The real challenge here isn’t just building headers for a Duramax. It’s building custom long-tube headers for a supercharged V8 diesel in a chassis that’s already crowded with steering, tubs, wheel clearance, an oil cooler, and a fixed exhaust path. That means header design has to start with geometry and end with fabrication that respects every hard point on the truck. We laid out the basic routing in CAD, then used a collector jig to hold the outlet exactly where it needed to land so the rest of the exhaust would still fit. From there, the headers were built around the actual constraints: primary routing, firing order, collector location, steering shaft clearance, and suspension and inner-fender space. The result is a true one-off stainless header package that fits the truck instead of forcing the truck to fit the headers.
The project centers on an unusually ambitious engine build being finished under severe time pressure. With roughly two weeks left before the SEMA show, the team is deep into a lockdown project and working through a Saturday to keep the schedule alive. Much of the engineering group has rallied to help, handling whatever fabrication, wiring, and fitment work is needed to move the truck toward completion.
The engine itself is treated as something outside the team's normal routine. They note that they have built plenty of engines before, but not one like this, and they expect this combination to be especially significant. That urgency shapes the entire workflow: parts are being sent out for coating, fabrication is being split among internal staff and outside specialists, and every subsystem is being finalized in parallel.
Before major components are removed or repositioned, the team carefully marks alignment points with a Sharpie so everything can be returned to the same location during reassembly. That step is important because the truck's packaging is already tightly developed, and even small shifts could create fitment problems later.
The wiring architecture is also being organized at the same time. The engine harness must interface with a MoTeC ECM, a PDM power supply module, and an ATS transmission controller module. Fuel lines, air lines, and electrical routing all have to coexist with the exhaust system, so the team is discussing header placement early in order to protect space for those other systems. A previous space-claim model used to send the truck to Sean is no longer accurate, so they are physically laying out the truck again to understand what room is actually available. The header concept is mostly defined, with two pipes exiting on one side and two routing down the other, but the final design still depends on real-world packaging.
Because the internal welders and fabricators are already overloaded, the team brings in Dragos, a fabricator with a strong background in prototype and small-run high-quality header and exhaust work. He previously worked at Nelson Racing Engines and helped with special projects there, including prototype work associated with the Tuatara. That experience gives the Banks team confidence that he can handle a difficult custom header package on a compressed timeline.
Gale and the team explain that some header CAD work has already been started, but it still needs to be translated from the computer into a buildable part. The plan is flexible: they may use a hybrid process in which some geometry comes from CAD while Dragos fills in the rest based on practical fabrication judgment. Rather than waiting for a fully modeled solution, he intends to work from the required parameters-such as firing order, primary lengths, and overall routing constraints-and then create the best-looking and best-fitting header possible within those limits. The system will begin at the cylinder head, use stainless header flanges and four-into-one collectors, and tie into an exhaust that exits through the bedside.
To help Dragos finish the headers efficiently, the team creates a physical reference point for the downstream end of the system. Matt had already designed the exhaust from the back of the headers rearward in SolidWorks, and the goal is to preserve that work so the rest of the exhaust can be built quickly without redesigning the entire truck.
Matt therefore draws a collector jig that fixes each collector in the exact location needed to satisfy both the header design and the existing CAD-defined exhaust path. That jig is welded together and installed in the chassis, placing the collectors where the headers need to terminate. With those collectors mounted in place, Dragos can route the primaries directly into them and the team can later bolt the rest of the exhaust on with minimal rework. This approach bridges hand-built fabrication and CAD-controlled downstream packaging, which is critical given the schedule.
The header packaging proves to be exceptionally tight. On one side of the truck, the fabrication space is constrained by the tubs, the steering shaft, the inner fender, and an oil cooler that was only identified as a packaging issue that morning. The available room is described as snug to say the least, and the challenge is essentially to fit a round peg into a square hole.
Dragos works through those constraints by first establishing clearance around the steering shaft, then confirming that both the inner fender and the wheel will clear the header tubes throughout their path. Once the difficult side is solved, the opposite side is expected to be much easier because it does not carry the same rear-side constraints. The plan there is largely to replicate the successful geometry from the first side where appropriate, taking advantage of the more open packaging envelope.
As the build advances, the difficult side of the header set is finally tacked together. That milestone confirms that the team has successfully threaded the tubes through the steering and bodywork constraints while preserving wheel and fender clearance. At that point, the process shifts from fit-up to finish work.
The tacked assembly will be taken back to Dragos's shop, where it will be disassembled, prepped, cleaned, and fully welded. After welding, it will go through the usual cycle of installation, removal, and reinstallation to verify that the finished parts still fit exactly as intended. The expectation is that the next time the headers are shown, they will be fully finished and visually refined rather than just mocked up.
In parallel with the fabrication work, the engine components are sent out for Cerakote finishing. When the coated parts return, the team reveals a Banks red finish with visible gold flake, described as part of Cerakote's Mixology Series and intended to debut at SEMA. The visual result is striking, but the discussion focuses just as much on the coating's functional properties as on its appearance.
Kelly, who handled the coating work, explains that this is the first supercharged Duramax he has coated. He also notes that the Cerakote formula has roots going back roughly 20 years and that his group was involved in its early development. Before its current automotive use, the coating was even applied as an anti-graffiti finish on buildings and other surfaces. Its defining characteristic is that contaminants do not stick to it easily. On polished billet wheels and accessories, it dramatically reduced maintenance because dirt and markings could simply be wiped away.
The team is especially impressed by how slippery the coated surface feels. Kelly explains that once a part is coated, it requires essentially no upkeep and will remain preserved in that condition unless the coating is deliberately removed. He compares the surface behavior to a dry-erase board, saying that even spray paint or permanent marker can be pressure-washed or wiped off.
That leads to discussion of a possible next step after SEMA: bringing back the raw billet aluminum supercharger and applying a clear Cerakote finish to preserve its appearance long term. In that sense, the coating is not just a cosmetic treatment for the show but a durable protective layer intended to keep high-end metal surfaces looking fresh with minimal maintenance.
By the end of the segment, the truck is taking shape as a coordinated engineering exercise rather than a collection of isolated parts. The engine finish, wiring integration, header routing, collector placement, and downstream exhaust all have to align under a fixed deadline. The team is balancing CAD planning with hands-on fabrication, using alignment marks, jigs, and repeated test fitting to keep the build accurate while moving quickly.
The overall tone is one of controlled urgency. Gale reviews progress, outside specialists are brought in where needed, and each subsystem is being pushed toward a state that is both functional and presentable for SEMA. The project remains difficult, but the major direction is now established: the coated engine is back, the collector locations are fixed, the hardest header side has been solved, and the truck is moving from rough packaging into final fabrication.