fuel-flooded engine

[fordmerc]

I am concerned that the flooding I saw in the intake manifold may have spilled into the cylinders. How can I be certain that there is no puddle of gas in the cylinders, and how do I dry them out if they're wet?

[hchris]

Depends how long you want to wait, the fuel will eventually evaporate and given that its probably not a big volume maybe an hour or two. If you need to get it out sooner take out the spark plugs and motor the engine over with the starter this clear it out of the cylinders.

[keiser31]

Depends how long you want to wait, the fuel will eventually evaporate and given that its probably not a big volume maybe an hour or two. If you need to get it out sooner take out the spark plugs and motor the engine over with the starter this clear it out of the cylinders.

I did it once like that and gas got on the starter wire and ignited the engine compartment of my car. The scary part was that it was in a gas station when it happened. I would not do that.

[Rusty_OToole]

If it has been sitting for a while the gas will evaporate on its own. If the engine is flooded now, hold the throttle open and try to start it. If it starts OK. If it is too flooded to start take out the spark plugs. They will be covered with gas and black. Turn the engine over to clear the cylinders or blow out the cylinders with compressed air. Squirt about a spoonful of oil down each cylinder to lubricate the rings. One squirt from an oil can should do it. Clean the plugs and put them back in. The engine should now start. If not, the plugs may be too fouled up and need to be replaced or sandblasted.

This assumes the ignition and carb are OK and the engine got flooded by mistake because someone pumped the gas too much. Naturally, if the carb is flooding or the ignition weak these problems must be addressed first.

[W_Higgins]

I am concerned that the flooding I saw in the intake manifold may have spilled into the cylinders. How can I be certain that there is no puddle of gas in the cylinders, and how do I dry them out if they're wet?

Me thinks this is in reference to the combination gas-varnish mix of goo that was discussed in an earlier post -- not simple flooding with clean gas.

You won't get the goo out without disassembly. If you have it running again, I would recommend filling a spray bottle with ATF and huffing as much into the carb as the engine will handle without killing it. This will wash it off the valve stems, which is dominantly where it would collect and cause a problem.

[Guest]

I am concerned that the flooding I saw in the intake manifold may have spilled into the cylinders. How can I be certain that there is no puddle of gas in the cylinders, and how do I dry them out if they're wet?

If you think the cylinders have been flooded remove the spark plugs and crank the engine over by hand and let air out or use compressed air into the spark plug hole to dry it faster.

Don

[Dave@Moon]

Piston rings will not hold gasoline. If liquid gasoline makes it into your cylinders in any volume at all it will run past the rings and into the crankcase.

I had a horrible fuel percolation problem with my 1960 Buick at one time, and it would essentially dump the carb bowl every time I shut it off. A bunch of gas would drip all over the engine, but most of it ran down the manifold into the cylinders. Before I fixed that I was draining an extra pint or two every time I changed the oil, which became obviously thinner.

[fordmerc]

Yes, this is the car that had the puddle in the manifold which was not thick but very thin (not to be described a "goo". And yes, someone (me) pumped too much gas. All the answers above suggest that after having the spark plugs out for three days and having turned the engine a few times any fluid that was in the cylinders is gone.

Dave@Moon: please describe how you solved your fuel percolation problem!

[joe_padavano]

Piston rings will not hold gasoline. If liquid gasoline makes it into your cylinders in any volume at all it will run past the rings and into the crankcase.

X2. Check the dipstick for the smell of gasoline. I had this problem in my 1999 crewcab dually. An injector stuck open and flooded the engine. I had to change the oil after changing the injectors.

[Dave@Moon]

Dave@Moon: please describe how you solved your fuel percolation problem!

I just did yesterday!

I posted this on the "winter gasoline" thread:

....As far as fuel percolation is concerned, I probably posted the first thread on it here 11 years ago ( http://forums.aaca.org/f118/fuel-boiling-shutoff-stromberg-2brl-151321.html). I had a 1960 Buick which was equipped with the rare "export" engine, which used a tiny Stromberg carb on top of a Buick big-block. When gas was reformulated in 1997 for better performance in fuel injection systems I started boiling the carb dry every time I shut the car off, sending gasoline in a small cascade over the hot engine.:eek:

The only thing I found that fixed it was to relocate the fuel line away from the engine, and to use an electric fuel pump. I tried everything before I started altering the car, and nothing worked. It took about 2-3 years to get it straight, and every component was replaced at least 3 times.

Once I isolated the fuel line from heat and kept about 5-6 psi pressure inside the line by using the pump, I had no problems at all.

I might add that the very wide air cleaner and low hood (w/ insulation) held the heat better than earlier Buicks, many of which used a similar carb.

The car had to be modified from stictly stock, unfortunately. The relocated fuel line was visible under the hood, and the ticking fuel pump could be heard at idle. At least I wasn't going to catch the car on fire by driving it!

[Guest]

I am concerned that the flooding I saw in the intake manifold may have spilled into the cylinders. How can I be certain that there is no puddle of gas in the cylinders, and how do I dry them out if they're wet?

Fordmerc did not give a timeline that he saw fuel in the manifold. Of course fuel will go past the rings into the crankcase in time anybody knows that. Fordmerc just wanted to know how to get it out if it was there. That is why I said to pull the plugs and hand crank the engine to push it out, then air dry or compressed air into the plug holes. If he had cranked the engine with the starter motor and the cylinder had sufficient amount of fuel he could have hydraulic locked the engine and bent a rod. If he had suspected a heavy dose he should have checked the dip stick too.

The question sounded like Fordmerc had either looked down the carb or had just taken the carb off or spilled fuel into the manifold or just discovered fuel in the bottom of the manifold.

This morning I wanted to see how long it would take to empty a 77mm cylinder with 2oz of gasoline. It took 2 1/2 hours to make it past the rings. I should also say this piston, rings and cylinder barrell had 168,000 thousand miles on them. It, with it's three brothers just came out of a 1200cc VW I had just rebuilt.

Don

[Guest]

Yes, this is the car that had the puddle in the manifold which was not thick but very thin (not to be described a "goo". And yes, someone (me) pumped too much gas. All the answers above suggest that after having the spark plugs out for three days and having turned the engine a few times any fluid that was in the cylinders is gone.

And now he tells us.

Don