RAM 6.7L Cummins Grid Heater Failure: How the Monster-Ram Stops Engine Ingestion
Full Video Transcript
00:01 looks like on a Cummins so this is the nut that typically falls off but this one is actually tight what we did find is this oh hello it melted off right there we had a point of high resistance and it actually melted off there but this is it so the this could be the engine
00:20 Destroyer or that one can be the engine Destroyer but this is it this is the intake grid heater on a Cummins epic jump
Although we don’t know the exact year of the truck, diesel enthusiast hillbillyhicktowngarage5293 treats us to a short video exposing a melted intake grid heater terminal post and the two failure points that routinely destroy engines. These design flaws plague all 2007.5–2024 RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks, creating a ticking time bomb that can instantly total a $20,000 6.7L Cummins engine.
Not only does the Banks Monster-Ram eliminate the factory heater grid and its twin failure points with the Banks High Flow Billet Intake Plate, but the intake is engineered to improve airflow from the intercooler. It flows 72.7 lbs/min compared to the stock’s 38.6 lbs/min MAF. That is a huge 88.3% improvement over stock. You can feel the improvement in throttle response! This proprietary design raises boost without increasing backpressure at the turbine. The Monster-Ram improves engine response and efficiency, adds headroom for daily driving and heavy hauling—and will save your engine from the Grim Reaper.
The Two Fatal Failure Modes of the Factory 6.7L Cummins Grid Heater
The factory grid heater plate on 2007.5–2024 RAM 6.7L Cummins engines suffers from two distinct mechanical failure modes. First, severe engine vibration and rapid thermal expansion degrade the internal stud connection over time. Second, high electrical resistance across the terminal post generates localized arcing, eventually melting the copper connection entirely.
Because cylinder number six sits directly beneath the intake horn, gravity drops loose metal fragments straight into the combustion chamber. This debris impacts the piston crown, bends valves, scores cylinder walls, and shreds the turbocharger turbine wheel. The Banks Monster-Ram intake system permanently eliminates both failure points by replacing the factory grid with a billet intake plate. An optional vertical coil heater ensures reliable winter cold starts without placing any failure-prone fasteners in the intake airflow path.
Related RAM 6.7L Cummins Grid Heater & Airflow Articles
- Review professional installation teardown steps in this FASS Motorsports grid heater delete guide protecting customer Cummins trucks.
- Compare flow bench engineering in our Banks Monster-Ram vs BD comparison evaluating air mass delivery.
- Discover how a Banks Monster-Ram Cummins upgrade boosts mass airflow by 88% while stopping bolt ingestion.
- Explore intake manifold air density testing in this RAM 6.7L Cummins airflow science analysis by Gale Banks.