I had my 383ci rebuilt. New cam, Comp Xe274 put in. New 650DP carb. While we were breaking in the cam, I noticed the header started glowing red. It was running for 5 minutes at 2000rpm.
I pulled a plug and noticed it wasn't a rich condition, the plug was white. I changed from Pro Toplines recommended V59C champion plug to a Champion RC12yC cause I wanted a resistor plug. My timing is at 30 degrees advanced running at 2000rpm.

What could this be? Too lean? Would they still glow if I were driving it?

I did a search but mostly they all pertain to injector problems and computers.

 

too lean could cause it

 

Is there a way to visually check a lean condition? I don't run an O2 sensor.

 

sounds like you already did the plugs were white .....thats usually a lean condition

 

Check your timing...once upon a time I had the experience of breaking in a motor where the timing was a little too retarded and it caused the header to glow.
just a thought
-Mike

 

Agreed. Too far retarded timing will make things glow. Saw that happen to a few cars, things get a nice cherry red hehe

 

Relax. A new cam breaking in often causes the headers to glow cherry red. After the first 10 minutes, it will cool down and never appear again, it's a one time thing, unless you install and break in another new cam.

No worries!

 

I hope you didn't cut the break in short after 5 minutes.

 

break in will cause running temps to be somewhat higher than normal, so you might see a soft glow off headers occasionally, even if everything is dead on.

check timing, retarted timing will put more unburnt fuel in the exhaust, causing the headers to glow. for break-in, on an unloaded engine, its better to be slightly more advanced than necessary than retarded at all.

check float level. low float level will cause engine to run lean, causing excessive exhaust temps.

check fuel pressure, low pressure does the same as low float level.

break in of 5 mins is a little short, but you can fire it back up, and run it for another 10-15 at 2000rpm. vary engine speed occasionally, up and down 500 rpm or so, and vary the acceleration(fast throttle opening, slow back to 2000, slow up to 2500-3000, let off quickly). key is to try and splash oil all over inside engine to lube camshaft.

good luck

 

When I broke it my new 383 the lower part of the headers glowed, while I went around and adjusted the valves with the motor going. Doing that they somewhat subsided, then I did the timing and it was like at -10 and as I moved it on up the idle got better and the redness went away.

 

I had to cut the break in short cause it started climbing over 230 degrees. The next day I ran it in for another 5-10 minutes, till it got real hot. And today I rejtted the carb from 67/73 jets, to 73/76 jets, fired it up and ran it about 1200-1500rpm for at least 10 mins. no header glow, everything sounded nice. I set the timing at 38 degrees total and locked it down.

Hopefully it'll be long enough of a break in. I could always break it in longer before I actuall drive it and put load on it.

What do you think?

 

38 may be to much timing. - I'm sure it was probably just lean. - make sure you don't have any vaccum leaks though.