On the 6.7L Cummins, boost made at the turbo can be lost in the intake elbow if the turn into the head is wrong. A round tube may look fine, but bends are where pressure and velocity get uneven and airflow falls off. That is why we shaped the Master-Ram around low-loss bend geometry instead of just making a bigger tube. We also CNC the inlet so the air enters the elbow cleaner, and in this test that change was worth a 40 CFM gain on the 4-inch version. Just as important, we reworked the number one fuel injection line so the elbow could occupy the space it needed without adding a shelf or gouge that hurts flow. The result is better air mass through the turn, more uniform delivery into the engine, and less boost wasted between the turbo and the head. This racing intake elbow was built to fit the stock throttle-valve location, retain key mounting points and sensor provisions, and support water-meth injection without spraying into a wall. Mechanism first: cleaner entry, better bend shape, proper clearance. Owner benefit: less restriction where the 6.7L Cummins usually gives air away.
Gale Banks introduces a new racing intake elbow for the 6.7L Cummins, the latest version of the Banks Master Ram, and frames the video around a direct flow-bench comparison against competing intake elbows. The purpose of the test is straightforward: there is little value in making boost at the turbocharger if a restrictive intake elbow throws away several pounds of pressure before the air reaches the engine. Some pressure loss is unavoidable, but Banks states that the intake elbow that performs best on the flow bench has consistently produced the best power on the dyno as well.
The elbows are tested on a SuperFlow bench at a fixed 10 inches of water pressure drop across the part being evaluated. That constant pressure drop is the equalizing condition for the comparison, because it shows how much air each elbow will pass for the same boost loss. Banks notes that 10 inches of water is roughly equivalent to about one-third of a PSI, so the test is measuring airflow at a very small but controlled restriction.
In the featured test result, the new CNC-machined version reaches 1,008 CFM and 77.01 pounds of air per minute. Banks contrasts that with an earlier result of 968 CFM, attributing the improvement to changes at the inlet. The outside of the elbow is machined to provide strong hose retention for higher boost levels, but the key gain came from machining the inside entry to better align the airflow path. That internal CNC work added about 40 CFM.
Banks explains that the design is based on long-established ducting principles dating back to aircraft development in the 1940s. The core lesson is that round tubes work well in straight sections but perform poorly in bends. When air is forced through a conventional round bend, pressure and velocity distribution become uneven, increasing loss. By reshaping the bend section, it is possible to maintain a more uniform flow field through the turn and reduce restriction substantially.
He describes this as the same underlying approach Banks has used for decades in its High-Ram and Monster-Ram products. The concept is not new, but Banks argues that it remains valid because the physics of moving air through a bend have not changed. In this product, that bend-shaping strategy is central to reducing pressure loss while improving airflow into the cylinder head.
The new elbow is intended for 2007 to 2017 6.7L Cummins applications and was designed to fit the stock throttle-valve location in the truck. Banks wanted any boost tube that connects to the factory location to remain usable, so one version of the elbow keeps the hose joint in the stock spatial position with a 3.5-inch diameter connection.
A major packaging obstacle was the stock number-one-cylinder fuel injection line, which passes directly through the area where Banks wanted to place the optimized bend. Rather than compromise the airflow path by adding a gouge, shelf, or other intrusion that would hurt flow into the head, Banks worked with a major OEM diesel fuel injection line manufacturer-the same supplier used on Banks military diesel engines-to create a replacement injection line that clears the desired elbow geometry. That revised line is part of the package and is presented as one of the keys to preserving the intended airflow path through the bend.
Banks offers both a 3.5-inch and a 4-inch version of the intake elbow, and both are CNC-machined. The 3.5-inch version flows 960 CFM, which Banks converts to 69.22 pounds of air per minute. The 4-inch version is the higher-flow configuration shown earlier at 1,008 CFM and 77.01 pounds per minute.
Banks emphasizes airflow in pounds per minute because air mass, not just volume, is what combines with fuel to make power. Using the 77.01 lb/min figure, a 16:1 air-fuel ratio, and a brake specific fuel consumption of 0.430 pounds per horsepower-hour, he estimates that at 3,000 RPM the airflow supports about 680 horsepower. He presents that figure as an illustration of what the elbow can support, not as an absolute limit. According to Banks, the 6.7 Monster-Ram is intended to be the best intake elbow on the market across a wide range of horsepower and airflow levels, short of stepping up to the company's Big Hoss side-draft racing intake manifold.
Although the product is intended as racing equipment, Banks still tried to preserve the stock mounting positions and practical attachment points found on the factory piece. The stock elbow includes provisions for the dipstick tube, emissions-related hardware, temperature sensing, pressure sensing, and wire-loom mounting. Banks says the new elbow accommodates the stock-style mounting needs, including the wire loom and dipstick bracket locations.
For 2007 to 2012 applications, the elbow includes a temperature sensor provision. On later models, that port can be closed with a supplied plug if it is not needed. There is also a pressure sensor provision, and on later trucks this serves the T-MAP function, combining temperature and manifold air pressure sensing. Banks is careful to note that these elbows are racing parts for off-highway use only, including applications such as pulling, drag racing, and road racing, and they do not accommodate emissions equipment.
The elbow also incorporates provisions for Banks straight-shot water-meth injection nozzles. Two nozzles are mounted on the top of the casting, each producing an 85-degree cone angle inside the elbow. Their placement is tied directly to the internal airflow design.
Banks explains that the nozzles spray into a diffusing section of the elbow. As the air makes the bend, the cross-sectional area increases, which slows the air and makes it easier to turn. That larger, slower-moving section also provides more volume for introducing the water-meth mixture. The nozzle targeting is intended to avoid wall wetting entirely. Instead of spraying onto the casting surface, the cones are aimed so the fluid enters the center of the moving air mass cleanly as it passes through the elbow.
Banks summarizes the product as an intake elbow that preserves needed stock mounting features, improves pressure distribution and airflow into the intake manifold, and uses a custom fuel injection line to create the clearance required for the optimized bend shape. The result, in his view, is a competitively priced racing elbow that minimizes boost loss while maintaining compatibility with the truck's physical layout.
Pricing is given at $339 internet price for the fully CNC-machined 3.5-inch model in natural aluminum. A red hot-paint finish adds $24. The 4-inch natural aluminum version is priced at $369, with the same $24 charge for the durable red finish. The custom injection line is $60. With those details established, Banks positions the rest of the video as a marketplace comparison to see how this new Master Ram performs against competing intake elbows.