I was setting my timing just now but had to stop due to a strange, unfamiliar smell and smoke coming from my engine.

I was in diagnostic mode, and had the timing light hooked up to #1. Everything was going fine, my timing was WAY off. I got the timing set to ~10 degrees, and as I went to change my timing light to the 4th cylidner I noticed smoke coming from my engine, and the back 3 cyls. seemed to be glowing red, or at least something in their area was. I shut off the engine immediately, after which a strange oily plasticy smell came out of the engine.

Any idea what happened?

BTW I inspected the area I thought I saw glowing and I couldn't find any noticable damage anywhere.

Possibly your exhaust manifold glowing from it running rich, until the computer adjusts itself??? Just a thought.

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Mark Matthews
'87 GT Fastback T-top

if I leave my 4 banger in diag. mode, it runs lean enough to make the manifold visibly glow. I'm pretty sure the 6 isnt too different when it comes to computer control.