Hot Rod Gods Strike Again

[PbFut]

It seems I can't catch a break this past month. Health issues with my wife Erin has made things challenging enough. With about 5 hours of total run time, it took some tuning and sync'ing, and maybe 100 miles actual driving, things went really bad with the 8 stack. Funny, I am not going out of my mind with frustration. I think Erin's situation grounded my idea of bad things.
Pics say it all. Looks to me like a fuel rail o-ring let go. I recently upped my Hagery limit as I was completing the truck. I'm sure they'll give me the stink eye. I sure would. Flames penetrated the firewall grommet holes and got behind the dash as well. You can barely sit in the cab it stinks so bad. This will be an interesting next few weeks.

[54blackhornet]

Sorry for your fire ! Fire extinguisher ? I will say a prayer for your wife tonight asking for a complete recovery. Truck can be repaired. Wives are more important.

[weq92f]

.

Good work getting that fire out and saving the truck. Hagerty will treat you like a customer with a loss. They will most likely finance whatever you choose to do and even help you find parts like that hood if necessary.

My tiny fire extinguisher in the cab probably would not have worked against a full on fuel fire that had time to develop. Thinking now I should carry a larger one in the bed!

-Kevin

[Wikid61]

Leave the hood off until that combo can be dialed in. Any dyno pro's near by?

['68OrangeSunshine]

Two options I can think of:
1] Taller stacks and cut the hood open to accomodate.
2] Go more conservative, getting Dual Carbs instead, and repaint the hood.

I hope your wife feels better soon.

[Getter-Done]

Prayers for your wife.

And Well wishes sent.

I have had similar issues going on for awhile.

Hope things get better soon for you and your wife.

Best advice I can give you is.

Just keep your Head up and Move Forward.

Keep Truckin.

[PbFut]

Thank all. Yes I had dialed in the tune and each port sync'd. The issue was not a simple backfire. The fuel rail blew out a connection. Not sure if it was the crossover or injector o-ring. It is clear the fuel spray was rearward and to the passenger side. Very likely lit by the distributor. My opinion is that it's a product fail. There are no fittings I attached that are in that area other than the fuel rail onto the injectors. The rail is tight and no indication it pushed the mounts out and connectors off the injectors. I suspect a o-ring. They were all lubed on install. There are 4 in the crossover and rather loose in hindsight. Suspect in my view. What is odd is there has to be close to 10 hours of run time already. You would think a ring would have failed before this.

[72SB]

OP, I am sure you will pinpoint the how and why this happened. Obviously sucks for what looks to be a significant do over

Did you have an extinguisher or did the fire just burn itself out after fuel/engine was shut off?

I have been fortunate enough to never need an extinguisher on "my" truck or car but have used it to assist someone else on fire

where I put my extinguisher

[MikeB]

Sorry to hear that. It hurts just to look at the photos. I wonder what ignited the fuel? Exhaust heat or spark? And is there a better solution than an o-ring in that location?

The only engine compartment fuel leak I've ever had was a crack in the factory rubber hose attaching the filter just before a Rochester 2-bbl carb. But even though the intake manifold was covered with fuel, there was no fire. And that would have been less than 5 psi.

Makes me want to go 100% hard line from mechanical pump to filter to carb on my 69.