Headers getting Cherry Red..need Help!!!
I was having the same problem, but my car was running like ****, and that was because some a$$hole put my optispark on wrong, but my headers were glowing extremely bright red/orange. I fixed that and now it's perfect, so it is definitely a possibility that it may be going bad
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 372
Likes: 1
From: Kinston North Carolina
When it runs lean it does burn every bit of gas..and when it does it burns at a super-hot temp..mainly cause it burns so fast and so quick cause there is more air than gas. That's not a good thing. It makes it run hot and the combustion heat is so great it can't dissipate out.
When it's rich it doesn't fully ignite and therefore runs alot cooler, cause all the gas isn't being burned and the whole process of combustion is kinda being smothered.
You want the combustion to be at that perfect ratio to where all the gas and all the air will burn..which in all reality is a tiny hair rich..a tad more gas than air. The reason I say that is cause an atmosphere(atmospheric pressure at sea level) is 14.7:1, the majic number with the NA setup is 12.8:1..part of that is due to the cars engine having vacuum. Forced Induction cars are different.
When it's rich it doesn't fully ignite and therefore runs alot cooler, cause all the gas isn't being burned and the whole process of combustion is kinda being smothered.
You want the combustion to be at that perfect ratio to where all the gas and all the air will burn..which in all reality is a tiny hair rich..a tad more gas than air. The reason I say that is cause an atmosphere(atmospheric pressure at sea level) is 14.7:1, the majic number with the NA setup is 12.8:1..part of that is due to the cars engine having vacuum. Forced Induction cars are different.
Idk i just find it kinda strange. Every motor ive ever dynoed on the engine dyno always proven it to be the other way around by the EGT sensors in the headers. A lean condition will generate heat but its all in the combustion chamber, the heat will disapate as the piston travels down the bore, because you have nothing burning at that point. A rich condition will generate a less intense heat, but being its burning at a much slower rate it could be still burning when the exh valve opens therefore forcing burning fuel in the exhaust. From everything ive seen a lean condition makes the intake valve run hotter from the lack of incoming fuel to cool it, but the exh runs cooler because combustion is rapid enough to burn all the fuel while the exh valve is seated where it can disapate the heat out of the valve into the cyl head. With all that said if its lean then you have hot air left to be expelled, if its rich you have flames left behind to get rid of. An example would be sticking your hand over a fire (hot air) or sticking your hand in a fire. Just my .02 cents.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,025
Likes: 1
From: CT/NJ
Eh... Rich or lean there is only a very minor change in exhaust gas temperature, maybe 50 degrees fahrenheit. Ignition timing makes a HUGE difference in exhaust gas temperature, 100's of degrees quite easily. Now, if a car has a cat converter on it and it runs rich for more than a few seconds, the catalytic converter will start to overheat but, that is a different scenario.
Combustion temperature!=exhaust temperature.
Combustion temperature!=exhaust temperature.
why do i always read threads like these and always get mixed reviews?
glowing headers are cause by a rich condition and unburnt fuel getting into the header and burning in the header.
glowing headers are cause by a lean condition and hot air is forced into the headers repeatedly to get hotter and hotter causing a glowing red header.
every post its always like this lol... either its both or someone needs to figure it out so every thread dont have both answers in each post lol. makes searching **** people off
glowing headers are cause by a rich condition and unburnt fuel getting into the header and burning in the header.
glowing headers are cause by a lean condition and hot air is forced into the headers repeatedly to get hotter and hotter causing a glowing red header.
every post its always like this lol... either its both or someone needs to figure it out so every thread dont have both answers in each post lol. makes searching **** people off
