GAS TANK FIRE!

[laotsu]

so, I have had a fuel leak since I bought the truck, not in the fuel filler but in the tiny hose that goes to the evap tank next to the filler. I recently put a new intake manifold on and set my timing and adjusted my carb which resulted in me backfiring every time I shift gears. Yester day I filled my tank and forgot to monitor the leak so it kind spilled a bit. today about five minutes after leaving school a lady flags me down looking freaked out. Turns out I have flames coming out the bottom of my truck. I hightale it a block to the car wash on the corner and the flames are now coming up between the cab and the bed and are licking around my legs through the shifter hole in the transmission tunnel. when I try to stop the brake pedal just goes to the floor. no I have always had spongey brakes either because I never got all the air out of the lines/master or because I hate adjusting them so I have always had to pump em but I had to pump em like four times before I got pressure. I jump out and my first thought is to grab my backpack with all my school work. I shout for water but the guys at the car wash are just watching the show. fortunately the manager comes running with an extinguisher and hoses down my underside. the whole time my engine was running. Fire dept shows up checks it out and since I only lived like a mile away they escorted me home. I will have pics in the morning.

 

The moral of this story is don't neglect maintenance issues with the fuel or brake system.   Hope I didn't melt my whole under side.  :poop:  :poop: :poop:  :poop:  

[Phixius]

Glad your ok. Sounds like you had quite the adventure... This reminds me of when I got my 510, got it home ok, but looking at it when I poped the hood, I can see gas dripping out of cracked fuel lines :eek: ... turned it off right away, and glad it didnt ignite...

[wayno]

In my opinion you got lucky this time,  :sweat: that whole truck could have exploded/went up in flames very fast.

 

Next time just grab your home work and run, unless you would like an extended stay in a burn unit, that's assuming you survive.  :hmm:

[DeviousPsycho620]

Glad you're ok though man. Scary shit. I have the same leak but only on hills facing up. And no backfire.

[Phixius]

 

In my opinion you got lucky this time,  :sweat: that whole truck could have exploded/went up in flames very fast.

 

Next time just grab your home work and run, unless you would like an extended stay in a burn unit, that's assuming you survive.  :hmm:

 

Ive stayed at Harborview medical center, burn and plastic surgery clinic... Although a great place for treatment... I find it best not to end up there... yes, personal experiance, and its why I always wear a hat... even if its over 100 degrees...

[metalmonkey47]

+1 on handling it well. I'll be extra cautious with these things for sure now. 

 

You never think these things will happen to you until its too late.

 

 

 

Also time to put a fire extinguisher in the truck

[Syncro]

Should of fixed the leak.

[laotsu]

Should of fixed the leak.

You have a firm grasp of the obvious kiddo. Go back to playing with your plastic fantastic car.

[FiveSeventyZee]

Also time to put a fire extinguisher in the truck

 

good call...I may or may not do the same...

[SimplyPut]

I keep a fire extinguisher on a mount right behind the passenger seat easy to grab at any time.

[Aibast]

Is it regured by law in there to have fireextinguisher in the car? I have 2kg powder one. Needs to be checked by specialist each year for operation. But with under 5kg one can't save your car with a big fire. You can stop smaller wireing fires, but not big ones. I haven't had to but out any this far, but my dad was a mechanic  and he has burnt some cors down and saved some.

 

We need to carry in our car:

Fire extinguisher - certified

reflective danger sign - red triangel

stoping blocks - even have used them once when I parked the car on an angle on ice. It wanted to slide sideways. So blocks to block the car from sliding or rolling on steep hill, or when changeing the wheel.

First-Aid kit

I have fitted all these things behind and under my seat in the car.

[oldskoolvws]

None of that on this side of the planet...for cars anyway. They are usually sold as options here (not the fire extinguisher) although my Chevy Colorado did come with tire chalks.

[sick620]

I understand the leading up to the fire, but what caused the gas to ignite? hot weather? Exhaust? Im confused?? .... Im glad your ok and your truck is mostly ok.... the flames hopefully charred away some of that old datsun undercarriage grease.. :)

[laotsu]

I'm supposing it was a backfire.

[Syncro]

You have a firm grasp of the obvious kiddo. Go back to playing with your plastic fantastic car.

whatever you say man, I like saying I told you so, and at least I actually maintenance my car, don't think any of my cars have gotten close to literally burning to the ground.

[Lonestar]

whatever you say man, I like saying I told you so, and at least I actually maintenance my car, don't think any of my cars have gotten close to literally burning to the ground.

Whoa, children, please...let's not start a flame war. (Sorry for the pun) Iaotsu! Man, glad yer ok because that could have gone alot worse! I tell you that I too have been the victim of not keeping my cars/trucks update to snuff as they say. Needless to say the underside of your truck is extra crispy, I'd say it's a save bet that your brakelines and wiring is gone but at least your truck is still repairable right?

[laotsu]

I promised oics this is the best I can do

 

 

this is the one that best shows how the line leaked at the black crack in all the white fire extinguisher shit.

 

I figgered I'd go buy a wash at the place that saved my ass since my rear window is all sooty now

 

ten bucks in hose to replace the evap tank line and the fuel feed line. Brakes work but Ima bleed em and check again.

[dat521gatherer]

521 is a hot ride don't ya know. Glad you're ok and the truck is repairable.

[4perrev]

Wow, glad everything came out right in the end for ya. I'm definately going to put an extimguisher in my old betty once she's completed! Was the fire on the gas tank or did it start up in the engine bay? Looks like it was at the gas tank from the pictures.

[laotsu]

Yeah started on top of the tank at the sender.

[Aibast]

I think you had a leak on the tank and the sender unit was the ignition point. Maby bad connection gave a spark on a bumpy road or something. An yes you all should have a fire extinguisher in your car. You never know when you need one, better to be safe than sorry. Damn, this makes me thing I should but one of my 5kg ones in the trucks in adition the the 2kg one. There is enough room for that to.

[Laecaon]

One time I was riding in my friends VW Bus, with him and me and about 4 others. This old british lady in a Subaru pulls up next to us on my side and says "Excuse me, but your car is on fire" ever so mildly. At which point my friend panics. I direct him to the nearest parking lot, away from other cars. At which point I opened the rear hatch to the engine, and find flames. I tell 2 of the girls that were with us to go get a fire extinguisher, and they run into a Chinese restaurant. My friend emerges from the other side of the bus, sees the flames, and violently throws his keys on the ground. The girls return with a pitcher of water and hand it to me. Im like really? water? mmk...  Knowing that water can actually accelerate a fire (and this one seemed to be a oil or foam fire), I decided to take the flames out in 1 splash of the pitcher. And out went the flames. I then recovered everyones belongings as I was the only one "daring" enough to go into the bus.

 

What happened:  So one of the previous owners had done an oil filter relocation. Well it started leaking, and oil managed to fall onto the catalytic converter. And because we were just going up a steep hill, the Cat got nice and hot, and ignited the oil. Which in turn ignited the foam seal for the engine compartment. The flames then melted the plastic mesh over the intake.

 

To top the story off. When my friend got the bill from the mechanic, the total came out to be $666. When the mechanic (whom I know well enough for him to pick me out of a lineup), saw the unfortunate number, he lowered it to $665.

 

 

Moral of the story: Leaks are bad. And carry a fire extinguisher.

[Z chopper]

I have a friend that is into raceing and uses the same style extinguisher set up in his daily as he does in his race car, all he has to do is pull a trigger and the engine bay is doused and fuel tank is doused with extinguisher powder/foam though his race car also sprays in the cabin as well

[Aibast]

It isn't hard to make that system for a car. And its a good one.

[laotsu]

I think you had a leak on the tank and the sender unit was the ignition point. Maby bad connection gave a spark on a bumpy road or something.

I know where the leak was because I saw it every time I fueled up. I'm pretty sure the ignition source was my glass pack muffler wired to the frame with no tail pipe. I'll post a pic to show you.