Close call for HemiSnake

[HemiSnake]

So I thought tonight was the end of the HemiSnake... 86 miles on the odometer and the f$@#ing engine catches fire while going 40 MPH on a road about 2 miles from my house!!! Don't worry, I'm okay (I know you were all asking yourselves that question), but now realize why I need to make 100% sure the fire extinguisher is always in the car. I had it in there every other trip but left it out this time because I was working on the carpet last night and forgot to put it back in. You guys should have seen me on the side of the road with a huge white cloud of smoke beating back the flames with my jacket - unbelievable! Figured I had 5 years of my life tied up in that build and I was willing to go down with it. (Sensationalized slightly for dramatic effect -- I'm not that stupid. But when the guy and his wife pulled along side me - as I was figuring out who to call first - and pointed to the fire coming out of the vent above the drivers side header, I wet myself.)

Turns out, the braided oil line from the engine to the cooler was not up to spec and separated from the fitting under pressure. Sprayed all 9 quarts of synthetic oil everywhere, including the headers, which is why it caught fire. Lucky for me, the guy who drove up happened to have a bucket of water in his trunk??? Go figure!!! All this happened right in front of Dave Duerson's house on route 22 in Highland Park. Anyway, the car looks fine, and with some luck I'll get it back together in time to take it to the dyno (Mroz) on Thursday afternoon.

In all seriousness, I debated posting this message for fear of all the ridicule I will get, but hopefully others will read this post and heed the safety warning about having an extinguisher in the car at all times and how quickly these things can turn on you.

- Mark
http://www.mtdesign.com/cobra/