Can E450 7.3 Be Made Safe for MCS/TILT Sensitivities? Exhaust Leak Challenges

[Visitor10]

Long shot question - does anyone here have a mold, extreme chemical or exhaust sensitivity? Not a formal diagnosis, more like MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) or TILT (toxicity induced lower tolerance), where trace fumes that wouldn't bother most people cause real physical symptoms.

Always wanted to build out a bus or box truck... And well, let's just say "i" was forced into it much quicker than preferred. (Acquired a mold sensitivity May 2025 and had to emergency move out of "my" beloved house of 10 years).
Bought a 2001 E-450 7.3 Box truck it came with really low miles (69k) and a mega ton of issues that the previous owner neglected to disclose. Got exhaust poisoning driving it around for a lil less than a month and then the previous owner let "me" work on it in his drive way for 3 months before kicking "me" out ... "I"ve replaced pretty much the entire exhaust system - driver side manifold, up pipes with bellows kit, V-band clamp Where the collector meets the turbo, new doghouse gasket. (Not to mention a crapload of other repairs necessary to stop some oil leaks, a fuel leak, and a coolant leak) Trying to get this thing to a true factory-sealed state. Especially with regards to the exhaust, but it almost seems impossible. "I" have a new V-Band clamp in transit for where the turbo exhaust outlet housing meets the downpipe, and I have an appointment with a mechanic to replace the passenger side manifold and the exhaust back pressure line, fitting, and sensor connected to it. "I"m thinking about ordering a new downpipe if replacing the clamp doesn't work. Hopefully in time to see if replacing the passenger side manifold is really necessary. But at this point it's been for a full months of driving around with exhaust leaks that affect my body physically with discomfort and sometimes slight pain... So I'm thinking of just replacing the passenger side manifold anyway.

But before sinking more and more money into this thing "I"m desperately curious...

Has anyone with this kind of sensitivity successfully gotten an E-Series 7.3 to a point where they can drive it without discomfort, pain, or other issues? Is it actually achievable on a 25 year old doghouse style truck or am "I" chasing something unrealistic on this platform?

"I" Love road life, and the freedom that comes with it and so many other things about this truck... (Commercial box truck stealth, cab pass through to box, 1 ton liftgate, super clean bare metal box interior ready for modifications ... But "I" hate driving it because of how it makes "my" body feel.

"I" want this to be "my" truck so bad. It would take months to find an adequate replacement. Not to mention the headache of jumping through hoops financially to switch from one truck to another while living out of one full-time.

Anyway long time lurker, first time poster here. Any help is appreciated!

Happy Daily Birthday fam!

Your's truly,
Visitor10

 

[Rucker]

As soon as I started working on my bus ('99 E450 V10 gasser) I realized the body had lots of leaks-through the windows, doors, etc. No exhaust line issues, just backwash.

How sealed is your bus?

 

[Visitor10]

Well the doghouse is pretty dang sealed... Just laid down fresh foam and it is compressed around the whole original gasket. Bought some black liquid gasket by Permatex to seal up some of the firewall grommets around pedals and steering wheel. But haven't gotten around to it. Definitely plan on doing so but alas life is jam-packed.

But the thing that "I"m getting at is, those points of weakness in the firewall are letting something in that's, in "my" opinion not supposed to be coming out of the engine. It smells worst on cold starts after the truck has been sitting - which to "me" suggests the leaks are real and present before the system even has a chance to seat itself at operating temp.

"I"m sensitive enough that "I" wear a high quality respirator in situations that bother "me". The respirator that "I" have has 3M filters (60926) - these are badass filters that should filter out anything that's bothersome to "my" body. (Including backwash? Not necessarily sure what exactly backwash might be... Am assuming that you're implying The smell of everything getting hot, silicone, wire harnesses, rubbers and old engine hoopla?)

But because "my" body is still having a reaction when the engine is run even wearing the respirator, this to "me" indicates that it's carbon monoxide getting through the filter. Because no filter on Earth can filter carbon monoxide unless it's one of those badass firefighter filters that only last around 30 minutes - basically portable catalytic converters for your face - or actively supplied oxygen respirators. If it was a cheap solution believe "me" "I" would just be providing "my" own oxygen to "my" face while "I" drive. But that's a multi thousand dollar investment.lolol.

 

[nikitis]

I kind of have to laugh at this post. In my T444E bus, I cut a hole in the firewall off to the left on the drivers side so I could more easily in the future work or replace the VPM computer since I had one fail. (They make them near impossible to remove, forcing you to remove the ECM and a TON of other items first just to get to it, or you could simply cut medium sized square fist sized hole in the firewall and just grab it easily.

My point is, I've been driving around everywhere without adding a cover to the newly made hole, and i'm sure exhaust is getting through there slightly and into the cab where it can hit the driver lol.

I dunno, maybe I'm oldschool, but I've always enjoyed the smell of diesel engines and never looked at it in a way of it making me sick. I've never become ill from it. The T444E's do have a blow by tube on that same side so it's very possible while idling to come into the cab. I will end up sealing it off, but not much comes through it.

Just differences in generations I guess. There have been people driving pre-emissions buses forever and breathing it all in daily, and are perfectly fine in their old age. I have to wonder how much of this is mental illness? Your brain if you've trained it to be scared of the exhaust can cause panic attacks when you start breathing it in sidestream like, or if you've trained your brain to think, it's just a little, it's not gonna kill me, you would never have such attacks.

I mean you don't want to put your mouth on the pipe and huff it in lol. But if you smell some emissions from cranking, it's not gonna kill you. You'll be just fine with a little sidestream exhaust.

 

[Visitor10]

"I"ll be honest, opening with "I have to laugh" on a post about someone's health situation is a pretty telling choice, and probably the actual "generational difference".

The whole, "people did it forever and are fine" argument is survivorship bias, plain and simple. We hear from the ones who were fine, cuz they're louder... and alive. We don't hear from the ones who developed chronic illness, early cardiovascular/espiratory disease, decrease in the ability to recall vocabulary or words, vision problem or cognitive decline linked to long-term diesel exposure, and the slew of other carbon monoxide induced ailments because... well ... they're not posting on skoolie forums.

Let's consider human evolution and epigenetics for a second as it is fact that exposure damage accumulates across generations. Someone who "handles it fine" their whole life is guaranteed to be altering gene expression that gets passed down. Somewhere down the line the body says enough, and hypersensitivity, disease or birth defects, is the result. We see this with food allergies, chemical sensitivities, autoimmune conditions. This isn't new science. What one experiences in later years and blames on aging is neglecting the accumulation of life decisions, and involuntary circumstance. It gets reduced and blanketed with, "I'm just getting old", when the damage was potentially preventable especially if one just paid attention to their body. Just because you don't think you're doing yourself a disservice doesn't mean that you're not doing your kids or your kid's kids a disservice... But you won't be around for that so ... good job?

TILT, Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance, is a documented physiological phenomenon. Not "panic attacks"... Where did you even get panic attacks from, no one mentioned it until you just decided to fabricate it out of thin air. Not mental illness. A real sensitization that occurs after repeated toxic exposure. The body's threat detection system recalibrates. That's biology, not psychology. While "i"m not willing to disregard the power of the mind and its psychosomatic relationship with the body, did you even read "my" post? If it was just an odor thing the respirator would filter it out and it would be a non-issue. "I"ve driven other vehicles without a respirator, without a reaction and have been perfectly fine. One of which was a 1994 Chevy which stinks heavy of gas around the tailpipe when it idles. But that's at the back of the truck where it's supposed to be ... not in the cab. "I" haven't even gone into detail about how this affects "my" body and you don't know how "I" live or conduct "my" life in the slightest.

Also worth sitting with: not being able to perceive something affecting you is not the same as it "not affecting you". That's actually the less advantageous position, no feedback, no signal, damage accumulating silently.

Your response added nothing useful to this thread. Nor was this an invitation for debate. It was written for people who already understand what this is. As it was addressed to other people who are experiencing MCS or TILT and own a bus or diesel truck. If you don't relate to the sensitivity, that's fine, but "I had to laugh at this post and here's why you're crazy" isn't a contribution. It's unhelpful noise, that can't see outside of its own unempathetic, daft bias and conditioning ... Now THAT's mental illness.

 

[Rucker]

To which post are you referring? I'm guessing it was taken down already(?)

And did you see my question about sealing the chassis of the bus, not just the exhaust?

 

[Visitor10]

To which post are you referring? I'm guessing it was taken down already(?)

And did you see my question about sealing the chassis of the bus, not just the exhaust?

Sorry din't hit the reply button. Your reply was constructive thank u.

nikitis seems to think exhaust sensitivity=mental illness

 

[Visitor10]

As soon as I started working on my bus ('99 E450 V10 gasser) I realized the body had lots of leaks-through the windows, doors, etc. No exhaust line issues, just backwash.

How sealed is your bus?

"My" reply to your post don't go through... here it is again:

Well the doghouse is pretty dang sealed... Just laid down fresh foam and it is compressed around the whole original gasket. Bought some black liquid gasket by Permatex to seal up some of the firewall grommets around pedals and steering wheel. But haven't gotten around to it. Definitely plan on doing so but alas life is jam-packed.

But the thing that "I"m getting at is, those points of weakness in the firewall are letting something in that's, in "my" opinion not supposed to be coming out of the engine. It smells worst on cold starts after the truck has been sitting - which to "me" suggests the leaks are real and present before the system even has a chance to seat itself at operating temp.

"I"m sensitive enough that "I" wear a high quality respirator in situations that bother "me". The respirator that "I" have has 3M filters (60926) - these are badass filters that should filter out anything that's bothersome to "my" body. (Including backwash? Not necessarily sure what exactly backwash might be... Am assuming that you're implying The smell of everything getting hot, silicone, wire harnesses, rubbers and old engine hoopla?)

But because "my" body is still having a reaction when the engine is run even wearing the respirator, this to "me" indicates that it's carbon monoxide getting through the filter. Because no filter on Earth can filter carbon monoxide unless it's one of those badass firefighter filters that only last around 30 minutes - basically portable catalytic converters for your face - or actively supplied oxygen respirators. If it was a cheap solution believe "me" "I" would just be providing "my" own oxygen to "my" face while "I" drive. But that's a multi thousand dollar investment.lolo

 

[Rucker]

I recommend let it roll like water off a duck's behind. This forum is generally very, very supportive. And there's the 'block' feature, which helps with the knuckleheads.

 

[Visitor10]

I recommend let it roll like water off a duck's behind. This forum is generally very, very supportive. And there's the 'block' feature, which helps with the knuckleheads.

Definitely the game plan. It just felt necessary to communicate the above... And additionally the below.

Since acquiring TILT, exhaust has never affected "me" like this before — and "I" want to explain why "I" know this isn't a mental fabrication.

"I" bought this truck to escape a moldy living situation. From the first drive "I" noticed some physiological responses: facial twitching, chest compression, ear pressure, and a scratchy throat. "My" assumption was mold ... "I" cleaned the cab thoroughly and ran an ozone machine, Which usually does the trick. Nothing changed.

A month later The symptoms got much worse. "I" pulled the doghouse and found a 2-inch soot streak blasting down an exhaust pipe, oil coating the bellhousing, valley and turbo pedestal.

"I" had no exhaust hypothesis going in. "I" didn't even recognize the smell as exhaust — it doesn't smell raw after filtering through the firewall. "My" body reacted first. The cause was found later, independently. That sequence is the important and informs the situation clearly. But after establishing TILT from 10 years of low dose mold exposure, one month of high dose exhaust exposure has left me extremely sensitive to exhaust now. "I" didn't ask for this. And I'm just trying to salvage and investment. So when people suggest mental illness it feels extremely inaccurate. Not to mention that most people with TILT constantly get the whole, "It's all in your head bro... It doesn't affect me like this" Seriously look it up there's many of us out there... Mostly centered around mold sensitivities... We're trying to navigate a world that feels hostile to our immune and nervous system... While a "normal" person just plainly can't perceive what we can. It's honestly a gift and a curse.

 

[Mr. Beefy]

TILT, Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance, is a documented physiological phenomenon. Not "panic attacks"... Where did you even get panic attacks from, no one mentioned it until you just decided to fabricate it out of thin air. Not mental illness. A real sensitization that occurs after repeated toxic exposure. The body's threat detection system recalibrates. That's biology, not psychology.

I was just talking about this the other day in another thread, though I didn't know the technical term. Specifically, I was referencing isocyanates (in the context of spay-foam insulation) and how an overexposure could lead to hypersensitivy such as you describe. Just like you said... a legit, medically documented condition.

Man-made chemicals (as well as a few carbon-based spore flingers) aint no joke.

 

[Rucker]

Your reply was constructive thank u.

Still curious whether you've looked into chassis leaks. It's unclear from your response.

 

[Visitor10]

"i" responded a couple times and instead of being immediately posted they get flagged with this, "This message is awaiting moderator approval, and is invisible to normal visitors" ... no clue why.

 

[Visitor10]

Still curious whether you've looked into chassis leaks. It's unclear from your response.

"i" also keep forgetting to hit the reply to reply directly. Here's a screen shot of response.

 

[Visitor10]

I was just talking about this the other day in another thread, though I didn't know the technical term. Specifically, I was referencing isocyanates (in the context of spay-foam insulation) and how an overexposure could lead to hypersensitivy such as you describe. Just like you said... a legit, medically documented condition.

Man-made chemicals (as well as a few carbon-based spore flingers) aint no joke.

It's true the human body gets fed up of the crap we put it through. Mixing Resin, rubbers, not to mention sanding that stuff, fiberglass... the human body can at any point be like, "enough is enough". Respirators are so important. "i" wish they worked on carbon monoxide

 

[nikitis]

The laughing part is that I was admitting to the fact I likely breathe in my own exhaust likely due to my modification and that I need to patch up the firewall as I myself am exposed. I personally do not get sick with a little side fume here and there. Prolonged anything like that can make anyone sick for sure, no doubt. But I have no problem calling out people who come onto a bus forum who mostly all own diesels and breath in fumes at times when cranking and driving their vehicles. The point I was trying to make was that a little side fume won't hurt 99% of people out there, and that most of us here don't live in padded cells our whole lives worrying about how a little exposure to diesel fumes is going to harm us.

There are of course always exceptions, and some get instantly sick from something, but many people do have psychosomatic responses to exposure and freak out, self convincing themselves they've been irreparably harmed by the exposure, and it's very likely untrue for such a short stint.

But to your own points and let's say your body is as extremely sensitive to a little diesel fumes and makes you sick, I would ask why do you even own a diesel? You cannot really avoid such encounters if you own and run one so why put yourself in harms way?

 

[Rucker]

"i" also keep forgetting to hit the reply to reply directly. Here's a screen shot of response.

Doubt if it's carbon monoxide. That is odorless, and puts you to sleep (permanently). More likely some noxious airborne contaminants from the engine/exhaust.

Just trying to think of other solutions....perhaps positive pressure with a HEPA filtered input? Then no matter if there are leaks, the air is blowing out instead of in when driving. Might be worth trying to rule out chassis leaks.

 

[Visitor10]

Doubt if it's carbon monoxide. That is odorless, and puts you to sleep (permanently). More likely some noxious airborne contaminants from the engine/exhaust.

Just trying to think of other solutions....perhaps positive pressure with a HEPA filtered input? Then no matter if there are leaks, the air is blowing out instead of in when driving. Might be worth trying to rule out chassis leaks.

Low doses of CO don't kill or put you to sleep ... they just do damage over time. CO is present in exhaust and can't be filtered by the respirator "I" use (3M 60926). That cartridge filters VOCs, particulates, and most airborne contaminants an engine produces ... but not CO. So if "I"m wearing the respirator and "my" body is still sending signals of discomfort or pain, the logical deductive conclusion is CO present in the cab ... Low dose.

There are CO-specific catalyst cartridges that exist but they have a service life of roughly 30 minutes, degrade quickly in humidity, and are designed for emergency egress ... not daily driving. The only real solution is eliminating the source.

"I" will definitely be looking into firewall leaks. And sealing up grommets. Like "I" said "I" already sealed up the dog house really well. But finding the source is the main way to address such a problem. But is these old engines never fully seal Even with a fully refreshed from and exhaust system. Then "I" probably will have to sell the truck ... Which is one of the reasons "i" started this thread.

 

[Bjorkinman]

So a couple things. My wife is highly mold sensitive so I understand your situation. I would second Rucker and say that your chassis is likely the culprit of the fumes coming inside. Maybe you could install a maxx air fan and have it blow in while the engine is running to potentially push the air out. Not sure if the fan would be strong enough to do that but just maybe. Also, you could route the exhaust like a stack on a semi so that it exhaust a couple of feet overhead.

Why do you keep putting " " around all your pronouns?

 

[Visitor10]

So a couple things. My wife is highly mold sensitive so I understand your situation. I would second Rucker and say that your chassis is likely the culprit of the fumes coming inside. Maybe you could install a maxx air fan and have it blow in while the engine is running to potentially push the air out. Not sure if the fan would be strong enough to do that but just maybe. Also, you could route the exhaust like a stack on a semi so that it exhaust a couple of feet overhead.

Why do you keep putting " " around all your pronouns?

Dang. "I" feel for ur wife. **** is real.

About the fan... "I" currently ride around with a box fan in the cab... Respirator strapped to the face.... All windows down. It makes the situation somewhat tolerable. And leaves "me" with just a scratchy throat. Instead of feeling dizzy and lightheaded.... Like it used to after long drives without all the protection. But it's kind of a Band-Aid.

Backstory:
When "I" first bought the truck "I" noticed it had a really bad uppipe leak. "I" drove it for a month not knowing what the weird smell was, thinking that it was just the cab smelling like some type of growth. Because the cab would stink even when the engine was off. But after thoroughly cleaning like five times, the smell wouldn't go away. And then it seemed to get worse after every drive. Eventually we pulled the dog house, noticed a ton of leaks. Coolant leak, oil leak, fuel leak, exhaust leak, you name it. The pre-purchase mechanic didn't catch any of this. And "i" only looked underneath the vehicle and it wasn't actively dripping. Or at least the driven was disguised with years of grime.

After doing a bunch of repairs "my"self, and cleaning the cab really good. The smell doesn't retain after each drive now. But it used to come back pretty strong. Until "i" smoke tested some components and found that the driver side manifold was leaking exhaust as well. Got that replaced. Still stinks. Not as bad but baby steps.

On the chassis:
So yes while "I" agree that the firewall is not doing its job keeping the fumes out "I" assume that's what y'all mean when you say chassis. The chassis is the metal frame of the vehicle it's not designed to keep fumes out. The firewall on the other hand is designed to separate the cab from the engine bay. And yes it does need to be addressed, however the actual source of the smell needs to be addressed because this isn't just hot engine smell.

Confirmed reality:
In fact "I" confirm this just today... After removing the V-Band clamp from the downpipe, there was observable black soot inside of the V-Band clamp.
"I" know these aren't your words, But since they were used earlier in the this thread ... This is proof that This isn't a mental fabrication. The smell is real, and one by one "I" have been systematically eliminating them and sealing up real exhaust leaks. "I"ve been documenting this whole adventure via video. So there's video documentation of all of this.lol. It's not being documented as some type of testimony to my sanity, it was supposed to be a fun project. It's turned into a bit of a hellish journey in health and mechanical functionality.lol.

Game plan:
The plan is to replace the down pipe as the flare seems to be compromised. In the passenger side manifold along with EBP tube, fitting, and sensor as those are often weak points and this thing is 25 years old. Then of course seal up the firewall just for good measure. But if this thing came from the factory sealed, theoretically there's no reason why "I" shouldn't be able to return it to a similar state. Unless of course the design of old diesels never sealed in the first place. Which "I" can't get a straight answer some people think they were others think they don't.

About the quotation marks:
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