Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/164130
18 www.bigrigowner.com September 2013 Banks. At the 2012 Pikes Peak event, Mike Ryan met Gale Banks, and that began a classic racing partnership of race car owner and engine specialist. The compound turbo system that the truck was equipped with was sufficient to maintain dominance in the trucks specific race categories, but it was slow to respond and allowed for too much wasted fuel resulting in heavy black smoke. Mike wanted more power and Gale is just the guy to provide it. Banks Power Banks Power has recently introduced the Straight-Shot Water-Methanol Injection System. Straight-Shot is a high-tech application of a decades-old technology. Use of water injection in aircraft piston engines dates back at least as far as WWII when Mike Ryan (L) and Gale Banks. it was used to increase power in airplanes allowing them to take off from short runways, climb faster and quickly reach high altitudes. In general, water injection serves to cool combustion temperatures, making it useful as an anti-detonant in gasoline engines.. The addition of methanol to the water contributes an anti-freeze property as well as including a combustible fuel in coverstory 0913.indd 2 Cover Story the charge which further increases power potential. This added benefit has not gone unrecognized by diesel enthusiasts. The injection of water-methanol in an oil-burner yields significant power gains. The Banks Straight-Shot system brings new control features to the injection process. A user interface allows for full control of the injection process, including injection start points and ramp rates. The system is fully configurable for a variety of input methods. The Banks Double-Shot is an expanded version of the injection system that allows for a staged injection configuration through multiple nozzles. A variety of nozzle sizes is available for further tuning capability. The Freightliner presented numerous opportunities to showcase the benefits that the Banks Straight-Shot andDoubleShot systems have to offer. In fact, 4 different systems are employed on the vehicle. To understand the functionality of the engine related injection systems, it is helpful to first understand the induction system on the vehicle. Here's a technical breakdown, courtesy of Gale Banks Engineering. Super-Turbo Prior to its visit to the Banks Power Race Shop, the DD60 power plant in the Freightliner was pressure fed from a compound turbo system; a primary turbocharger feeding boost pressure to a secondary wastegated turbo which further pressurized the air. The intake air was passed through an air-to-air intercooler before reaching the intake manifold of the engine. The compound turbo system 8/7/13 11:52 AM