Vehicles competing in this year's Dakar Rally will be equipped with compact, sealed throttle valve needle roller bearings to protect the engine and withstand pressure peaks.
Manufacturer Schaeffler makes the point that its specially sealed needle roller bearings prevent the fine Saharan dust particles from causing throttle valves to jam.
The bearings, increasingly used in general engine technology, play an important part in ensuring reliable functioning of turbocharged engines and their exhaust gas recirculation equipment.
The company explains that the seal on both sides of the bearing offers extreme resistance to high operating temperatures, and that corrosion-resistant materials have been used to ensure resistance to fuel, mineral oil, grease and acidic blow-by condensate.
