New Header tubes turning white-ish

[BadDog]

Does anyone know why this is happening, and why it is only happening to 1 or 2 tubes and not all of them?

BTW it's a MSA 6-into-1 equal-length-tubes header

[hmsports]

Which of the six tubes are turning color? If they are on the same bank of three cylinders, that carb may be too lean. If they are the #1 and #6, both carbs are probably too lean by a bit - these tend to get the hottest.

[BadDog]

Actually, all 6 are turning white! I only noticed 1 or 2 because they were white the furthest down the tube.... I'll have to enrichen the mixture quite a bit!

[2ManyZs]

Before you change the mixture, check out your plugs. After running it for a while, try to shut if off without too much idling time to get a good reading on the plugs. It may be the paint on the header is what is causing them to turn the white-ish color, some header paints aren't what they claim to be and burn off easily. I've seen them anywhere from dark gray to brown to snow white the first 4-6 inches of the tubes, all because the so-called black header paint was garbage.

If your plugs don't indicate a lean condition, you'll either have to live with it, or take the header back off, sandblast it, and try another header coating. No sense in jumping the gun and changing anything till you know for sure what is causing the problem. :cross-eye

[BadDog]

Well I opened up each mix knob about 3/4 turn (1/4 turn at a time) with very little change in idle speed. Since an engine is just a fancy air pump , I'll hypothesize that since the engine is able to exhale more freely now, it's also sucking in more air, so it needs more fuel.

I didn't paint it myself, but probably should've. The paint was already coming off when I unpacked it

[Ed]

The paint on the headers is burning off. And will soon be gone on about the first 15+ inches. Which will slowly start to rust.

If you do get a second chance at those pipes get some Jet Hot coating. :classic:

[240znz]

You've answered all your questions.

This has nothing to do with how your engine is running. 2mz (again) is right that you should check your plugs for mixture control. Yes as the flows help air out you will need to richen the mix a tad to allow for more air in.

Heat is causing the paint to lift, then it is oxidising, this the white colour.... As Ed says...Jet Hot coating will sort the problem..or take them off and try another paint. But be warned that eventually paint will lift and you'll get the same look back...jet hot or similar is the only way to go.

Have fun.

[BadDog]

Yeah, if I was thinking I would've ordered it coated :stupid:

I asked around at local hot-rod shops, and nobody around here does it

Oh well. I'm not too concerned about how it looks. I was more concerned that my engine was running too hot or lean or whatever... I'm running the timing a little advanced too, so I definitely want to be on the safe side and run a little rich I enrichened enough so that my idle went down from about 950 RPM to about 700. Any richer than that and my oil pressure guage goes to 0 when at a stop light

[Ed]

Look through a "Hot Rod" magazine and you will find several advertisements for header coatings. Jet Hot is just one.:classic:

[carguyinok]

If you got them from MSA. I would call them and bitch about them. Work out A return & order the same set with the jet coating on. This is not just for looks (even if they do look cool) the jet coat is also A rustproofing and if there turning white @ this point the smal rust isnt far away. The jet coat is also done inside the header so that's much like getting them polished inside for easy flow & rust proofing inside & out.

Just what I would do. :tapemouth