Banks Sidewinder Turbo System

[More Power]

Back in the 1990s, I installed a Banks Sidewinder turbo system on the 6.2L diesel in a 1982 GMC K1500 I once owned. My experience is covered in a 2-part installation/testing article now available in the 6.2L Diesel Volume I (http://www.thedieselpage.com/62book.htm).

Just this morning I was asked about turbo'ing an NA 6.5L that was installed in a 1982 Chevy pickup. I always recommend the Banks system because it was designed for this body style truck, and it's the most widely installed, best performing and cleanest design I've seen. Banks still shows it on their web site.

Have a look: http://bankspower.com/products/show/156/11 and
http://assets.bankspower.com.s3.amazonaws.com/test_reports/Sidewinder_FordChev/index.html

Kit components sometime turn up on eBay or Craig's List, or classified ad pages in bulletin boards like this one. The passenger side exhaust manifold is the most important part. You could put together or fabricate a kit on your own if you have the Banks exhaust manifold as a starting point.

Jim

[arveetek]

The passenger side exhaust manifold is the most important part. You could put together or fabricate a kit on your own if you have the Banks exhaust manifold as a starting point.

Jim


I actually did that very thing back in 2003! I purchased the manifold directly from Banks, found a used turbocharger locally, fabricated a top hat for the intake manifold, and hand-built an exhaust system from the turbo back. It was quite a fun project.

Getting the part # from Banks and then actually getting them to send it to me was quite a chore, but I did manage to get it done.

Casey

[Yukon6.2]

Hi Casey
Did you use their cross over? Or build your own?
Thomas

[arveetek]

Hi Casey
Did you use their cross over? Or build your own?
Thomas

Oh yes, I ordered that from Banks as well. I didn't want to try and make that convoluted pipe myself.

Casey

[joeq]

You mean you couldn't use "flex pipe" Casey?:D

[arveetek]

You mean you couldn't use "flex pipe" Casey?:D

Hee hee!

I tell you what, on a 6.2L in an old body style truck with a Banks system, that crossover pipe sure wiggles around some tight spots! Nothing like a simple "U" shape the 6.5L uses, that's for sure.

The exhaust on the driver's side exits the usual rear location, and then winds backwards towards the front, underneath the harmonic balancer, and then up into the Banks manifold on the passenger side towards the front. Quite a twisty path.

Casey

[TrenchFoot]

I needed to order a complete Banks Sidewider kit for my Wagoneer's 6.2 swap but didn't want to buy unneeded exhaust parts. Summit Racing will still sell you the Banks kit 21002 which includes everything but stainless exhaust. Its really a special order drop shipped from Banks, but a tad cheaper than if you bought direct from Banks. It's still very expensive, but I didn't have any parts to start with.

Just note what manifold and crossover you need. Kit 21002 for the early trucks has the turbo mounted ahead of piston #2. Kit 21007 for late model trucks has the turbo near piston #4. All of their other kits contain one of the above and include stainless exhaust. As you guys mentioned, Banks seems pretty flexible about selling you individual parts or even a customized kit. But they don't come cheap...

[More Power]

I needed to order a complete Banks Sidewider kit for my Wagoneer's 6.2 swap but didn't want to buy unneeded exhaust parts. Summit Racing will still sell you the Banks kit 21002 which includes everything but stainless exhaust. Its really a special order drop shipped from Banks, but a tad cheaper than if you bought direct from Banks. It's still very expensive, but I didn't have any parts to start with.

Just note what manifold and crossover you need. Kit 21002 for the early trucks has the turbo mounted ahead of piston #2. Kit 21007 for late model trucks has the turbo near piston #4. All of their other kits contain one of the above and include stainless exhaust. As you guys mentioned, Banks seems pretty flexible about selling you individual parts or even a customized kit. But they don't come cheap...

Thanks for the update. The 21007 is for the GMT400 (1990s body style), where the 21002 is for the 1982-1987 body style. I doubt the 07 kit is all that popular because the factory 6.5 turbo system is virtually the same, and they are pretty available for not a lot. Actually, I surmise that GM borrowed many of the design features from Banks for their factory 6.5 turbo system.

The 6.2L Banks turbochargers are non-wastegated. They produce boost when you need it, as Gale Banks told me, but it takes more fuel and engine speed to generate it - like while pulling hills. The Holset HX35W would be a good choice too, and would work well for this app for a range of reasons. It's a bolt-on, it's wastegated, and the exhaust exit is oriented nicely to allow adapting a downpipe.

You'll love the added performance. Keep us posted. Jim

[phantom309]

and then winds backwards towards the front,


Um,.....????? :D

[arveetek]

Um,.....????? :D

Hey, don't make fun of my redneck descriptions! :D

Seriously, on the old body style 6.2L, the driver's side exhaust points down towards the rear. The Banks crossover pipe hooks on to that, points back towards the front, and then makes the pipe head along towards the front of the engine, where it crosses over to the other manifold on the front side of the engine.

Here's my Banks turbo setup on my old 6.2L when I rebuilt the engine back in 2005:

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/photopost/data/500/medium/P10100023.JPG

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/photopost/data/500/medium/P10100031.JPG

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/photopost/data/500/medium/P10100042.JPG

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/photopost/data/500/medium/P10100051.JPG

These photos give you a good idea of general parts placement. I believe the turbo was actually off a Ford product. I had to make an adapter to make it fit the Banks manifold. This made it sit in the Chevy chassis a little too low, and I had to "finesse" the inner fender with a mallet to gain clearance.

Casey

[phantom309]

Nice pics,..

Now go ahead and back up to the left right here. y'all.

nick:D