Banks Monster Exhausts

What does a Banks Exhaust system do?

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While the design of many exhaust systems, including the Banks Exhaust, might look from the outside like little more than a simple series of connecting pipes, there is a lot more to them. The exhaust system is a very important part of your engine’s ability to perform and is responsible for handling the following functions: 

• Remove Exhaust Gas

  “Exhaust gas” is a blanket term for the mixture of different gasses and particulates that are a byproduct of the combustion process. It is extremely hot, it contains soot and other particles which are dangerous for the engine, and its presence limits the amount of new air that the engine can effectively pull from the outside. Leaving it in the engine reduces the engine's performance and also increases the risks of overheating and other damage. 

• Lower EGTs

  Exhaust Gas Temperatures (EGTs) are dangerous. They are heated up during the combustion process, which is a repeating controlled explosion within the combustion chamber and can be anywhere from 300°F-1200°F before it enters the exhaust system depending on the vehicle and the current load. For safety, many exhaust systems have an air intake injection system that introduces cool air into the flow of the exhaust gases, which helps to bring the temperatures down.

• Reduce Emissions

  Modern vehicles have many different emission reduction systems engineered to help reduce emissions, such as the catalytic converter, Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve, and in many cases a Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve. These components allow your engine to generate the power it needs while cutting down on the emissions released into the air. The majority of these components have been added to the design of the engine to comply with the country’s emission regulations and should not be removed, as removing them is illegal and can cause problems with the engine’s functionality.

Factory exhaust systems function and they function fairly well in many cases; however, like most other factory components they are designed to do the minimum job and aren’t designed to be the best they can be. This leaves a lot of room for improvement. Banks Power—whose focus is on improving engine efficiency and performance—has invested a lot of time and energy into creating a better aftermarket exhaust system. Which is how the Banks Monster Exhaust line was created.

Banks Exhaust vs Factory Exhaust

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Backpressure

The first way where Banks Exhaust beats factory exhaust systems is in backpressure. The way gases travel is that they move in the direction of least resistance. Backpressure in the exhaust system refers to the level of resistance caused by already existing exhaust in the pipes. This build-up happens because of restrictions in airflow caused by narrowing pipes or sharp bends and angles, and bad muffler designs that restrict airflow. As the gases slow down or collect in an area the pressure builds and stops new gas from being able to flow in. High backpressure reduces the engine’s combustion ability, increases fuel consumption, and affects emission levels.

Banks Power designed their Banks Exhaust to drastically reduce backpressure. How’d they do it? First off, they created a better pipe design that uses mandrel bends to keep a consistent, easy flow with no sharp turns or constricting points. This in itself allows for much greater airflow, but to make it even better, in many cases, they have increased the overall diameter of the pipe. Additionally, they have a patented design that eliminates the backpressure after the DPF. So while they didn’t remove 100% of the backpressure, they have gotten rid of as much as 85% in many cases.

Heat Reduction

We mentioned above that the temperatures of the exhaust gas can, in some cases, get up to around 1200°F to 1500°F. These high temperatures are important for the diesel’s DPF system because the cleaning or “regeneration cycle” of the DPF requires these very hot temperatures to burn away soot. 

However, that heat level is beyond dangerous, and the exhaust pipes can get almost as hot.  For reference, a surface with a temperature of 130°F can give a third-degree burn if left in contact for 30 seconds, and dry grass can ignite if it comes in contact with anything 500°F or higher. Now imagine what would happen if skin or grass were to touch something that is at 1000°F or more? This is why exhaust gases need to be cooled before they are released.

Factory exhaust systems have an air intake injection system that helps reduce the temperature of the gases by pulling cooler air into the airflow. This is good, but the factory air intake injection is usually situated at the exit tip of the pipe, which reduces the amount of time the cooling air can interact with the hot gases making it less effective. The temperature of the air coming out of the end of an exhaust pipe can still be as high as 600°F.

An added problem that comes from the general factory design is that the exhaust pipe aims backward toward whatever is being towed. If you are towing, this makes the exhaust gas head right back onto the trailer and can cause damage if the heat is still high enough.

The Banks Exhaust has two main differences which help lower heat. The first is what the company calls “The Banks Cool Cuff.” The Banks Cool Cuff is an air induction system that is located further up the exhaust pipe but after the DPF. As particulate filter cleaning cycles or regens happen, cold air will mix with the heated air, helping it to cool before it gets to the tip. The Cool Cuff was designed with computational fluid dynamics to decrease temperature and backpressure as well.

The second design difference in the Bank Exhaust is that the tip of the exhaust pipe points to the side. This protects the tow load and trailer from the heated gases and has the added benefit of allowing the airflow to further mix with and dissipate the gases as they leave the pipe. This makes the gases much cooler and safer for everyone.

Better Sound

When Banks Power decides to create a product they try to solve the issues and improve the product as a whole. With the Banks Exhaust part of the bigger picture included improving the sound. While the sound of a vehicle might not matter much to an average driver—as long as it sounds good—to a vehicle enthusiast the sound is an important part of the driving experience. Having a growl you can feel is an amazing experience, but there is a balance that has to be struck. 

If the engine growl is too loud then it overpowers in-cab conversation, speakers, and the ability to hear what is going on outside the vehicle. Not being able to hear anything but the engine can be both annoying and dangerous. However, not being able to hear the engine at all removes much of the fun of driving. Hearing the engine respond to the press of the pedal brings a greater feeling of connection between the driver and the vehicle. 

Additionally, there is more to engine sound than just sheer volume. As the exhaust gas travels through the pipes, the pipe vibrates and creates a tone. How the tone sounds is a direct result of the shape and width of the pipes, the muffler design, and even the location of the different components in the exhaust system. In their design of the Banks Exhaust, Banks Power has taken careful steps to remove any irritating drone, tiny-whistling, and horrible rasping that many factory exhaust systems have. Banks Monster Exhaust systems sound amazing, and they don’t overpower in-cab communication.

To help improve the sound, many Banks Exhaust systems either come with a Banks Monster Muffler or a Monster Muffler can be purchased and added for an additional price. These mufflers have a special sound chamber that is exclusive to the Banks’ design and focuses on dissipating the mid-range drone that so many people find annoying. They flow twice as much exhaust as a factory muffler and create a richer, deeper sound.

Better Appearance and materials

If you are looking for a great-looking exhaust to compliment your vehicle then the Banks Monster Exhaust is a great choice. Each Banks Exhaust is made from 100% stainless steel. This gives them a nice, initial shiny finish, and has the added benefit of making them more resistant to corrosion. 

Many of the systems have a 5-inch or 6-inch rolled edge tailpipe of polished-stainless steel or black Cerakote. These tips are shaped like an oblong (elongated) circle that has a flat top and bottom. This provides a nice, clean-looking tip, and has the added benefit of making it easier for passing air to run across the top and help lower the temperature. The tips have a ½-inch air gap which protects the tip from the heat of the exhaust gases—unlike factory exhaust tips that tend to go yellow from the heat. 

• Extensively Tested & Validated
• Mandrel Bent Constant-Diameter
• Cat-Back, Turbo-Back and DPF-Back Exhaust Systems
• Reduces Exhaust Back Pressure
• Lowers Exhaust Gas Temperatures Significantly.
• Improves Exhaust Flow 100%.
• Stainless Steel—no Aluminized Steel Here!
• Many Systems Come with Giant Polished 304 Stainless Rolled-Edge Tips.
• Muffler’s Expansion Chamber Cuts Obnoxious Noise.
• Won’t Void Factory Warranty.
• 5-Year Limited Manufacturer Warranty
• Detailed Installation Instructions Included