What Causes a Crack or Leak in an Exhaust Manifold?
Your car has two manifolds - intake and exhaust. Both serve important purposes, but exhaust manifold problems are more likely to occur in the long run. Depending on the make and model...
Your car has two manifolds - intake and exhaust. Both serve important purposes, but exhaust manifold problems are more likely to occur in the long run. Depending on your make and model, your manifold may be a single piece of cast iron with channels/ports built into it, or it may be a set of pipes connected together. The main task of the exhaust manifold is to take gases from each cylinder and direct them to the exhaust pipe.
Why Sewers Crack and Leak
As you can imagine, exhaust manifolds are subject to extreme heat. They also undergo significant expansion and contraction when heated and cooled. Over time, this leads to metal fatigue (both cast iron and other types of exhaust manifolds are subject to this). As fatigue increases, cracks may appear in the manifold.
Another potential issue is with the exhaust manifold gasket. The gasket is located between the manifold and the engine block and is designed to seal the small gap between the two components. Like the manifold itself, the gasket is subjected to significant heat as well as expansion and contraction. It will eventually fail (this is normal and caused by nothing more than general wear and tear). When it fails, it will start to leak.
Problems associated with manifold cracks and leaks
There are several problems associated with cracks and leaks in the exhaust manifold. First, hot exhaust gases are now expelled under the hood rather than being directed downstream through the exhaust pipe. This can damage the plastic parts in the engine compartment. It can also pose a health hazard as exhaust fumes can enter the interior of the vehicle.
It is also possible that this will affect the operation of the engine. If your exhaust manifold is cracked or leaking, the back pressure in the exhaust system will be incorrect, which can reduce engine power, cause splashing, and other problems. Of course, you won't pass the outlier test either.
