Anyone that has the Banks power pack on there v-10 please let me know what you think of it. Thankyou Brandon

 

Have the powerpack. Most gains are in the mid to upper RPM range. Not too much below 2K rpm. The system is high quality and Banks stuff is designed very well.

 

I put a full Power Pack system on my '05 Excursion V-10 (including TransCommand and OttoMind). If I had it to do over, I would never have spent the money. I saw absolutely no performance increase (exactly the same 0-60 times unloaded, as well as while towing an 8500lb trailer). In fact, the only place I could even remotely say I could "feel" any difference was while 4-wheeling in low-range in sand --it seemed like it had a bit more torque.

I also saw no distinguishable change in fuel mileage.

After I dropped several thousand on the Banks system and the labor for the install, I went and swapped my 3.73 gears for a set of 4.56's and that got me exactly the performace increase I was hoping for with the Banks system.

You'll spend half (or less) on a gear swap and probably see far better performance gains than going with a Banks system. And while towing, I'm getting 1-2mpg higher fuel mileage at 65mph than I did before the gear swap. On the highway, unloaded, I see about the same mileage at 65mph but about .5 less on average at 75mph.

I'll agree that the Banks system is a high quality set-up... but based on seeing no performance increase and the fact that Banks has ignorred 3 letters I've set them on the topic and having told me over the phone that I'm basically S.O.L., I'd probably never buy gasoline engine products from them agan.

For what its worth,
Mike

 

thanks for the replies guys

 

To add to NebMike's observations

It seems to me that 80% of the people I meet that spent all the big b$$ucks on Gale Banks stuff and thought they got what they paid for were the Class C motor coach folks....Almost every person I chat with in the RV park that has a Pickup or EX with the banks stuff gives EXACTLY the same report that nebMike did...."not worth the money but great fit and finish"


I get to talk to a LOT of folks when we are on long TT camping trips. When I pull into the RV park for the night, I almost always have a whole group of drivers wander over and chat me up on the 3v V10..... Conversations are always about aftermarket bolt on stuff to get better MPG or better pull at speed up steep hills....

Several things stick in my head from all these chats with real people useing their rigs for serious real tow/hauling.... (BTW most of these folks are over 50 and have more then a decade RVing heavy)

ALL the so called air intake systems only make more noise...real world none of them report any measurable MPG gains

ALL the power programers are over priced, require much more expensive fuel and do not really make the trip up the hill THAT much better...yes they say the damned thing works but none of them ever suggested that they though it was enough gain to be worht the money.....I am talking Gas motor guys...The PSD and Cummins drivers have a 100% opposit felling..they are tickled pink at the power and MPG ratio to cost of their programers..as well they should be.. on a diesel the programers add SIGNIFICANT HP

Every one who had added a cat back exhaust system including the diesel guys seems to think that it just made more noise and never added any measurable HP or MPG

Only exception is the Class C V10 motor coach guys... they tend to think that the Full Monte Gale Banks kit or the cat back stuff was the best thing they ever did....and if you read the literature you can figure out why... Class A's/C's have lower gearing and a motor that is hauling a significant load all the time....When she is pointed up hill, the stock system is almost always at max RPM and if you let up, even a little, you loose momentum and can't get back up to speed with out dropping to a lower gear that tops out at 35 MPH...the Banks kit wakes up the motor in the 4000~5000RPM range and they can stay in 3rd gear much longer...

 

OK, I'll be the "odd man out"... I had a full Banks Power Pack (w/Ottomind and Transcommand) installed on my 2000 F-250SD and there is a definite performance gain... While I have not run 1/4 mile times or the like, I do tow a #9400 travel trailer and towing performance is definitely up...

Mileage is up a bit, maybe .5 mpg which is pretty much in line with their 7% figures as I averaged about 8-9 MPG and now average 8.5-9.5, sometimes 10 mpg... Acceleration is better towing and shifting is MUCH better towing... The truck will hold cruise much better in OD with the Banks system than it did before with much less "hunting" between OD and 3rd...

Solo performance is better too... Again I have not run 1/4 mile times but the truck sure seems quicker and is just flat fun to drive with it's peppier performance and "throaty" sound...

I may opt for the 4:30 gear change too from my OEM 3:73 but for now the Banks has lived up to my expectations... Perhaps because I have an older 2V motor the Banks increases were more apparent, but I am satisfied...

Nomad27

 

I agree with Nomad27. The only thing I think is a waste of money is the ottomind chip. If I had it to do again I would purchase the chip part of the system elsewhere. Maybe Diablo or hypertech. With Banks and everything else in this world; YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

 

...Just catching up on this forum...too many forums too little time.

I've got a 2000 Class A with the V-10. When travelling I'm always towing a 25 ft covered car hauler. After the first trip with the rig, back in 2000 I knew I had to do something to improve the distressingly dismal towing performance. I did the research and decided on the full Banks system.

Today, I've got 26K on the motorhome and have been pleased with the towing performance of the V-10/Banks system over the last 20K+ miles. It improved the rig from an intollerable towing performer to a satisfactory towing performer. Also, I think the TransCommand saved my trany from early failure. Living in SE Idaho I cross mountains in any direction I travel.

Now, under the category of 'it could always be better', I just completed the installation of a Gear Vendors Under/Overdrive unit. After a few drives in the rig, some with the loaded trailer, up some of the significant climes in my local area I think I'm going to be REALLY happy with the Banks and Gear Vendors combo to the V-10. 2nd-OVER is the gear I've been missing all these years.

-mark

 

It's taken me a year to find this thread - and just in time. I have a '99 Class A with the 6.8L V10 and to date have popped manifold studs on each bank twice; much to local Ford dealers delight! They could have saved me a ton of $$ if they had installed stainless steel studs the first time but thats another story. I am now on the third stud change on one side and had decided to bite the bullet and install some of the Banks kit but by the sound of it all I am going to gain is the elimination of manifold stud popping; not that the cost saving of the alternative isn't significant, is it really worth it?
I had hoped that I would see some reduction in gas consumption and improvement in torque - the old girl is very tired climbing hills these days. A year or so ago I had the exhaust pipes straightened out; 2 180 degree bends on the curbside pipe generated a lot of heat and unnecessary back up in the manifold - which no doubt contributed to the stud popping. That significantly reduced the heat issue and did reduce gas consumption (I keep extensive and detailed records of that).

From last years posts the concensus seem to be that for a Class A with a 6.8 V-0, one should do nothing more than install the Power Pack System to "eliminate" manifold stud problems and do a gear swap as suggested by Nebmike to get some better consumption and maybe hill climbing torque.

Now that a year has passed, do any of the earlier posters have second thoughts or further insights?

 

GOF I may not have the input your looking for, but I'll throw in my 2cents. I installed the Banks Stinger kit (cat-back sys Fredvon refrd to). I am happy with it, yes it's louder but I wanted that. It'll also hold OD better, as nomad27 stated (This going over the same hills with the same TT) I actually find myself pushing down on the gas to force it to downshift just to hear it talk! Forget MPG's shouldn't buy a V-10 for that. Fit & finish, excellant! I couldn't justify the added expense for the headers, maybe when I have to start replacing manifold bolts I MIGHT consider. BTW when doing my research The exhaust mfgs that actually showed dyno results were just as expensive as Banks.

 

[quote=GOF;6489469]It's taken me a year to find this thread - and just in time. I have a '99 Class A with the 6.8L V10 and to date have popped manifold studs on each bank twice; much to local Ford dealers delight! They could have saved me a ton of $$ if they had installed stainless steel studs the first time but thats another story.quote]

The stainless studs break to, ask me how I know.