
What are the main functions of exhaust manifolds?
What Is the Function of the Exhaust System?
- Function. For the internal combustion engine that drives trucks, cars and motorcycles, the exhaust system carries waste gases away from the engine and through a system of manifolds and pipes.
- Exhaust Manifold. The exhaust manifold is the first component of the exhaust system. ...
- Mufflers. ...
- Catalytic Converter. ...
- Tailpipe. ...
How much does it cost to repair an exhaust manifold?
Due to the varying complexities associated, the exhaust manifold repair cost can vary from approximately $150 to $1,000, but most repairs will be closer to $150 to $400. How Can The Exhaust Manifold Fail?
What are the symptoms of a bad exhaust manifold?
$0.00
- Noisy engine exhaust One of the first symptoms of a problem with the engine exhaust manifold is an excessively loud exhaust. ...
- Decreased power, acceleration, and fuel efficiency Engine performance issues are another symptom that can be caused by a problematic exhaust manifold. ...
- Burning smell from the engine bay
Why is exhaust manifold better than headers?
- Eliminates the manifold’s back pressure
- Improves performance
- Great for turbos
- Improves high revving

Can a car run without an exhaust manifold?
A vehicle will be able to run without an exhaust manifold, but it will not perform as well as it would with one. The valves inside of the engine are not designed to operate without any resistance. Any damage that might occur to your valves would happen over time.
What causes exhaust manifold failure?
Most exhaust manifolds are made from heavy-duty cast iron or stainless steel. But overtime, a manifold can warp or crack due to thermal stress, resulting in an exhaust leak. Exhaust leaks can also develop from failed manifold gaskets and broken mounting studs.
What is in a exhaust manifold?
Exhaust manifolds are generally simple cast iron or stainless steel units which collect engine exhaust gas from multiple cylinders and deliver it to the exhaust pipe.
How does exhaust manifold affect performance?
A damaged exhaust manifold also often has a negative effect on the performance of your car. By breaking the exhaust system's seal, any sort of manifold leak will slow down the necessary flow of exhaust out of your car. As exhaust backs up, your engine will have a hard time generating its usual level of power.
How much does it cost to replace an exhaust manifold?
You can expect to pay between $125 and $250 for labor, and $15 to $50 for parts, for a total of around $140 to $300.
How much does it cost to fix exhaust manifold?
Usually, this type of repair will run between two and three hours. Most independent shops charge around $80 to $90 an hour, so it should cost between $160 and $270 in labor. At a dealership, with a labor rate of approximately $110 an hour, you can expect a labor bill of between $220 and $330.
What are the signs of an exhaust manifold leak?
Signs And Symptoms Of A Leaking Exhaust ManifoldUnusual Loud Noise. Exhaust gas and noise are emitted at high speeds directly off the engine. ... Burning Odor. ... Poor Fuel Economy. ... Weak Acceleration. ... Failed Emission Test. ... Check Engine Light.
How many manifolds does a car have?
Your car has two manifolds – an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold. Both serve essential purposes, but the one most likely to experience problems over the long term is the exhaust manifold.
Can oil leak from exhaust manifold?
If you're not seeing any oil on the ground, you are probably dealing with these type of concerns. In most occasions where you may be leaking engine oil on to the hot exhaust manifold components, you will smell a burnt odor as well as see smoke from under the hood from the engine bay area.
What happens when manifold fails?
Poor Performance and Cooling If the intake manifold is bad, it can mess with the engine's air-fuel mixture, which can then mess with the engine's performance. You may see a reduction in power, uneven acceleration, and even backfiring. The same is true for the engine's cooling system.
What happens if you drive with a cracked exhaust manifold?
If you live in a state or city that requires emissions testing, a cracked exhaust manifold may cause your car to fail. It's not uncommon for a cracked manifold to trigger a Check Engine Light (CEL). When this light is activated, your car will automatically fail.
Can you drive with an exhaust manifold leak?
Unfortunately the answer is "as long as you live". An exhaust leak can be very dangerous and if you must drive it to get it serviced, open the windows so that you have as much fresh air coming in as possible.
How long does an exhaust manifold last?
Most experts suggest that a manifold will have a life expectancy of six to eight years. However, heavy use in saltwater can see this drop to as low as three years, while lightly used freshwater boats can get up to 20 years out of a manifold. (We are assuming that your manifold is raw water cooled.
What happens when manifold fails?
Poor Performance and Cooling If the intake manifold is bad, it can mess with the engine's air-fuel mixture, which can then mess with the engine's performance. You may see a reduction in power, uneven acceleration, and even backfiring. The same is true for the engine's cooling system.
What is the three most common symptoms of a cracked exhaust manifold?
What Are the Symptoms of a Damaged Exhaust Manifold?Burning Smells. An unpleasant smell of burning plastic or rubber may greet you upon lifting your hood after a drive around the block. ... Performance Problems. ... High Fuel Use. ... Loud Exhaust Noise. ... Visible Damage.
How long can you drive with a cracked exhaust manifold?
If you had a 5mm diameter hole in your exhaust manifold, you wouldn't want to drive your car anywhere unless you were wearing ear defenders. Until enough gets into the cabin and you make a fatal mistake. Unfortunately the answer is "as long as you live".
What is Exhaust Manifold?
In automotive engineering, an exhaust manifold collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe.
Why The Exhaust Manifold Gasket Matters?
The gasket is made of layers of metal or composite materials and prevents leaks as the two metal surfaces go through countless heating/cooling expansion and contraction cycles over an engine’s operational life.
How much does it cost to fix the exhaust manifold leak?
In the automobile field, and maintenance cost is divided into parts costs and labor costs, which is measured by the number of hours needed. The labor cost differs significantly by the location of the repair (e.g., dealership versus repair shop).
What is the manifold gasket?
The manifold gasket is responsible for sealing the entire exhaust system. If the gasket got damaged or cracked, the gases are going to leak back into the car, which affects the car’s overall performance and causes strange noises in the engine.
How to tell if exhaust manifold leaks?
The exhaust manifold leak sounds like tricking or puffing, and the sound gets louder when you get closer to the catalytic converter or the engine. Start the engine and have a friend rev in the motor and see if the sound gets louder or changes. Monitor the noises in the exhaust pipes.
How long do exhaust manifold gaskets last?
Generally, exhaust manifold gaskets are hardy items, often lasting well over 100,000 miles. A lack of engine maintenance and carbon buildup, however, can cause hot spots in the combustion chambers and exhaust ports. This can cause a gasket to catch fire or expand outward. This is a good reminder to use fuel system cleaners to remove carbon buildup.
What happens if you leak a manifold?
As we mentioned before, if there is a leak in the exhaust manifold, the toxic gases will go back inside the car instead of leaving it.
Why are exhaust manifolds important?
The more oxygen a motor can burn, the more power it can make, so exhaust manifolds are crucial to your vehicle’s operation. Let’s take a quick look at how these manifolds work.
What is exhaust manifold?
What is an Exhaust Manifold? Have you ever wondered what an exhaust manifold does? This important component can be considered part of the “lungs” of a engine, in that it exhales the gases generated during the combustion process and sends them out through the tailpipe to make way for fresh oxygen in each cylinder.
What is the function of a manifold?
Just as a manifold needs to scavenge as much gas as it can, it also must act as a funnel that concentrates and then uses exhaust pressure to expel gases with the force required to exit the system. Some vehicles use an exhaust header in place of traditional manifolds.
Where is the oxygen sensor located in exhaust manifold?
Most exhaust manifolds feature an oxygen sensor mounted near their exit. This sensor checks the level of oxygen in the exhaust gas, and then transmits that information to your vehicle’s engine computer, where it’s used to shape the air/fuel mixture in each cylinder.
Why are headers important in high performance cars?
This is particularly true in high-performance automobiles, where maximizing horsepower is a priority over absolute efficiency. Headers are designed to offer low restrictions to gas flow, so they can rapidly extract exhaust through extremely effective scavenging.
Can you replace an exhaust manifold with a header?
You can replace an exhaust manifold with a header, but it’s rare for the opposite to be true without negatively affecting engine operation. Check out all the exhaust system parts available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs.
How does an exhaust manifold work?
This is often done by dividing the exhaust manifold into two or more branches so that two cylinders will not exhaust into the same brach at the same time.
What is intake manifold?
The intake manifold is a cast iron or aluminium tube for carrying the air-fuel mixture from the carburettor to the engine intake port. Except where the superchargers or governors are used, the intake manifold is constructed so that, when the carburettor is attached to it, the mixture can reach each cylinder.
What are the different types of manifolds?
Following are the two types of manifolds used in vehicles: 1 Intake Manifold 2 Exhaust Manifold
What are manifolds made of?
Working Principle. Manifolds are separate sets of pipes connected to the cylinder head which provide the air-fuel mixture and the exhaust gases, these are known as manifolds . It is usually made of cast iron so that it is capable to resist the high temperature of the exhaust gases.
Why is the intake manifold heated?
To minimise condensation and to assist in vaporization of the gasoline in the mixture, the modern intake manifold is heated. Read Also: Types of Shock Absorbers and its Working.
When an engine is fully warmed up, what goes around the intake manifold?
When the engine is warmed up, a part of the exhaust gases goes around it, and when the engine is fully warmed up none of the exhaust gases passes around the intake manifold, but goes directly to the exhaust pipe as shown fig. That’s it, thanks for reading.
What are the main and secondary outlets on a four barrel intake manifold?
In a four-barrel intake manifold, the primary and secondary outlets for the same side of the carburettor lead the same cylinders 2, 3, 5, and 8, while the left-hand outlet leads to cylinders 1, 4, 6 and 7.
Why do manufacturers use exhaust manifolds?
Vehicle manufacturers almost always use exhaust manifolds as original equipment because the design is durable and relatively inexpensive to produce.
What is exhaust manifold?
The manifolds collect exhaust gases from the ports in the engine’s cylinder heads, then route those gases to the rest of the exhaust system. Exhaust manifolds are typically made from thick cast iron.
What is the difference between headers and manifolds?
The primary difference is that headers create less exhaust backpressure than exhaust manifolds , thereby allowing the engine to breathe more easily.
How many exhaust manifolds are there in a straight engine?
Engines with a ‘V’ or flat configuration have two exhaust manifolds (one for each bank of cylinders), whereas inline or straight engines have just one manifold. Vehicle manufacturers almost always use exhaust manifolds as original equipment because the design is durable and relatively inexpensive to produce.
What is a header made of?
Headers are usually made from thin-walled stainless steel tubing. Each header features long, equal-length primary tubes that allow the exhaust gases to flow more freely than they would through an exhaust manifold.
Why do cars have headers?
Although some high-performance vehicles come from the factory with headers, most are added on as an aftermarket upgrade to give the car more power. You’ll usually find headers on race cars, hot rods, and other custom applications.
Do headers help with engine light?
Headers usually only provide a noteworthy power gain on souped-up, high-performance engines. You’re unlikely to notice any benefit from installing a set on your unmodified daily driver. In fact, adding a set of headers to a late-model, computer-controlled car can cause problems, such as an illuminated check engine light.
Where does the exhaust manifold go?
The exhaust manifold collects the exhaust gases from the individual ports in the engine’s cylinder head, then routes those gases to the rest of the exhaust system.
How many exhaust manifolds are there in an engine?
Engines with a ‘V’ or flat configuration have two exhaust manifolds (one for each bank of cylinders), whereas inline or straight engines have just one manifold.
What parts of the exhaust system are in tune?
By becoming acquainted with the various exhaust system components, such as the muffler and catalytic converter , you’ll be more in tune with your car.
What is the exhaust system?
The exhaust system routes exhaust gases away from the engine and out the vehicle’s tailpipe. A typical modern exhaust system contains the following components: Exhaust Manifold. Exhaust gases leaving the engine first travel through the exhaust manifold. The manifold collects the exhaust gases from the individual ports in the engine’s cylinder head, ...
What is the difference between a muffler and an exhaust system?
As its name implies, the muffler reduces or “muffles” the noise created by the engine. The exhaust system also has a resonator , which cancels out engine noises of specific frequencies. The muffler reduces or “muffles” the noise created by the engine while the resonator cancels out engine noises of specific frequencies.
What are exhaust pipes made of?
Various exhaust pipes connect the parts of the exhaust system together. The pipes are often made from aluminized or stainless steel to protect against rust and corrosion. The exhaust pipes are often made from aluminized or stainless steel to protect against rust and corrosion. Muffler and Resonator.
Why does my exhaust make a rattling noise?
The heat shields in an exhaust system can become loose due to impact damage or missing fasteners. When this happens, you’ll likely hear a metallic rattling noise coming from the undercarriage.

Overview
In automotive engineering, an exhaust manifold collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe. The word manifold comes from the Old English word manigfeald (from the Anglo-Saxon manig [many] and feald [fold]) and refers to the folding together of multiple inputs and outputs (in contrast, an inlet or intake manifold supplies air to the cylinders).
Exhaust scavenging
When an engine starts its exhaust stroke, the piston moves up the cylinder bore, decreasing the total chamber volume. When the exhaust valve opens, the high pressure exhaust gas escapes into the exhaust manifold or header, creating an "exhaust pulse" comprising three main parts:
1. The high-pressure head is created by the large pressure difference between t…
Why a cross plane V8 needs an H or X exhaust pipe
Crossplane V8 engines have a left and right bank each containing 4 cylinders. When the engine is running, pistons are firing according to the engine firing order. If a bank has two consecutive piston firings it will create a high pressure area in the exhaust pipe, because two exhaust pulses are moving through it close in time. As the two pulses move in the exhaust pipe they should encounter either an X or H pipe. When they encounter the pipe, part of the pulse diverts into the …
Dynamic exhaust geometry
Today's understanding of exhaust systems and fluid dynamics has given rise to a number of mechanical improvements. One such improvement can be seen in the exhaust ultimate power valve ("EXUP") fitted to some Yamaha motorcycles. It constantly adjusts the back pressure within the collector of the exhaust system to enhance pressure wave formation as a function of engine speed. This ensures good low to mid-range performance.
See also
• Cylinder head porting
• Fusible core injection molding
• Tuned exhaust
• Thermal spraying
• Exhaust Heat Management