Hi All,
I have a short story I would like to share with you. I have a 1989 Firebird, that actually has a the crowel (sp) induction hood and I actually have the TransAm air cleaner lid and I have the crowel opening wired open all the time. I have been driving this car for about 2 years now with the hood scope wired open. Anyway I am live in San Diego and was driving to Norfolk Va, when I go to Virgina, the car worked like a champ, (car has many mods) I pulled into a parking lot (pool hall), it started raining like hell here, not the first time for the bird to get wet here thou, any way when to start the bird and guess what no luck, though it was the started gone bad, had the dead bird towed to a garage, (looked in phone book) The mech. spent all day on it and found that water got in 7 cylinders,, and when I tired to start it, the engine froze and I bent a rod. What bad luck, there was not water on the air fileter or even the air filter houseing. Best guess that we have is that water came in the crowel opening and landing on top of the air cleaner lid and went down the wing nut screw. best guess here. This really sucks. I am in the navy and must leave on Friday, the garage said they will be done by Friday, but we know how this goes. Any information on how the water may have got into the intake are welcome, i am totally confunsed. The intake passages had water residue, but like i said no water on air filter, in fact total amount of water was the size of a coffe mug. Sorry for such a long message.

Dead bird
Brad

 

just like u said bro, the water probably went right in the cowl and it got sucked in like a vaccuum. i think they sell covers that u can put inside the cowl so water dont get in. pick up a jeg magazine and check it out.

 

Changing fleets, eh?

A cup full of water in one cylinder would certainly be enough to hydro-lock it, but he starter motor shouldn't have been enough force to bend a rod. If the engine fired and briefly tried to start, I could understand it.

I presume that since you have an air cleaner lid, you either have a TBI or have switched to a carburetor. I'm guessing the water dripped in and found its way to the throttle body, then ran down the intake tract to the first available intake port or open valve. The rest, as they say, is history.

And for reference, it's "COWL". Good luck, and keep your feet dry.