Flooded engine.

tomstickland

I've just flooded my engine. I put the fuel feed and return pipes on the wrong way round.

I took the spark plugs out and allowed them to dry for half an hour, but no joy.
I then took the inlet manifold off and found a lot of fuel in there.
I allowed that to dry for a while.
The engine did run for about 5seconds.

I stopped it and left it for a few minutes. I wouldn't start.
I removed the plugs and they were all damp again.

How long should I leave it all to dry out?

Could I have damaged the fuel pressure regulator by doing this?

BenL

Did you leave your car near your hot water immersion Tom?

Flooded flat, flooded car.

Oh no!

Your lovely mop might help sort out the car!!

No car based advice though from me.

Ben (Fosters) (Derbyshire Dales Bunk Barn & Facebook)

tomstickland

Yes, well, the aim is to fix the car to allow me to go to work. Heater will be sorted when I get back from Germany.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Take the plugs out and leave them out overnight. Petrol evaporates, just make sure it isn't in a garage or similar, or near naked flames.

You could turn the engine over with the plugs out and evacuate the petrol that way but its a bit on the risky side to have petrol flying everywhere.

tomstickland

I've already done that (cranking over with plugs out).
I'm interested in how long people leave the plugs to dry out.

espresso

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

You could turn the engine over with the plugs out and evacuate the petrol that way but its a bit on the risky side to have petrol flying everywhere.

If you can disable the low tension for the spark, and place tissue/rag to soak up any excess petrol from the plug holes, that should be OK.

espresso

tomstickland wrote: »

I
I'm interested in how long people leave the plugs to dry out.

Are you saying that they are too wet to spark? Can't you burn off the excess petrol with a flame?

steveo3002

some folk heat the plugs in the oven and fit them asap

t_r

Nowadays when sparkplugs get fouled it is better to replace them.

epninety

I had a car with an EFI fault that flooded the engine occasionally. I just left it overnight each time and it always started fine in the morning. thoroughly wetted plugs may never be quite the same again, but it should run at least.

If you're in a hurry, give it a squirt of EZ-start just to get it running and a bit of heat into the cylinders. The aussies give it a much better name - http://www.nulon.com.au/products.php?productId=syb

goldspanners

epninety wrote: »

I had a car with an EFI fault that flooded the engine occasionally. I just left it overnight each time and it always started fine in the morning. thoroughly wetted plugs may never be quite the same again, but it should run at least.

If you're in a hurry, give it a squirt of EZ-start just to get it running and a bit of heat into the cylinders. The aussies give it a much better name - http://www.nulon.com.au/products.php?productId=syb

how good a name is that,does exactly what it says on the tin!