Is retrofitting a DPF possible?

soko · Sep 10, 2013

I have a Hinomoto C174 19hp tractor and am a little worried about my own health sitting so close to the exhaust, breathing in diesel soot and fumes etc. Is it possible and worth retrofitting a filter (DPF) and has anyone done such a thing on a comparable tractor before?
Thanks for your help from Western Australia!
Soren

JerryG · Sep 10, 2013

Can't you reroute the exhaust?

MFRED · Sep 10, 2013

JerryG said:
Can't you reroute the exhaust?

Yeah. This is way better than adding a DPF. Everyone around here is trying to figure out how they can take them off.

IXLR8 · Sep 10, 2013

You would need to add a DPF filter ($300-$400) into the exhaust, as close as possible to the exhaust manifold as it needs to run hot. Then you would need to add a pump and an injector ($??) to inject diesel fuel into the filter to burn off the trapped particles and you would need to add a way to control the injector.
I would just re-route the exhaust pipe if you are worried about the fumes.

soko · Sep 10, 2013

Ok, ok, I got it, far too complicated and expensive.

So, if I re-route the exhaust, could I get problems with a longer pipe or can I make it as long as I wish, in theory?

GManBart · Sep 10, 2013

soko said:
Ok, ok, I got it, far too complicated and expensive. So, if I re-route the exhaust, could I get problems with a longer pipe or can I make it as long as I wish, in theory?

Unless you put extreme bends in the exhaust pipes that caused a big increase in back pressure, you can make them as long as you want (within reason). I'd keep the muffler roughly the same distance from the exhaust manifold to avoid any significant changes....adding a couple of feet to the tail pipe isn't going to cause you problems.

soko · Sep 10, 2013

Thanks guys, good to have good and quick advice at hand.

unfinished · Sep 10, 2013

Looking at it from another perspective, you could:
Wear respirator made for particulates.
Run biodiesel (maybe cleaner and less harmful).
Build/buy a filtered enclosed cab.
Sell the diesel and buy a gas tractor.
Replace the tractor with horse. Just kidding.

I wonder what the long term effects will play out to be. Especially for occasional use/hobby tractor groups. Seems nowadays long term health is about balancing risk vs benefits as well as the set of genes you are equipped with.