Just wondering if anybody here has the Banks Big Hoss kit for their 6.0l diesel. If you do, what do you think? How is the performance? Gas mileage? And anything else you would like to contribute. Thanks

 

As a general rule everything Banks sells is WAY overpriced.

 

Not True...as the old saying goes...you get what you pay for...yes you may pay more but in the long run you'll save...you get the best stuffa round with banks...wiht the others you get aluminized exhaust...with the banks its stainless..if you get an edge you might as well just go buy a new tranny...but with banks it has a system that monitors your tranny slippage and gives it new shift points...the intercooler helps mialage and keeps egts down...and it ahs a limited lifetime warrenty...you can't beat that...Banks is the best around i'd say...

 

I wanted to give the gentlemen a little education on Banks being over priced. As I have seen with friends that have bought a stand alone box every one of their trucks are having problems with exhaust gas temps getting way too high and blowing out their turbo's. So that just cost them around $2500.00 dollers to fix. So yop either go the systamatic approach and pay a little now and don't worry about it later. You get what you pay for !!!

 

Hmm.......I would have to go with if you want to pay the extra money for Banks thats fine, but I'll get more power (just as safely) for 1/2 the cost. I've run head to head with another truck like mine with almost all the Banks goodies on it with my Evo in 80hp mode and he could just barely keep up with me. Banks does make good stuff, but they are very much on the conservative side. There are some really crappy systems out there for cheap that will do damage, but there are also some very good systems coming out that are as safe or safer than Banks that make more hp for less money. The first to come to mind is Jody Tiptons programs. Banks is just a name and IMO nothing worth getting excited about. Oh, and my EGTs even with my Evo in 80 and my Juice in setting 5 will almost never pass 1100*. Most times while crusing in the winter my EGTs will be upper 400* pre turbo. Only a few times during a long WOT run have I ever defueled from high EGTs.

 

socalemh welcome to the site.
In the hopes of keeping this a civil conversation I will just say I respectfully disagree. I stand by my statement of Banks being WAY over priced. The original post asked for input on Banks so I gave my opinion, nothing more. But to answer to some of the comments I offer the following.

I am sure we all can say "we know someone who overheated a turbo, ruined a trans, etc. etc." unfortunately these statements prove nothing, they are just hearsay. I can also post links to conversations where people have ruined their engines or parts thereof with all brands of aftermarket power enhancing parts, including those made by Banks. I can even provide links where supposedly Banks did not stand behind their product and left the owner "hanging in the wind" so to speak. But this would all be hearsay as well. I am not saying that Banks makes lousy equipment. Its just way over priced, and rather conservative in the power they make. That being said Banks is not the only company I feel is overpriced either, Hypermax comes to mind. I agree you can get much more bang for the buck if you shop smart, and shop elsewhere. Not just anywhere mind you, there are plenty of companies that make junk, and false claims. Also there are plenty of drivers that drive foolishly and could ruin something with even the best engineered system. Banks is by no means the only company offering a stainless steel exhaust, or a "engineered system" of mods. There are plenty of other reputable companies that offer S/S exhaust, or power systems that yield more power, & will lower EGT's the same amount but at a lower price, and have proved themselves just as reliable. This I can say with certainty since I have used them personally, with a combined mileage of over 1 million miles on 4 diesel pick up trucks, all of which I still own and drive. Some good companies that I have used and have been happy with are the mentioned Jodi Tipton programs, Buddha power, Schieds diesel, T/S Performance systems, Diesel Innovations products, Piers Diesel research, etc. If you truly believe in the adage 'you get what you pay for' then let me ask you this. Do you shop around for the highest price fuel, or the highest price when buying a truck because you feel as if you got better fuel or a better truck just by paying more?

 

Do you mean Hypertech or Hypermax. IMO Hypermax hasn't been all that bad (though still higher), but they do have some very good products on the market. Hypertech (if thats who you meant) I agree fully. Aside from having a reputation of making VERY subpar diesel performance equipment do have a very high price.


I also could not have put it better myself than the way you just did.

 

I was referring to Hypermax as far as price. I double checked their website and I see they are now having some items on special. These items are much more in line with their competition as far as pricing. Their after sale customer svc. is not real good, every time I have walked into their shop and wanted info or had questions of any kind they just push a pamphlet in your face and say here is what we offer. And thats the end of discussion. They do make a good product, and do a lot of testing.

I agree with your assessment of Hypertech.

 

Ggg you said you wanted to keep this civil..ok we are but you dont need to bust my *****...im going by what other people say and research done in magazines...i did a whole highschool paper on diesel engines and aftermarket upgrades..i ahve probably spent at least 24 hours of studying diesels and there performance mods. i have read feedback and everything. Banks has been at about a 95% satisfaction with performance and reliability. I have also studied edge and bullydog...reading information and feedback about them they are standing at about a 60% satisfaction. while quadzillas and others similar are even lower. Its not just about the stainless exhaust...i have read data books and talked to banks reps about how much time they spend on reaserching...to come up with the 6 gun for the 6.0l it took them over 2 years to put out a final peice...while bullydog with there similar, yet less reliable and more dangerous peice for the enigne, took them all but 4 months...i dont know about you guys but i would want to put the best in my $45,000 truck then putting some cheap stuff in it and ruining it not saying the others are cheap but compared to banks and their research they are. i would rather pay a little more and get the same power yet with better reliability and do it safer...but thats just my opinion...

 

LB51 I was not busting yours or anyones *****. I was only responding in a civil manner to the comments made. Like I said I wanted it to be civil, so please do not read into what I write. No sarcasm or condescension intended. I respect all opinions, especially those that differ from mine. Why, because they make me think. My original post only stated my opinion about price, nothing more.
No blood no foul.

 

thanks to all of you who have replyed. i knew i asked the right group of people. keep coming with the responses though, im not quite sold on anything yet. mitch

 

I've got two trucks, one with the Banks and one with stuff I got from Diesel Innovations. You can see what I have in my signature.

I will never buy Banks again. As both Powerstroke73 and Ggg said the Banks stuff is WAY overpriced. I spent almost $1000 less on the DI stuff and got a LOT more power. And I tow pretty regularly and have never had any exhaust temp issues.

And as far as Bank's stainless exhaust, while I haven't had any problems with mine, I've heard a few other people talking about it rusting and Bank's not replacing it. They use a cheap grade of stainless in their systems. Don't know if they've changed that or not. Plus there are lots of afternarket exhausts made out of stainless.

Additionally, I've heard of virtually no complaints by people using the Diesel Innovations stuff. In my opinion, most people who buy the Banks stuff just don't know about a lot of the others.

 

You wouldn't happen to know what kind of boxes they are using would you? I've heard of some people having exhaust problems due to a hp chip although very rare, but I've never heard of anybody blowing a turbo because of a chip. Just curious.

 

A higher hp chip will in almost all cases result in a much higher EGT reading preturbo. Mostly it comes down to how hot the chip is, but also how good the programmer was. The good ones can make a high hp chip and keep temps manageable, as well as the smoke. Usually when you see a truck belching tons of black smoke when not at WOT the programmer wasn't really all that good. Turbo problems are actually somewhat common, but it comes down to how the driver runs the truck, and then to a lesser extent the chip programming. High EGTs for an extended period of time can heat up the exhaust impellers thus causing them to deform while spinning. The hotter the chip the more boost it will make, and if its a stock turbo that will kill it. Stock form uses a thrust bearing in it and is not capable of handling boost higher than 25psi. Now this is more of a problem on trucks running a blow off valve in the line to the map sensor that prevents the truck from defueling over 25psi. But losing a turbo from a hot chip is definetly not an uncommon thing to have happen.

 

Yeah, I just asked about that on another forum and they said it's definitely possible but mostly it's due to the driver. I've still not heard anyone talk about burning up the turbo because of the chip but I suppose it happens. Just goes to show the importance of gauges and using them.

On a side note, I have pulled light loads (3500lb load on a 1400lb trailer) in my hottest setting and the EGT's never went over 1000. Granted there aren't many mountains to pull up around here!