The latest creation to come out of the Gale Banks Engineering race shop is the Banks 870S, a 7.0L, Duramax-based, supercharged engine that will find a home in the Banks Sidewinder Top Diesel dragster. With sights set on low-6-second e.t.’s, a new LML-based engine block was chosen as the foundation. The block’s bore was increased by 0.020 inches before being line-honed and sonic-checked. Moving inside, the rotating assembly features a Banks-designed 4330M billet large-pin stroker crankshaft, which is internally balanced and has maximum-width, full-radius counterweights, and dual 5mm keys to drive the blower. A set of angled-cap Carrillo H-beam rods connect the Mahle forged-aluminum pistons.

New LML-based heads received CNC porting and profiling, 34mm stainless steel intake valves, Inconel exhaust valves, high-rate single valvesprings, titanium retainers, and blueprinted OE shaft-mount rockers. A Banks supercharger-specific, custom-profile camshaft spins Manton Series 5 4130 pushrods and LSM roller lifters. Oiling is handled by way of a seven-stage, high-volume dry-sump system. A billet-aluminum dry-sump oil pan and engine girdle are affixed to the block.

Moving outside the engine, the custom accessory drive features a Banks billet viscous vibration damper, Banks-designed dual beltdrive system for the fuel and oil pumps, and the supercharger. A pair of Bosch CP3 injection pumps provides the engine with fuel, while airflow is maintained by the 4.0L Whipple supercharger. The supercharger is overdriven 200 percent vs. crankshaft speed and is capable of producing up to 50 psi of boost. A Banks AutoMind ECU maintains control of the engine, up to its 8,000-rpm redline, while a Banks nitrous controller and Double-Shot water-methanol controllers are in charge of the injectables.

All this combines to create a monster of a Duaramax, which is capable of producing more than 1,700 hp on fuel alone and more than 2,300 hp while huffing nitrous and water-methanol (which is more methanol than water in this application). We are extremely excited to see this engine come out of the lab and go down the track.