Glowing red

[getoverit]

I got a new box of blades for the band mill today, and just had to try them out. I've still got a few bugs to work out on getting the boards to cut straight, but thats another issue...

the thing I noticed this afternoon is that the muffler on the 16hp briggs is glowing red. I really hadnt noticed it until the sun began to go down. I do have some backfire to the engine when I slow the throttle down, but it seems to run nicely enough. I'm just wondering if this glowing red is normal or is this something that I should check out and fix?

does it mean its running too rich/lean or that the timing is off... possibly too little/too much gap in the plug? Or is this normal and something I shouldnt worry about?

[scsmith42]

It's normal for small engine mufflers to "glow in the dark".  Not just Briggs, but Honda's also.

[UNCLEBUCK]

scsmith do you know that there was a man on the forum that would always take time to  try to help and answer everyone's mechanical questions and even questions about things like canning pears . I see alot of him in you and I like that !   ;D

[getoverit]

I appreciate the advice also. I guess I have never noticed this glowing issue before... mainly because I havent run a small engine after dark I guess. Thanks again.. I wont worry about it now ;D

now to solve the wavy board issue...

[Corley5]

I always liked plowing at dusk.  The manifold on the tractor would glow 8) 8)

[Trent]

I can't say if it's ok or not. I do know the a leaner mixture will have hotter exhaust. There are a few things that can change mixture that are air related. Temperature, Barometric pressure, humidity, and elevation above sea level. The cooler the temp. the leaner the mixture. Lower elevations = leaner mixture. Higher barometric pressure = leaner mixture. Humidity? = can't remember. In other words, air with higher density lets more oxygen atoms in with each intake stroke and more oxygen atoms = higher fuel/air ratio. There is a danger running an engine too lean. This is called detonation and can do damage. Some people describe this as pinging.

The best advances in the automotive industy has been computer controlled fuel injection (it compensates for all the variables mentioned above)  I think the reason why your oil stays cleaner, and your car engines last longer is because we are not dumping a bunch of extra burnt carbon into the crankcase.
Mixture on carbarated aircraft engines can be adjusted in flight.

[scsmith42]

Unk - thanks for the kind words.  As I was coming along, a lot of really good people took a lot of time to help me along.  Helping others is how I pay them back.

Trent offers some good insight about air-fuel mixtures, and I share his admiration for EFI.  My lawm mower, 4 wheeler, and 6 wheeler are all EFI, and I expect that it will add at least 1000 hours to the engine life.

Re the mufflers on the small Briggs, Honda, Tecumsa, etc motors, keep in mind that they are located just a few inches away from the cylinder, running at a high rpm, and the combustion temps are approching 1000 degrees.  Even with rthe proper air fuel ratio, they are still going to glow.  At idle they will darken up, but they look kinda cool in the dark when running under load!

[getoverit]

I think I solved the wavy board issue today.. lots of gringing and re-welding, but I now have a straight bed and rails. I also found out that I wasnt running enough torque on the band adjustment. Got the bed and rails straight now, and plenty of pressure on the band, so I'll try cutting some more sycamore tomorrow and see how it does.

I had never noticed the muffler glowing before, but then again I had never run it after dark either. The side of the muffler where the exaust is directly coming out of the cylinder us the part that was glowing. The other side of the muffler was fine.

Thanks again for all of the calming news and advice
Ken

[thiggy]

One night recently I went to a friends house to help him get his generator cranked, as tornadic weather was forcast for later that night.  After a carburetor disassembly and clean-up I was able to crank the machine right up.  I was also startled to see the muffler glowing red in the dark.  I am glad to hear that this is normal.  I have seen my generator in the dark several times but had never noticed any glowing, however, it is not directly attached to the engine, but a slight distance removed from the exhaust port.  Perhaps it remains a little cooler for this reason.

[junkyard]

I worked for the Township a few years. Plowed snow with an old Walters snow fighter. exaust went up thrugh the hood. In the darkthe three inch pipe would glow red for abought  three feet. Two 35 gallon tanks for gas. My plow run was thirty miles and had to carry a barrel of gas on the back to get back to the shop. That old horse ran thirty five miles an hour uphill or down loaded or empty.  Five speed tranny I hada d7 cat on the lowboy behind and it would start right out on the level in fifth no problem.
                 Junkyard