Topic: Banks Exhaust ?

[JohnnyO]

Did some searching here and did find a post where someone said he'd replaced 5 Banks headers due to cracking.  This does not inspire confidence.

That being said....
1. Is cracking common on the Banks 4-banger header?
2. Is cracking related to off-roading?  Off-roading for our Jeep will be limited, it is more for getting around in snow and because my daughter always wanted one.
3. People who have the header and exhaust, did it help the mpg and how loud is it?  The other thing is for my daughter to go between my house in Pittsburgh, PA and her mother's in Vermont.  With a 3-speed automatic and 4.11's it ain't a gas mileage champ.

FWIW, a bud of mine has the full Banks Power Pack setup on his RV and loves it.  I've driven it before and after too and the difference in power is incredible plus the mpg is much better, but we're talking about a 32' motorhome with a 454 Chevy.

[stan98tj]

I have the banks header and cat back exhaust. I did a write up of the mod here: http://4bangerjp.com/forums/index.php/topic,7474.0.html
There is a video-shot inside and out. The noise isnt too bad. I had the dynomax exhaust prior to that and it did nothing for power nor mpg...and it was LOUD. Finally got tired of the noise and changed to banks. The exhaust is quieter then the dynomax, but nothing is as quiet as stock. MPGs didnt change at all, or at least i havent noticed any increase. The throttle response is a bit better and there is a bit more power available now...but it's not huge, but better then nothing. overall im satisfied.

[aka-justin]

I just put on the Banks cat-back and I think a walker cat.  I think I'll have to try the header.  Looks like it's for 91-02.  The local exhaust guy in town said he'd make me a down tube for about $120, not bad.  So, all together, it would be about $500 with the header and down pipe.  The existin down pipe is pretty narrow.

stan98tj, did you replace your down pipe or cat? 

[stan98tj]

stock downpipe, stock cat. Cat actually should be replaced as it has a crack and a hole in it where the banks pipe cant cover. If you watch the video you can kind of hear it. it's gotten slightly worse over time.

[JohnnyO]

I just got a new cat last month.  It had a bad valve and a CEL so the used car lot I bought it from had a valve job done before I took it home.  It would still blow black crud out the exhaust when you'd start it and the mpg was terrible so I figured the cat was plugged from the valve being bad, besides which the one there looked like it had been welded on by Moe, Larry, and Curly.  The new cat solved both problems.

Thanks for the info, I'll consider getting the Banks exhaust in a while and maybe the header later, if at all.

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

It's 6 headers now. Time to take off the cracked one and send in again.
I am going to put a 5.7 Hemi in which will fix many problems..
See my Hemi build thread.

[JohnnyO]

It's 6 headers now. Time to take off the cracked one and send in again.

Do you 'froad it an flex things a lot, or do they crack from just driving around?

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

Averaged out, I wheel about one weekend every 2 months on average.
I must say though, Banks is "no questions asked", they are all about customer service.
But, it would have been nice if I did not have to learn how to be an expert in exhaust manifold removals and installations.
I can now remove and install a banks header in about 45 minutes.
I am not spending anymore money of this effort. I have been assembly parts for my 5.7 hemi swap.
Check out my Hemi swap thread.

[dwtaylorpdx]

Ive gone through numerous exhaust systems on my 94 YJ,
I've come to the conclusion that it needs a flex joint between
the Header/exhaust manifold and the cat. Jeep transitions
from power train mounts to body mounts as the system goes
back and I think it over-stresses the pipes. The engine is also
just tough on the exhaust becasue of the crappy fuel mapping
of the mopar computer and the vibration of the 2.5 but YMMV :)

Dave

[aka-justin]

It's 6 headers now. Time to take off the cracked one and send in again.
I am going to put a 5.7 Hemi in which will fix many problems..
See my Hemi build thread.

Just a thought, you think your transmission bell house or engine in general is shifting enought to cause the crack?  Maybe somethings causing it to twist or bend and the sympton is your continously cracking header.  My 2 cents for what it's worth.

[sharpxmen]

if the crack is in the same place as in the picture you have in your logo then it's due to heat and expanding/contracting of the metal and possibly due to the fact that that portion was bent to follow the contour of the pipes, that would have created some minor cracks which would lead to the crack that you seem to have experienced repeteadly - my suggestion is to put a good weld on it (not a surface weld to just cover the crack)

if it's some other place then it could be due to vibrations and mechanical stress

[JohnnyO]

I'm wondering if putting a piece of braided stainless flex pipe on the downpipe would keep the header from cracking?  But then the last time I bought one was about 12 years ago for a Lincoln I had and it cost $200 then.

[sharpxmen]

I'm wondering if putting a piece of braided stainless flex pipe on the downpipe would keep the header from cracking?  But then the last time I bought one was about 12 years ago for a Lincoln I had and it cost $200 then.

it's been suggested, but if you look at the pic in his logo (profile pic) he says he cracked the header 5 times in the same spot - it doesn't look to me that is in a spot where the stress and weight of the exhaust pipe/cat/muffler is the problem since it is vertical between the individual exhaust pipes coming from cyl 1 and 4 (if i'm not mistaking) and i'm pretty sure is a problem with the way they manufacture that part that merges the 4 pipes together in one and the fact that the pipes are pushing and pulling on that piece of sheetmetal (and more specifically on that bend) - it's like flexing a metal sheet or flat bar 100 times, will eventually break. I would have given up sending them back by now and weld the heck out of that crack to see if it happens again.

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

Just a thought, you think your transmission bell house or engine in general is shifting enought to cause the crack?  Maybe somethings causing it to twist or bend and the sympton is your continously cracking header.  My 2 cents for what it's worth.

Nope, I have replaced all the above in my quest.

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

if the crack is in the same place as in the picture you have in your logo then it's due to heat and expanding/contracting of the metal and possibly due to the fact that that portion was bent to follow the contour of the pipes, that would have created some minor cracks which would lead to the crack that you seem to have experienced repeteadly - my suggestion is to put a good weld on it (not a surface weld to just cover the crack)

if it's some other place then it could be due to vibrations and mechanical stress

Been there done that. Read my thread "Banks cracked again". Everything mentioned has been covered there and then some...