So everything is done with my build and the car is making great power on the dyno. But there is one little problem that has a lot of people at the shop and around the country scratching there heads. The problem is that the headers are glowing red hotttt after a 3 minute cruise on the dyno or on the streets, no WOT or anything. I have seen a lot of guys on the 5.0 L forums talking about this and the general consensus is that its the timing. The thing is justin continued to change the timing and it was still doing it. What do you all think could be the problem here?

 

the only reason I have seen glowing headers in the past is because of ignition timing.

 

That's Not Good! As said, it sounds like way retarded timing and fat fuel condition. Have you data logged it yet. Check timing, fuel and is it in open or closed loop. Cam timing?

Casey

 

Did you install cam phase limiters?
Are the cams correctly dialed in with TDC?

 

The cams that I put in weren't phaser limiter required, just valve springs required. The tuner/ builder has over 24 dyno pulls trying to work the timing out so that the headers dont glow, he has been using a diablo sport tuner to data log everything and the thing thats making this so hard is nothing looks out of the ordinary with the timing. The air/ fuel is perfect at idle, WOT, and cruising (14.7 cruising, and 11.7 WOT) Does anyone think that it might still be to lean and thats why the headers are getting so overheated? I've heard from the 5.0L forums that guys have had this same problem because it was running lean but the most common is the timing is messed up. Is it possible that the hand held is not telling us something about the timing thats messed up?

 

Sorry to hear man. Call around to some of the major shops and see what they say. Brenspeed, JDM, and so on.

 

I don't know too much about glowing headers but i think you can definently go richer. My tuner told me he put my tune on the rich side (hits about 10.5 at wot, 14.7 at idle) Might be a little too rich but my car feels solid and has been running super strong for about a year now with the supercharger. I also get killer MPG....

 

Rich = Cool. Lean=hot=more power=more detonation potential. 11.5-12.3 for a FI car for wot a/f ratio.

Are you still using cat's, whats your exhaust setup. You have doubled the intake and output of air through your motor. If it can't get out, this would create your problem.

 

At first I did have the stock cats but now I have and off road x-pipe to flowmasters. The headers are FRPP shorty headers, but there are plenty of guys running shorties with the same power.

 

That's the only thing i can think of would be restricted exhaust. I guess just disconnect it at the headers or off road x pipe and see what happens.

Maybe they are supposed to get that hot?

Only way to figure out the problem is elimate what it's not.