Cam and engine run in today.

[67428GT500]

I ran the cam in with the outer springs and reinstalled the inner and ran it for another 20 minutes at 2200 rpm.  First time I have ever seen headers glow. First time I've ever noted them glowing.  Engine was quiet and very smooth. Plugs are a nice tan. No oil and the little bit of smoke went away after the 20 minutes. I am going to have to get the timing dialed in. I ran it in with about 10 degrees initial timing. I also had a vacuum nipple that came off the fitting on the back of the intake. I thought it may have caused the engine to lean out a bit.
I am gone for three days as of tomorrow so I am going to try and get the hood back on and the export brace and do a little bit of fine tuning.

[plovett]

I've seen the headers glow on break-in more than once.  The initial timing doesn't matter.  Just the timing at the rpm you were running, 2200 rpm.  More timing is better than less, within reason, on break-in.

JMO,

paulie

[My427stang]

If you would have advanced the timing a bunch, they cool down like magic as you turn the distributor.  Good thing for that is that with no load, like Paulie inferred, you can crank it right up without concern

No worries on glowing though unless you cooked the ceramic coating, then even then it mostly just discolors unless it's really hot and blister.

[machoneman]

Yeah, glowing headers = too much retard!

[Stangman]

Hmm thought it was retarded to much, advanced cools the exhaust??

[blykins]

Hmm thought it was retarded to much, advanced cools the exhaust??

That is correct.

[sixty9cobra]

x2 on what Stangman said

[plovett]

Yes x3 or x4.

More timing, not less, keeps the exhaust cooler.  At least in this situation. 

JMO,

paulie

[My427stang]

Just in case.....but it's been said

1. Pipes get hot and glow at no load - the engine is too retarded

2. Advance the timing - it'll immediately cool down, hell crank it to 50 degrees BTDC if you want, won't hurt a thing

If someone wants to test, try it on your car that's together, retard the timing they'll glow like hell, put it back and watch it cool immediately.  In fact the famous cammer picture was likely just retarded ignition timing

[plovett]

I was about to say 50 degrees, but I really didn't know a concrete number.   

[67428GT500]

The other engine never over heated. Every once in a while it'd puke out of the overflow tube when I parked it after driving it for a while.  The temperature gauge was just over 3/4 the way up. I thought I may be a bit retarded. I just got to light off and kept the RMS up with both runs.
Drew fixed my BJ-BKs and set them up on his Galaxie. No more overly rich condition.  It's not easy to see the pointer with the 428 PI damper and the short pointer and the alternator there. I am going to put the light on it here shortly and a vacuum gauge.  I had the other engine ran in on a dyno so I didn't have to deal with this.  I didn't bubble the coating on the headers but it's not as bright as it was.

[My427stang]

The other engine never over heated. Every once in a while it'd puke out of the overflow tube when I parked it after driving it for a while.  The temperature gauge was just over 3/4 the way up. I thought I may be a bit retarded. I just got to light off and kept the RMS up with both runs.
Drew fixed my BJ-BKs and set them up on his Galaxie. No more overly rich condition.  It's not easy to see the pointer with the 428 PI damper and the short pointer and the alternator there. I am going to put the light on it here shortly and a vacuum gauge.  I had the other engine ran in on a dyno so I didn't have to deal with this.  I didn't bubble the coating on the headers but it's not as bright as it was.

Color the TDC mark with a white paint pen or soapstone, I would set total, without vacuum at 38 BTDC at 3500, then see where initial ended up, if initial is 14-16, you will be pretty good, if it is 8-10, you likely need a recurve to keep the headers cool and part throttle performance where it should be

[machoneman]

Hmm thought it was retarded to much, advanced cools the exhaust??

That is correct.

Doh! Corrected my post. Thx. Brain fade today!

[Drew Pojedinec]

Was a nervous phone call last night.....  lol

Everyone here is saying the same thing I said.  First time you see it is scary.

Ross, the fella who was at the factory for that cammer photo said the exact same thing, they retarded the timing to make it look neat.

[67428GT500]

I had Drew's number. Seemed to make sense. LOL
I pulled the filter off and cut it open. No metal chunks or large flakes. The Isky moly cam lube and green Brad Pen make an interesting opalescent color.. The sparkle you see in the picture is from the flash, not metal flakes. There are a couple of white paint flakes from using tin snips on an FL1-A.
I forced all the pleats open and nothing but the dark moly sheen like the cam lube. I do now see why it's wise to change the filter. That stuff will quickly plug up the element.