TD42 Sidedraft Intake Manifold

Cooking Up a Sidedraft for the TD42: Because Why Not?

You ever get stuck in a rabbit hole and come out the other side with a CAD model? That’s basically how this TD42 sidedraft manifold came to be. I was deep in Gale Banks content—his Big Hoss Cummins intake hit like an uppercut. It wasn’t just cool-looking, it made sense. Clean geometry, no-nonsense airflow… and it got me thinking: why not bring some of that magic to the mighty TD42?

So I did. Well, eventually. After way too many coffee-fueled design tweaks and a few moments of “what even is this shape?”

Why Sidedraft Even Matters

Look, the factory manifold isn’t awful. It gets the job done. But when you start chasing cleaner flow and less restriction, it becomes pretty obvious it’s more about squeezing around the engine bay than encouraging velocity.

The sidedraft setup flips that idea:

• Way better air path — Fewer turns, more direct shot to each cylinder.
• Equal distribution vibes — Keeps airflow more balanced across all runners.
• Smooth plenum shape — Less chaotic airflow bouncing off walls.
• Good packaging — Surprisingly tidy once it’s mounted. No spaghetti welds.

Plus, you know… it looks sick. The kind of thing that gets attention even when the bonnet’s halfway closed.

Compared to the Classic Chop-n-Weld

Weld-on mods are cool if you’re working with what you’ve got. But they’re basically patch jobs—always shaped by what was already there. This sidedraft was built from scratch with one goal: give air the easiest possible job.

Final Thoughts

This manifold isn’t about reinventing the TD42. It’s just about nudging it toward something smarter. Better flow, cleaner looks, and actual purpose behind the shape. Inspired by Big Hoss, sure—but this setup’s all about diesel simplicity with a sprinkle of mad scientist.

No dyno claims. No tech jargon. Just a better way to feed the beast.