Installing An Exhaust Deflector

One of the disadvantages of a nitro-powered RC truck is the mess. Oil and grunge tends to get all over everything, making cleanup a real nightmare at times. However there is a solution that will make a dramatic difference in keeping your ride clean, it's called an exhaust deflector.

There are quite a few exhaust deflectors on the market, and they come in a variety of colors and sizes. While the color doesn't matter you should make sure you get one with a big enough diameter that it fits on the pipe easily and doesn't affect the exhaust flow. Otherwise you may seriously affect your tuning and the power output of your motor. For my deflector I chose a Du-Bro Exhaust Deflector.

To truly reduce the mess coming from your nitro-powered RC however, you must do more than just install the deflector. For example on the T-Maxx, when I installed my deflector on the truck it would just divert the exhaust to where it hits one of the rear tires. In reality this would do little to assist with cleanup, and may make the handling of the truck worse as the tire becomes coated with oil. I've seen many people simply twist the deflector up, but that can cause performance problems as the oil has a hard time escaping from the exhaust in that configuration. Remember part of the normal operation of a nitro motor is for the oil in the fuel to exit through the exhaust system, as that's what helps remove the heat and keeps the engine cool.

My solution to this was to remove the exhaust hanger and angle the exit of the pipe downward from it's original position. I was then able to find a point where I could twist the exhaust deflector so that it would send the exhaust out under the suspension arm, and avoid pointing the exhaust at any part of the truck. Once I found the desired position, I bent the exhaust hanger slightly in a few places to hold the pipe in this new position. Finally, for the body to set properly on the truck, it was necessary for me to remove a little extra material around the exhaust hole on the body.

The end result, as you can see below, looks great and does a very good job of keeping the truck clean.

Below is a list of exhaust deflectors that should work well with most small block motors.

• Dubro Exhaust Deflector
• GS Racing Exhaust Deflector (Various Colors Available)
• Hobbico Exhaust Deflector
• Traxxas Exhaust Deflector/Coupler