headers glowing red

henrys57wagon · 04-27-2014, 09:08 PM

On our 350" NHRA stock engine we removed the crappy HEI distributor the other night and installed an MSD with a small cap.
Last year you could not stand near the car without your eyes watering. We fired up the Nova(after sitting all winter) and set the timing to 15* at 2000RPM which is idle for this set up and checking the max timing which is 31*, we just wanted to get it running and then tune the dist after.
I noticed the headers glowing red. We shut it down and I removed the carb, by the way the exhaust was not the bit irritating this time.
Our thought is that the old dist was not igniting all the fuel which caused the crappy exhaust smell and now with the new dist it seems lean and needs to be richened up. I must add there is a 1/8" hole in each primary throtle plate and the idle screw is in to where the idle circuit is not functioning. I am going to try a non modified carb but would like some direction to head towards.
The carb is one I did about 20 years ago and when last run the car ran in the mid to low 12's.
So where would you direct me to look to get this thing back on track, we are not racing it this year but would like to drive it now and then, it is street legal(more or less) . Thanks, Henry

M&M Motorsports · 04-27-2014, 10:45 PM

Try setting total timing to 38 degrees. Looks like fuel is being burned after exhaust valve is opening causing extra heat. Hope this helps.

Ed Wright · 04-27-2014, 10:53 PM

Fifteen degrees @ 2000 will sure warm them up. Put some timing in it.

Alan Roehrich · 04-27-2014, 11:12 PM

Yeah, a small block Chevy is going to like closer to 36 degrees total. And at 2000 RPM, you should be at least 2/3 of the way there, if you're going to run with a mechanical curve instead of a locked distributor.

henrys57wagon · 04-27-2014, 11:26 PM

Thanks for the help, we used to set it up around 40*, never bothering to set it lower, amazing how much you forget when you don't do these thing for a while. I will clean out the carb and try it this weekend and let you know, Henry.

rod butcher · 04-28-2014, 09:05 AM

Lock the distributor out and set timing at 36 degrees and test moving 2 degrees at a time up.

04-27-2014, 09:08 PM	#1
henrys57wagon Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Carleton Place, On. Canada Posts: 107 Likes: 5 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	headers glowing red On our 350" NHRA stock engine we removed the crappy HEI distributor the other night and installed an MSD with a small cap. Last year you could not stand near the car without your eyes watering. We fired up the Nova(after sitting all winter) and set the timing to 15* at 2000RPM which is idle for this set up and checking the max timing which is 31*, we just wanted to get it running and then tune the dist after. I noticed the headers glowing red. We shut it down and I removed the carb, by the way the exhaust was not the bit irritating this time. Our thought is that the old dist was not igniting all the fuel which caused the crappy exhaust smell and now with the new dist it seems lean and needs to be richened up. I must add there is a 1/8" hole in each primary throtle plate and the idle screw is in to where the idle circuit is not functioning. I am going to try a non modified carb but would like some direction to head towards. The carb is one I did about 20 years ago and when last run the car ran in the mid to low 12's. So where would you direct me to look to get this thing back on track, we are not racing it this year but would like to drive it now and then, it is street legal(more or less) . Thanks, Henry __________________ old 1608 stock racer

04-27-2014, 10:45 PM	#2
M&M Motorsports Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Jerome, Michigan Posts: 119 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: headers glowing red Try setting total timing to 38 degrees. Looks like fuel is being burned after exhaust valve is opening causing extra heat. Hope this helps.

04-27-2014, 10:53 PM	#3
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: headers glowing red Fifteen degrees @ 2000 will sure warm them up. Put some timing in it. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA

04-27-2014, 11:12 PM	#4
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,105 Likes: 1,564 Liked 1,789 Times in 408 Posts	Re: headers glowing red Yeah, a small block Chevy is going to like closer to 36 degrees total. And at 2000 RPM, you should be at least 2/3 of the way there, if you're going to run with a mechanical curve instead of a locked distributor. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

04-27-2014, 11:26 PM	#5
henrys57wagon Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Carleton Place, On. Canada Posts: 107 Likes: 5 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: headers glowing red Thanks for the help, we used to set it up around 40*, never bothering to set it lower, amazing how much you forget when you don't do these thing for a while. I will clean out the carb and try it this weekend and let you know, Henry. __________________ old 1608 stock racer

04-28-2014, 09:05 AM	#6
rod butcher Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 252 Likes: 298 Liked 132 Times in 27 Posts	Re: headers glowing red Lock the distributor out and set timing at 36 degrees and test moving 2 degrees at a time up.