Exhaust manifold glowing red?

Alright guys someone help me out here , for some reason my exhaust manifold is getting red hot. First off it's an '89 toy 22re. Here the deal: I have had an exhaust leak ever since I've had the truck , so the other night I decided to fix it. The problem was the down pipe coming off the manifold was cracked (common problem) so I replaced it with a new one. Also the previous owner had new exhaust put on it right before I bought it and the muffler shop cut the O2 sensor off and threw it away so it has not had an o2 sensor on it for a long time. So, since I was repacing the down pipe I put an O2 sensor back on it, I mounted my muffler (flowmaster) tucked under the cab about where the cat would have been from the factory and I only ran the tailpipe about a foot past the back of the cab. I don't see any problems with anything I changed but for some reason my manifold is getting cherry red. It can sit and idle for an hour and is fine , but I can drive about 3 or 4 miles and it wil be glowing red.

I have checked the timing - it's dead on , I replaced my TPS - still doing it , unpugged the O2 sensor - that didn't help either , I even richened the fuel mixture on the AFM by 3 teeth and that didn't help either. I don't have a catalytic converter and my exhaust is not at all restrictive , so I was thinking the air/fuel mixture is running way lean causing the problem. Is this possible?

Anyways , I have tried everthing I know to do and it has not worked. I've got to have this fixed today so I can be at KOTH tomorrow !!!!  SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!  Is there anything I'm missing?

man that sucks!!!! yea it might be running to rich or lean....replace fuel injecters?!? clean intake out?!? are the spark plugs in the right firing order?

well i hope you can get it fixed before tommarow!

No check engine lights?  No ECU codes?

Is cam timing correct?

Air Filter clogged?  Intake pathway clear?

manifold temps will get high - my powerstroke easily hits 1100 deg EGT and much higher on a long pull up a hill with a load.....so actually, a glowing manifold is not wrong, if the engine is under a hard load.  However, working under part throttle etc shouldnt be that hot.

alabamatoy wrote: No check engine lights?  No ECU codes? Is cam timing correct? Air Filter clogged?  Intake pathway clear? manifold temps will get high - my powerstroke easily hits 1100 deg EGT and much higher on a long pull up a hill with a load.....so actually, a glowing manifold is not wrong, if the engine is under a hard load.  However, working under part throttle etc shouldnt be that hot.

Correct. No engine light.

Cam timing shouldn't  have changed. Ignition timing is dead on , the only way the cam timing could change would be if the timing chain jumped a tooth. Right? I know that didn't happen.

Air filter- dirty , but not clogged. I've ran with worse. Intake appears to be fine.

I could see if it got hot pulling the mountain , but I can drive it about 2 miles and it will be starting to glow. Seems to do it when you get in 5th gear and maintain a constant speed.

I haven't drove this truck in about a month. My father-in-law has been driving it. I don't know if it's been doing this for a while or if it just started when I changed the exhaust. That's one reason I'm having trouble diagnosing the problem. I just can't see it being anything I've changed.

Do you think a bad AFM or weak fuel injectors could be causing a lean condition? I seem to think it's running too lean causing the exhaust to be hotter than normal.

I'm pretty sure I don't have any vaccum leaks. And timing is good.

TPS checks out good.

I called Danny. He seems to think its bad injectors. I was thinking the same thing. I've got another set of injectors that I know are good. I'll probably try this next.

About all I do is work, whether at home or at the job. It seems like the more I do the longer the list gets. I had to work today but would have much rather been at KOTH. I do my offroading through yall's picts so keep on posting. Al, that looked liked awsome trip you took out west, I would love to do something like that someday. I am really interested to hear what Nick finds.

John

I had the same problem with an 88 model, but the o2 sensor was missing the harness.  When I hooked it back up and changed the AFM, my ECM went spastic.  I wound up replacing the ECM to cure my problem.  I guess the computer ran for so long in an open loop that when I closed the loop, it was more than the little box could handle.

thats my .02

sushi

Well , I thought I found my problem. I pulled the fuel filter off , and it was full of rust. I put a new one on it , drove it up the road and the stupid manifold is STILL getting cherry red.    When I pulled the filter off rusty brown gas came out of both sides of the filter , so now I'm wondering if this rust has partially clogged my injectors. I know they're not completely clogged or it would have a miss.

I guess tonight I'll try to find some more injectors and try that. Someone also suggested a coolant temp sensor. I'm gonna swap that too just to be sure , but right now I'm leaning toward a fuel problem.

I also noticed last night that it seemed like when I would first crank it up it was running rich , putting a lot of fuel out the exhaust , but after I drove it and it heated up it would lean out , putting no gas fumes out the exhaust. Explain that one ???

Well , one more night of wrenching with no avail. Tonight I put in a new fuel pump ($100!!) , that didn't help a bit.

I also tried a different distribuor. No luck there either. I was gonna swap the coolant temp sensor but every one I've got has a different plug than mine. I tried running it with the CTS unplugged but that didn't change anything.

I have worked on this every night for a week solid now , and I just absolutely can not figure out what is causing this.    

Check a few things from the start, just because they are easy.

First, put a timing light on it and verify that the ignition is advancing when the RPMs run up.

Second, put a DVM on the O2 sensor (with it plugged into the ECU) and run it into the cab.  With it floored you should see the voltage read .9+ volts, and at high-rpms and engine braking (say 35mph, third gear, and take your foot off the gas) the voltage should drop to lean (under .2v).  If you've got a fancy graphical DVM then check that at cruise and idle the mixture switches from rich to lean at least 10x per second.

Third, be sure the afm flapper door isn't sticking/hanging up when you push it by hand.

What year EFI is in the truck?  I've got FSMs for a few 22RE years if you need them.

I saw your truck on the trailer at KOTH.  I really wanted to see it in the event!

??? wrote: Q: My headers glow cherry red, what gives? A: This is usually caused by two things. Either you are running real lean (not enough fuel) or your timing is too late (retarded). A lean cylinder makes a lot more heat and causes the headers to heat-up beyond their normal temperatures, thus causing them to glow. Late (retarded) timing will do the same thing because the fire in the cylinder is still burning when the exhaust valve is opening and the fire goes out into the headers, causing them to glow.

Read the above some where on the Internet.

Brad

My 22RE doesn't glow, sorry.

Does your the '89 have the heated o2 sensor?  Or is that just for CA trucks?

Nick,

   This may not help but I had an issue with my FJ40 and rust in the fuel filter, you could unhook all of the fuel line sections and blow them out with compressed air and see if something is plugging the lines.

That's a pretty wild conclusion.  How did you get there?

If you need any tools or help for degreeing the new valvetrain, just let me know.  LC isn't the only place that makes adjustable gears, you can try Dan Hall's Machine in Oregon for cam sprocket, or engnbldr for crank sprocket.  The other options cost less, I like the DH gear best by far.

PM'd.

I've got the whole motor out of it and tore apart. I think the cam timing was off due to a stretched timing chain and the head being decked. We'll see.

I'll post up when I get it back together and let ya'll know if it's fixed.

Congrats Nick!  Glad you got it fixed.  Not having your truck running or driveable is painful.  Ask me how I know.

Yes having a problem like that is hard on a guy.....so is having your truck down for a year plus after you cut up one that got the job done........only difference was I did not have to do it!  Glad you got her going again.....come with us to Tellico if you can....be good to have you there!

Don