Hydrolock-the experience

[Quattrofan@aol.com]

Was playing with my (admittedly obscure) Fiat Dino Coupe yesterday, reviving
it after several years of slumber. One of the three Webers decided to have a
fit, the needle valve 
apparently sticking and flooding the engine with fuel so bad there was a
puddle on the 
floor from it running out a rusty gap in the one header (she needs a little
work). Two important observations:
1) The engine fired and ran (roughly) anyway, as Italian cars just get pissed
off when they've been allowed to sit around unused for several years.
2) My VERY expensive all aluminum 2.0 Ferrari V6 that I don't have the money
to rebuild luckily didn't hydrolock or do anything silly, thus causing me to
wonder what the Fiat Gods might have in store for me. It should be pointed
out that I didn't notice the pool of raw fuel on the floor immediately, right
below that belching header hole. I now feel compelled to rescue several more
rusty Italian cars as retribution to the Pasta Gods.
Anyway, I have experience hydrolock on a first hand basis, having made an
unsuccessful attempt at crossing a stream with my Honda CRX many years ago.
Result: one bent connecting rod hanging on the garage wall.  While sucking in
big globs of creek water will undoubtedly ruin one's engine, I must question
how that much fuel could enter a V8's engine just on start-up if everything
is performing as it should. Are we sure the woman's hydro-ed V8 wasn't
fording streams or something??
Just my $.02 and $95 connecting rod....

Dwight V.
86 Cgt, 89 Jetta GLI 16v, buncha Fiats