Do Diff Covers Work? Gale Banks wants to know.

[mgmetalworks]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

Exactly. Gale Banks is first and foremost a businessman. It seems to me those videos are timed in their release, all part of marketing and product release, not because of video production time. My guess is new cast aluminum Banks covers are in the foundry, on-deck for machining, and ready for testing.

My second prediction is that Banks won't be very popular in certain booths at SEMA this year.

[TomsBeast]

Originally Posted by JWA

I'm wondering how practical or impractical it would be having something like a dry sump oiling system

It's being done now. NHRA Top Fuel dragster rear ends, SCORE Trophy Trucks, have internal oil pumps that shoot a stream of oil at the ring and pinion gear thrust faces. A friend of mine showed me a prototype oil pump retrofit for a VW 4wd Syncro Vanagon transaxle (for the VW Syncro/Subaru engine conversions that have gotten so popular).


Practical is another story, last I checked a Steve Chrisman Top Fuel rear end cost is north of $12k, trophy trucks are unbelievable money pits, who knows what a 'high end' rear end for one of those costs.


IMO none of that is necessary for a 11k lb 4x4 van

[TeleSteve]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

It's being done now. NHRA Top Fuel dragster rear ends, SCORE Trophy Trucks, have internal oil pumps that shoot a stream of oil at the ring and pinion gear thrust faces. A friend of mine showed me a prototype oil pump retrofit for a VW 4wd Syncro Vanagon transaxle (for the VW Syncro/Subaru engine conversions that have gotten so popular).


Practical is another story, last I checked a Steve Chrisman Top Fuel rear end cost is north of $12k, trophy trucks are unbelievable money pits, who knows what a 'high end' rear end for one of those costs.


IMO none of that is necessary for a 11k lb 4x4 van

The trophy tucks and most desert race vehicles also pump the oil through a oil cooler.

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by mgmetalworks

My prediction: Coming soon... Banks Engineering finned aluminum diff covers optimized for fluid flow and heat transfer.

Your power to predict the future is amazing.

[mgmetalworks]

Muwahahahahaha!!!

I mean, you had to see it coming right? Gale Banks is a businessman and engineer. It's fun to geek out on data and experiments but if there's no ROI, most companies won't put many resources into "curiosity".

[arctictraveller]

This is the prototype shown at SEMA

[JWA]

Originally Posted by mgmetalworks

Muwahahahahaha!!!

I mean, you had to see it coming right? Gale Banks is a businessman and engineer. It's fun to geek out on data and experiments but if there's no ROI, most companies won't put many resources into "curiosity".

True enough, I'm sure none of us are really surprised Banks now offers a new improved differential cover---looks very cool though, no pun intended.

So I'm wondering if there'll be another video showing just how monumentally improved Gale & Co's new design really is? Honestly I found the first few parts quite interesting---never really gave the differential cover that much thought.

[wanderers]

Seems like it would work a lot better than the flat backed covers. The internal fins would pick up the heat from the oil better, too.

[Trevor]

Is it just me, or does it look like it hangs down in the lower left and right corners to "scoop" air from under the axle?


You know, finned aluminum OEM Sterling 10.5 covers can be found for under $60 online. That seems to hit on most of Banks' complaints about aftermarket covers and I bet its a fraction of what he's gonna charge for his new cover.


PN 8C3Z-4033-A

[shenrie]

Originally Posted by Trevor

Is it just me, or does it look like it hangs down in the lower left and right corners to "scoop" air from under the axle?

I think that's just part of the display for sema. if not a little skid plate that came forward of the front side of the axle would be a good idea imho.


edit: I think your right, those left and right sides do hang below the diff. not sure if that's such a good idea in an off road application.


and those covers are pretty cheap. appreciate the lead!