offers a healthy dose of it. I would have loved to have been in Robin's position, as a rider in that vehicle, although I think I would have been nothing more than a sack of pudding at the end of the race.

Who am I?

Peter Treydte — Fri, 29 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I said in an earlier blog that I was a Ford guy. Today I think I am changing my identity a bit. I think I am starting to consider myself a Diesel guy. I drive a gas-powered F-150 every day and keep thinking about what my fuel costs are going to be this summer. I would sure love to have a small diesel-powered car to commute with. Unfortunately being in California, it doesn't look like that will be available to me anytime soon. The only readily-available diesels in this Left Coast state are full-size trucks. I can't quite justify the purchase of a diesel pickup right now, and even if I did, I don't think I would be saving much in fuel costs. I am currently getting 14-16 MPG at a fuel cost of around $2.40/gal (and that's optimistic), which works out to an operating cost of about 16 cents a mile. Our Test Group Manager commutes in a Duramax dually and reports an average of about 18 miles to the gallon. At a fuel cost of $2.50/gal, that's a little less than 14 cents a mile. A savings indeed, but not quite enough to justify the purchase of a $40,000 vehicle in my situation.

Now what if there was a diesel-powered car for around $13,500 that got around 55 MPG? That brings us down to 4-1/2 cents per mile. Now we're talking. That car is available in Canada. It's the Smart car. We had an opportunity to drive one that Bosch brought to the states for show-and-tell. It was cool, but so far, it's not available here. I say, bring them on! With that car, I would be a full-fledged card carrying Diesel guy.

Shhhh... we're working on some future stuff!

John Espino — Wed, 27 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

A little while ago, I wrote in my first blog that we get our hands on some really neat, future stuff. A good example from the past was the powerplant for our Sidewinder Dakota truck. You know... that little red pickup that ended up smashing a number of speed records and went 222 m.p.h.? Well, that engine was a '03 common-rail Cummins that we just so happened to get in 2001 from the Cummins Skunkworks for our project.

My Weekend Romance

Tim Gavern — Tue, 26 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

So my pal, Peter Treydte comes into the office this past Monday morning and loudly declares, "Hey Tim, you're no longer a diesel virgin." We all laughed. It's true though. I drove a bone-stock cherry red 2005 Ford F-250 crew cab 4x4 Power Stroke turbodiesel over three hundred miles last weekend. It was a great experience and one that truly changed any preconceived notions I had that modern diesels were still big, klunky and slow.

A Trip To The Toy Shop

Peter Treydte — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

One of the things that I like doing sometime during the workweek is to wander through the Banks Race Shop. It is really an amazing place. I can't think of any other place in the world where I could find high-flow intake manifolds for diesel engines being developed, turbochargers being mounted on a V-12 tank engine and a one-of-a-kind diesel road race truck being built from the ground up... oh and by the way, just a few feet away is the world's fastest pickup truck powered by a Cummins ISB engine.

Power Touring

Tim Gavern — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

A few of us here at Banks are stoked to be going on Hot Rod's Power Tour (http://www.hotrod.com/powertour) this coming June. I've been threatening to go on Power Tour since they started it. What is it nine years already? Anyway, this was the year I was going to do the long haul in my '63 Biscayne. Of course, I'd need to change its 4.56 gears to something a little more highway friendly. But, that's easy.

Turbo Lover: Part One

John Espino — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Have you ever heard a sound that gave you goose bumps just by hearing it? Ever since I was a kid that magic tone for me was that of a turbine whine. To me it just sounds like power incarnate. I mean...what's more powerful sounding than a jet taxiing and taking off? That is the sound that suckered me into buying my first turbocharged car: the underrated Merkur XR4Ti. I like my vehicles to be different, and this one sure fit the bill. Aside from looking like the forbidden love child of Saab and a Ford Escort, it had a blown Pinto 2.3 liter engine that whined louder than a dentist's drill. Turbo lag was BIG, but when it finally built up the power its demeanor turned from that of a timid koala bear to a raging donkey and squished my unassuming passengers deep into their seats. Sweeeet! From then on I was bitten by the beast known as the turbo, and its venom went straight to my brain. The true journey to the Dark Side had begun.

Pay the Piper...or Hire Another Band

CJ Baker — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Just the other day, I was fueling my vehicle at a service station. While I was there, the station attendant emerged with a handful of numbers to change the posted fuel prices. He didn't change the gasoline prices, only the #2 diesel. It went up 4 cents per gallon. At that station, #2 diesel was then selling for 6 cents a gallon more than 91-octane premium gasoline, and 22 cents a gallon more than 87-octane regular gasoline. I remember thinking, that's nuts!

Diesel Hot Rods

Tim Gavern — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I'm a typical hot rodder. I build hot car after hot car. And of course, every one of them has been gasoline-powered. What else is there?

Giving Something Back

Gale Banks — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I'm sitting in my office waiting for the guys from WyoTech to arrive. This morning, I get to put something back into the diesel industry. I volunteered to work with WyoTech on the development of a light-duty diesel curriculum (with a high-performance overlay, of course).

Blue Oval Fever

Peter Treydte — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I'm a Ford guy. I can't explain why, except to say that from the time I was a young kid I have always felt more partial to the Blue Oval brand than others. It could be because my dad owned more Fords than other brands. I was one of 6 kids, so we always had large vehicles. I remember going to church in an early 70's blue Econoline with a 3-on-the-tree shifter. I never got to drive that one, but I remember logging a lot of miles in it. It was replaced by a 1982 brown Econoline powered by a 289 V-8 with a variable venturi carburetor... not one of Ford's better ideas. This one I did get to drive. When I was a junior higher I convinced my dad to let me move the van from the street to the driveway to put it away for the evening. This became a ritual for me. My dad took me to get my learner's permit in that van and I went on my first real date in it. It was not what I would call a cool van either, at least not in the sense that van's were cool at some point in Americana. (Whoa, did I just admit that I was a "van guy"?!?) I also learned the importance of engine oil with that van. Did you know that the engine stops running after a while if it doesn't have oil?

Beware the Blog!

John Espino — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

"The Blog!" Blog this and blog that -- that's all I've been hearing for the past month. Up until recently I thought folks were talking about the anamorphic amoeba with the voracious appetite that terrorized a small town back in the '50s flick. They tried to stop it by burning it, shooting it and then blowing it up. Just about the only thing that'd stop it was freezing it. After all was said and done the thing grew from about the size of a pea to a giant glob.

Why a Blog?

Tim Gavern — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

My job title at Banks is, "Corporate Journalist." Pretty high falutin, huh? Not really. I'm just a scribe. I record a lot of what goes on around here. I document projects and vehicle buildups for corporate sponsors, provide info for magazine editors, write blogs, Blah, blah, blah.

The Race Shop

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 24 Jan 2003 10:45:00 -0800

Most companies call it Research and Development. Here at Banks, we call it the Race Shop. I think of it as the toy room.

But calling it the Race Shop is not a bit far-fetched. This shop has not only turned out several true-blood race cars, but it has also produced several world record holders. That is a pregnant statement. The emphasis, here, is on several.

There are plenty of corporations, around the world, that sponsor winning race vehicles. There are a few that actually produce them. But I can't think of many that have produced as many record-setters as Gale Banks, and this goes back to the days of endurance racing boats, as well as cars.

Winning Dodge

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 17 Jan 2003 10:57:00 -0800

Well, here's one for you Dodge boys (and girls). Specifically, I'm talking about the members of Turbo Diesel Register, otherwise known as TDR.

The TDR is actually based on a quarterly publication that started in 1993 with a stated purpose to be "an open forum for the exchange of information from the manufacturers to the owners," and "to give Dodge diesel owners more satisfaction in the ownership of their truck." The TDR magazine is a collection of regular columns written by a variety of authors, two of whom are John and Polly Holmes. John's "Ranch Dressing" column refers to their 2JP (John and Polly) Ranch in Silver Springs, NV, about an hour east of Reno, where they raise goats and other animals with exotic "coats" for Polly's hobby/business of producing "fiber" for spinning into yarns for knitting or weaving. John is retired, but still spends one day a week (Wednesdays) at Carson Dodge in Carson City, doing "special projects." TDR members know he's there, and bring in their trucks when they want something "special" done to them.

At the Install

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 10 Jan 2003 11:06:00 -0800

A couple of weeks ago, when I showed you all the different departments of employees here at Banks Engineering (at the Christmas party), I said I'd tell you more about the Install group in a week or two. Well, make it two.

I guess it should technically be called the Banks Factory Installation Center, but all of us here refer to it simply as Install.

Every day, five days a week, we normally have five to eight trucks and motorhomes in the Install building (or just outside) getting new Banks products—you guessed it—installed. Inside the building there are five lifts and work stations, three of 9,000 pound capacity and two of 15,000 pounds, so they can handle most any kind of pickup or flat bed trucks, gas or diesel. Outside, in a partially enclosed area (which one of the installers referred to as the "Banks motorhome cabana") are two large drive-on lifts of 27,000 pound capacity each and 20 feet long, so they can handle any type of gasoline motorhome we've seen so far. The diesel "pusher" rigs (motorhomes with a diesel engine mounted north-to-south in the rear, behind the rear axle—by far the most common type) are so heavy that they must be worked on on the ground, so there is another stall for them in the "cabana," next to the two lifts.

What Recession?

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 27 Dec 2002 11:14:00 -0800

You can tell by the date of this column that Christmas was the day before yesterday. Last Friday, after I posted the Friday Night News, we held our big Banks Christmas party. And the emphasis—and this week's news—is on BIG! My job was to take pictures with our digital camera of each department of Banks employees as they were called up on stage. I'll post them here so you can see just how big we are. I'm talking number of individuals, not individual size of employees.

The Christmas party marks my first anniversary here at Banks. My very first assignment was to take the photos at last year's party. This is my 61st edition of the Friday Night News. Time flies.

When I started working here a year ago, we had 160 employees. I thought that was a whole lot compared to the Banks Engineering I knew a couple decades ago that had about one tenth that number of workers in one or two small buildings. Now we have seven BIG buildings, and we're out of room again.

Lumpy's Torrid Truck

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 20 Dec 2002 11:34:00 -0800

Chad Horning is a videographer who accompanied us to Bonneville for the recent running of the Sidewinder pickup to capture all the record-smashing action, including shots from an airplane as the truck sped down the course. If you live in the Los Angeles area and watch the 5 o'clock news, you saw some of his footage in the last couple of weeks as several TV channels reported on The World's Fastest Pickup. And, as I reported here on 11/15/02, you can sample several clips of his video work on our Sidewinder web site.

But Chad is not the subject of tonight's news. It's his dad, Richard "Lumpy" Horning of Burbank, California. They say the movies are made in Hollywood, but most of them, as well as TV shows, are really made in Burbank, and it seems like half the people who live there work for the studios in one way or another. Richard works for a company called Easy Rider Productions, which supplies portable generators, dressing rooms, wardrobes, and other on-location support for music videos, commercials, and feature films. These are all in the form of trailers—mostly 5th wheel—that must be towed by trucks. Richard's truck is a good-looking 2000 Ford F-350 XLT Power Stroke Super-Cab duallie long bed. He says he uses this truck strictly for work—nothing else—and since it's always pulling heavy trailers, he knew it could use some more go and some more whoa. And after Chad's connection with Banks, he knew where to get it.

CBC News

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 13 Dec 2002 11:37:00 -0800

A lot of our products tend to sound like TV stations.

CBC

It's called an acronym. In this case it stands for Computerized Brake Controller. And it's a patent-pending Banks exclusive that is now an integral part of our Banks Brakes. Other diesel exhaust brakes are controlled by a micro-switch, which is a simple on-off device just like a light switch at home. It must be physically mounted to contact the throttle, which means it must be adjusted to turn on when the throttle is closed (and, more than likely, readjusted periodically to keep it working properly). And, since it's a mechanical device, it can stick or otherwise malfunction. And it only knows how to do one thing: turn on and off.

The Banks CBC is much more talented. You could say it has a mind of its own. It's not a switch, it's a computer. You hook it up with wires, and it adjusts itself, constantly.

But it does considerably more than that. That's the great thing about computers: they're multi-taskers. They can do more than one thing at the same time.

The Jeeps are Coming

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 06 Dec 2002 11:52:00 -0800

Two things this week. The primary news is that we are tooling up for a new line of Banks products for Jeeps. The secondary subject is the process of tooling up, otherwise known as prototyping.

We've been noticing a few questions and answers on web site chat rooms talking about whether Banks is going to make products for Jeeps. The answer is yes, we are. We are going to make TorqueTube exhaust manifolds; cat-back, all-stainless, mandrel-bent exhaust systems including a straight-through stainless Dynaflow muffler; and high-flow air intake systems. Our first target is for '91-'03 Wranglers with the 4.0L straight six engine. As of today, we have a '99 and 2001 model in our shop, to which we are fitting prototype TorqueTubes. We have the basic design determined. The question, and it's not a really big one, is exactly how the outlet will be configured.

One Camaro to Go

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 22 Nov 2002 11:53:00 -0800

At least one magazine calls them Pro Tourers: a new kind of hot rod with big wheels, very low-profile tires, big brakes, super-tuned chassis, a 5 or 6 speed manual trans, and plenty of horsepower. In other words, a hot rod that drives in something other than a straight line and for distances longer than a quarter mile—much longer.

The '68 Camaro under construction in our Race Shop is just such a vehicle. It sits on a chassis jig right next to Rick "Speed" Lefever's incredible Mercedes 500-SL quad-turbo Pro Mod race car, and Speed splits his shop time working on both vehicles. We've been bragging so much lately about our Project Sidewinder Dodge sport truck—the World's Fastest Pickup, period—that we've pretty much overlooked the Camaro project. Heck, it doesn't even have a name. But it's pretty incredible, too.

Banks Power for Workhorse

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 15 Nov 2002 13:46:00 -0800

At close to 500 cubic inches, the GM 8.1L Vortec in the Workhorse chassis is already the most powerful gasoline motorhome going. So how did the Banks engineers figure out how to get 22% more power out of it? That's 66 more horsepower and 77 more lb.-ft. of torque. They did it the way we always do—by building prototypes and testing them exhaustively to see what really works best in the real world. That's why it always takes a little time for us to introduce new products for new vehicles. There are no instant solutions here. But the news this week is that we now have Banks Power available for the 8.1L Vortec in the Workhorse motorhome chassis at both the PowerPack and Stinger levels.

More specifically, Banks uses the same methodology for achieving power increases in nearly all applications: more airflow in, more airflow out. Both the PowerPack and Stinger systems include a Ram-Air intake filter to flow more and cooler air into the engine. It lasts a lifetime and doesn't need servicing until 50,000 miles (servicing kit included). On the exhaust side, the Banks all-stainless, heat-shielded Dynaflow muffler (no, it doesn't come from an old Buick; we make them specifically for each application), increases exhaust flow—that is, decreases backpressure—by 65% over stock. Behind that, our mandrel-bent, stainless steel, 4-inch diameter Monster Exhaust slashes backpressure a full 70% over the stock tailpipe. These are impressive numbers that anyone could claim, but we have accurate test data to prove it.

See Sidewinder Run

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 15 Nov 2002 11:56:00 -0800

Seems like hardly a week goes by that we don't have something new to tell you about Project Sidewinder. This one will be short.

The news is that we had a video crew at Bonneville to capture all the action and sounds surrounding our record attempts, and you can now sample it on our Sidewinder web site. Webmaster note: As this is a very old blog entry, the links have changed. You can now watch a cool video of the Sidewinder Dakota here...

Bob Robe

Pat Ganahl — Fri, 08 Nov 2002 13:53:00 -0800

Bob Robe is a glutton for punishment. He's worked at Gale Banks Engineering longer than any other current employee—this January will mark 25 years.

Seriously, Bob just told me that he couldn't envision working anywhere else that would afford him the wide range of jobs that he enjoys here. To say that Bob is multitalented is a serious understatement.

His current title is Chief Designer—and that he is. Bob not only makes engineering drawings of all our new products for pattern makers or fabricators to follow, but in most cases he actually designs them as well, following input from Gale. But Bob also puts in time here as a graphic artist, illustrator, architect of sorts, TIG welder, plumber, head porter, machinist, fabricator, assembler—you name it, he can do it. Not only that, but he does it well. Robe's welds are beautiful. So's his machining. His routing and bending of hard lines—a very difficult task—is always impeccable. He actually enjoys it. His approach to all of these operations is that of an artist.