Glowing exhaust headers

[jesfirth]

My exhaust headers on both banks are glowing red on tick over. The car is de-catted so it can't be a blocked cat or exhaust. Could the timing be too advanced or does anyone have any other ideas? PS will it hurt the engine if I drive it like this?

[Steve_T]

Timing would be retarded to make the exhausts glow no? A spark later in the cycle would mean that the fuel was still burning in the primaries. Apart from that, perhaps an ignition problem - is the tickover smooth?

[jesfirth]

Hi Steve, the tick over is smooth but seems about 1200rpm?

[Steve_T]

Smooth idle suggests that the ignition is consistent, not intermittent, so in no particular order the choices are - rich mixture, weak spark, ignition timing out or cam timing out. What maintainence has been done to your car recently. If none, then could it just simply be something like a coil pack on the way out due to old age?

[jesfirth]

Hi Steve, thanks. Embarrasingly the engine is brand new circa 700 miles as are coil packs, leads, plugs and pretty much everything else I can think of! So it sounds like a set up problem. Thanks Jes

[GreenV8S]

Are all the headers roughly equal temperature? If not, that might hint at one with a problem.

Put a strobe on it and check the ignition timing is consistent and about right. Blocked exhaust problems will show up most under power and would have to be absolutely crippling before they were noticeable at idle so I would rule that out. If it's a new engine I'd be asking whether the cam timing was right.

Edited by GreenV8S on Wednesday 3rd October 18:42

[jesfirth]

Hi Pete,

Thanks,

Having checked all we can I reckon its the cam timing that is out. Will try that then set it up again.

cheers

Jes