my car is a 85 corvette the car runs fine but the headers glow at night. the engine is new (2500) miles it has a 9.5.1 comp,1.6 roller rockers,204/214 .420/.442 cam
timing is 12deg advance stock is 6 if set to 6 they glow alot worse. the rest of the engine is stock but brand new,injectors,mass air flow,knock sensor,fuel press regulator,all sensors,computer and esc
The only time I have ever seen a glowing header or exhaust manifold, it was from a clogged catalytic converter. I am willing to bet you have some kind of obstruction in your exhaust system.
Has the ECM programming been updated to account for any deviations from stock? It appears to be running rich and that could be due to changes in the cam timing/lift versus what the computer expects it to be. Are these the stock cast headers or some aftermarket tube style headers? How hot are they getting (glowing bright orange, dull orange or barely noticeable glow)? Some of this can be expected before the rings seat but with 2500 miles, it should be settled in by now. Is the cam dialed in straight up or have you put some cam timing in too? Are you running regular octane gasoline?
I have seen a lot of glowing headers and cast iron exhaust manifolds. You should see how fast a 440 engine will light them up in the light of day. If you have tubular headers, you will always see them glowing at night.
Performance camshafts will allow more unburned fuel to go out the exhaust which is still burning when it goes through the headers. Set the timing at six and you get more unburned fuel, so maybe that explains the added glow.
Have you run the problem by your engine builder?
Does the distributor have working centrifugal and vacuum advance?
what size pipes are on the headers. if there too big, the heat wont move fast enough, because the air will just bounce around.
cat has been removed added a true duel exaust
built it my self have built many before but this is yhe first computer motor
they are the stock headers that come on a vette much like shorty headers not very big
mass air flow went bad replaced it with new one no more problem
I’d like to hear some other opinions on this from everyone else but doesn’t a faulty MAF causing this problem sound very strange?
The MAF is bad enough to cause glowing headers but yet it runs fine? What am I missing?
Since glowing header heat will not stop at the cylinder head flange it might be a good idea to keep an eye on this engine for compression problems and/or oil consumption.
Were you running any fuel additives or special fuel?
car stared runing rich then threw a code for the mass air flow after i made the post when the mass air went it would not pass 3 grand it would just bog i also have a new burn off relay coming for it i was told this could have made the maf go bad the car is running fine now but you may be right i could have some other problem
I have witnessed a 455 Oldsmobile engine, running on a dynamometer test stand under heavy load bring it’s exhaust manifolds up to Orange heat…This was a 24 hour motor oil stability test run at The Phillips 66 R&D lab in Bartlesville, OK…The engineers considered this normal and the engine completed the 24 hour run with no problems or failures. As I remember, they were operating it at 4500 RPM and throttled to produce 300 hp on the dyno…
Every big block motor I have rebuilt would light up the headers during break in, even with 3 big shop fans blowing across the motor. Most of them have a dull glow at night under “normal” conditions. That’s why I asked about the intensity of the glowing. Subjective terms are always suspect for me unless I know the person’s background.