I've got an 84 GS with RB headers. After the car has run, even at idle, for about 5 minutes, those things start a glowin. I've got a couple of theories, but nothing solid. There might be some kind of blockage after the headers, but I haven't dropped the exhaust system yet to check that. Has anyone else had similar experiences?

 

mine have been so hot that the tubing lost its temper and the collector started to drag on the ground from the weight of the exshaust system, its running to rich, gas is burning in the pipe

 

remember, the exhaust on a rotary approaches 2000 degrees. if you were 2000 degrees, you'd be red hot and melty too.

 

holy doooooly.

 

As dangerous or as problem suggesting as it might be, I bet it looks pretty cool!

 

Not at idle. Your gonna see less than 800*F at idle. You probably have a blockage in the exhaust, or your ign is way retarded, causing the combustion to continue into the pipes, or your idle mixture is extremely rich.

 

check these two things out : 1) You're probably running VERY VERY rich ... re-tune the carb a bit ...
2) You have some sorto of blockage after the headers ... give yourself an afternoon and take the whole thing apart. It's actually fun to do ! If you find the prblem you'll be proud lol :P

 

an easy way to detect a blockage to hold a small towel in fromt of the muffler's tips and have someone rev the engine. it should blow that towel around like its in a hurricane. if it moves a little, or you don't feel much air, you have a blockage. however, the only real way to know what is blocked and where is to take it apart. usually when you have a blockage, the car is slower and if it's blocked too bad it will sound like you have a bad vaccume leak. thats what happened to me.

 

Don't forget timing... If you've got timing problems, it can definitely affect that.

Jon

 

my headers have never glowed (word?) but it was sweet after installing them to let the car idle and watch them turn gold then purpleish.

 

gosh I can't wait to get mine on now.

 

don't you heat up when you lean out? running fat cools down the pipes, right?

 

every time I see "Glowing Headers" on this thread, it makes me think of Dale Gribble trying to press a cigarette against a set of glowing headers to light up!