Banks

Banks’ New Duramax Oil Pan & Transmission Pan Aid Cooling

Banks Power has been busy designing and developing products that enhance power, cooling, and efficiency for diesel-powered trucks for a bunch of years. The southern California-based company pretty much covers the whole gamut: cold air intakes, boost tubes, exhaust systems, exhaust manifolds, transmission controllers, differential covers, throttle controllers, tuners, programmers, gauges, and so on. To its robust catalogue of product offerings, Banks now offers a duo of beautiful and useful pans (not for cooking, but to keep your fluids from cooking) for Duramax applications. These new products take engineering cues from Banks’ racing and military programs to reject heat and aid in cooling. Packaging includes everything required for installation.

Heat is a truck killer. Manufacturers do what they need to meet the bare minimum when it comes to cooling, but Banks has historically made it its mission to maximize cooling. The company claims its CoolRunner Oil Pan (2017-2019, 2020-2024 Duramax 6.6-liter) and Banks Ram-Air Transmission Pan (2001-2019 Allison 1000 5- 6-speed/2020-2024 GM 10L1000 10-speed) drastically improve internal heat absorption and external heat radiation when compared to factory pans. The company also claims to outcool all the competition. Numbers aside—you can find detailed information on Banks’ website—these new products look rad, should someone you want to impress find himself or herself under your truck.

Both pans feature long, thin FlowThru Fins designed to transfer heat through the cover. The cooling fin design comes courtesy of Banks’ die-cast process (versus sand-cast). Unlike other designs with internal fins that catch debris, Banks’ internal cooling fins run in line with the drain port. The oil pan has 19 deep-cut external radiator fins for maximum surface area exposure to cool air under the truck and 15 internal fins that absorb heat from the oil. The transmission pan (2020-2024) has 22 external radiator fins and 20 internal fins; the 2001-2019 has 24 external and 18 internal fins. The internal fins transfer heat through the cover into the external fins.

The oil pan increases oil capacity by two quarts, the transmission pan (2020-2024) by three quarts. When it comes to draining the fluids, both designs allow for complete drainage thanks to flush-mounted drain plugs. Full drainage is advantageous over incomplete drainage that leaves nasty sludge and contaminants behind. Did you know that a stock oil pan (and a submerged pickup tube that can’t fully drain) traps half a quart of dirty oil at the bottom? An anti-cavitation dimple directly under the oil pickup improves oil flow rate.

Notice that the transmission pan has an attached plastic scoop. This is the Breakaway Ram-Air scoop, a forward-facing scoop that draws in ambient air and funnels it through the external heat radiation fins. This scoop is the lowest point, and should it break away, Banks will send a replacement.

These new Banks products could make for convenient upgrades if you’re mid-way through a build or simply looking for ways to improve cooling, flow, and cleanliness. Bundle them with the Ram-Air Differential Cover to save a couple hundred dollars.

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