V6Sprout
Registered User
Hole = engien bay
Fire = NOT GOOD!!!!
I went to do a little work on the car today, this tiem I thought I owuld try the chip again, maybe the service port was dirty. Well I plugged the chip in and the fan comes on like it did before and the fuel pump pressurises constantly, instead of pressurising and then stopping. I didn't think it woudl start but IT DID!!! It actually ran smoother too, probably due to having the right injector and MAF calibrations in the chip, it also puffed out less smoke from the headers.
I let it idle for a few minutes to get up to temp, I was over talking to my uncle when I heard it start to idle sparatically. Then the idle got worse and worse, it was surging a lot. As I walk over to the car its getting worse and worse, ever time it would surge the revs would get higher and higher, so I quickly get over to the car and shut her down. Then I get out of the car and look at the engine, ITS ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Right behind the rear intake at the back of the motor in the center.
I quickly run to my uncle and yell FIRE!!!! He runs inside his shop and grabs the extinguisher. The fire goes out quickly. So now my engine bay is white I cleaned it up with an air hose and started to disassemble the top of the motor. The blue convolent tubing saved a lot of the wiring, this stuff is awesome. It wasn't a large fire or strong fire, more of a lazy fire with tall flames. I have the blowere off and I can see where it came from, and we assumed we knew as well, and we were correct. FUEL RAIL!!!!!! If you are familiar with the pre-99 fuel rails with the return style system, at the back of the fuel rail there are two lines and they are connected by rubber hoses. Well one of these two hoses ruptured adn spilled fuel which ignited. After I shut the car down it appears the fuel that spilled on to the bell housing was still burning thus the fire after the car was shut down.
I still have to tear it down more to see the actual damage but it doesn't lok to bad, One of the wires that was in direct flame contact, was actuially in great shape, the blue convolent tubing took the brunt of the damage and protected the wires inside. I still have to inspect the rest of the wires though. One vacuum line was melted and this is what caused the surging I believe.
Anyways, I think the problem was due to the CHIP. Like I said when the chip was in the fan was on and the fuel pump ran CONSTANTLY. Usualyl when you presurise the system the pump buzzes then stops, mine did not with the chip installed, but it does act normal without the chip. I never thought the car woudl start so I didn't think this woudl cause a problem. Well my guess is that the system kept pressurising or something, and the fuel line could not handle the pressure and thus ruptured, and the reason it took a little while to do so was the fuel heated up as it was runnign and thus expanded as well. What do you think about my theory? I could be way off but that is my guess. The hot motor must have ignited the spilled fuel.
I am gonna go out and get some steel braided lines and AN fittings for these rubber sections of the fuel rail, that should fix that problem. One other thing, isn't the FPR suppose to regulate the pressure of the fuel int he rail or just tot he injectors? Which way does the fuel flow in the rail, maybe it ruptured the rubber lines cause it was backing up at the FPR, the ruptured line is just before the FPR at the back of the rail remember.
On a side note, my uncle had a SWEET 67 NOVA tubbed out and everythign at his shop today
Fire = NOT GOOD!!!!
I went to do a little work on the car today, this tiem I thought I owuld try the chip again, maybe the service port was dirty. Well I plugged the chip in and the fan comes on like it did before and the fuel pump pressurises constantly, instead of pressurising and then stopping. I didn't think it woudl start but IT DID!!! It actually ran smoother too, probably due to having the right injector and MAF calibrations in the chip, it also puffed out less smoke from the headers.
I let it idle for a few minutes to get up to temp, I was over talking to my uncle when I heard it start to idle sparatically. Then the idle got worse and worse, it was surging a lot. As I walk over to the car its getting worse and worse, ever time it would surge the revs would get higher and higher, so I quickly get over to the car and shut her down. Then I get out of the car and look at the engine, ITS ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Right behind the rear intake at the back of the motor in the center.
I quickly run to my uncle and yell FIRE!!!! He runs inside his shop and grabs the extinguisher. The fire goes out quickly. So now my engine bay is white I cleaned it up with an air hose and started to disassemble the top of the motor. The blue convolent tubing saved a lot of the wiring, this stuff is awesome. It wasn't a large fire or strong fire, more of a lazy fire with tall flames. I have the blowere off and I can see where it came from, and we assumed we knew as well, and we were correct. FUEL RAIL!!!!!! If you are familiar with the pre-99 fuel rails with the return style system, at the back of the fuel rail there are two lines and they are connected by rubber hoses. Well one of these two hoses ruptured adn spilled fuel which ignited. After I shut the car down it appears the fuel that spilled on to the bell housing was still burning thus the fire after the car was shut down.
I still have to tear it down more to see the actual damage but it doesn't lok to bad, One of the wires that was in direct flame contact, was actuially in great shape, the blue convolent tubing took the brunt of the damage and protected the wires inside. I still have to inspect the rest of the wires though. One vacuum line was melted and this is what caused the surging I believe.
Anyways, I think the problem was due to the CHIP. Like I said when the chip was in the fan was on and the fuel pump ran CONSTANTLY. Usualyl when you presurise the system the pump buzzes then stops, mine did not with the chip installed, but it does act normal without the chip. I never thought the car woudl start so I didn't think this woudl cause a problem. Well my guess is that the system kept pressurising or something, and the fuel line could not handle the pressure and thus ruptured, and the reason it took a little while to do so was the fuel heated up as it was runnign and thus expanded as well. What do you think about my theory? I could be way off but that is my guess. The hot motor must have ignited the spilled fuel.
I am gonna go out and get some steel braided lines and AN fittings for these rubber sections of the fuel rail, that should fix that problem. One other thing, isn't the FPR suppose to regulate the pressure of the fuel int he rail or just tot he injectors? Which way does the fuel flow in the rail, maybe it ruptured the rubber lines cause it was backing up at the FPR, the ruptured line is just before the FPR at the back of the rail remember.
On a side note, my uncle had a SWEET 67 NOVA tubbed out and everythign at his shop today