SteeevO Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 So i was driving home from utah when the carpet started smoking and then melted the insulation on the power wires to my ham radio... caused a short and caught the carpet on fire.... originally i thought the metal from the dash cut the wire causeing it to short but on the way up to Mt. High to go boarding yesterday the carpet started smoking again so i pulled over and pulled the fuse thinking that it was the wires again... but now i start driving again and the floor mat melts to the carpet.... this is when i figured out the exhaust was running extremely hot...the floor down teh driver side right above the exhaust was hot... i looked undreneath and the headers are ENTIRELY blue... not just parts of it near teh engine but the entire headers all the way to where it bolts up to the rest of the exhaust... i turned around and coasted back to the freeway downhill and took it easy in the slowlane and took it to the shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Geologist Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 So do you have a fire extinguisher? Or two? I have put out 3 separate car fires, and only once (mainly a battery fire) have I put it out using only one fire extinguisher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 yeah, good time to mention that crazy.. steeevo, forgot to put on heat shields eh? running extremely rich? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filthy Luker Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Actually running lean would raise the exhaust temp and running rich would lower it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 ok.. it may also be a timing issue.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 :o daaaaaaaang! lucky you didn't light yerself on fire! I ALWAYS carry a marine fire extinguisher in the pathy.. it's a must have. :contract: what did the garage say about it? did they check the timing? fuel? has yer pathy been running ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deej Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Holy Lick That's hot! Isn't there some tape that you can wrap around the pipes that'll help get rid of that too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelmanLS1 Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 You have the Thorley headers? Those are supposed to turn blue after they heat up a couple of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest psyopper Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 I'll guess your pathy is kinda high mileage and that your catalytic converter either burned up or broke apart and blocked your exhaust flow. Or does the Pathfinder have a catalytic converter? Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelmanLS1 Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 Yes it does. As well as a pre-cat which would be where the leak is at... right in front of the pre-cat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteeevO Posted December 24, 2005 Author Share Posted December 24, 2005 (edited) there is a tremendous loss of power and it was running very very lean... the shop called today and said the cat is prolly pluged up... which is strange cause i got a new cat at the beginning of the year..it was a universal cat... maybe a crappy one.. i did get it from a different shop than where the pathy is right now... the shop that the pathy is at right now is owned and operated by one of my dads long time friends that we go riding with... so, they are gonna drop out the cat on monday(they are closed on weekends) and see whats up...i'll keep you posted. and about the headers... i know the thorleys turn blue.. and i have seen what color blue chrome turns when it gets hot after normal operation....but this blue is far more deep and discolored blue than ever.... ->i'm gonna get a fire extinguisher<- Edited December 24, 2005 by SteeevO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M in KC Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 Get at least a 5-10 lb extinguisher anything smaller and you'll just have a paperweight. Purple K is a good extinguisant. The extinguisher will have a "k" in a purple/magenta square on the extinguisher. Other wise an ABC extinguisher is what you're after. How to operate P.A.S.S. P= pull pin. I know this sounds stupid but I can't tellyou how many people I've trained to use an extinguisher who race up to the fire and forget to pull the pin. A= aim. Aim at the base of the fire. Yes I know the top of the flames are tempting but aim at the base of the fire. This is where the fuel is and that is what you are trying to cool, oxygen strave or encapsulate depending on the extinguishing media. S= squeeze. Yes again people magically thing the extinguishing media flows out of the extinguisher on it's own after the pin has been pulled. S= Sweep. Sweep the extinguisher from side to side at the base fo the fire. Always, always stay between the fire and your exit should you not be succesful in your incipient stage fire fighting. Check the silly thing(s) every few months to make sure the gauage is reading charged. Anything under fulling charged get it recharged or buy new. Slightly over charged is O.K. And once a year take a rubber mallet and give the cylinder a a couple of raps to make sure the powder stays free-flowing. Temperature extremes and constant vibration can make the powder pack down in an extinguisher over time. This Public Service Announce has been brought to you by the fine folks at Fingerless Phil's Fireworks Emporium, who invite you to come bang with the gang on the next Independence Day. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilman Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 I think eberybody missed something in the first post> He said he was "climbing a mountain" the excess load put on the engine will cause the exhaust to get super hot! Maybe he was pushing the old girl up the mountain to try out those new header and see what kinda HP gain he got outta them! Lastly unless you are standing still, the flow of air up and around the exhaust manifold/headers will keep the heat from radiating to the floorboards opf the car. What I think is most likely is he has an exhaust leak that is spewing hot exhaust against the fllorboards and heating them up. I know of several pathys of this era which have had recurring problems with this kinda leak, and the resultant smoking carpet. Right under the drivers foot is the most common spot. I would look for an exhaust leak before even considering a plugged cat. besides if the cat was pluged how would the engine breathe? it would run like crap and not get hot!! On the topic of fire extinguishers: dry chem is extreamly corrosive to electronics. sure they work great, but you can forget about saving that nice new head unit and cd changer you just installed. and dry chem isnt terribly efective against class A fires (paper/wood/carpet). If you are going to go the trouble of having multible extinguishers I would throw a CO2 entinguisher into the mix. thats my .02 take it or leave it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filthy Luker Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 I had an identical issue when I banged up my exhaust once and the exhaust flange right under the driver's feet got opened up a bit. It was shooting up hot exhaust straight into the floorboard, burned through and made my carpet catch on fire. Fun times... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 sssh what temperature DOES the average exhaust run at during normal use?? always wondered.... :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filthy Luker Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 (edited) There is no such thing as average exhaust... Every engine burns at different temp depending on if it's super or turbo charged or non, diesel, rotary, gas, etc... I think it ranges from 1000-1800 F though with small throttle openings being on the lower end of the scale... Edited December 24, 2005 by Filthy Luker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 Yes to the fire extinguishers (having them, what kind, how to use, etc) and I'd guess that it was an exhaust leak at the Y that caused the problem. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteeevO Posted January 19, 2006 Author Share Posted January 19, 2006 so it's been to the shop and my they don't really know what to do .. however it's going to go back because it's knocking really bad and after driving for maybe 20 min, it starts to backfire.... any ideas? also it feels like the power gains from the headers i had before the utah trip are gone... so i have a lack of power... i really don't know what to do if anyone could please help me out that would be great. -thnx Steevo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 possibly melted the cat innerds if you're running so hot. Could be a back-pressure thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 I had an identical issue when I banged up my exhaust once and the exhaust flange right under the driver's feet got opened up a bit. It was shooting up hot exhaust straight into the floorboard, burned through and made my carpet catch on fire. Fun times... lol, I remember that *luker over the CB* "my trucks on fire - im gonna stop, go ahead" *us* "wtf!!" You seemed so calm like it was an everyday occurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patzx300 Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 (edited) Check the distributor, I once had one in the shop that the cap was so far gone the high voltage went into the distibutor and fried the crank angle sensor. And a stuck open injector will cause a cat to glow orange and melt it. Saw that on a Hardbody pickup once. Edited January 19, 2006 by patzx300 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transworldmoto Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 hey steevo, btw, and a little off topic, but how far along are you with the gathering of the 4x parts? im getting a 1990, white, looks hella like yours but 4x of course and love the look of it...just wonderin when we can go wheelin with the new 4x memeber man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteeevO Posted January 20, 2006 Author Share Posted January 20, 2006 (edited) it's all good. i have everything it's just finding the time...but i'm planning on finishing it up in 2 - 3 weeks or so. i'm having a mobile welder come to my house to weld teh brackets to my frame. but that will be after it gets out of the shop... i woke up this morning and had a feeling i should look under the hood.. i had still been getting crappy gas mileage and i had a small oil leak... i started teh pathy and there was gas comming from a fuel line feeding the injectors.. i know a simple fix but since i had to take it in for the oil leak anyways i figured i'd let the shop do it.. i know the guy that owns it anyways and he cuts me deals.... but then when i got it to the shop it had stopped leaking and there was no sign of it leaking at all....arg!! but hopefully everything will pull together here really soon.... hopefully i wll get my power back.. and it will run normal again.. they have already checked the cat and it looked fine.. and they messed with the timing a little and now fixing the fuel leak and oil leak....... i just want my pathy back. Edited January 20, 2006 by SteeevO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transworldmoto Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 ha! i know how being without the pathy feels. ook my shop a little over 2 weeks to do my engine swap and i was heart broken! haha well hey man when u get your 4x finished hit me up and maybe we can get a bunch of guys together to go wheeling or somethin, try out the new system ya know. good luck bro! ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordie4x4 Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 (edited) Do diesel exhausts generaly run hotter or cooler than petrol V6 exhausts under load. I borrowed a pyrometer to tesy my Terrano before and after some mods. Intercooler and 2.5" exhaust. Before: while driving under full throttle up very big hill. Air manifold just after the turbo 145C Inlet manifold 140C Exhaust manifold at turbo 225C Exhaust after turbo 175C After fitting Intercooler and 2.5" exhaust (same hill and about same air temp) Air manifold just after the turbo 140C Inlet manifold after intercooler 75C Exhaust manifold at turbo 175C Exhaust after turbo 115C Sorry I dont know what the F these temperatures relate to in F. Edited January 23, 2006 by geordie4x4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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