The real problem is twofold: the stock grid heater is a known failure point, and it’s a bad airflow device. It sits in the intake path like a partly closed throttle, dropping air density before the manifold and forcing the turbo to work harder to make the same boost. That means more drive pressure, more shaft speed, and less efficient airflow into the engine. Our Banks Monster-Ram Intake and Killer Grid Heater Upgrade clears that restriction out of the air path and replaces it with a high-flow intake plate and coil-heater strategy. That keeps the airflow path cleaner while preserving cold-start heat. For truck owners in serious winter conditions, we developed additional Monster-Ram heating configurations for both new and existing setups. The new dual-heat-capable version ships with a single heater installed and can accept a second heater, while existing Monster-Ram owners can add a billet second-heater kit. For the coldest use cases, there are even higher-heat combinations available. Bottom line: you don’t have to choose between intake flow and cold-start heat.
Gale Banks introduces Kyle from Dark Iron Diesel, a mechanic and YouTuber based in Saskatoon, where winter temperatures can fall to -40. Kyle had contacted Banks the previous winter because his truck was difficult to start without using a block heater. During that investigation, Banks determined that Kyle's delete tune was contributing to the problem. At the same time, the company recognized a broader demand from Canadian diesel owners who wanted more intake heating for cold starts.
That led Banks to develop additional heating options for both new and existing Monster-Ram owners. Kyle's visit to Banks centers on that engineering response: understanding how the products are built, how the company validates its designs, and how the revised Monster-Ram heating configurations were created specifically to address severe cold-weather starting conditions.
The tour begins on the Monster-Ram packaging line, where assembled units are boxed for shipment. Banks explains that this is the actual line from which customers' Monster-Ram kits are packaged. Large quantities of Monster-Ram units are moving through the line, reflecting the product's popularity and the volume being produced.
Kyle briefly participates in the packaging process, adding gaskets, plates, expanding packing foam, and the instruction manual before sealing a box. Although the moment is lighthearted, it also shows that Monster-Ram fulfillment is handled directly at Banks rather than being outsourced. The line is dedicated to preparing complete kits for shipment, reinforcing that the product is assembled and packaged in-house.
From packaging, the tour moves into manufacturing. Banks shows a CNC area with lathes, mills, and manual machines, along with tube-shop equipment used to produce the company's tubular products in-house. A major piece of equipment is a large tube bender capable of bending up to 6-inch 304 stainless tubing. It is used for 5-inch and larger exhaust work and is designed to bend tubing accurately while compensating for springback so the finished geometry matches the intended design.
Raw tube arrives in long lengths from the mill, is cut to size, bent through the required sequence, then sent on for deburring, welding, and upswedging. Nearby stamping dies create relief cuts in exhaust sections so clamps can compress the tubing properly and achieve a secure seal. Some of the machinery dates back to the World War II era, but Banks notes that the older equipment still performs reliably.
Header production receives particular attention. Banks uses thick 5/8-inch flanges on its headers, and after welding, those flanges are machined flat rather than simply sanded. A large pneumatic clamping fixture holds the welded header while a surfacing tool makes a finishing pass across the flange. The purpose is to eliminate warpage from welding and ensure a flat sealing surface, reducing the chance of leaks.
The shop also includes eccentric end formers for boost tubes. These machines roll a bead into the end of a tube so a silicone boot and T-bolt clamp can seal securely against it. Upswedge tooling expands exhaust tube ends so one section can nest over another. Banks also maintains multiple welding stations and older manual benders that remain useful in the hands of experienced operators. Finished and semi-finished components are stored in large inventory areas, including exhaust systems, headers, and boost tubes awaiting coating, wrapping, or packaging.
Banks also offers installation services for customers who bring their trucks to the facility. The company has full-time technicians dedicated to installing Banks parts, including a steady volume of Monster-Ram systems. Customers travel from well beyond California, including from Alaska, to have products installed at the source.
The research and development area includes fabrication tools, machining equipment, fixture tables, a plasma table, and a two-post lift. One notable project in the shop is a World War I-era British tank engine, a 27-liter air-cooled hot-V V12. Banks explains that Jay Leno had previously asked Gale to turbocharge a similar engine used in his tank car. To support that project, Banks sourced a sister engine and developed a twin-turbo EFI Bosch-controlled system, reportedly nearly doubling the horsepower.
The R&D area also includes multiple 3D printers used by the mechanical engineering team to iterate parts quickly during development and test fitting. There is also an engine build area containing current projects and teardown work, including a 3.0-liter diesel similar to the Stellantis EcoDiesel that had suffered a runaway condition and was being disassembled to inspect the damage.
The tour then shifts to electrical engineering and testing. Banks emphasizes that its electronic products are developed in-house, including hardware, software, and firmware. Even iDash assembly is handled locally, only a few miles away, rather than being outsourced overseas. The electronics group includes firmware engineers, hardware engineers, prototype labs, harness validation, and in-house test equipment development.
One engineer describes his role as validating designs after the design team completes them, as well as investigating failures and troubleshooting issues. Under a microscope, he shows an iDash circuit board, pointing out the processor, interface chips, Bluetooth module, and connector side. The discussion highlights the level of detail involved in electronics validation and the company's preference for controlling the entire development process internally.
Banks uses both chassis dynos and engine dynos as part of its development process. On the chassis side, trucks are tested under controlled conditions before road testing. A 2018 L5P Duramax is shown on a chassis dyno undergoing tuner validation for the Derringer. Large custom cooling fans, adapted from industrial blower hardware, are used to simulate roughly 60 mph airflow across the vehicle during testing.
The facility also includes two engine dyno cells. One cell had been configured for high-voltage work during a military Humvee repower program. Banks explains that the military wanted to repower large numbers of Humvees equipped with aging 6.5-liter naturally aspirated diesel engines. To support testing of an engine coupled to a high-voltage motor, the dyno cell was fitted with a battery emulator using city power instead of a massive battery pack, allowing the team to test a 600-volt system.
An in-house emissions laboratory provides preliminary emissions data before formal outside testing. Banks uses it to determine whether a product is moving in the right direction before sending vehicles or engines to external labs such as SEMA Garage or CARB-related facilities for official testing. The company describes this as a close approximation rather than a substitute for the multimillion-dollar certified lab environment required for final compliance work.
In the dyno control room, Banks shows a 7.3-liter Ford Godzilla crate engine installed with full OEM-style hardware, including stock manifolds, stock Y-pipes, catalytic converter, OEM muffler, and a motorhome-specific intake. The setup is heavily instrumented. In addition to ECU data over CAN, Banks logs standalone measurements such as pressure, temperature, pulse-width-modulated signals, blowby, and added thermistors in the intake tract. The stated goal is to change one parameter at a time and know exactly what effect it has. Gale's development philosophy is described as intensely data-driven, with no shortcuts in data accumulation.
Gale then walks Kyle through a live engine dyno demonstration using the 7.3-liter Godzilla. The focus is manifold air-density drop from ambient conditions in the dyno cell to the cold-air-intake outlet and finally to the intake manifold, where the density actually matters. The engine is started from the dyno controls, and Gale points out the live channels being monitored: intake temperature, pressure, ignition timing, mass airflow, engine oil temperature, coolant temperature, and air-fuel ratio on both banks. The engine is running a motorhome calibration, which is relevant because that calibration controls power differently at higher engine speeds.
At around 3,200 rpm, the engine is only making about 60 horsepower and less than 100 lb-ft because the dyno is holding it there under light load. Coolant and oil temperatures are both near 190 degrees Fahrenheit, so the engine is fully warmed. As Gale increases load and speed, he watches manifold air density and notes that the intake system still shows more drop than he would like. At one point the engine is making roughly 345 to 347 horsepower and about 475 lb-ft.
By bracketing engine speed around the horsepower peak, Gale shows that the engine makes over 350 horsepower near 3,900 rpm. When speed is increased to 4,100 rpm, the motorhome calibration begins closing the throttle, which sharply reduces manifold air density and causes power to fall. The demonstration shows that the loss in power is not mysterious; it is directly tied to reduced air density caused by throttling. Gale compares values such as 73 versus 55 pounds per 1,000 cubic feet to illustrate how dramatically density changes when the throttle closes.
He explains that on this gasoline engine, the throttle is the density control device. On a diesel, there is generally no throttle except for EGR-related functions, but density can still fall when fuel is cut because airflow follows fueling demand. The point of the lesson is that if a dyno system does not calculate air density directly, the operator may miss the real reason power changes. Kyle, who had heard coworkers discuss air density before, comes away with a clearer understanding after seeing the relationship between throttle position, density, and horsepower in real time.
After the dyno session, the discussion returns to the Monster-Ram. Banks has several versions lined up for comparison, including the stock intake horn and multiple Monster-Ram configurations with different heater arrangements. Gale is blunt in his assessment of the stock intake piece, calling it a poor airflow device even before considering the factory grid heater's known failure issues. In his view, the stock part behaves like a partially closed throttle, creating a significant restriction between the compressor outlet and the intake manifold.
That restriction causes a loss in boost pressure and therefore a loss in air density. To maintain the desired manifold density, the turbocharger must work harder, which increases turbine drive pressure and turbo shaft speed. By replacing the stock piece with a better-flowing Monster-Ram, the turbo is unloaded, drive pressure drops, and the compressor does not need to spin as hard to achieve the same manifold conditions.
Gale also points out updates to the Monster-Ram manifold cover. Banks moved from a billet manifold cover to a high-pressure cast manifold cover, then machined it for improved flow. The revised shape raises the roof for more volume and improves the short-side radius so the air turns the corner more smoothly than it would with a square-edged billet plate. Kyle also notes a practical installation improvement: spacers are now integrated into the plate, eliminating loose pieces that were annoying during installation and reducing install time.
The newest Monster-Ram development is additional intake heating for cold starts. Gale acknowledges that Kyle's feedback from Saskatchewan helped push the project forward. Banks' original single-heater setup provides 750 watts of heat, and the owner's manual already recommends using the block heater at -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Kyle agrees that trucks should be plugged in whenever possible in serious cold, but he points out that real-world failures still happen, such as a tripped breaker or an unplugged cord.
Banks rented a cold cell to simulate Saskatchewan-like winter conditions in California and used that environment to develop and validate the new heating options. Testing was performed on a stock 2024 truck with about 8,000 miles, using good Interstate batteries, fresh filtration, and 5W-40 oil. Gale notes that older trucks with weaker injectors, worn starters, or other age-related issues may still require more help. At extreme temperatures, battery temperature becomes a limiting factor because cranking voltage can drop low enough that the ECU shuts off, typically somewhere around 9 to 10 volts. At that point, the truck will not start regardless of intake heating. Gale adds that on Banks' Duramax-based military engines, they have achieved starts at -40 using glow plugs.
For existing original Monster-Ram owners, Banks developed a billet second-heater upgrade. The original design used one 750-watt heater. The new dual-heat-capable version can be purchased with a single heater installed but includes provisions for a second heater. It ships with two plugs and can be upgraded later by adding the second heater. A jumper connects the two heaters, and the dual-heat kit includes a MAP sensor relocation kit, cable, and ground strap. Gale describes the electrical arrangement as bulletproof.
Banks also shows more aggressive configurations. A dual-heater setup provides 1,500 watts of heating. Another arrangement combines the original center heater with additional heaters for 2,250 watts. A four-heater configuration reaches 3,000 watts and is presented as the maximum option for the most extreme use cases. Kyle's view is that two heaters will probably be sufficient for his application when the truck is normally plugged in, though he is considering a three-heater arrangement for emergency situations. He also notes that he would rather avoid placing too many heaters in the upper section because of concern about drawing in already warmed air.
The visit closes with Kyle thanking Gale and the Banks team for taking cold-weather concerns seriously rather than dismissing them. Gale responds that he enjoys teaching and working through the data, and Kyle plans to report back after testing the new Monster-Ram heating configurations in Saskatchewan winter conditions.
