The problem on a Ram 6.7L in real winter is simple: cold air, cold oil, slow cranking, and not enough intake heat can stack up fast. The fix isn’t going back to the stock grid-heater layout and its bolt-failure risk. Our Banks Monster-Ram Intake and Killer Grid Heater Upgrade keeps the airflow path open, removes that factory failure point from the intake tract, and now adds a dual-heat-capable configuration for trucks that live in harsher climates. The new setup doubles heater capacity from 750 to 1,500 watts, and for owners who need more, the billet heater kit can take total heat to 3,000 watts. At the same time, the intake elbow and high-flow intake plate are shaped to move air more cleanly than the stock horn, which helps reduce restriction, lower drive pressure, and improve response. Existing single-heater Monster-Ram owners aren’t left behind either—there are upgrade paths to add more heat without starting over. Bottom line: if your truck needs better cold-start performance in serious weather, this system gives you more heating options while still doing the original Monster-Ram job—better breathing and no stock grid-heater bolt hanging in the airflow path.
Gale Banks introduced Fred Hunt of Protek Diesel Center in Kamloops, British Columbia to the new dual-heat-capable Banks Monster-Ram for the Cummins platform. The new version builds on the same basic intake horn design that Banks has sold in large numbers over the years. According to Gale, the Monster-Ram reduces turbo lag, improves fuel economy, and eliminates the factory grid-heater bolt failure risk that can lead to catastrophic engine damage and repair costs that can approach $30,000 on a Cummins engine.
The original Monster-Ram used a single heater arrangement. After feedback from dealers and customers in colder climates, Banks revised the design to support dual heaters. The new casting can still be configured as a single-heater setup, but it now gives owners in colder regions a straightforward path to add more intake heat when needed.
The unboxing highlighted several design details beyond the heater change. The manifold cover plate is shaped to improve airflow rather than simply closing off the top of the casting. On the underside, Banks raised the roof to increase section height in the manifold and added radiused contours to help the airflow stay attached to the surface. Gale described the shape as a reverse curve that drops back in a way intended to avoid a low-pressure area and improve flow compared with flat plates.
The part is a high-pressure aluminum casting, which allows these more complex internal shapes. The kit also includes fuel rail spacers and a cosmetic shield that covers the EGR valve area for a cleaner engine-bay appearance. While the shield is mainly cosmetic, the airflow changes in the manifold itself are functional and are part of the reason the Monster-Ram outperforms the stock horn.
A significant part of the discussion focused on the supplied injection line and why its geometry matters. Gale emphasized that the line must be manufactured so the tapers and bends align correctly at the cylinder head, injector, and rail. If the angles are wrong, the tapered sealing surfaces do not seat properly, and the line is forced into misalignment.
That misalignment adds stress to the line, especially on engines running above OEM rail pressure or at higher pulse rates. Re-bending or forcing the line into place work-hardens the material and can create hairline fractures. Banks' point was that this is not a cosmetic detail but a durability issue. The line must fit correctly without preload so it can survive the pressure cycles and vibration seen in service.
The new Monster-Ram casting is designed so a single heater can be installed in one location, while the outboard ports are closed with stainless steel threaded plugs. That allows customers in milder climates to buy the dual-heat-capable version and run it initially as a single-heater system. If they later move to colder conditions or need better cold-start performance, they can convert it to dual heat.
To make the dual-heater arrangement work, the plugs are removed, the original center heater is moved outboard, and the dual-heat upgrade kit adds the second heater on the opposite side while placing a plug in the center position. The kit includes the necessary jumper tube shaped to clear the dipstick bracket, along with the required sealing components. Gale specifically noted the importance of installing the O-ring correctly to prevent an intake leak.
Banks validated the dual-heater concept in a cold cell using a stock 2024 Ram with about 8,000 miles. The truck was cold-soaked for 12 hours and tested at 20 below Fahrenheit and 30 below Fahrenheit. The test vehicle ran on No. 1 diesel fuel, used Amsoil Signature Series 5W-40 engine oil, and was fitted with Interstate AGM batteries, along with a new Mopar fuel filter, fuel-water separator, and air filter. Otherwise, it remained stock.
The single-heater system had always been rated at 750 watts. The dual-heater arrangement doubles that to 1,500 watts. Fred added that in his own shop testing in Canada, single-heater Monster-Ram trucks had started successfully at roughly minus 20 to minus 25 C, including both emissions-equipped and emissions-removed trucks. Based on that experience, he expected the dual-heater setup to extend cold-start capability further.
The discussion also clarified the role of fuel choice. In the Banks cold-cell testing, the truck ran No. 1 diesel. Fred explained that in Canada, winter fuel blends are commonly used to prevent gelling, especially when trucks travel from milder coastal areas into colder inland regions. Fuel quality and seasonal blending remain part of the cold-start equation, separate from intake heating.
Both men agreed that claims about starting a dead-cold truck at minus 40 need to be treated realistically. In Banks' cold-cell testing at a true 12-hour soak of minus 40, the main problem was no longer just intake heat. Battery voltage collapsed under starter load, the engine barely attempted to crank, and the ECU began shutting systems down once voltage dropped below roughly 10 to 10.5 volts. In that condition, the heater relay cannot function properly either.
They noted that in real-world oilfield and Arctic service, most trucks are either plugged in or left running rather than shut off and expected to restart from a dead-cold state. Even with 5W-40 oil, viscosity becomes a major issue at those temperatures. The oil thickens dramatically, reducing flow and lubrication quality during cranking and initial startup. Gale tied this to broader engine durability concerns, noting that even when oil is technically present, it may not be functioning effectively as a lubricant if it is too cold and too thick.
Banks also addressed owners who already have the original single-heater Monster-Ram. Those customers can add a 750-watt outlet heater kit, bringing total intake heat to 1,500 watts without replacing the entire manifold. The upgrade kit includes the additional heater and a sensor relocator package so the assembly fits and functions correctly. It installs as a sandwich-style component at the throttle side while maintaining the same inside diameter as the throttle opening.
For customers who want even more heat, Banks offers a billet heater kit that adds another 1,500 watts. Combined with the existing heater arrangement, that can bring total heating capacity to 2,250 watts in a triple-heater configuration. Fred also discussed the possibility of combining the dual-heater Monster-Ram with the billet heater arrangement, which would bring total capacity to 3,000 watts. Gale stated that this remains within the capacity of the relay when using the updated relay hardware tested by Banks.
Installation details still matter. Gale stressed that the ground connection is essential, and the casting surface must be clean where the ground strap is attached so the heaters have a proper electrical path.
A recurring theme was that cold-start complaints are not always caused by the Monster-Ram itself. Fred said his shop has seen many trucks where third-party tuning disabled the heater relay logic or removed heater-related fault codes from the ECM. In some cases, tuners physically disconnected the heaters and then suppressed the diagnostic code so the truck would not show a warning light. That creates a dangerous situation because the original hardware may still be present, but the system is no longer functioning as intended.
This matters not only for cold starts but also for engine protection. Fred described finding broken grid-heater bolts lying on top of valve stems in trucks that showed no codes because the faults had been written out. In those cases, a poor start after installing a Monster-Ram may actually be a no-heat issue caused by tuning, not a problem with the intake itself.
They also discussed the role of emissions equipment. On trucks with EGR still present, the EGR system contributes some intake temperature once the engine is running by recirculating warm exhaust gas. That does not help the initial crank directly, but it can improve combustion stability immediately after startup. Trucks with emissions removed may idle rougher or smoke more during the first 30 seconds because they lack that additional intake heat. During cold-cell testing, Banks followed the factory-style double preheat procedure. The heaters warm both the casting and the air volume inside it so that the first few cylinders have a better chance of firing cleanly.
The heater upgrades were the focus of the visit, but Gale closed by returning to the Monster-Ram's airflow advantage over the stock intake horn. In the factory horn, the passage narrows near the EGR section and introduces a disruptive bump into the airflow path before the air reaches the manifold or heater area. The Monster-Ram replaces that with a smoother, less restrictive path.
According to Gale, that reduction in restriction is worth a couple of pounds of boost in terms of compressor workload. Even if the boost gauge shows similar manifold pressure, the turbocharger does not have to work as hard to achieve it. That lowers drive pressure, reduces pumping losses on the exhaust stroke, and can improve both fuel economy and acceleration. In practical terms, the pistons spend less effort driving the turbo, leaving more power available at the wheels.
The added heater hardware does not create a year-round penalty. Gale noted that the ECM only commands heater operation below about 66 degrees Fahrenheit, so in warm weather the heaters simply do not turn on as long as the calibration is correct. Owners can leave the system installed year-round, or remove certain add-on heater components seasonally if they prefer. Fred concluded that the expanded lineup now covers nearly every use case, from stock emissions-equipped trucks to heavily modified cold-climate work trucks, while giving existing Monster-Ram owners a clear upgrade path.
