A stock Duramax turbodiesel engine does not require pressure lubrication for the lifters. Banks’ staff extensively reworked the Duramax oiling system for endurance racing—actually creating oil pathways in the blocks where none previously existed to supply full-pressure lubrication to Banks’ re-engineered roller lifters. Full-pressure lubrication will also generally help the engines to withstand the increased loads and rpm to which they will be subjected. A seven-stage dry sump oiling system will keep 16 quarts of diesel racing oil circulating in the Sidewinder D-Max Type-R Duramax engines.

The D-Max Type-R crankshafts have been lightened, knife-edged, contoured, shot-peened, and stress relieved in a cryogenic bath at -300º F. below zero for the stresses of endurance racing. Custom 4340 billet-steel 'H'-beam connecting rods have been machined and will be used along with lightweight tool steel piston pins. Banks is in the process of developing competition-style forged pistons with a nominal 14.5:1 compression ratio. A custom billet aluminum dry-sump oil pan, which doubles as a block reinforcement girdle, has been engineered and machined in Banks CNC mills. The new oil pan is shallow enough to permit the engine to be mounted extremely low in the chassis.

New Banks-spec roller camshafts have been custom ground to take advantage of the higher-lift capability of the new valvetrain, higher cylinder head flow and boost pressure of the race engine. Finally, even the harmonic balancer will be replaced with a custom Fluidamper balancer designed especially for Banks Duramax engine program.

Banks’ D-Max Engine Short Block Overview:

• Extensively modified block/full-pressure oiling system

• Seven-stage, 16-qt. dry sump oiling system

• Lightened, knife-edged, contoured, shot-peened, and cryogenically stress-relieved crankshaft

• 4340 billet steel 'H'-beam connecting rods/tool steel pins

• Banks-designed nominal 14.5-1 compression forged racing pistons

• Banks-designed custom Billet oil pan/block reinforcement girdle

• Banks-spec roller camshaft and lifters

• Custom Fluidamper harmonic balancer