Main Bearings

The main bearing secure the crankshaft in its place. The largest number of main bearings a crankshaft can have is one more than the number of cylinders, but it can have one less bearing than the number of cylinders. Not only do the bearings support the crankshaft, but one bearing must control the forward-backward movement of the crankshaft. This bearing rubs against a ground surface of the main journal, and is called the "thrust bearing."

Manifold to Exhaust Pipe Gaskets

There are several types of gaskets that connect the exhaust pipe to the manifold. One is a flat surface gasket. Another type uses a ball and socket with springs to maintain pressure. This type allows some flexibility without breakage of the seal or the manifold. A third type is the full ball connector type, which also allows a little flexibility.

Muffler

The muffler serves to muffle the noise coming out of the engine. Exhaust gases leave the engine under extremely high pressure. If these gases escaped directly from the engine the noise would be tremendous. Therefore, the exhaust manifold sends the gases to a muffler where they go through metal plates, or tubes, with a series of holes. The pressure of the gases is reduced when they pass through the muffler, so they go out of the tail pipe quietly. Made of metal, the muffler is located underneath the body of the car. It is connected between the tail pipe and the catalytic converter. There are two types of muffler designs. While one type uses several baffled chambers to reduce noise, the other sends the gases straight through perforated pipe wrapped in metal or fiberglass. This type of muffler is designed for the purpose of reducing backpressure and, consequently, makes slightly more noise.

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