Exhaust System

The tubing used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine is called an exhaust system. The system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes. The exhaust gas may flow through one or more of the following, depending on the overall system design:
• Cylinder head and exhaust manifold
• A turbocharger to increase engine power
• A catalytic converter to reduce air pollution
• A muffler (North America)/silencer (Europe), to reduce noise
An exhaust is a series of pipes that links the engine to a silencer and a catalytic converter. Exhausts have four main functions:
• To control noise
• To direct exhaust fumes away from passengers
• To improve the performance of the engine
• To improve fuel consumption
The tailpipe is visible at the back of the car. The silencer joins into the tailpipe, then a couple more pipes join both to the catalytic converter and then to the engine. The silencer contains metal plates or tubes that have a series of holes bored into them. Exhaust gases leave the engine at very high pressures, and the holes in the silencer help to reduce that pressure so that they leave the car more quietly.
Exhausts can corrode from both the inside and outside. The lifetime of the exhaust depends on the distance and frequency of driving. Short trips tend to corrode exhausts faster than long journeys.
To better understand how exhaust systems work, here are descriptions of the various parts of the system:
• Manifold – also called header, is an assembly designed to collect the exhaust gas from two or more cylinders into one pipe. It is often made of cast iron in stock production cars.
• Header-back – or header-back, is the part of the exhaust system from the outlet of the header to the final vent to open air – everything from the header back.
• Turbo-back – or turbo-back is the part of the exhaust system from the outlet of a turbocharger to the final vent to open air.
• With or without catalytic converter – some systems eliminate the catalytic converter. This is illegal in some places if the vehicle is driven on public roads.
• Tailpipe and exhaust – is the end of the final length of an exhaust pipe where it vents to open air and is the only visible part of the exhaust system. It may end either straight or angled out, but it may also include a fancy tip which can sometimes be chromed.
• Lake pipes – are a type of aftermarket performance exhaust added by performance enthusiasts, although some cars were fitted with them from the factory.
Proper maintenance of the exhaust system must be observed to lessen degradation and corrosion which can lead to better vehicle performance.