Just got back from town. I opened the truck up a bit on a straightaway.. EGT's were about 1400 when I look back and see SPARKS flying out my stacks!
I was like HOLY crap! What did I ruin??!!
Checked the manifold (pulled over right away), it wasn't glowing red and the turbo still made boost just fine.. so I figure I was burning some carbon.

Anyone ever have this happen?

 

not with the truck, but still have the resonator + muffler on it and out the back, so doubt if I would see it if it was throwing hot carbon chunks. I did toss some out of my tractor last fall when I got her stuck in a corn field, was working her hard up through the gears to get her moving in some heavy muck. Not hurtin anything, just cleaning it up.

DuaneW

 

The only time I saw this happen was while traveling down the freeway and a close by semi was blowing occasional sparks out of one side of his stacks. Didnt seem to effect his driving or if he even knew. Looked like a possible turbo loosing an impeller, I dont know. The only thing I do know is it could have been a fire hazard.

 

I saw Dragdiesel throw flames out of his tail pipe at TiM04 and a guy at the pulls in Saratoga, NY had flames coming out of his tail pipe. I don't know what either of these had for mods but they were pretty hot. I've only ever seen it on 12 valvers

 

Some sparks occasionally is OK. If it happens frequently then its a problem.

What happens is unburnt combustion byproducts collect in the manifold and exhaust pipe. During periods of higher EGT and gas velocity will "burn off" these deposits. If it happens frequently its a problem in the engine, that something is wrong and putting more crap into the pipes.

I learned this from our engineers when I was stationed on a large cutter (USCG). This phenomenom happens more often with larger engines, and even more so with very large marine diesel engines.

 

Maybe you had some leaves or something fall in the stacks and finally caught fire ??? Probably just carbon though.

PISTOL

 

and i missed this... dang

 

The guy in Saratoga didn't have real flames it was more of a glow out of his tailpipe. I think I have it on video but it's not digital. The guy at TiM04 had a 1-2 foot red flame/glow comming out of his pipe during his donuts in front of Lee's Inn

 

Pulling hard I have seen them once in a while from my exhaust. I thought I was seeing stuff but finally realized what is was. I would look cooler if I had stacks though...

Rick