Top Fuel Engine Explodes On Startup. (1 Viewer)

[luxexpress]

If I remember correctly, Clayton Harris had one do that on the start up at an IHRA event in NY. Blew out the windows of a return vehicle sitting nearby. Sounded like a bomb going off.

 

[TF CREW]

It's obvious, they didn't back the engine down and it hydrauliced .

NO IT'S NOT OBVIOUS!
I can show you a Nitro motor that did that and had not been fired on nitro,,
All it takes is a leak in a check .

 

[fueller42]

People, please, if you’re going to speculate on something, then proceed to reply, PLEASE, know of what you speak.

More than one here has speculated that it “hydraulic’d”. Unless a cylinder somehow got filled with fuel, then another cylinder fired, it’s not possible. To hydraulic (lock) a cylinder, it means there is more fuel in the cylinder before the cylinder is at TDC than there is room for when said cylinder reaches TDC. Since liquid nitro can’t be compressed, it hydraulically locks that cylinder from moving.

Detonation on the other hand, is a strong possibility.
Having been the guy running the starter when this happens, I know first hand how dangerous it is. I just happened to be on the opposite side of the engine that grenaded. One guy had his leg cut up pretty good by the copper shrapnel from the head gasket. As near as we could find out, there was a leaking check valve, and one banana clip on one mag ground wasn’t tight. It was still there, but not a good connection.
The explosion was powerful enough to bend a cylinder head a full half inch.

 

[TF CREW]

People, please, if you’re going to speculate on something, then proceed to reply, PLEASE, know of what you speak.

More than one here has speculated that it “hydraulic’d”. Unless a cylinder somehow got filled with fuel, then another cylinder fired, it’s not possible. To hydraulic (lock) a cylinder, it means there is more fuel in the cylinder before the cylinder is at TDC than there is room for when said cylinder reaches TDC. Since liquid nitro can’t be compressed, it hydraulically locks that cylinder from moving.

Detonation on the other hand, is a strong possibility.
Having been the guy running the starter when this happens, I know first hand how dangerous it is. I just happened to be on the opposite side of the engine that grenaded. One guy had his leg cut up pretty good by the copper shrapnel from the head gasket. As near as we could find out, there was a leaking check valve, and one banana clip on one mag ground wasn’t tight. It was still there, but not a good connection.
The explosion was powerful enough to bend a cylinder head a full half inch.

Yeah like this, best we could determine leaking check dribbled some fuel into cylinder.

 

[TSK]

That’s an incredible picture Sean. Thanks for posting it.
A blown fuel engine is an awesome piece of machinery.
But, when things go wrong, bad things inevitably happen.

 

[TF CREW]

That’s an incredible picture Sean. Thanks for posting it.
A blown fuel engine is an awesome piece of machinery.
But, when things go wrong, bad things inevitably happen.

You should see the billet block

 

[turbo ken]

In Clay's youtube video Jim O explains what happened

 

[Butch]

Sean, (You should see the billet block)
Picture or it didn't happen. LOL

 

[TF CREW]

Sean, (You should see the billet block)
Picture or it didn't happen. LOL

 

[TF CREW]

It did almost everything Jim mentioned, frame rails were bent and broken it ruptured main fuel line and ignited fuel causing the fuel tank to explode

 

[Butch]

Sean Thanks for the pictures, from the looks and what you and JO have explained. It should've been much worse on the human injuries. Thankfully my understanding is there was no permanent injuries.