Fire coming out of valve cover...
 

First: Total noob question im sure, but no dice searching on yotatech or google. My apologies, but I am in no way mechanically inclined.

Truck is an 87 that I have had for 10 years. 200k miles on rebuilt engine...got stolen a couple times in the city so I have been trying to get her running well after sitting non-op for a couple years.

Just did a desmog (was a CA model), installed a weber 32/36 on a new to me intake manifold, and just got it back from getting my exhaust welded onto a DT header when I noticed fire shooting out of the valve cover. Its coming out of bolt on the driver side, closest to the radiator.

Only seems to happen after the engine gets close to temp. Other than that it seems to run fine. Did notice that my radiator cap needs to be replaced (ie leaking) but that appears to be it.

Any guidance on where to start would be appreciated...or just ridicule me mercilessly while posting the thread where this has already been answered...

Er and Uh. Holy crap man. Tell me your pulling our collective leg or something!

I'd like to assume you did something wrong on the "desmog". But I can't really.

It's either substancial damage to the head, or something pluged in wrong. start with a compression and leak down test, to rule out valve and head damage. And of course double check everything you just did, including vacuum lines and that stuff.

PS.. :pics::cam: I for one could go for a laugh, but don't burn yourself

If I'm reading that correctly, then I'm going to have to assume a bad valve.

x2 on the compression and leak down.

Didnt you know Toyota's are fire breathing dragons.yours musta seen a jeep and gotten pissed off

Just how do flames shoot out of a bolt??



Even if it is bad valve pushing out during the compression stroke . it could only come out around the 4 bolts holding the valve cover

the oil fill and

the vent and pcv

Along with oil leaking as well
Also a valve that bad would do it all the time:fire2:

Point to the flaming bolt please ;)
https://www.yotatech.com/attachments...08331_tiny.jpg

He prolly needs a drivers side pic to do that

You guys drive on the left side of the road dwn there in FL :think:

That is the Dside. Distributor hole check, spark plugs check, exhaust ports and manifold check and check ;)

Think it's an exhaust leak, since all the valve cover "bolts" are on top.

I'll try to get a picture posted up after work today as well as some numbers from a compression test. Thanks for the quick replies.

Your running rich. There is something wrong with your Weber and your fuel air mixture.

I don't think this is okay and are you still driving it ?

No. Not driving it. Didn't want to be that guy who's engine grenades on the freeway.

Snobdds- I will play around with the carb when i get home and see if adjusting it helps.

More to follow this afternoon. Also, should have been more specific Co 94, it is coming out from around the nut on top that secures the valve cover down. I will post pictures so i can quit confusing people with the incorrect nomenclature.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions.

Update 1: I did dumb. :oops: After closer inspection I realized that my original thought that it was a flame was incorrect. Turns out it was just arcing...a lot. Note to self: look twice, and then look again, before posting a thread. Tried to snap a picture of the arc to show how significant it was, especially in my poorly lit garage, but no luck. Would have been helpful for justifying this thread to myself....

However: Still weird because my entire valve cover had a current running through it. Tested my ground where it connected to the firewall and it had a current as well.

So, as a result of getting my stereo jacked, I believe that somewhere behind my dash there must be a hot wire touching the firewall.

Sorry to disappoint those who were curious as to why my valve cover would be breathing fire. I did say I was a noob though, so you had fair warning (you do get a 1 dumb post freebie right?).

After that discovery, my engine did overheat and start throwing up coolant, so I think that the ground issue may be the least of my worries...yay.

12v usually won't arc. double check the spark plug wires and clips that attach it to the valve cover. If they're not realtivly new it wont hurt(cost much) to replace them.

Perhaps where you live 12VDC does not arc like people in Florida have right hand drive!!! tell that to people that welded rings or watches to things poking where they did not belong wearing jewelery :welder:

But I have to agree spark plug voltage would be much more exciting to see and it would also arc when the plug fires!! Looking like fire shooting out of a bolt

If it was a grounded wire in the cab it would have opened a fuse if not a fusible link

:scared: yeah bad word choice there "ARC across an air gap", got a melted stainless knife blade or two from accidents trimming tape on little 1/2A cell battery packs. So don't think your safe with a little battery either.:facepalm:

Had been up to long sorry

I checked the spark plug wires and they looked alright. It has to be something from the cab unless you can think of something else that would cause only the firewall to have a current. Checked the fender wells, alternater brackets, etc. etc. Also checked for any random exposed hot wires hanging in the engine bay. No dice.

All new plugs and wires as of last month. Doing the compression test and leak down test (once I find a thread on how) today to see if my HG or a valve is shot. With just a visual inspection oil and coolant appeared normal. Don't see any milk shake or oil in the coolant...yet. Yesterday the truck idled fine, but when I took off the parking brake and put it into gear to move it the truck would heat up and die. Going to ensure that I dont have an air bubble in the cooling system as well. More to follow.