The problem is built into the stock layout. On the RAM 6.7L Cummins, the grid heater stud has to handle both grid-heater heat and heavy electrical current. Over time, that stud can corrode, weaken, melt, or break loose. Once it drops, gravity takes over: the hardware falls into the intake runner and can end up in cylinder #6, where it may damage the piston, valve, head, and cylinder wall—or take out the engine completely. You can sometimes catch it early. Grid-heater fault codes like P2609 or P0542 can indicate abnormal heater performance, and movement at the 12-volt lead can mean the stud hardware is already loose. If that connection moves, the truck should not be started. Our fix is to remove the stock failure point entirely. The Banks Monster-Ram Intake and Killer Grid Heater Upgrade replaces the stock grid heater with a high-flow intake plate and a coil-heater approach, so you keep cold-start function without relying on the factory bolt-in-grid-heater layout. That also opens up the intake path instead of leaving the stock obstruction in place. The result is a permanent answer to the grid-heater bolt risk, along with better engine breathing and throttle response.
The video focuses on a potentially catastrophic failure point on 2007-current Ram trucks equipped with the 6.7L Cummins turbo diesel: the factory grid heater bolt.
The grid heater uses a stud to connect the 12-volt electrical lead to the heating element. Over time, exposure to heat and high electrical current can weaken the connection. Banks shows examples of studs that have corroded, melted, fractured, or broken away completely.
If the hardware separates, it can fall through the intake manifold and enter cylinder number six, potentially causing engine damage severe enough to require replacement. According to the video, that repair can cost as much as $30,000.
Once the grid heater hardware breaks free, the severity of the damage depends on where it travels.
It may become lodged at an intake valve, or it can enter the combustion chamber and damage the piston, cylinder wall, valves, or cylinder head. In severe cases, the resulting damage can destroy the engine.
Banks also describes a failed heater solenoid as another potential contributor. If the heater remains energized too long, excessive heat can damage the stud and retaining hardware until pieces detach and enter the intake tract.
Although the problem was once associated primarily with colder climates where the grid heater operates more frequently, Banks says failures have also been documented in warmer states including California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and Florida.
That means climate alone cannot be used to determine whether a truck is at risk. Banks also notes that a grid heater can appear relatively clean while the electrical stud has already begun to fail.
According to the video, deterioration of the grid heater connection can sometimes be detected before hardware enters the engine.
Owners may see a check-engine light accompanied by diagnostic trouble codes such as P2609 or P0542. These codes can be checked with a scan tool or Banks iDash.
The codes do not necessarily confirm that hardware is about to detach, but Banks presents them as warning signs that the grid-heater system should be inspected.
Banks recommends a simple physical inspection commonly referred to as the jiggle test.
The grid heater itself cannot be fully inspected without removing intake components, but the 12-volt cable connection at the top of the stud can be checked for movement.
With the truck off, the cable can be gently moved to determine whether the connection feels loose. Banks warns against contacting the electrical stud itself with the batteries connected.
If significant movement is detected, Banks recommends not starting the engine. The truck should instead be towed to a qualified mechanic because the retaining hardware underneath may already be loose or damaged.
The video argues that replacing the damaged components with another factory-style grid heater does not eliminate the underlying failure mechanism.
Banks also states that an OEM-style repair can cost roughly $3,000 in parts and labor. Because the replacement retains the same basic grid-heater arrangement, Banks argues that the possibility of a future failure remains.
Banks presents the Monster-Ram as an alternative that eliminates the factory grid-heater bolt failure point.
The system replaces the restrictive factory grid-heater arrangement with a high-flow billet intake plate. For applications requiring cold-start heating, Monster-Ram uses a coil-style heater mounted in the intake elbow rather than the original bolt-based grid heater.
According to Banks, this arrangement reduces intake restriction while removing the hardware responsible for the bolt-ingestion failure described in the video.
Banks says Monster-Ram can be installed by experienced home mechanics with basic hand tools or through an authorized installer.
Beyond eliminating the factory grid-heater bolt, Banks attributes additional benefits to the intake design, including improved airflow, throttle response, power, and efficiency. The primary reliability benefit discussed in this video, however, is straightforward: removing the factory grid-heater hardware that can break apart and enter the engine.
The video closes by highlighting Banks' diesel and performance-engineering history, dating back to 1958.
Banks references its work with high-performance vehicles, Cummins-powered racing programs, marine applications, automakers, and Department of Defense projects. This background is presented as context for the company's engineering approach to identifying and addressing the 6.7L Cummins grid-heater failure.
