Military Power - Banks Power Upfitted Humvee

September 2012 Military Power Am General Humvees

AM General’s military Humvee was developed during the Cold War to use General Motors’ 150hp and 250-lb-ft of torque 6.2L V-8 diesel. Like the Jeep before it, the Humvee is deployed throughout the world for use in hundreds of different applications-many of which are on the front lines.

AM General’s military Humvee was developed during the Cold War to use General Motors’ 150h

The Biggest Name In Diesel Performance Ups The Power In Up-Armored Humvees
The most recognizable diesel 4x4 in the history of the United States military is AM General’s HMMWV, aka Humvee. Like the Jeep before it, the Humvee has been called into action on every continent and has carried our soldiers into (and out of) the toughest terrain imaginable. Yet while we champion these 4x4s for their capability, they do have a secret—they’re enormously underpowered.

That’s not, however, AM General’s fault. When first conceived, the Humvee weighed less than 10,000 pounds. Some were as light as 7,500 pounds. The 6.2L and 6.5L engines were never interned to be fire-breathing diesels, but they could certainly move that mass around.But then the Department of Defense began asking for Humvees with armor plating to protect our troops. Now the Up-Armored versions of the Humvee can weigh around 7 tons, and the 6.5L engine struggles to keep up, especially at high altitude.

Enter Gale Banks Engineering, which has deep roots turbocharging diesels to make more power. It was almost 30 years ago when Banks turbocharged its first 6.2L, and it’s back at it with a performance upgrade system targeted toward heavyweight 6.5L Humvees.

MIL-SPEC: Banks Power Upfitted Humvee
Vehicle: AM General HMMWV
Engine: 6.5L AM General
Type: V-8
Turbocharger: Gale Banks Sidewinder
Weight: 14,400 pounds
Drivetrain: Full-time four-wheel drive with gear-reduction hubs
Transmission: 4L80E (stock), Allison 1000 six-speed (Banks)
Brakes: 12-inch-diameter, in-board-mounted disc brakes, supplemented by Banks exhaust brake
Body: Up-Armored
Power Output at the Wheels: 113 hp and 219 lb-ft of torque (stock), 178 hp and 379 lb-ft of torque (Banks)*
0-to-60-mph Acceleration: 43 seconds (stock), 23.1 seconds (Banks)*
Top Speed: 75 mph (stock), 87 mph [limited by speed rating of tire] (Banks)*
Fuel Economy at 35 mph: 14.2 mpg (stock), 14.6 mpg (Banks)*
60-to-0-mph Braking: 307.6 feet (stock), 243 feet (Banks)*
60-to-0-mph Grade Descent (6.2 percent slope): Vehicle actually accelerated to 62.6 mph after 1 mile (stock), vehicle slowed to 10 mph after 7⁄16 mile (Banks)* * All vehicle performance data supplied by Gale Banks Engineering

Since production began nearly 30 years ago, the Humvee has almost doubled in weight—but the engine power has lagged dangerously far behind. Up-armored variants (known as M1116s) can weigh more than 14,400 pounds.
Since production began nearly 30 years ago, the Humvee has almost doubled in weight—but th
Putting a battlefield-prepped Humvee on a diet isn’t an option. Thankfully, adding more power is. Gale Banks Engineering leveraged its three decades of experience turbocharging GM diesels to develop this HMMWV 6.5L Sidewinder System. By retrofitting a wastegated turbo, intake, intercooler, exhaust, injection pump, and injectors, it can add 65 hp and 110 lb-ft of torque to the wheels of any turbocharged Hummer.
Putting a battlefield-prepped Humvee on a diet isn’t an option. Thankfully, adding more po
Banks’ new turbo (left) not only optimizes airflow into the 6.5L as compared to the Humvee’s original turbo (right), but it also allows Banks to add an exhaust brake that cuts the 60-to-0-mph stopping distance of a Humvee by almost 65 feet.
Banks’ new turbo (left) not only optimizes airflow into the 6.5L as compared to the Humvee