Last of my Banks is finally gone!!

It took me about 5 years to rectify the mistake, but the last of that P.O.S. Banks Stinger kit is gone (well, almost )

I just this evening finished removing the Banks 3 1/2" exhaust and installed my MBRP 4" stainless system. This was the last remaining major component of the Banks Stinger kit I naively puchased several years ago. The Banks chip is gone. The Banks guages are gone. The Banks air intake is gone. The Banks transcommand is gone. The only thing on my truck that still says "Banks" on it, is the Big Head waste gate actuator. I plan on taking pics of the Banks 3 1/2" exhaust before I pitch it so everyone can see how well Banks "quality" holds up over time. My wife took our digital camera with her to her sister's house-mad , so I have to wait for her to retrieve it and bring it home. .

whyd you bother to get rid of the gauges? and is the wastegate comming off to or ya gonna keep it (the one part im told is work keeping[but over price to buy]).

also seeing how dissatisfied you are i think i will advise one of the guys at work to stear away from the banks kit he is looking at...

oi8228oi said:

whyd you bother to get rid of the gauges? and is the wastegate comming off to or ya gonna keep it (the one part im told is work keeping[but over price to buy]).

Click to expand...

The EGT gauge was mounted in the down-pipe, post-turbo. Banks logic again. I went with one installed in the drivers side exhaust manifold.

The boost gauge went too high for me numerically (40 psi?) I found a guage that went to 35, makes it easier to see minute changes in boost levels.

I plan on keeping the Banks waste gate actuator. Even though they are over priced (I've seen them for $100+), as long as I have it, might as well keep it.

If your buddy at work wants to see a better, more economical way of doing mods that yield much better results, take a look at my signature and he can benefit from my mistakes.

Like I said before, pics of a "quality" Banks exhaust are forthcoming as soon as the wife brings my camera back home.

Crap, I'd better going or I'l be late for work.

I don't know if your comments are applicable only to the early Fords or not, but I am very satisfied with the Banks Six Gun with Power PDA (EGT in the driver's side manifold). Gauges are there on the PDA, you use it to change levels, and I added TomTom Navigation.
The entire transaction was never perfect, but they worked with me and made all of it right. I have the Sales Manager's name if you want to talk about your issues...just an offer.

Banks stuff on the 7.3 was always lack luster, They really haven't done anything for us in 5 years... Sad because I think the 7.3 is just coming into its prime... The only thing worth having banks (on a 7.3) is the big head, and maybe there brake.

If you have a 7.3 you can do better cheaper putting a kit of your own together.

yeah banks = G_A_Y
I prefer bullydog.

Scotty7751,

Thank you for your thought provoking comment. I trust we can continue to rely on your input in the future.

X-Hibition said:

I don't know if your comments are applicable only to the early Fords or not, but I am very satisfied with the Banks Six Gun with Power PDA (EGT in the driver's side manifold). Gauges are there on the PDA, you use it to change levels, and I added TomTom Navigation.
The entire transaction was never perfect, but they worked with me and made all of it right. I have the Sales Manager's name if you want to talk about your issues...just an offer.

Click to expand...

dito!!!

i recently put a big hoss bundle on my 6.0 2004 f350, and love it. i am sure there are other products that may be better and cheaper, but i have no complaints and have had no problems with my system.

you know, you can put a good exhaust and a big programmer and turn the thing up so as to tear it up. it may not be the product's fault, it could be the user who ABUSES his equipment and blames the manuf. for his problems.:boohoo

bama-six-gun said:

i recently put a big hoss bundle on my 6.0 2004 f350, and love it.

Click to expand...

I'll grant that customer satisfaction seems to be higher for 6.0 owners.

But as a 7.3 owner, I was never impressed with the Banks Stinger kit. I was dissatisfied enough with the combined performance and durabilty over time that I felt the need to start over from scratch.

While the performance was better than stock, it seemed to fall short of advertised numbers. Banks advertises Stinger kit gains of 68hp & 128lbs. But if you look at increased "peak" numbers, you'll only see a max HP gain of 49, and a max torque gain of 105lbs. Banks skews their claims by advertising max gain numbers at before or well past max hp & torque values. Those are facts using their numbers, not mine. I don't care what the power gains are at off-idle or well past the power band at red-line on the tach.

bama-six-gun said:

i have no complaints and have had no problems with my system.

Click to expand...

My biggest complaints were with durabilty of the exhaust system and components. And the underwhelming performance gains.

The "stainless" exhaust system was corroding and the clamps and hangers supplied with the kit were corroded to the point of pending failure. I doubt the exhaust system would have lasted another year without falling out the bottom of the truck.

In general, I expected far more for my money that what I got. I don't expect someone who hasn't owned their Banks stuff for more than 2 years or live in an area where "road-salt" is something they only read about to fully appreciate my "Banks experience".


on edit:
p.s. I don't and never have "abused" my truck.

i in no way intended to accuse you of abuse, i was speaking in general terms, and i will be the first to admit that i don't know anything about the 7.3's. i hope you have better luck with other products. i just hated to hear that banks didn't work out for you.