Literally blew up my Engine!!
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Literally blew up my Engine!!
I just got an 86 4+3 a many months ago and had been enjoying driving it and trying to improve its performance slowly...It has 68k but many things seemed to be put back together sloppily on it. Anyways after not driving it for 2 months I tried to turn it over..and it moved a little and then wouldnt turn over. I assumed it was the battery and charged the battery and checked the voltage and wires. Anyways after trying to start it multiple times and tightening up some loose bolts on the starter I tried quickly gigling the key it turned over once .....and then exploded like a bomb with flames shooting out of the engine!!!
. the dip stick shot halfway out, the breathers all popped out and the valve cover on the passenger side split in several places in down the middle
.Now I would love to hear any ideas as to how the hell I could have gotten so much gas in the pan...and to get the spark to ignite it(at the moment I;m wondering if it was just an attempted mob hit 
...Any advice is greaatttly appreciated! I just talked to a corvette mecanic last night and he had never heard of it... The only good advice I've gotten is to check for rusty plugsto see if water had filled a cylinder.
. the dip stick shot halfway out, the breathers all popped out and the valve cover on the passenger side split in several places in down the middle.Now I would love to hear any ideas as to how the hell I could have gotten so much gas in the pan...and to get the spark to ignite it(at the moment I;m wondering if it was just an attempted mob hit ...Any advice is greaatttly appreciated! I just talked to a corvette mecanic last night and he had never heard of it... The only good advice I've gotten is to check for rusty plugsto see if water had filled a cylinder.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,314
Likes: 3
From: In a van down by the river! Florida
I heard of this one time before.....although it had the right components to cause it..
My cousins and I were shoehorning a 450HP 350sbc into a datsun pickup one weekend...we were bored.
After trying to start it for about an hour we realized the distributor was shot. SO my cousin gets in the truck and proceeds to start cutting the firewall to clear the new distributor... B O O M!!!!!!
Valve covers landed about 30' on either side of the truck, cousin stumbled out, deaf.. and me, my father, and my other cousin could not stop laughing.
I know it dosn't help you at all, but I love telling that story
My cousins and I were shoehorning a 450HP 350sbc into a datsun pickup one weekend...we were bored.
After trying to start it for about an hour we realized the distributor was shot. SO my cousin gets in the truck and proceeds to start cutting the firewall to clear the new distributor... B O O M!!!!!!
Valve covers landed about 30' on either side of the truck, cousin stumbled out, deaf.. and me, my father, and my other cousin could not stop laughing.
I know it dosn't help you at all, but I love telling that story
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
You have leaky injector/s and having sit for long enough, gasoline got past the cylinder/s and into the oil pan and evaporated filling the air space with fuel/air. One spark and you blow the dipstick and split the valve cover.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,141
Likes: 7
From: Metairie Louisiana
Originally Posted by Mekanic
I heard of this one time before.....although it had the right components to cause it..
My cousins and I were shoehorning a 450HP 350sbc into a datsun pickup one weekend...we were bored.
After trying to start it for about an hour we realized the distributor was shot. SO my cousin gets in the truck and proceeds to start cutting the firewall to clear the new distributor... B O O M!!!!!!
Valve covers landed about 30' on either side of the truck, cousin stumbled out, deaf.. and me, my father, and my other cousin could not stop laughing.
I know it dosn't help you at all, but I love telling that story
My cousins and I were shoehorning a 450HP 350sbc into a datsun pickup one weekend...we were bored.
After trying to start it for about an hour we realized the distributor was shot. SO my cousin gets in the truck and proceeds to start cutting the firewall to clear the new distributor... B O O M!!!!!!
Valve covers landed about 30' on either side of the truck, cousin stumbled out, deaf.. and me, my father, and my other cousin could not stop laughing.
I know it dosn't help you at all, but I love telling that story
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 165
Likes: 1
From: rowlett tx
I had my ECM go out on my 86. It was constantly holding the injectors open and pouring fuel into the cylinders. The oil was full of gasoline. I was probably just a few starts away from having the same thing happen
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by sameul11
The only good advice I've gotten is to check for rusty plugsto see if water had filled a cylinder.
RACE ON!!!
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Drifting
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,309
Likes: 20
From: Woodstock Georgia
Originally Posted by raisinbran
I had my ECM go out on my 86. It was constantly holding the injectors open and pouring fuel into the cylinders. The oil was full of gasoline. I was probably just a few starts away from having the same thing happen
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 834
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by CFI-EFI
Yeah! That rust and water make a real explosive combination. What was the BAD advice you got???
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
But I doubt the damage could be that bad
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,039
Likes: 0
From: CA
Holy Moly!That must have been something to see!
My Dad,rest his soul,had this very same thing happen to his old 1956 chevy truck.I think it was a 235 six.But it wasn't a PCV system,and of course it wasn't fuel injected.After cranking and cranking it,the cylinders filled with fuel that washed down the walls,no more ring seal.The case filled with air/fuel.Spark/detonation got passed the rings and ignited the fuel/air mix in the pan...kablooy! Blew the friggen valve cover right off! I wasn't there ,but I did see the the result,and I can belive under the right conditions,even in a FI engine,this could happen,obviously it did!
My Dad,rest his soul,had this very same thing happen to his old 1956 chevy truck.I think it was a 235 six.But it wasn't a PCV system,and of course it wasn't fuel injected.After cranking and cranking it,the cylinders filled with fuel that washed down the walls,no more ring seal.The case filled with air/fuel.Spark/detonation got passed the rings and ignited the fuel/air mix in the pan...kablooy! Blew the friggen valve cover right off! I wasn't there ,but I did see the the result,and I can belive under the right conditions,even in a FI engine,this could happen,obviously it did!
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
The day after
Yeah I think it was a solid 9 on the pucker factor! I'll see if I can get some pictures of the valve cover tomorrow...its done fer(It only split the one side)! I pulled the plugs and they were all pretty gassy, no rust or oil. I changed the oil and am still having problems getting it to turn over. So I think I may have two problems going on...see what trouble you get when you leave a corvette sit 
they're meant to be driven 
they're meant to be driven
