A truck’s exhaust manifold plays the leading role in a truck’s exhaust system. It connects to each exhaust port on the engine’s cylinder head, and it funnels the hot exhaust to the exhaust pipe. With the help of the exhaust manifold gaskets, it also prevents the toxic exhaust fumes from sneaking into the vehicle and harming the occupants. Needless to say, it’s pretty important to have an exhaust manifold in good working order.
When choosing cast stainless steel or cast iron for your truck exhaust manifold, you may doubt and are difficult to answer this right away. CFS Stainless Steel Foundry is professional on stainless steel casting of exhaust manifold, here we list out the main features of cast iron and cast stainless steel to show the main differences:
CAST IRON
- The material is inexpensive and fairly easy to work with. Some manufacturers tend to use cast iron because of this.
- OEM service with sand casting process, requires special tooling for production.
- It is heavier than steel and can become brittle and prone to cracking under extreme heat cycles and age.
- The surface finish is relatively rough.
CAST STAINLESS STEEL
- Higher material cost.
- Cast stainless steel is stronger and more corrosion resistant than cast iron.
- Stainless steel can be prone to expanding during heat cycles, then retracting when cooling. This can rip off the bolts or studs that hold the exhaust system together.
- With investment casting process, the surface is smooth.
Cast Stainless Steel vs. Cast Iron for Truck Exhaust Manifold
Many truck engines use simple cast stainless steel exhaust manifolds that are designed to get the gases out of the cylinder and away from the engine as quickly as possible. Because cast iron truck exhaust manifolds are cheap, but due to the different casting processes (investment casting vs. sand casting), the quality can not compare with that made from cast stainless steel ones, and it won’t last long. And, cast stainless steel truck exhaust manifold looks more pretty and is lighter.
Furthermore, cast stainless steel truck exhaust manifold doesn’t tend to crack (depending on it’s age and nickel content) and retains more heat in the exhaust gases. All these advantages make stainless steel casting ideal for manufacturing truck exhaust manifold. And the price is affordable if stainless steel casting in China.
The decision to replace your truck exhaust manifold and what type of replacement to go with can depend on many factors.
- How long do you plan to keep the truck?
- Do you want increased performance and more horsepower?
- What does your budget look like?
Any interest on OEM services for your cast stainless steel truck exhaust manifold, pls feel free to contact us!