stevelang

i bled the brakes in my 67 coupe and tried starting the car to check the pedal before i put the tires back on. i had the back of the car quite a bit higher than the front. when i tried to start it i heard a clunk in the engine. i tried again and the starter would not spin the motor. i thought maybe the battery had run down as the car had sat for a while so i put the charger on and gave up for the night. while drifting off it occurred to me that maybe fuel had locked the motor. it's been having carb issues and i thought maybe the needle/seat was stuck open allowing gas to flow through the carb into the manifold plenum and then into cylinders. this morning i smelled gas when i went in the garage and there was a very large puddle under the car. and fuel was dripping. i put the tires back on and set the car back on the floor. the dripping has stopped and i am pondering my next move. pull the plugs and spin the motor, pushing out the liquid? disconnect the ignition coil first? will gas spray all over?

GUSTO14

Yes, like a garden hose!

I would first disconnect the battery. Then place a large sheet of cardboard (or other absorbent material) under the car. Then I would pull all of the plugs. Hand crank the motor over and after a few revolutions let it sit for a few hours (preferably over night) before proceeding. I would change the oil and depending on how much fuel is in the oil, change the filter as well.

Once you're satisfied there is no liquid fuel left in the cylinders and depending on the condition of the plugs either reinstall them or put new plugs in. If you're satisfied the internal fuel leak is corrected and ready to try starting it, I would push it out of the garage (clear of the house) and have someone standing by with an extinguisher when you do it.

If you do plan to turn it over with the starter to push the fuel out of the cylinders, by all means push it out of the garage and have someone standing by ready to hit it with an extinguisher. Also you'll want to protect any painted surfaces as it will definitely shoot fuel all over the fenders.

Good luck... GUSTO

MikeM

I think you nailed it.

I'd disconnect the battery until you get done playing with drying the cylinders.

SDVette

My opinion:

Only turn it by hand until you are sure all the fuel is out of the cylinders.
Then change the oil and filter.
Keep in mind that the gas has "washed" the lube away.

You're lucky it didn't start.. Hopefully you didn't bend anything...

dplotkin

Absolutely right and the best move for you now. You have washed down at least the front cylinder walls and you do not want to let it run until you reestablish that film of oil on the jug walls, nor do you want to pump diluted oil through the bearings.


As to the plugs, I know I'll raise a few objections here but I'm steadfast in my belief based on experience that more often than not a plug that was soaked in gas will never come back. I don't know why, I just know. Maybe others have had different results. For what they cost put in a fresh set of properly gapped plugs after you have dried it out and dropped the oil and filter. You don't want to be cranking and cranking with fouled plugs, just change them now.


Dan

MikeM

I'd tend agree on the plugs but sometimes, you get lucky.

survivor66

Everyone seems convinced gas through the carb is the culprit. Suppose it's something else leaking like a fuel line to pump connection, in which case none of those suggestions and warnings are necessary. Check the oil for fuel dilution at the dipstick before jumping to conclusions. First question: where was the fuel leaking?

jbmcrae

Just to add a bit, this exact thing happened to me and I pulled the plugs, syphoned the gas out with a small tube from each cylinder without turning the engine over then turned it by hand and repeated this. Next day I spun it over by starter and changed oil and filter. The stink in the garage kept me from trying to start it before this. Scared the crap out of me.

AZDoug

If that was the problem, check for a head gasket leak when you do get it running.

Doug

Plasticman

Yes, it happened to me as well on my 70 Vette (350/350 with Q-Jet carb).......I even thought I even heard a "tinkling" sound, while doing my other work on the car (again, with just the rear raised up), but did not pay any attention. When I dropped the rear, and tried starting the engine, it rotated just a tad, and "locked".

I pulled the plugs, and fuel ran out of several. Disconnect the ignition, before turning the engine over, because fuel will spray out the cylinders! Drain and replace the oil, and add a squirt of oil in each spark plug hole, before turning over again, and then replace plugs & wires.

I was lucky and saw no permanent damage..

As far as gas soaked plugs not firing properly again, have never seen that, if they are properly dried before putting them back in.

Plasticman

68hemi

[QUOTE=SDVette;1596055179]My opinion:

Only turn it by hand until you are sure all the fuel is out of the cylinders.
Then change the oil and filter.
Keep in mind that the gas has "washed" the lube away.

You're lucky it didn't start.. Hopefully you didn't bend anything...[/QUOTE]

YES, I bent a rod in my 1958 FI car TWICE until I found out the car had no syphon protection in the system. I think they added it in late 1958 or 1959.

Be very careful and pull the plugs and turn it over. when you are ready to start it do not rev it much and listen to your engine for any noise.

GTOguy

You got great advice in every post. Go for it, get it dried out and new oil in it, and pray you didn't bend or break anything. You just may have dodged a bullet.....good move taking it slow and deliberate as you have done.

karkrafter

Push the car as far away from the gasoline/fumes as you can BEFORE you unhook the battery...one spark and kablooooooowy!

stevelang

thanks to everyone for all the advice.

i pulled the plugs from 6 cylinders as i cannot get to the RF 2 as the car is double air...that is AC and A.I.R. i was able to get a socket on the harmonic balancer bolt and turn the engine just a tiny bit. i drained four and a half gallons of fuel and oil from the crank case so far and it was still dribbling fuel. i put the drain plug back in for the night and i will pull it again tomorrow and see what comes out. i really cannot spin the motor with a socket as there just isn't any room. tomorrow i will pull the PG torque convertor cover and spin the motor with a flywheel turning tool.

i will let you all know what transpires.

steve

street62

I have seen it brake the starter motor nose when it hydraulics . I would hope that the noise you herd was nothing.

dplotkin

You're going to have one clean engine.
Sounds as though you were draining the tank through the pump into the carb. That's somfin. You are lucky and we should all learn from this. So what did we learn?

Dan

bfit

common problem with a full fuel tank

stevelang

i pulled the oil pan drain plug again and only about an ounce of fluid came out. i ran a clear tube into each of the 4 open spark plug holes and dribbled and blew a little oil in each cylinder. i added a gallon of oil to the crankcase.

i pulled off the torque converter cover and turned the engine over with a flywheel turning tool. 2 cylinders gushed out a quart or so of fuel. the task got harder trying to push past the compression stroke on the 2 cylinders that still had plugs (and fuel ) in them. i was successful getting past that point and turned the motor another 2 full revolutions with minimal resistance and no more gushing fuel. i let the garage dry out and air out and i will hit it again tomorrow, weather permitting. i am using a carriage jack, wood blocking and a cold concrete floor. should be about 40 degrees out tomorrow.

rongold

You might be able to get to those 2 front plugs through the right front wheel well with a long extension and a spark plug socket on a universal joint. That's how we used to get to the 2 right side front plugs on Pontiac V-8's with A/C. You might have been able to crank it with the flywheel turning tool, but I would be leery of cranking it with the starter without pulling those plugs and letting those 2 cylinders dry out.


RON

jim lockwood

So, what do you intend to do about the two cylinders which (likely) still have fuel in them?