Help me build an exhaust

Yes! That's actually the same exact bracket I just bought from a junkyard. I'm not sure if the shop can route a twin pipe setup on my truck, but at the very least I'll have a single fat stack. And knowing that bracket will hold the whole stack gives me hope for my setup. The plan now is: stop by a chrome shop tomorrow and pickup a single stack, claps, elbow, and flex pipe. Then go to my regular shop and drop off the truck. The shop will remove the APU, remove the stock exhaust, weld the holes closed from the stock bracket (stock bracket has a wider spacing between the bolt holes), install the new setup. If everything holds, then maybe I'll talk it over with them and see if they can route a twin stack setup. But at this point, #### it, I'll take a single straight pipe stack if it's too much work / money for them to route a twin setup.

 

$100

 

Forgot to update but I just came back from another chrome shop (Virgo Fleet, here in Brooklyn NY) and my regular shop. I've ordered a single stack - 7 inch, Diablo tip, 86 inches long. Also a 12 inch elbow, 4 foot long flex pipe, and a couple of clamps. $1600 total. Though I may have jumped the gun on the clamps. Seems like they won't be a direct bolt on, but will have to be somehow welded to the bracket.

Also the main mechanic at my regular shop said it's not a good idea to weld shut the bolt holes on the chassis from the stock bracket, but rather just clamp down the holes with nuts and bolts. But then how is that not a structural weakness? There are still holes there. Someone explain this to me.

I have to wait for the exhaust parts about a week. And I was planning on going back to work next week. Oh well, long vacation then back to work until New Year's.

 

The thing is my stock exhaust bracket is actually one of those tall pipes which supports the big ### muffler. So the chassis bolt holes are much wider apart than the new bracket I picked up at a junkyard.

The mechanic did suggest welding a wider plate onto the bottom of the bracket and then drilling holes into that plate which match up with the current ones on my chassis. I like this idea better but then again, I hope they do a good job welding it. Otherwise the whole thing will come down.

 

UPDATE:

The shop pulled the APU off, removed the roof and side fairings and installed the new exhaust. But they half assed the job. The back of the cab has a lot of random bolts and holes which were sealed with Flex Seal. The exhaust sits too far from the main bracket. They made a custom small brackets welded to the main support bracket, with bolt holes to attach the stack clips, but then they also installed those extenders. Why? Why not just attach the stack clips directly to the small brackets which are welded to the main support bracket? It just introduces more stress on the bolts and welds when the exhaust is that far from the main support bracket. Anyway, the whole job along with an oil change and all the filters cost me $1500. Not bad, but as the saying goes - you get what you pay for.

New exhaust, APU fan removed

I am now in search of a body shop somewhere here in Brooklyn to clean up the whole mess.