The stock RAM 6.7L Cummins grid heater does more than restrict airflow. Its retaining bolt can erode, break loose, and end up in the engine. That is a catastrophic failure point sitting right in the intake path. When we developed the Banks Monster-Ram Intake and Killer Grid Heater Upgrade to reduce restriction and improve engine breathing, we also removed the factory grid heater layout that creates that risk. In its place is a high-flow billet intake plate with a coil-heater strategy, so the engine gets a less restricted inlet path without relying on the stock bolt-in-grid-heater arrangement. The result is better airflow, quicker response, and one less known weak point waiting to do expensive damage.
When Banks designed the Monster-Ram intake elbow for the 6.7L engine, the original objective was to improve power and efficiency. During development, however, the team realized the part also addressed a serious reliability problem on Ram Cummins engines. In addition to airflow improvements, the system eliminates a known failure point that can lead to catastrophic engine damage.
Ram Cummins owners may already know about the grid heater bolt issue. The factory grid heater uses a 10 mm bolt that can erode over time. If that bolt or its head breaks loose, it can be drawn into the engine and cause severe internal damage.
To illustrate the problem, Brad Hunt and his team at ProTech Diesel Center showed an engine currently in the shop with this exact failure. The damaged engine provides a clear example of where the bolt fails and what happens afterward. The 10 mm bolt head had separated, entered the combustion chamber, and struck the piston.
The failure point was identified directly on the damaged components. The bolt head could be seen at the corner of the piston, confirming that the eroded grid heater hardware had made its way into the cylinder. This is the kind of damage that turns a small fastening issue into a major engine failure.
Banks explains that every 6.7L Monster-Ram includes a high-flow billet intake plate. That plate removes the factory grid heater from the intake path. By deleting the grid heater as part of the intake upgrade, the system also removes the hardware associated with this bolt-failure problem.
The result is that the Monster-Ram is not only an airflow and efficiency upgrade, but also a preventative measure against a well-known engine-killing failure mode. In Banks' telling, what began as a performance-oriented intake design also became a practical reliability solution for Ram Cummins owners by eliminating the grid heater bolt as a potential source of catastrophic damage.
