Harry Wagner
Contributor
Installing an aftermarket intake is one of the easiest ways to boost the power of your vehicle. Just how easy? We are glad you asked. To illustrate how little time it takes to provide your engine with improved breathing, we ordered a pizza and installed a Banks Power Ram-Air intake on a Ford Super Duty while waiting for lunch to arrive. It was no coincidence that we chose Banks products for this demonstration. Banks Power is well known in the diesel world for making no-compromises products with the best fit and finish in the industry, so we knew we wouldn’t need to break out the hot wrench or angle grinder for this installation.
We installed the Banks Ram- Air in less time than it took for pizza delivery
Like most of the intake kits on the market, Banks Power provides a boost in airflow with a large oiled, cotton-gauze filter. Instead of leaving the element exposed to hot underhood temperatures though, Banks seals the intake to draw dense, cool air from inside the fender. This provided us with increased mileage, lower EGTs, and better throttle response. The sound of the turbo was more noticeable with the new intake, but we consider that a benefit as well. In addition to Power Stroke engines, Banks offers Ram-Air systems for GM and Dodge diesels as well as Jeep gas engines. Lunch not included.
The factory paper air filter is replaced with Banks high-flow, oiled cotton gauze filter. The new filter has considerably more surface area than the stock filter and is washable, so we will never need to buy another air filter again.
Part of the power gains can be attributed to the large, smooth intake tube that is included with the Ram-Air kit. Banks Power performed computational fluid dynamics to ensure that the intake systems deliver as much cool air to the turbocharger as possible.
It took one person under 33 minutes to remove the factory Super Duty intake and replace it with the Banks Ram-Air intake. This included stopping to shoot pictures along the way, so you could likely cut this down to under 30 minutes without the photography.
James showed up with our pizza 40 minutes after we placed our order. This gave us enough time to install the Banks Ram-Air intake and even wash up before eating lunch.
These were the only tools required to install the Ram-Air intake. A flathead screwdriver, a 1⁄2-inch wrench and socket, and a 5⁄16-inch socket and ratchet.
Special Thanks To:
Round Table Pizza
roundtablepizza.com
