Poor life choices - C4 content

Harvey wrote: You're close! I can feel it!

I'm just not sure what it'll be first: mental breakdown, stroke, or homelessness!

Pete Gossett wrote:

Harvey wrote: You're close! I can feel it!

I'm just not sure what it'll be first: mental breakdown, stroke, or homelessness!

You'll succeed as long as the car isn't able to fulfill its plan of burning your garage down.

Oh, and this would be Day-100(2-hours).

On TV the 100th episode is a celebration. That flame was kinda close to the fuel line? The melt down looks electrical in nature. Did the wires hit the manifold? Any way, you got good spark. Time to take a breath, enjoy your favorite imbibement, and dig in again. You are real close.

To Harvey. I kinda like the way the number looks, gives it a certain something. Nice car by the way.

Baby steps...

You'll get it! Step away for an hour or a day...or whatever it takes. Sometimes a break is all it takes to come back with a different frame of mind. Or switch to a different aspect of the project that can make you feel good about some progress. Harvey is right. Make a list and chip away at it (that works for me, anyway).

Without the air pump the air tubes will reach full exhaust manifold temp and melt errything.

The tubes will have to be shielded or removed.

Was it really a FIRE? Or a exhaust leak, or did the hot tube just melt the plug wires and then that looked like a fire.

Now need to check all the plug wires for damage from the hot air tube, no sense having one ground out later.

How hard would it be to remove the air tube and plug the manifold tubes with some plugs. Might have been easier when the manifolds were off. Looks like it is just making it harder to route the plug wires.

This can be solved and is a small issue compared to any of the other stuff that you have already taken care of.

What even happened here? I cant see plug wires catching fire, arcing between wires yes, but what fed the fire?

I know it's kinda fugazy, but zip tie everything out of the way, for now. Try not to cross wires. sort it out, then neaten it up.

In reply to TED_fiestaHP:

It was definitely fire: 6"-8" flames I saw over the top of the air cleaner while bent down on the driver's side.

I think the stock plastic plug wire retainer contacted the air tube. Whether the plastic its self caught fire, or there was oil on it, I'm not sure. I'm picking up more wires today & will replace at least #2 & #4, more of needed.

I actually have a set of the hotrod style over-the-valve-cover wire holders, I'd just been avoiding using them because I'm sure I've already exceeded Challenge budget(though I quit keeping track a while ago). At the project continues I think the likelihood of bringing this to the Challenge decreases - I probably could get it back under budget by undoing a bunch of work, junkyard scrounging, and fabricating some parts, but I sort of feel I'd be better off spending that time/money/effort taking the project forward. We'll see...

I'm not going to modify the stock manifolds because they do have some value to the purists, and I already have a set of headers I plan on installing once I get everything else sorted.

I know all about belts making noise, this was the belt on the last truck that i bought:

Fire is always a scare. I once forgot to zip tie a harness out of the way and on the cars inititial drive i got to see flames! Looks like its just a plug wire and some polish from being fixed atleast. Keep it up!

Crackers nailed it. Reroute plug wires away from that capped-off AIR tube. And get rid of that tube ASAP as it offers only risk.

Dirtydog wrote: To Harvey. I kinda like the way the number looks, gives it a certain something. Nice car by the way.

Thanks, it is a fun car. The tape reflects a certain casual disregard for the autocross norms but more a certain laziness from its owner since multiple people I know have vinyl cutters.

I'll have to do vinyl as the tape will really contrast badly with all the stickers I need to put on for Pro Solo.

I do have all sorts of magnetic numbers sitting around... stupid fiberglass car.

Think ahead Pete Gossett, start looking for cheap vinyl cutters now!

Day-101(1-hour):

I got the bad wires replaced, and made sure all of them are out of contact with the manifolds & air pipes.

And the driver's side, just to be safe.

I took it down off the jack stands too, but that was it for tonight. I'm off work tomorrow, so I'll push it outside before firing it up.

I did run to Harbor Freight and pick up an IR thermometer though. With no gauge cluster I wanted some way to monitor coolant temp...if I'm actually able to run it long enough to heat up without problems.

Make sure you get good placement on the camera to show the burn out.

In reply to Stampie:

No burnouts, at least not until the first event, don't want to waste the Hoosiers.

Give us at least a chirp?

Put on the OE tires and melt em for a second or six, I mean they are only how old?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fll_OPtYsJE

use some zip ties to tidy up those spark plug wires.

QuasiMofo wrote: Put on the OE tires and melt em for a second or six, I mean they are only how old?

They were date coded from 1992. Anyway, we lost one of them somewhere in Aeromoto's shop. While we were in the process of dismounting them.

Judging from your posting patterns and times I'd say this damned old car is giving you sleepless nights.

Pete Gossett wrote:

QuasiMofo wrote: Put on the OE tires and melt em for a second or six, I mean they are only how old?

They were date coded from 1992. Anyway, we lost one of them somewhere in Aeromoto's shop. While we were in the process of dismounting them.

So whatca doing with the old wheels

In reply to QuasiMofo:

I think he's keeping them for street tires. I have a set of late c4 offset in 17x8.5 and 17x9.5 if you need some. Challenge cheap.