*Meltdown!*

[PobodY]

So it sounds like there's maybe two issues; timing or mixture possibly out causing the (ported) standard manifold to get hot; and something blocking that heat from getting into the turbo and down pipe?

If the turbo has seized, wouldn't it also be glowing as that's the starting point of the blockage? - It's a good place to start though because Andy has previously had problems with his turbo; was it a suspected leaky seal? No chance you stuck a bit of rag in it when it was off, and forgot to take it out before bolting it back on (I know it's a long-shot)?
Plus I'm sure there's no cat or silencer on the car... it wouldn't keep failing noise tests if it did. ;-) So it's unlikely to be further down the exhaust.

 

[Fast Guy]

Carl - that link is not working...

It is now.

Here it is again just incase.

http://www.gtiroc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21991

 

[fubar andy]

So it sounds like there's maybe two issues; timing or mixture possibly out causing the (ported) standard manifold to get hot; and something blocking that heat from getting into the turbo and down pipe?

If the turbo has seized, wouldn't it also be glowing as that's the starting point of the blockage? - It's a good place to start though because Andy has previously had problems with his turbo; was it a suspected leaky seal? No chance you stuck a bit of rag in it when it was off, and forgot to take it out before bolting it back on (I know it's a long-shot)?
Plus I'm sure there's no cat or silencer on the car... it wouldn't keep failing noise tests if it did. ;-) So it's unlikely to be further down the exhaust.

No the turbo has been on the car before JTS, heat and plenty of gas comes out of the exhaust, plus the odd flame now and again.

The turbo will generate boost, just like normal and still "pigeon's" when I let off the loud pedal, car drives normal and I can't feel/see any difference in performance delivery hence I've never really worried about it until the glowing manifold was brought to my attention.

 

[PobodY]

It's only that you've had it off recently that even made me suggest it; that and it doesn't glow when the exhaust does. - Having had a read of that link, it's sounding most like a timing issue.

 

[red reading]

Come on then,tell us your finding's andy

 

[fubar andy]

Update, as I've been very busy with other commitments.

Had a little check of the car recently, checked the compression of the car as its all 5-5 across the range. Also performed an air pressure test and again it's spot on, well within what I class as unacceptable tolerances.

Also been testing the temps of the manifold and it seems to be much lower that it used to be, however I'm going to remove the manifold wrap and go for a little drive around to see if it still glows. Just want to see of the wrap has caused the heat to remain in the manifold causing it to glow like that? If, once the wrap is removed its glowing like mad then its back into the garage for more checks (I'll take a piccy if I remember)

There is no smoke from the engine or any fluid leaks.

After that its then time to start looking at the timing to see if there is an issue there?

 

[pulsarboby]

timings the first thing i would check out if i were you.
my manifolds wrapped (well partially now) but dont get heat spots from it and its running a big tubby!

 

[campbellju]

If you've not got a timing gun Andy you can borrow mine.

 

[warpspeed]

If your using a bit more oil than normal just an idea, but could you exhaust valve stem seals be leaking and the oil burning in the manifold?

 

[Fast Guy]

If it was leaking enough oil to burn it off in the manifold there would be clouds of smoke behind him.

 

[Geo3]

My r started to use oil, standard oil pressure gauge dropped to a bar. Then it filled m-way with white smoke.
Re moved the head and found no 4 piston detinated around control rings and had eaten a ring somewere...

 

[fubar andy]

Gonna have to be a timing check me thinks.

Jim - Hopefully should have a gun to check with locally, but if not I'll drop you a pm, cheers for the offer.

 

[campbellju]

no problem

 

[fubar andy]

Update...

Well I've completed my timing check and at present it looks like it could be out

To give you the picture:

Let the rev's drop to 1000rpm and pointed gun at the crank pulley.

Looking at the markers, its sitting mainly the 3rd marker and jumping between the 2nd marker occasionally as the crank is running.

Just to give me an idea, how far is that out with regards to the marker and what is acceptable for the engine?

What else could I do to rectify this?

 

[pulsarboby]

if your timing gun has no advance / retard on it then you need to turn the dizzy till its pointing on the 5th mark from the left or just a fraction before.
at the moment you are running at 0 @tdc to 5 degrees which is not correct

 

[fubar andy]

if your timing gun has no advance / retard on it then you need to turn the dizzy till its pointing on the 5th mark from the left or just a fraction before.
at the moment you are running at 0 @tdc to 5 degrees which is not correct

Just an update...

Been out in the car tonight for a quick tester; after messing with the dizzy, nothing has changed - been out for a couple of runs and it still starts to glow.

So I've reverted back to the original timing settings.

Tonight I did a lot of stop starts to monitor the manifold and to see whether it was starting to glow again?
One thing I did notice (when I stopped) was that it looked like the third exhaust port was the first to start glowing. It was not by much but it was enough to notice.

After another stop it was then glowing across the four branches of the CAST manifold; however the turbo and downpipe were still not glowing.

I decided to do something naughty and I gave the car some stick (2nd, 3rd and 4th gear - no redline)
At first there was no increase with the glowing of the manifold, however I did notice when putting my foot down was that the boost had dropped from .65bar - 0.55bar?!?!
Only when I got further up the rev range did it "push" itself back up to 0.65bar.

Back to the glowing issue, at this point there was still no real lack of performance nor was there any increase of heat/glowing or abnormal sounds/noises.

All the gauges were reading fine, nothing out of the norm.

Anyway I decided to just check the boost levels under load and again still the same issue 0.55bar to start and when I got further up the rev range did it "pushed" itself back up to 0.65bar (5k rpm).

I pulled into a darkened carpark (no, not for dogging) and opened up the bonnet, this time the manifold was bright red. Much brighter than I’ve ever seen it before and also the turbo ext housing and down pipe were now glowing.

At this point I let the system cool and since I was just round the corner I let the car drag itself home just using the gears and the tick-over from the engine (no throttle).
Once home I tried to get a picture to show the extent of what I was on about, but the manifold had cooled off so no joy there.

So to conclude on this test:

If we said that number three port was the main culprit and was causing the manifold to glow, could that glow spread to the rest of the manifold and the turbo quite so easily?
Could an injector cause something like this or the FPR (standard Nissan unit).

The boost hesitation issue was something new (not a spluttering hesitation – just a simple on/off issue), although it was down from 0.65bar to 0.55bar and only when the rev’s were higher up did to then increase to 0.65bar – that wouldn’t be classed as a boost leak would it?

To be honest I’m phucking stumped about what could be causing this.

Jim – I might need to borrow that wideband sensor as I’m getting close to Cadwell Park now at I’ve got a funny feeling that the car won’t make it…. :sad:

 

[fubar andy]

At present it looks like the cast manifold does glow as standard.

I've got no timing issues, smoke or compression issues and after Cadwell Park, the car is still working well!!!

I'd appreciate it if a couple of people could pop out over the bank holiday weekend and go for a drive in the evening, pop their bonnet and have a look to see if the manifold if glowing?

Granted if its still got the heat shield or wrapped in manifold wrap then it'll be hard to see, but if the manifold is unwrapped and not covered I'd appreciated if a few people could pop out go for a 10 min drive (60ish mph - no boost), stop lift the bonnet and have a look.

Then give it a good thrashing for 5 mins and do that same, just curious if other peoples manifolds glow the same.

Apart from that, I think its fine :thumb:

 

[fubar andy]

I'd appreciate it if a couple of people could pop out over the bank holiday weekend and go for a drive in the evening, pop their bonnet and have a look to see if the manifold if glowing?

Anyone?

 

[PobodY]

I had a look on Monday - I didn't rag it or anything, but I got on the bypass and did the national limit for a few minutes then pulled-over and popped the bonnet (camera in hand)... and mine wasn't glowing.

I figured that I probably hadn't been running it hard enough to get the manifold glowing, but the oil was definitely up to temperature and I was on boost.

 

[Rishi]

Getting that cast manifold to glow for any length of time is no easy talk.. I would be more inclined to say that something was wrong.

Tubular manifolds glow if they are farted at but the cast one is a lot thinker and takes a lot more prolonged heat.

I'm sure someone else on here had this happen to them a while back.