Is any one using the Dutra Duels? I have an 87 D-100 and would like to put duel exhaust but not headers. What do I need to do to accomplish this? Are the Dutra Duals worth the investment?

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!987 D-150 Short Bed,Slant-6, RWD,A-833,2007 Ram Mega Cab 3500 RWD Cummins 5.9

Funny you should mention Dutra Duals. Just this afternoon I installed my new Dutra front manifold and the stock rear portion that I cut and sealed myself. Gonna be driving it to the muffler shop with open manifolds. Should be an interesting drive.

Anyhow, whether or not it's worth the expense and effort depends on what you're after. There would be (I'm hoping) a slight increase in fuel econcomy with a more free-flowing exhaust. More torque, maybe. Better sound, ya betcha. Now it is often recommended by the gurus on this site that Dutra Duals into one large exhaust system is the best, but in my case I'm doing this simply to achieve that old school split six sound. Any economy or power benefits are all gravy to me.

I'd suspect that there will be power and economy benefits on your truck. Watch your thread and you will most likely hear from those who are really in the know about all the benefits and any possible drawbacks--possibly just the expense.

Jerry in Denver

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Jerry in beautiful Colorado

You might get some of that flexy pipe and run it to the ground before driving. Wouldn't want to start an engine bay fire.

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ifyoubegintothinkyou'relosingcontrol...it'salreadygone

Front Dutra? Can you buy just a front? Not sure how these work. How did you cut the manifold and seal it? I have read some info on this set up but not sure if I need both manifolds or in your case you used just one. I did read the starter can get in the way. How did you overcome that?

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!987 D-150 Short Bed,Slant-6, RWD,A-833,2007 Ram Mega Cab 3500 RWD Cummins 5.9

Augie,

Please do a search for "Dutra Duals"... there have been numerous threads, and conversations regarding Dutra Duals, headers, benefits, disadvantages... etc.

~THOR~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Thanks Thor for your suggestion! In this search is there info on how to purchase the Dutras? I have been on his site and can not find purchasing info.

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!987 D-150 Short Bed,Slant-6, RWD,A-833,2007 Ram Mega Cab 3500 RWD Cummins 5.9

I just looked up the Dutra Duals installation stuff on Doug Dutra's page and did that. I just hacksawed the front three off where he suggested, drilled and tapped holes, made a plate and sealed it off with high temp silicone sealer. I did use stainless steel screws in hopes that they would gall in the iron manifold and not try to back out with vibration. I do realize that "hope" is the best I can "hope" for. I tightened the hell out of the screws and used silicone sealer on the threads, for whatever that might be worth. Remember that a good torque limit is one quarter turn before the screw breaks off. Tricky, however.

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Jerry in beautiful Colorado

After starting the engine and listening to the incrredible noise, I was wondering just how much heat I would be directing onto various parts of the underhood area. I might just make a couple of bends and direct the exhaust flow straight down to the ground. It's about ten miles in city traffic to get to the muffler shop.

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Jerry in beautiful Colorado

Howdy, Jerry, good to see you on here. Yep, don't run with just the bare DDs dumping into the engine bay -- it's half a dozen different kinds of dangerous. Either tow the car to the exhaust shop (got AAA?) or rig up a quick and nasty pipe setup to dump somewhere safer.

Dutra Duals page is here. I am a big fan of the DDs rather than headers.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

WAIT

What........

You sealed the plate with silicone.........

I don't think that's going to last very long........

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

I was a bit brief with my post. I made a quarter-inch plate, cut a high-temp gasket, and then sealed it all up with lotsa high temp silicone sealer like the muffler guys sometimes use on the donuts between exhaust manifolds and head pipes. I suspect that the high temp gasket material will be my best insurance, but Doug Dutra did suggest using the silicone sealer too--in somewhat large amounts, so that it makes a nice pile inside the manifold. Can't hurt.

Oh, and I did take some exhaust tubing and made a temporary front section that dumps to the ground. I cut off the original exhaust pipe about two feet back and reinstalled it, so I should be able to make the drive OK. It's still really loud, but with those short pipes I can get that nice split manifold sojund at about 2000RPM. Just like high school days.

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Jerry in beautiful Colorado

Wait, what? That's not gonna work for more than ten minutes or so. The blockoff has to be done with 100% metal. Weld or braze. There isn't a silicone sealant that'll withstand anything like the temperatures the manifolds reach.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Print off a mapquest (or equivalent) directions and map of the muffler shop so if you do get pulled over you can show the officer where you were going........... (might let you off that way)

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

When I installed the manifolds I found that the new Remflex gasket is a thick sonofagun. My intake nuts only go on about half the thickness of the nuts. It appears to me (I let some water out) that the threads in the head must be fine threads (5/16-24). Does that sound right? It also appear that all the studs might go into water. '66 Dart 225. You had mentioned somewhere that someone had some correct studs to replace the originals. Wondering if they're the kind with a fat threadless spot in the middle so they can be set in there nice and tight and not back out when the nuts are removed. It looks like I'll be pulling this apart again sometime when I get tired of thinking about those nuts not being completely filled with stud. I'll keep tweaking on the nuts everyday hoping to crush the gasket down a little at a time. That activity gives me heartburn too. Longer studs seem the correct thing to do.

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Jerry in beautiful Colorado

It is indeed.
Notta lotta fun.
5/16-18 into the head, 5/16-24 into the nut.
Yup.
Yup and yup. See thread here.

You've got mail, BTW.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.