Exhaust question

[my85grandnation]

I am sorry about this newb question, but I just got home a little bit ago and heard a noise like a loose belt on my hotair car, so I left the car running and popped the hood to see where the noise was coming from. My under hood light was burned out so I ended up not having a light to see, but I did notice that my drivers side manifold was glowing orange. Not really bright but enough to see it in the dark. I quickly looked to see if the passenger side was glowing as well but it didnt look like it was. After it sat there and idled for a bit it stopped glowing. Now I have never noticed this before and wasnt sure if it is something normal for these cars to do or if something was wrong? It is a stock exhaust system and basically stock car. I had been running the car kinda hard right before I got home. Please let me know. Thanks

 

[Jerryl]

......... but I did notice that my drivers side manifold was glowing orange. Not really bright but enough to see it in the dark. I quickly looked to see if the passenger side was glowing as well but it didnt look like it was. After it sat there and idled for a bit it stopped glowing. Now I have never noticed this before and wasnt sure if it is something normal for these cars to do or if something was wrong? It is a stock exhaust system and basically stock car. I had been running the car kinda hard right before I got home.

This may be "normal" on a stock hotair , but ..... you may have some unburned fuel in the manifold, or a KR condition causing the spike in EGT. Lean condition may do this as well.

For starters, make sure the DS plugs and cables are in good working condition. Pull the plugs and make sure they are all equal.
Does the car run ok? What boost level, BLM and O2 numbers @WOT?

 

[tenright]

Relax, if the drivers side header has been replace "a very common upgrade since the stock ones crack constantly" and it is stainless like the ATR's were then it will glow......



T

 

[my85grandnation]

No the manifolds never been replaced. Its an all stock car, except a atr pitbull chip and instead of the factory muffler it has two glasspacks under it. The car runs great and have never heard any knock or felt it stumble at all. I dont have a scantool to get any numbers so Im not sure what all my levels are at. When I was running it hard last night according to the factory boost gauge it was gettting close to 15 psi of boost. I need to put gauges in this car like my 85 GN has, I just havent had the time or money to do it yet. I will take a look at the plugs on it today as I have to pull it into the garage and work on it today anyways.

 

[my85grandnation]

I pulled all of the drivers side plugs. The #1 and #3 plug looked good like they should. They didnt look fouled or burnt they looked normal. The #5 plug looked like it might be a little carbon fouled like it is running a bit rich in that cylinder. Other than that never have really had any problems with the car, its run great and never stumbled or anything. I did have to replace the MAF sensor about 150 miles ago, so maybe when the MAF was messing up is when that plug messed up. Ill just keep an eye on everything and see if I cant get my buddy to let me borrow his scan tool. Please let me know if you guys have any other things to look for. Thanks

 

[my85grandnation]

I just went and drove my low mileage 85 GN around for a bit and got on it a little, and then came home and pulled into the garage and turned off all the lights. Its drivers side manifold had an orange/red glow to it as well, so it must be normal. Neither the first car I noticed this on or my low mileage GN glew very much, its just that being pitch black I could see the little bit of glowing they were doing.

 

[Jerryl]

I just went and drove my low mileage 85 GN around for a bit and got on it a little, and then came home and pulled into the garage and turned off all the lights. Its drivers side manifold had an orange/red glow to it as well, so it must be normal. Neither the first car I noticed this on or my low mileage GN glew very much, its just that being pitch black I could see the little bit of glowing they were doing.

Good to know.
Most of us do not have the luxury to drive a "known stock" car.

Dumb question:
Do you think your elevation is making it run a bit richer @WOT?

 

[my85grandnation]

I dont know if elevation would make it run richer at wot or not. Like I said only the #5 plug looked like it had been running rich, and it wasnt even that bad lookiing, and I am attributing that to when the MAF went out and I had to limp it home.

 

[cool 84]

It's completely normal for the headers to glow, especially after running hard. I've had my headers, uppipe, turbo, and a couple inches of the downpipe glowing pretty bright after doing a canyon run one night. It would freak most of you out if you saw my yellow hot headers on the dyno pull.