Rbuzz95

Coming back from Florida I refilled at Flying J mile marker #1 South Georgia Interstate 75. As is often the case they were busy, busy, and the pump didn't give me a receipt said see cashier. I record purchases in my own book so made entry and left. Stopped at next Flying J on 75 about 400 miles north...and the pump wouldn't take my card so I went inside to see cashier. She couldn't seem to figure out why it wouldn't and ended up calling a manager to the register. The manager tried to figure it out and then asked me to step into her office. Once in the office a security guard arrived and they accused me of driving off without paying at my last fuel stop!! They actually treated me like a crook and interrigated me like the gestapo...finally asking me if I intended to pay for the last refueling! I did not try to avoid paying for the last fuel in fact I thought it had been paid for...gave them my card and they called the Flying J involved from mile marker #1 and guess what? !! It wasn't my fault, the Flying J at mile marker #1 hadn't batched the charges and sent them to the credit card companies within the window of time necessary for this to take place...they had taken care of the problem and all charges had been made to their satisfaction ... so they let me go...with an opps, sorry. This whole thing took about two hours and made me late to my sons place in Ky so I had to spend another night in a campground. The more I thought about it the more angry I became and called their home office. In the interest of telling a short story...several calls , several letters, they told me to push it up a rope!!! I said fine but you've lost a good customer. No we haven't was their response our gas is too cheap you'll be back!! Ha, Hee.

I have an intake manifold vacuum gauge on my 454 Chevrolet engine. when going up an incline, is it more efficient to run higher RPM and have higher vacuum or lug the engine with low RPM and 0 vacuum? For example: Engine RPM 2,100 = 5 " vacuum shift out of OD. Increaseing RPM to 2,900 RPM increases intake vacuum to 15 ". I think the engine likes the 2,900 RPM but probably uses extra fuel. Whadd'ya think?

My origional message has been lost in the title Banks Power System...their system works but not as much as they claim. Next point: their system consists of a set of headers, a free flow muffler, a K&N air cleaner.....that's it folks. Now don't believe me go to any speed shop and buy a set of headers designed to create torque not max Horsepower. $300 will buy an excellent set, next buy a free flow muffler any muffler shop will explain this to you and quote a price of $125.00 then go down the street to your favorite auto supply store and get a K&N air cleaner for your engine for $50 . Now add this all up and you get $475.00 dollars. Go to your favorite muffler shop and have this stuff installed for $200 and now you have $675.00 and you have BINGO a Banks Power System. I'm excited for you if you love your $3000.00 system and love the sound, and the economy, and the hill climing power, and your dog even quit druling on your carpet after you had it installed....but you bought a set of headers, a muffler, and a K&N air cleaner. Now if your MH doesn't burn gas we got a whole different equation...but before you dump the big bucks go to a Big Truck Dealer and talk about your engine and options they might offer. Shop around - talk to people in the performance business. Good luck....rbuz

I have always wondered about adequate electrical power. Couple years ago I added another land power cable somewhat smaller than the main cable and this I plug into the additional outlet or two that you find with your 35 or50 amp outlet. This extra cable enters the dinette area of my motorhome and I use it to power the toaster or grill ect. My concern, is this really gaining anything,or am I just drinking from the same fountain with two straws??? Whaddayathink?

Location is Kansas City, Mo. The current of three is a 944S2 which I have rebuilt. Engine, suspension, interior, paint, sparco seats, mono wheel, two sets of wheels, three times what it's worth!!! Have only tracked it at Hallett and Heartland Park. Bought it in 2002 in Clovis, NM and have put 9000 miles on the odometer over the last 7 years...very practical purchase! Porsche only produced this model in 1989, 1990,1991 with 2068 sent to the US...but it's still a water-cooled, red headed, stepchild of the family. Twenty years old, handles great, and still will run 149 mph, and I like looking at it. I still belong to the Porsche Club, but not very active socially, autocross / track days / a couple car shows...that's it. Everytime I get rid of one Porsche another seems to find me...I'm surprised you haven't recovered one! There are Porsches and then all other cars.

I appreciate your concern and detailed fix. My engine is a Chevrolet 454 so the trip to Ford might not help! Actually the tube that enters the pan was broken off from the pan and would not allow dip stick to enter pan. I did obtain the joint that allows stick to enter pan and replaced it...what I didn't do is get a new tube, which I should do. The origional tube was so bent and twisted that it makes it difficult for the dip stick to pass thru and enter the pan to do it's job. I got lazy once the oil leak was stopped --and if you start the dip stick just right and push with your fingers it will, with some difficulty, go into the pan and do it's job. I also was concerned with the accuracy of the measurment after the hamfisted disfigurment of the tube so I did an oil change and remarked the dipstick to indicate the proper oil level. I was trying to point out the importance of the installation. Banks should have been more responsive to my plight as they sent me to this place to have their equipment installed on my motorhome. I do have a case of the red --- over the expense and quality of the installation! It also occurs to me that I should have investigated other alternatives to the Banks System. There are many good exhaust headers on the market. There are a number of good free flowing mufflers. Pipe is pipe and a K&N air filter can be purchased at any auto parts store, or WalMart! Any legitimate muffler shop could do this work for a third of the cost. Banks is not the only solution to the search for economy and power. I should have been smarter but the broken exhaust manifold, on the road, clouded my judgement. I have raced cars with SCCA and PCA for years so only have myself to blame! Alterations are best checked on a dynamometer...it doesn't lie or use seat of the pants calculations. I recently purchased a chip for my old Porsche from a company in England, we ran some base line dyno runs on the engine installed the chip re-run the dyno test and discovered I had spent $500 to gain 2 HP at 5700 RPM another brilliant move by "yours truly"!! regards, rbzz

The broken temp gauge was a result of breaking the sending unit while installing the left side header, during install of the right side header the oil dipstick tube was broken loose from the pan where it inserts to measure the oil level...and no it's still not adequately repaired and checking the oil is difficult. The factory or Camping World I'm sure would have done a better job...I didn't want to make this War and Peace...Camping World couldn't work me into their schedule within the time I had available- this led me to Animal Enterprises, and disaster. However, I still contend that headers, K&N air filter, and muffler can provide little measurable performance...if you don't believe me check with Richard Petty . One post mentions fuel economy improvement of 1.7 mpg with $2.00 gas it'll take over 59,000 miles to break even on cost of system. It's almost impossible to compare mpg on the road because route, wind, speed, stop/start, all provide variables. I used total gas used and miles driven on my 2008 trip to Florida to the 2009 trip and determined there was a slight difference which extrapolated into the 209,000 miles to pay for the purchase price. My bottom line opinion is the cost doesn't justify the performance improvement. American being free certainly allows you your opinion also!! regards, Rbuzz

I have a horror story concerning Banks Power Systems. Discovering a cracked exhaust manifold on my 1995 454 Chevrolet Winnabago I decided to repair problem with a Banks system. Cost $2299.59 and $865.00 for installation...total $3164.59. Yes, this was a lot of lipstick on a pig but as we age we don't necessarly get smarter! Banks salesman Alex sent me to a company named Animal Enterprises,Inc in Ft Meyers, Fl for the installment of their equipment. After three days the job was complete and I set off expecting to enjoy power and economy. What I found was a broken temperature gauge and oil leaking from my oil pan where the dip stick once entered to check the oil!! This is where the horror entered the picture. Animal wasn't interested in my problem and threatened me bodily, by phone, not face to face. Banks provided no help what-so-ever except Alex did listen paitently to my phone calls. This could now become a long ugly story but let me be short and say the temp gauge was fixed but it's still is (almost) impossible to check my oil. Alex is the only contact I was able to make with Banks as Alex's manager would never accept or return my calls. What did I gain by all this upsetting event...not much really. Let's face the fact that what you get for $3164.59 is a set of exhaust headers, new exhaust pipe, more free flowing muffler, and a K&N Air cleaner. Do you think this will make a big difference? My experience with applied math is that I will pay for this system when my motorhome has been driven 240,506.91 miles!! Buy a set of headers from your local speed shop, a new muffler form your exhaust shop, a K&N air filter, and for about $500 you will have the same system plus have your local muffler shop install everything for another $500 and BINGO Banks power for 1/3 the cost. AND you won't have to deal with Animal Enterprises, Inc and Jeff the" I'm gonna punch your lights out" installer!!!