So i working on fixing up my 84 camaro z28, 355 cid, 700r4. When after bleeding the brakes i was going to take it on a test drive when of course it wont start. So for hours i thought that it was flooded and just need to dry out. So i keep trying to start it over and over using alchool, starting fluid, and tons of gas wearing the battery down and charging it back up. Finally i pull one of the spark plugs out and check if it is wet. But it is dry, then i check to see if it is sparking. Its not. So i look for the obviouse wire loose or something. To no avail. So my only option is that the coil is bad. Even though i never had problems with it before. So i go to pull the old one out and find the missing wire. So i plug it back up and wouldnt you know all the starter fluid, 1 1/2 bottles, achool, and fuel was sitting in the muffler. When i cranked the starter it blew the muffler in half. It was as loud as a cannon. Here are the pictures to prove it. I never laughed so hard in my life. Anyone ever has something like this happen to you.

 

very nice!

 

wow! awesome! bet scared the crap out of you. hope the tank is okay. gives you a reason to get a new muffler.

 

Nice, bet it scared the hell out of ya!

 

Mighty close to the gas tank.... that may have been a bigger secondary explosion...

Raf

 

Believe it or not, several years ago, I was working on my 1984 Monte Carlo SS and had a very similar experience. I had replaced the distributor cap and plug wires and couldn't get the thing to start. I checked all wires, checked cap, and everything (I thought). The Monte has full custom dual exhaust (directly out of the headers into true duals). I just kept pumping and trying and suddenly BLAMMMMM. I blew both mufflers totally apart (just like yours except BOTH OF THEM!). I thought I had been shot and my wife came running out of the house (I was in the attached garage) thinking I was dead.

When I finally settled down, I put the old distributor cap back on (I did find that the new cap was turned about 20 degrees) and the car started right up (really loud of course!!). Had to run to a custom muffler shop to get the car ready for my son's senior prom!!!

 

My buddy had a 87 formula and while he was driving the car backfired and blew the muffler. Said it was loud as hell and scared him pretty good.

 

I hate it when things go boom. If you baby your car, you know exactly what i mean.

Its a good thing i only need one or less mistake to learn.

 

Years ago, my electric fan stopped working, so I was just playing with the wires with the key on but engine off, while my date, sitting in the car bored, apparently decided to push my nitrous button. When I got back in and cranked the car over, it blew the mufflers wide open, even worse than yours. Man, it was loud.

TA

 

a friend of mine came over once and i was sleeping and didnt hear him knocking or anything so he went to leave very cold our and his mustang (go figure)wouldnt start when it finally did shot flames out the tailpipe a good 3-4 feet and the convertor was on fire flames were coming up the shifter boot and started melting the dash so he came running in the house to get buckets of water and had my sister who just got out of the shower call the fire dept by the time they got there it was all put out then the fireman said " i think its still smoldering get out the 2in hose" my friend was like no its out dont bother then th firemen were looking in the car said it looked like the fire started in the ashtray which was full of butts and ashes but wasnt even burned