Square shaped Banks air filter housing?

[02AutoWag]

I've seen the square Banks air filter housings that are coupled with a turbo kit.

This Banks housing I saw was not labeled with a "turbo" mark. Did Banks sell these filter housings as a standalone, without a turbo kit? Or do I make the assumption that the truck has a turbo on it?

 

[Diesel JD]

They sold a "Banks Stinger" kit for N/A motors but I think that was a round intake. The square box was usually with their old non gated turbo, but I can't say definitively that a square box stinger or N/A box was not o0ffered and would not be found on a N/A truck. I'd alwyas verify its turbocharged before making that assumption.

 

[Cheaper Jeeper]

They sold a "Banks Stinger" kit for N/A motors but I think that was a round intake. The square box was usually with their old non gated turbo, but I can't say definitively that a square box stinger or N/A box was not o0ffered and would not be found on a N/A truck. I'd alwyas verify its turbocharged before making that assumption.

Yeah, the Stinger was round - there are pictures of it scattered around in posts here and there.

I've never seen a square one on a NA, but I have seen turbos without the word TURBO on the square cover.

Only way to know for sure is either look at it or ask the owner though. Who knows what kind of prototype stuff could be out there from a performance aftermarket outfit like Banks...

 

[Russ]

I had a square box on my Non wastegated Banks turbo. It said "Banks Sidewinder turbo" Darrin Tosh had the same box , but it some something different on the lid.

 

[02AutoWag]

Stupid question alert!

Is that the turbo behind the box? It doesn't look like anything I've seen. Do the non-gated turbos look different?

 

[Russ]

Yep it's on the left side of the picture. You can see the aluminum heat shield over the top and the down pipe with the heat wrap on it. the non gated ones look like the others minus the wastegate actuator. The air box is supposed to contain a K&N filter, but I eliminated mine for a the open paper element to the drivers side.

 

[Diesel JD]

K&N sucks big time IMO. I only use paper elements, mostly because when I got this turbo it had big time abrasive damage to the wheel, that may or may not be K&N's problem but I was worried it might be since I had heard similar things from some of the Cummins guys.

 

[Agnem]

I'm always telling the guys with the square boxes to ditch them and build their own air handler. Those Banks boxes get in the way of my timing jobs.

 

[Russ]

Speaking of which, have we heard any more from EMD driver?

 

[gandalf]

Like many people, I frequently understand pictures better than verbal descriptions. In the picture in the link below, assuming everything works, you can see my old squarebox turbo setup. The turbo is the roundish thing wrapped in heat shielding, sitting to the left (behind) the squarebox air cleaner.

Squarebox Turbo

 

[Diesel JD]

And I thought the ATS non gated box got in the way....perhaps I should make my own air cleaner but unless the ATS box continues to be problematic its probably going to have to stay like that at least for awhile.

 

[Agnem]

Speaking of which, have we heard any more from EMD driver?

I spent some quality time with him last Friday. He has no internet right now, so he's off the board a lot. Occasionally he gets somewhere with his laptop that has wifi and checks in.

 

[Cheaper Jeeper]

K&N sucks big time IMO. I only use paper elements, mostly because when I got this turbo it had big time abrasive damage to the wheel, that may or may not be K&N's problem but I was worried it might be since I had heard similar things from some of the Cummins guys.

I've heard that before. My truck has the early style Banks kit on it, so it was probably put on when it was fairly new. The PO didn't do very good maintenance and repairs, and what he did do shows evidence of being pretty shoddy work. Judging by how rusted the turbo inlet side bolts are, I would say it is very unlikely that my turbo has had any repairs or any replacement parts (like a compressor wheel). It looks like it has never even been apart. If it has, it was a L-O-O-O-N-G time ago...

All that being said, it still builds 2-3 PSI tooling along at 2000 RPMs/60mph, and will build boost up to around 9 PSI when I really get on it pulling a load or going up a long hill. In other words, it still works just exactly as it should.

Seems to me that if the K&N filter was letting stuff through that would damage the turbo compressor wheel it wouldn't work that well and build boost like that...

One thing I have to agree with Mel on though, that big rectangular box does get in the way when trying to wok on just about anything on top of the motor!

 

[02AutoWag]

Thanks guys!

I'm all for clearing the path for easier maintenance, so what do I replace the box with?

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

I'm always telling the guys with the square boxes to ditch them and build their own air handler. Those Banks boxes get in the way of my timing jobs.

They just get in the way period!

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