The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Are exhaust stacks legal in Canada?

Are exhaust stacks legal in Canada? This question came up with a friend the other day and I have NO idea...

I know the big industrial trucks have 'em, but the only "production" pickup truck I can think of that has stacks is the Little Red Express Truck which was produced many years back...

Does anyone know if it is legal to retrofit an old truck with these, and if so what the requirements are other than that no section of the exhaust pipe can come through the cab and that it must vent behind the cab?

Thanks in advance for your input...

~Trev

Don't know, Trev. Did you google it? But I do know that in the town that my Dad's house is at has a 60-70 something truck that has pipes, and he drives it, so it's either legal or the guy's just lucky at not being caught.

i don't see why it would be illegal. Here in the states you don't have to retrofit smog stuff, so i would would think it would be ok. but i could be wrong

I'm not worried from the smog aspect... more from the legal aspect as my truck still has to pass the inspection that is always required when a vehicle enters Canada from anywhere else...

I'd hate to do all the work, pay all the money, get it looking and sounding real good, then find out the pipes are illegal and have to take 'em back off to pass!

~Trev

i understand what you are saying, i would think that would work, but the safest bet maybe to call ahead to your DMV or whoever would handle rules like that. i think thats what i would do

With all the damned versions of Motor Vehicle departments here since they privatized, it's probably gonna take a dozen phone calls to get referred to the right department and even then the answer is usually vague and ambiguous... "well it's ok if you do this, but if you do this slightly differently then it may not get thru inspection, although it might"...

Yep, this is what I am dealing with... and you wondered why I posted the question here??? LOL

~Trev

It's usually not the "stacks" themselves that are in question, as much as it is the noise issue. As long as you aren't exceeding the noise limits or the pollution from excessive exhaust smoke, you should be ok with the stacks. This is what I had to deal with when I had my Kenworth and was running OTR. Just my .02.

Thanks, Tramp...

The idea I have is to move my existing glass packs from the rear of the truck to right behind an exhaust cross over which will take place right behind the headers, then a couple of feet of pipe leading to the stacks... Unless I'm missing something, there shouldn't be much of a difference in noise as the same mufflers are in place although the truck may seem a bit louder from inside the cab sitting right on top of the glass packs instead of them being 7 feet behind me!

I'm gonna bounce this off a good muffler shop that does custom work and see what they have to say... with any luck it IS legal and will work well... time will tell.

~Trev

In Alberta(next door)any mechanic with a journeyman ticket signs off inspections. Every mechanic has a different interpretation so go to one who say's it passes HIS. It's a joke here. As long as insurance doesn't lapse an inspection is good permanently.

There is really no difference between stacks and tail pipes except the placement of the pipe and potentially the muffler, but it seem that the way you are planning to do this, you will still have regular mufflers. Many times mufflers will actually be inside/part of the stacks. Some times you can also get pipes with baffles in them. If you are that worried about it; put the baffles in for the crossing/inspection and take them out once all that is done! No difference in appearance, just slightly noisier without the baffles!
Best of luck.
Laterz,
Gator
>|--|~

Go for it Trev !~
Heck at least around here in PA ...Drag pipes are NOT LEGAL on HD's ...but they sound so darn good that I have never been stopped for my Harley soundin good & loud !...It is up to the Officer to make the decission of if it offending and in 20 yrs ...Ive never had one stop me ...but with Mufflers like you are thinkin ...what is difference if they exit from in front of the rear wheels , out the back , or stright in the air in stacks ??...I really dont see a prob ...especially if ya make it LOOK good ! ...they will be lookin at ...MAN YA SEE THAT COOL OLD TRUCK WITH THE STACKS !....not the law book ! ...lol

Curt: The problem is that my truck still has to pass the roadworthiness inspection required on any vehicle coming into Canada... Once that is passed I'm in the clear and would likely never need an inspection again, but apparently that initial exam in pretty strict... It is done by government appointed private shops here as well, but from what I have heard they have pretty strict guidelines...

Gator: I would agree that it shouldn't matter where the pipe placement is as long as no laws are being broken... the only problem here in BC is they don't seem to make the resources too easy to find out what is right and what is wrong! I just called a custom muffler shop and asked them and they said "oh we really wouldn't know about that"... If a shop that does exhaust systems doesn't know, then how is someone who has never done one supposed to? Great idea about the baffles though... I'll have to keep that in mind and see if the stacks I'm considering have a built in muffler... If so that could be even easier...

SW: I'm not doing stacks to make a lot of noise (we have enough ear splitting harleys up here... no offense!) I'm considering it because I think it would look cool there and make the truck even more unique... I figure you're right once it is past the first inspection nobody is gonna say boo if they see an old truck with stacks... It's just getting past that first inspection if I install them that is my primary concern!

Oh well, off to make more calls to the powers that be and try to get a straight answer... someone's gotta know!

Thanks guys...

~Trev

This afternoon I saw a blue 60s Chevy step side with 2 big chrome stacks in the bed sticking straight up on each side of the small window.

You could also mount flanges off of your mufflers so you bolt on your tailpipes. Then, easily unbolt those and switch over to your stacks. Check out this address if you can't get your stacks at home. www.iowa80.com
I'm looking at doing this as soon as I can mount my headers and new mufflers. I'm mounting turnouts to the flanges then, I'll switch over to the stacks. I'm thinking 60" tall at 3 or 3 1/2" wide off of 2 1/2 exhaust. This will be running up between the cab and flatbed I built last year.
Dave

Hey thanks Dave... glad I decided to look back at posts from a couple weeks ago or I might have missed this...

While I have no "official" ruling yet I see Dodge is making trucks with stacks still sooooo I'm guessing it's legal and can be done... Hope so!

~Trev

Who cares. They're so cool! I just wish I didn't need lights up where the tips would be.

I care! At least till I get the mandatory "Vehicle entering Canada" inspection done... after that who CARES what they think???

~Trev

I just mean that they should not worry about inspecting a 70 year old truck. They should run a safety inspection, and let you roll. How do they know if your truck had pipes or not? So long as it isn't too loud. I bet some people get in trouble for glass packs.

Trev, my old panel was imported into Canada and I will be the first owner to have it on the road here. I already have clear title and I have to wait until it passes a safety inspection before I can get plates for it. (I have YOM plates already) I just need a licenced mechanic to do the inspection. DMV will never even see it. As has been mentioned already, the mechanic determines if things are legal and safe. I do see the stacks here too, on pickups, usually the diesel pickups tend to put them on.

I understand your frustration. It seems that no one wants to make a ruling. I have just imported a truck that had been wrecked and it was like that. I finally just arrived at the border with all the receipts and paper that I could come up with and the fellow checked it through in no time.
I would suggest that if you want the pipes leave them on. If they fail, you will have to change them. if they don't , you got them. Good luck !!
Ter