Glowing exhaust manifold

[packpride]

I have a problem with a glowing exhaust manifold. I have a 90 ranger 2.3 with about 300,00o mile on it. It started all of a sudden. I did the usual tune up stuff, plugs,wires, coils ,and ecm with no luck. I had the cat checked and there is no problem with it. What would cause this problem

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I suspect the catalytic converter even though it was checked. Check your vacuum with a gauge to see if it's low.

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome

 

[RockinExplorer]

Pictures would be good, but most likely the cat is totally blocked, put your hand over the exhaust outlet(when cold) and see if it moves your hand, if not the cat is pretty much toast. Or crawl under the car hit the cat, if it rattles its blocked.

 

[aldive]

I had the cat checked and there is no problem with it. What would cause this problem

How was this performed.

Your description does sound like a cat problem to me.

 

[packpride]

That was my first guess a clogged cat so I had the cat tested by two different shops. The first checked by just how much it was flowing.He said it could be a number of things have to run some tests.The second checked the flow, the temperature before the cat and after.He said if there was a blockage the temperature at the back would be colder than the front.It was the same.Ran a diagnostic no codes timing is ok so i,m stumped.I noticed the manifold only glows at the bottom not at the head. I did a tune up could the wrong heat rang of plug cause this just a thought.O and I removed my exhaust pipe my cat is hollow go figure.

 

[Dopler174]

It sounds like blocked exhaust. I would pull the down pipes from the manifold. See if it is still glowing hot. If not, then it's probably the cat(s).

 

[mcelwajy]

everytime I've dealt with glowing exhaust parts, the cat has been the culprit. We don't have e-check in my part of ohio, so I have no cat!

 

[Melon]

Did it start just after the plug wires were done? I had a glowing cat on a 3.8L SC T-Bird once and I had the plug wires in the wrong order.

-Melon

 

[fordnut71]

id say cat also. but check your firing order.1,3,4,2

 

[boggs1227]

yet again...my bad

 

[Fivspeed]

Newsflash....cat has it been guessed already. The OP says his is hollow...move on to guessing something else.

The problem may be a firing order issue, as some have mentioned, but I'm leaning towards a fuel issue. For your exhaust manifold to be glowing red, fuel is making its way to your exhaust manifold. So, think leaky injector, general misfire, bad exhaust valve (not closing all the way) etc.

 

[boggs1227]

 

[little x]

Thanks for posting the obvious Fivespeed. It was really irritating me that everyone kept saying cat after the OP said his was hollow. A very informative great 1st post to this forum.

To op: when you took out the pipes I assume that while you had them off you checked to make sure all the pipes were clear, not just the cat?

 

[mechanix]

I have a problem with a glowing exhaust manifold. I have a 90 ranger 2.3 with about 300,00o mile on it. It started all of a sudden. I did the usual tune up stuff, plugs,wires, coils ,and ecm with no luck. I had the cat checked and there is no problem with it. What would cause this problem

What was the reasoning of changing the ECM? Are you sure the one you installed was the right calibration? There are many different calibrations to ECM's. Maybe you got the wrong one and it is dumping fuel like mad into the engine? Also do you notice any performance issues? Like when you take off from a dead stop the truck will "stumble"? Do you notice any dark gray exhaust coming from the tail pipe? This will be an indication of unburnt fuel. I know you have said you had the exhaust checked out, did they use a back pressure gague? Also you said your cat is hollow, where did all the junk from the cat go? Maybe the cat broke apart and is sitting in your muffler causing the issue.

Eric

 

[boggs1227]

i wonder if the ecm could have the memory re-flashed to the stock parameters for his year (factory settings) ?

 

[boggs1227]

Thanks for posting the obvious Fivespeed. It was really irritating me that everyone kept saying cat after the OP said his was hollow. A very informative great 1st post to this forum.

To op: when you took out the pipes I assume that while you had them off you checked to make sure all the pipes were clear, not just the cat?

...i guess this post is a good example of what can happen when either you or others do not read every reply in a post ....funny how something can get out of hand when some yells "fire " and others hear that and start running without looking around first.