just found these

eBay Motors: Diesel Exhaust Stack Covers (5 6 7" - mitre, straight) (item 140304192526 end time Mar-28-09 10:41:56 PDT)

 

Jim... thanks for the prodding... I think I needed that!

Interesting design concept on that guy's site... I wonder about a couple of things....

1. What is that vinyl material going to do when it's placed on a set of hot stacks?

2. I wonder how far up those things will shoot when (not if) the truck is started while they are still in place?

I have BOTH of those issues addressed in my current design plans, but cannot yet reveal the solution until I get a couple pair made and tested...

Stay tuned....coming soon to your viewing area!!

By the way... I DO have a large family, too!

 

pete didn't mean any bad by it, just was showing what they looked like. i was thinking the same about hot stacks. it would most likely melt! as far as blowing off that would have to be common with anything you make i would think??

i am waiting to buy yours in fact if you want i'll be a tester for ya!

family values are much more important anyways!

 

A little prodding is good for all of us Pete! I think that these are not to be used when the stacks are hot. From what I understand by reading the description you use them when it rains or if you don't want baseballs or squirrels getting into your stacks.

 

Does anyone know how hot the tips of the stacks are after shutting the truck off(after a proper cool down)? How about after a drive @ highway speeds?

 

Oops... sorry... posted by accident.

 

OK... I originally posted this under my son's account while visiting him this evening... I caught it and deleted it from his post and copied the original post into the comments below... sorry for any confusion.

I know, Jim... I didn't mean to sound defensive, either... just sort of tossing out some thought-provoking questions as a teaser.

OK... I'll explain what I'm planning right now...

I think I have the "flying cover" thing figured out... instead of a completely sewn top, use a hinged flap which has a small weight at the end of it to keep it weighed down, but at the same time would let the flap flip up i the engine were started with the covers still on. Obviously, these flaps would have to be larger than the stack diameter, and may of may not ahve a rim around the edges. As for keping them on the stacks, a couple of small rare-earth magnets sewn into the bottom hem should also help avoid the "flying cover syndrome".

As for the fabric, I've found a heat resistant fabric that is also waterproof, so it should stand up to the temperature issue with no problems. The fabric is also sort of silver colored, so it will blend in naturally with the stacks themselves.

Here's one thing I have not yet figured out... do the covers need a "tether" which can be hooked onto the side rail of the truck bed as a set of "suspenders" just in case the magnets don't work perfectly? I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

Thanks, Jim. Send me an email at " filtercovers @ gmail . com " --- remove the spaces and it will get you there. I can then file your message in my "product development" folder for when I get ready to make this happen... soon.


HERE - HERE!! Great minds.....


Jim (Megawatt)... Given the choice of vinyl for the material, I would have to agree with you. The only complication I foresee with the "only when it rains" approach, though, is that the driver would have to remember to go back out and cover the stacks for rain forecasts. Personally, I think it would be much more convenient to be able to just slip the covers on when you get out of the truck and then be able to forget about them until you're ready to drive again.

 

if its not completely sown then won't water get in?? hey what about a vinyl top and with whatever you where gonna use for the sides??? just an idea. but then again i'm not that intelligent when it comes to your line of work.

 

Hey Pete, are you going to be able to put graphics on them?

 

Jim, I don't expect that rain will get in because the "flap" will be larger than the stack diameter, and especially if I put the "edging around it and the weight on the end of the flap, it will stay down and rain will simply shed off it like a roof. Besides, it is the flap most specifically that will receive the abundance of radiant heat coming up from the exhaust stack, so it will really need to be heat resistant there more than anywhere else.

Another benefit of my concept is that there will be a little air leakage around the edges which will allow the cover to cool off moreso than if the stack were closed up tight like the vinyl covers on eBay will do.

Clay, regarding graphics... I honestly don't know at this point if the fabric I've identified will accept the heat transfer image. I will check it out, though, and see if the iamges will stick once I get a supply of fabric in hand - hopefully at the end of this week.

Below is a simple pic of what I'm thinking about.... The red arrow indicates the vertical movement capability of the "flap".

 

Pete you making me even more anxious to get my stacks on.......

 

Go back and look at the pic I just included in my above post.

Sometimes it's fun to tease the imagination a bit!!

 

Thanks Bud!

 

Maybe you could do 2 versions. One simple and less expensive for those of use who will just us for weather and then an upgraded model such as pictured. You engineers are always making everything so trick

 

That's a tough one, Clay... it's almost like telling me that I need to walk really slow.... sort of goes against my nature!!

Seriously, though... the simplest approach is a simple "pinch-type" seam at the top, regardless of style of stack tip. That one, though, will certainly be functional, but uglier, and will definitely need the "suspenders" to address the flying cover scenario.