home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- The Muffler
-
- The combustion of
- fuel in the
- cylinders is a
- series of carefully
- orchestrated small
- explosions. These
- explosions create a
- tremendous
- pressure, because
- of the expansion of
- gas during the
- firing cycle, and a
- lot of noise. The
- muffler's job is to
- reduce the noise
- from the exhaust.
- In order to do
- this, the muffler
- is built with a
- series of metal
- plates with holes
- in them. The
- exhaust gases are
- slowed down passing
- through these
- plates, and the
- noise level is
- reduced before the
- gases continue out
- through the
- tailpipe.
-
- To withstand the
- enormous pressures
- of combustion, as
- well as the high
- temperatures, the
- muffler must be
- solidly built,
- usually of
- corrosion resistant
- steel.
-
- The catalytic
- converter is
- usually placed
- closer to the
- engine than the
- muffler, in order
- to be effective in
- reducing the level
- of noxious gases.
-
- -end-
-
-