Well, my stupidity (or at least absent mindedness) has reached new heights as of yesterday afternoon. I had been doing some experimentation with the primary side jets and had just finished putting some new ones in. Got the bowl screwed back on and in place and then had to run in the house for a minute. Came back out ready to see the results of this latest change. Jumped in the car turned the key, it starts sputters and dies. Hmmm? I think. Turn the key, pump the throttle once (and this is about where I realize just what I had done) and WHUMP! A fireball looking like something out of a cheezy war movie erupts out of the engine compartment! I hadn't screwed the fuel line back on! So, while a bonfire burns in the engine compartment of the car I run through the garage and into the back yard and get the hose. I got it put out, and the whole car didn't go up in flames, but there was definitely some damage done. All the vacuum lines are gone, the distributor is finished, the driver's side wiper motor is trash, the bundle of wires that comes up the passenger's side of the engine (fuel injector wires, IAT wire, and some to the A/C) is wasted. There's probably alot more, but that's just the obvious. I'm thinking that there's probably too much damage to ever get the car road-worthy. I'd probably have to rewire and re-vacuum line the engine compartment. I've got another car and had been considering stripping the camaro and turning it into an all go/no show street/race car. That may still be an option. What would y'all do? Part it out? Keep it? Is there likely to be more damage hidden in the engine compartment?

 

The hardest thing to fix will be the wiring. Everything else is basic component replacement. The wiring may have survived (just melted the outside wire loom plastic ripple covering) or it could have all the insulation melted off and shorting out.

You might as well try to get it running again if the wiring doesn't look too bad. A picture would be worth a thousand words here.

 

Indeed it would:

That was my engine after my little fuel line issue.


Look familiar? It should. The almost EXACT same thing happened to me...9 months ago. I cant say HOW many people told me to just scrap the car. It could not be repaired. It wasnt worth my time. 9 months, a few screws, a bunch of wire, and a lot of bloody knunckles and bad words later, i am nearing the point where i can fire it up.

 

Ouch...thats all I have to say.