Which Side to Exit the Exhaust?

[Gary Atsma]

I've noticed that many truck conversions have the exhaust exiting under the LEFT side of the truck, which seems unusual since every diesel engine I know exhausts out of the RIGHT side of the engine. I guess my question is, why bother to run the pipe over to the other side of the truck instead of just dumping it out the right side?

[Bob86ZZ4]

Good question. I wonder why? I suppose if people were sitting around in their camp chairs on the right side of the rig and you start the engine it would smell less coming out the left.

[Radman]

And if you run the genset through the truck exhaust, it's really quiet, inexpensive and runs out the - uh "correct" side.

Rad

[Gary Atsma]

Originally posted by Bob86ZZ4:
...if people were sitting around in their camp chairs on the right side of the rig and you start the engine it would smell less coming out the left.

Uhhh, if there are still folks hanging out on the right side when the beast gets fired up, I'd call that a BROOOOOOAD hint that the party's past over......
Truly an argument for right-side exhaust.....

[Bob86ZZ4]

Or, we're outa beer and somebody's gotta make a run for it.

[DrFun]

Originally posted by Radman:
And if you run the genset through the truck exhaust, it's really quiet, inexpensive and runs out the - uh "correct" side.

Rad

I thought this would be a great idea too... But, the installation instructions for my genset recommend against it:

"Never join or tee the generator exhaust system and the vehicle exhaust system together. Doing so may cause excessive back pressure on the generator engine, also condensation from one engine can damage the other engine."

[TomC]

I still have alot of old trucker in me. On my KW 90" Aerodyne, I'm going to run the dual exhausts up the front corner of the box-have to have my vertical twice pipes. Then run the generator out the left side in front of the rear tires with a stack for camp site times. Good Luck, TomC

[BUonM22?]

A lot of people concerned about noise, or gasses will use a venturi effect on their exhaust. They put an elbow from the gen exhaust, then that feeds into about a 4" PVC, held in place with metal tabs, and open to outside air for cooling. This runs the exhaust and most of the noise up to the top of the truck while not putting any back pressure on the genset. Another thought.

[Radman]

OK, I have been giving some thought to this gen-set exhaust question.

Currently, I have ours running through the current truck muffler.

I beg to differ with the manufactures recommendations regarding backpressure. While knowing full well that they have to say nothing but a separate dedicated system will work due to liabilities, there is no way that, too much backpressure could be an issue when the gen-set is running through a 5” exhaust. Now I must say the comment about hot exhaust and condensation got me wondering. Pumping hot air into the cold non-running gen-set may be a good conversation but I still don’t think its bad idea.

I am considering some hot rod fun with the ole N14 this winter and in my conversations with Pittsburg Power, they stressed minimum backpressure as the first move to increase performance. That got me on the path for a dual 5” weed burner with oval slash cuts to get a bit more clearance.

The dual exhaust program presents the opportunity to move the gen-set exhaust to a vertical stack routed up between the box and the cab. This would move the exhaust away from our neighbors (and our guests when the wind is blowing the wrong way).

I am not sure how to finish off the top of the stack so I am looking for some ideas on that but it all sounds like a good idea at first pass. Counter weighted flappers with a drain on the bottom like the big rigs was my first thought but let’s hear some other ideas please.

Rad