ok just got the 1.6 8v all buttoned up and i start it and it runs like crap and after about 5 minutes of it running the guage says its still cool but the header is glowing orange. what could cause this?

running to lean i think, maybe its to rich...i dont remember

do you have a cat? it might be cloged.bu normally IT glows

Glowing header can = retarded timing, lean condition...check for both.

If samurais are anything like T-maxx's, you want a richer mix in winter and leaner in summer (I know, it sounds backwords, but there are reasons.)
I think it's because of the thicker air in winter that makes it run hotter... But you should check your timing first...

If your still running a cat, see if it is stopped up.

radiator hose hot?

My vote would be to thump your cat converter if it sounds dead or heavy then rip and replace your muffy might be coming apart inside and plugged but 90% of time its the cat. When you start to have oil and NOX issues with the old motor it collects and plugs the cat.

... it runs like crap and after about 5 minutes of it running the gauge says its still cool but the header is glowing orange. ...

Fuel burning in the header will cause the header to glow. This can result from retarded timing (explosion starts too late in the compression cycle to burn the fuel before the exhaust valve opens and the cylinder contents gets moved out into the exhaust where the fuel continues to burn). This can also result from too much fuel in the cylinder such that even with good timing the fuel is still burning when the exhaust cycle starts.

As to the gauge saying the engine stays cool -- the state change of fuel from a liquid to a vapor requires heat. Here again too much fuel and or retarded timing can be the culprit.

If the engine is carbureted then I'd bet on retarded timing as the likely culprit. But if the engine is injected then it is possible to be forcing too much fuel into the engine.

Another vote for timing. Are you using the right distributor?:D

well the cat is a brand new high flow cat so i dont think that is it. and the muffler doesnt seem to be plugged. it is a fuel injected motor and im using the distributor that came on the motor out of a tracker so im assuming it is correct. when the header was glowing i could reach down and touch the radiator and all of the hoses and they were cool. so i guess that narrows it down to retarded timing or too much fuel? what would cause it to get too much fuel?

bad O2 sensor. do they have AFMs?

no they dont have AFMs...almost every after market header on a rotary that i have seen glow but thats pretty normal for a rotary haha....o yeah +1 on the timing....ur timing is fuckin retarded...haha

Crap all the easy stuff seems to check out it almost sounds like a motocycle when you leave the choke on and warm it up to long the exhaust pipe starts to glow from excess (carryover) fuel burning outside of the cyclinder chamber. My problem was cat plugged and poor performance, good luck and I will follow the thread please keep us posted.

You're going to have to check it with a timing light.

If you put a late Toyota 22RE distributor in an early Toyota 22R engine it will be guaranteed to make the exhaust manifold glow. I've done it a few times. The 22RE distributor's advance is controlled by the computer and a 22Rs is controlled by vacuum. When the timing's fawked up it lights the gas while the exhaust valve is still open.

You likley have a similiar problem.:D

have you read youre plugs there going to tell ya if its rich or lean,easyist,simplist first.Bad o2 sensor will make it run rich.

ok well i call the guy who worked on it and he is saying it sounds like its running rich. so i take it to his shop next week and were going to tear into it. hopefully it gets fixed cause i havent wheeled in my sammy in like 2 years and its driving me nuts! plus i get my prp seats in next week and it would be a shame to let them sit around the house.