He's already tried to start the car, that's the problem. I recon it has gone hydraulic, in which case the bottom end of the engine is scrap.
While I agree about the potential fire risk, taking it to a small garage is only going to heap further expense on it.
Order of priority should be to cure the constantly running fuel pump, then turn the engine over without plugs to remove any pettrol in the system, then check for signs of going hydraulic (generally either bearing shells or at least one rod will be bent), so, nasty noises, low compression on one or more cylinders, etc.
With the fuel pump issue resoolved, if it has gone hydraulic, at least afresh engine can be safely installed. The cylinder head, sump, and any remaining auxilliary components can then be flogged on eBay (or even in classifieds) to offset the cost.
While I agree about the potential fire risk, taking it to a small garage is only going to heap further expense on it.
Order of priority should be to cure the constantly running fuel pump, then turn the engine over without plugs to remove any pettrol in the system, then check for signs of going hydraulic (generally either bearing shells or at least one rod will be bent), so, nasty noises, low compression on one or more cylinders, etc.
With the fuel pump issue resoolved, if it has gone hydraulic, at least afresh engine can be safely installed. The cylinder head, sump, and any remaining auxilliary components can then be flogged on eBay (or even in classifieds) to offset the cost.