petrol / spark plug

Obviously major I have just taken out a spark plug to put replacements in it was floating in petrol anybody else had this experience and what is the possible damage £ I think a valve must be stuck

could do with a bit more description.

was the engine lumpy or mis-fireing before you took the plug out?

What do you mean by floating?

As for valves being stuck, as the cam forces them to open, I'm assuming you think there is a valve stuck open. A compression test will identify that. You can get a Gunsons compression tester from Hell-fords, probably get change from £20 too. If it is a valve problem, that will be a head off job, which I think is a lot easier with the engine out.

good luck !!!

Obviously major I have just taken out a spark plug to put replacements in it was floating in petrol anybody else had this experience and what is the possible damage £ I think a valve must be stuck

Just sounds like you have a fuel pipe leaking in your engine bay and its leaked fuel down the spark plug socket...

Sort it quick though, sparks and fuel don't mix to well (well they do, but you know what I mean.. )

Oh, that sort of floating, more like swimming.

With a cold engine, turn the ignition on and off several times. This will prime the fuel pump as well as build increasing pressure into the fuel pipes around the engine. You should soon see the leak near to your offending plug. (DG told me this, to find fuel leaks)

No evidence of fuel outside the plug, removed the plug and the hole is full of fuel.
When starting from cold the engines doesn't seem to be firing correctly difficult to explain, starts first time I leave for 5mins to warm, but when driving get increased vibration from 2k revs upward and the engine sounds as if it is not firing in the right order, I usually wait to the first set of lights switch off and then restart all is then ok, vibe and erratic tone gone.

so you remove the plug cap and HT lead and it is dry around the plug?
Then you remove the plug and the hole is full of Fuel. Do you mean that the cylinder is full of fuel?

COR, maybe an injector is stuck open and filling the cylinder with the remaining pressure when the ignition is turned off. If it is stuck open, I'd guess that your consumption is high. Perhaps it is just intermitant and resets itself when you restart the warm car????

Have you got RAC or AA cover? They're pretty good at diagosing faults and their source and if you've got the correct level of service can trailer your car somewhere.

Be very careful if the bore(s) are filled with fluid of any kind!

Two examples: one colleague with a Ford Probe who drove through floods sucked in a load of water - hydraulically locked the bores and wrecked the engine.

Second example another old colleague who had a Ginetta with a tuned Rover V8. He was dabbling one day with a faulty bulb and so had the ignition on for a while. The whining noise he heard while he was working was the fuel pump that for some reason pushed fuel through the float chambers and into the bores. When he started the car it unfortunately fired up, damaging the pistons and bending a couple of conrods.

The Ford engine was left as scrap and the V8 needed a rebuild with some expensive new parts. All I'm saying is be cautious and if in doubt don't start it up!

Be very careful if the bore(s) are filled with fluid of any kind!

Yes, indeed. Can't see how the car is even running....

It can only be an faulty injector (stuck open)

Well I made it the 40 miles to Turbo Technics, philip agrees with David probably a leak somewhere and is looking for it as we speak

driven 40 miles with loose fuel in a gta engine bay and you went that distance.......mad or on a deathwish.....
shall we start a poll

driven 40 miles with loose fuel in a gta engine bay and you went that distance.......mad or on a deathwish.....
shall we start a poll

Lucky we're not starting a collection

I think Red Leo is a man you likes to live on the edge of life.

take care.

hope its fixed i just drove the 40 miles home, I haven't had time to take the plug out and check yet. Oh and the heat shield on the engine cover fell off, it must be my turn

hope its fixed i just drove the 40 miles home, I haven't had time to take the plug out and check yet. Oh and the heat shield on the engine cover fell off, it must be my turn

Hmmmm................... fuel leakanige ,no heatshields .
RED LEO nee DED LEO

hope its fixed i just drove the 40 miles home, I haven't had time to take the plug out and check yet. Oh and the heat shield on the engine cover fell off, it must be my turn

Hmmmm................... fuel leakanige ,no heatshields .
RED LEO nee DED LEO

KABOOM :!: