Do I need a Banks intercooler for a Stage 2 diesel street tune?

For a street truck without significant towing, the factory intercooler is generally adequate at Stage 2. The factory core heat-soaks under sustained highway towing load. For a towing truck or trucks operating in summer Texas conditions on long pulls, the Banks intercooler is standard at Stage 2.

Banks Power intercooler intake exhaust installer Houston Drop Forged Diesel

Banks Power Authorized Installer · Houston, TX

BANKS POWER
INSTALLER
HOUSTON

Q: What does the Banks Monster-Ram do that the intercooler doesn't?

The factory Power Stroke 6.7 intake elbow has a sharp bend and reduced bore that restricts airflow independent of the intercooler. The intercooler addresses thermal capacity; the Monster-Ram addresses flow restriction at the compressor outlet. Both address different parts of the same airflow problem on Stage 2+ Power Stroke builds.

Q: Does a Banks exhaust system work with the DPF retained on a tuned diesel?

Yes. Banks Monster exhaust systems are designed for OEM exhaust configurations including DPF. They reduce restriction in the downpipe and cat-back sections while retaining all emissions equipment. Our builds are 100% emissions-legal — Banks exhaust reduces backpressure without DPF deletion.

Q: Does a Banks cold air intake add power without a tune?

By itself, a cold air intake adds minimal measurable power on a stock-tune diesel. The intake shows its value as part of a complete package — intake, intercooler, exhaust, and tune. The tune can then take full advantage of the improved airflow path that the intake is part of.

Banks Power intercoolers, cold air intakes, exhaust systems, and Monster-Ram manifolds — the induction and exhaust components we spec when factory airflow becomes the constraint.

Why We Install Banks Power

AIRFLOW IS
WHERE DIESEL
POWER IS MADE.

Diesel performance is a fuel and air equation. A Stage 2 tune adds fuel — the intake, intercooler, and exhaust determine whether that fuel has enough air to burn cleanly or builds EGT instead of power. At Stage 1, the factory airflow path is generally adequate. At Stage 2 and above, it becomes the constraint.

Banks Power has been engineering diesel induction and exhaust systems since 1958 — longer than most diesel performance brands have existed. Their intercooler cores are larger than factory units with better thermal capacity, their Monster-Ram intake manifolds increase cross-sectional area into the turbo intake on Power Stroke applications, and their exhaust systems reduce backpressure without sacrificing the EGT protection that matters on towing trucks.

We install Banks intercoolers as the standard intercooler upgrade on towing builds — specifically on 6.7 Power Stroke trucks where the factory intercooler heat-soaks on long highway pulls with a loaded trailer. We also install Banks cold air intakes and exhaust as part of Stage 2 build packages where airflow is on the build sheet. See the intercooler upgrades page and intake systems page for the full context on where these fit in the build path.

Banks Power intercooler installed diesel truck engine bay Houston

Banks Product Lines We Install

Banks Power Products at Drop Forged Diesel

The Banks product lines we carry and install — what each does, which platforms it fits, and where in the build sequence it belongs.

Charge Air Cooling

Banks Intercooler

Banks intercoolers use a larger core than factory with improved end tank flow geometry. The thermal capacity advantage matters most on sustained towing pulls — where the factory core heat-soaks over 20–30 minutes at highway speed and causes the ECM to derate to protect the engine. A Banks intercooler maintains lower charge air temperature throughout the pull, which means the tune holds its calibration instead of pulling back. This is the most impactful Banks product on dedicated tow trucks. See the intercooler page for the full technical case.

Power Stroke 6.7 Cummins 6.7 Duramax LBZ/LML

Induction

Ram-Air Cold Air Intake

Banks Ram-Air cold air intakes use a sealed airbox design to isolate the filter from engine bay heat — cooler air is denser air, which means more oxygen per cubic foot entering the turbo. The high-flow oiled filter increases filter area over the factory panel filter without compromising filtration efficiency. On its own, a cold air intake is a modest contributor — it matters most as part of a complete intake-intercooler-exhaust package where each component reduces restriction through the entire airflow path. See the air intake systems page.

Cummins 5.9/6.7 Power Stroke 6.7 Duramax LBZ/LML/L5P

Exhaust

Monster Exhaust System

Banks Monster exhaust systems reduce exhaust backpressure without running open or straight pipe — they maintain the catalytic converter and DPF on emissions-legal builds while reducing the restriction in the cat-back section. Lower backpressure helps the turbo spool faster by reducing the exhaust pressure it's working against, and keeps EGT lower on long pulls. On our builds, a 4-inch stainless cat-back is the standard spec alongside a 3-inch downpipe to the DPF. See the exhaust systems page.

Cummins 5.9/6.7 Power Stroke 6.7 Duramax LBZ/LML/L5P

Intake Manifold

Banks Monster-Ram

The Banks Monster-Ram is a high-flow intake elbow replacement for the Power Stroke 6.7 that increases the cross-sectional area at the turbo compressor outlet. The factory intake elbow is a known restriction on the 6.7 PS — it has a sharp bend and reduced area that limits air velocity into the intake manifold. The Monster-Ram uses a smoother, larger-radius bend with increased bore diameter. On Stage 2 and Stage 3 Power Stroke builds, the Monster-Ram is on the build sheet alongside the intercooler. It is a Power Stroke-specific product.

Power Stroke 6.7

Where Banks Fits

THE FULL
AIRFLOW PATH.

Banks products address the induction and exhaust sides of the airflow path. Understanding the full path helps you see where each component contributes — and why doing only one part is less effective than doing the sequence.

A Stage 2 build that adds a Banks intercooler but leaves a restrictive factory exhaust is leaving thermal capacity on the table — the intercooler cools the charge air, but high exhaust backpressure keeps the turbo working harder and EGTs elevated. The full airflow package addresses both sides.

On the Power Stroke 6.7, the Monster-Ram bridges the gap between the compressor outlet and the intercooler cold-side pipe — a restriction point the intake and intercooler alone cannot address. Platform knowledge matters here. See the engine tuning page for how airflow components interact with the tune calibration.

↓

Intake — Banks Ram-Air

Cold, dense air into turbo compressor inlet · sealed airbox

↓

Turbo Compressor

Air compressed, temperature rises · factory or upgraded turbo

↓

Monster-Ram (PS 6.7 only) — Banks

Larger bore, smoother radius from compressor to hot-side pipe

↓

Intercooler — Banks

Larger core cools compressed charge air · higher thermal capacity

↓

Intake Manifold

Cooled, dense air distributed to cylinders · factory or upgraded

↓

Combustion

Fuel + dense air → power · tune controls the fuel curve

↓

Turbo Turbine + Downpipe

Exhaust drives turbo · 3" downpipe reduces restriction

↓

Cat-Back Exhaust — Banks Monster

4" stainless, DPF-retained · lower backpressure, reduced EGT

Common Questions

Banks Power FAQ

Questions we hear about Banks components and where they fit in a diesel build.

Do I need a Banks intercooler if I'm doing a Stage 2 street tune?+

For a street-driven truck without significant towing use, the factory intercooler is generally adequate at Stage 2. The factory core heat-soaks primarily under sustained load at highway speed — towing, not street driving. For a truck that tows heavy or operates in summer conditions on long pulls, the Banks intercooler is on the build sheet at Stage 2. For a street truck that sees occasional WOT pulls, the factory intercooler is sufficient and the budget is better spent on the fuel system or tune. We evaluate this during consultation based on the truck's actual use case.

What does the Banks Monster-Ram do that the intercooler alone doesn't?+

The factory Power Stroke 6.7 intake elbow — between the turbo compressor outlet and the intercooler hot-side pipe — has a sharp bend and reduced bore diameter that restricts airflow independent of the intercooler. The intercooler addresses thermal capacity; the Monster-Ram addresses flow restriction at the compressor outlet. On a Stage 2 or Stage 3 Power Stroke build, both address different parts of the same problem. On a Stage 1 tune, the Monster-Ram alone provides a modest improvement; it shows its full benefit when the tune, intercooler, and Monster-Ram are combined and the calibration can take advantage of the reduced restriction.

Does a Banks exhaust system work with a tuned diesel that keeps the DPF?+

Yes — and this is specifically why we use Banks exhaust on our emissions-legal builds. Banks Monster exhaust systems are designed for the OEM exhaust configuration including DPF. They do not delete the DPF — they reduce restriction in the downpipe and cat-back sections while retaining the emissions equipment. Our builds are 100% emissions-legal, and the Banks exhaust is part of how we reduce exhaust backpressure without removing the DPF. A 4-inch stainless cat-back with the DPF retained flows significantly better than the factory system and doesn't expose the truck or customer to the legal and inspection consequences of an emissions delete.

Does a cold air intake add measurable power on a diesel without a tune?+

On a stock-tune diesel, a cold air intake by itself adds very little measurable power. The ECM is managing fueling based on mass airflow and boost sensor inputs — it will add a small amount of additional fuel in response to improved airflow, but the factory tune's conservative fuel maps limit how much the ECM can take advantage of the improved airflow. Where a cold air intake shows its value is as part of a complete package: intake + intercooler + exhaust + tune. The tune can then take full advantage of the improved airflow path, and the cold air intake contributes to the overall reduction in intake restriction that the tune is calibrated around.