A manifold absolute pressure (MAP) gauge

measures the absolute pressure of the fuel/air

mixture within the intake manifold. A MAP gauge is
used on all aircraft that have a constant-speed
propeller to indicate engine power output. Since
MAP directly affects a cylinder's mean effective
pressure (mep), a pilot uses MAP gauge indications
to set the engine power at a pressure level that will
not damage the engine. This is especially true for
aircraft with turbocharged engines because it helps
the pilot to avoid excessive manifold pressure.
MANIFOLD PRESSURE
Before an engine is started, the manifold pressure gauge
displays the local ambient, or atmosphere pressure. However,
once the engine is started, the manifold pressure drops
significantly, sometimes to half the existing ambient air
pressure. At full power, the manifold pressure in normally
aspirated engines will not exceed ambient pressure, however,
in turbocharged engines the manifold pressure can exceed
ambient pressure.
A manifold pressure gauge consists of a sealed diaphragm
constructed from two discs of concentrically corrugated thin
metal which are soldered together at the edges to form a
chamber. The chamber is evacuated, creating a partial vacuum
which can be used as a reference point to measure absolute
pressure. Depending on the type of gauge, the engine manifold
pressure is either applied to the inside of the diaphragm or to
the outside of the diaphragm. If the engine manifold pressure is
applied to the outside of the diaphragm, the instrument case
must be completely sealed. In either case, when pressure is
applied to the diaphragm, the diaphragm movement is
transmitted to an indicator pointer through mechanical linkage.
Another manifold pressure gauge uses a
series of stacked diaphragms or bellows
which are particularly useful for measuring
low or negative pressures. In a MAP gauge,
one of the bellows measures ambient
atmospheric pressure while the other
measures pressure in the intake manifold.
Differential pressure between the two
bellows causes motion, which is transmitted
to the gauge pointer through a mechanical
linkage. Regardless of which type of sealed
chamber exists in the instrument, the
pressure line from the manifold to the
instrument case must contain a restriction
to prevent pressure surges from damaging
the instrument. In addition, the restriction
causes a slight delay in gauge response to
changes in manifold pressure, preventing
jumpy or erratic instrument pointer motion.
Some aircraft instrument installations provide a purge valve
that allows you to purge moisture that collects in the pressure
line near the MAP gauge. With the engine running at idle, the
purge valve is opened for 30 seconds or more then closed.
When this is done, the engine's vacuum creates a strong
suction through the purge valve which effectively removes the
moisture from the pressure line.
Whenever you run an engine with a manifold pressure gauge,
you should check the gauge for proper operation. For example,
before the engine is started, the MAP gauge should indicate the
local atmospheric pressure. However, once the engine is
started, the MAP should drop. If this does not happen, and the
gauge continues to indicate atmospheric pressure, the sense
line between the instrument and induction manifold may be
disconnected, broken, or collapsed. When engine power is
increased, the manifold pressure should increase evenly and in
proportion to the engine power output. If this does not occur,
the restriction in the sense line is probably too large.