WATER ON A MAGNESIUM ENGINE FIRE

I remember many years ago, reading that NSW fire trucks were being fitted with a Fire Extinguisher that could be used on VW Engines for Magnesium fires...

I can't remember anymore than that???

apart from NEVER use water....

looks like these firefighters didn't know that...


first pic :
Kombi engine Fire

second pic :
VW Magnesium fire without Water being sprayed on it


third pic :
VW Magnesium fire with water being sprayed on it..

Once the magnesium engine catches fire You can throw Your fire extinguishers away...

BUT - AS soon as the engine catches fire...
YOU Can put the flames out with Your fire extinguisher...

Just make sure Your fuel filter is NOT in the engine compartment ... under the Beetle at the front or over the rear axle.. Kombis .. NOT in the engine compartment...

LEE

correct me if i am wrong but not all engine fires are due to the fuel filter, if the oil cooks you get the same result?

Paulc1964au wrote:correct me if i am wrong but not all engine fires are due to the fuel filter, if the oil cooks you get the same result?

Hi Paul,
All the fires I have seen have been fed by fuel...

the oil cooks... the engine doesn't get on fire... not unless somehow the hot oil is sprayed onto a very hot exhaust and happens to burst into flames... NOT LIKELY.. IMHO..

either the metal hose fitting coming out of the carburetor - or
the metal hose fitting coming out of the fuel pump.. -
or
the fuel filter coming off the hose...

allowing fuel onto a hot exhaust...

all those methods should be able to be contained with a fire extinguisher or two...


The fire needs to Be stopped before the magnesium catches on fire which will result in the car being burnt out....

LEE

Or not using rubber grommets for wiring through tinware etc.. Seen alot of cars put together with wires rubbing through insulation... results in a pretty light show.

I have a collection of old cases gearbox housings etc that I use for camping trip bonfires.....

Fires most often caused IMO by incorrect and perrished fuel hoses.

Hi Mat
Yes, forgot about that one...
many VW owners forget that fuel hoses don't last forever

I hate the cotton covered VW fuel hoses [vacuum too] as You cannot see the cracks..
also use hose clamps..

unless the cotton covered fuel hoses are NEW ..
like You have fitted them yourself.. renew them... ASAP.
at least with rubber hoses You can see the cracks long before they leak...

A Fuel filter in the engine bay is VERY Dangerous....

VW didn't put them there...

a fire starter waiting to happen...

LEE

my mate had a weeping rocker cover,It was nothing really, a drip or two when he stopped. i was following him on the motorway (in the uk) the oil leak got worse to the point of very tiny droplets on my windscreen, i figured we'd top up at the next servo and get new gaskets at the show we were going to. the oil leaked onto the heat exchanger, by the time it had started to smoke, it was alight. he was going down the road about 60mph engine ablaze on the right hand side, he had no idea what all the fuss was about.
by the time he stopped, he managed to get his young daughter out of the back of his bug, she was in a child seat, the flames were inside the car licking the roof above him. they were very lucky. we saved the spare and camping gear from the front of the car, but the was all.

I'll tell you NOT ALL ENGINE FIRE ARE CAUSED BY FUEL LINES.

68AutoBug wrote:A Fuel filter in the engine bay is VERY Dangerous....

VW didn't put them there...

LEE

VW, never fitted after market fuel filters in the engine bay (thats why they are "after market")
however VW DID fit a fuel filter in the engine bay (and still do.)
fuel pumps have a built in filter, the early ones were servicable. all diesels also have the filter mounted in the engine bay. you live n learn uh?

rrr that fire looks very familiar......hmmmm thats wat my kombi looked like goin up in flames.....
How long ago was this taken? it was over 10year ago

JVLRacing wrote:rrr that fire looks very familiar......hmmmm thats wat my kombi looked like goin up in flames.....
How long ago was this taken? it was over 10year ago

That photo was last Wednesday night at Mascot, Sydney.

vwjon wrote:

68AutoBug wrote:A Fuel filter in the engine bay is VERY Dangerous....

VW didn't put them there...

LEE

VW, never fitted after market fuel filters in the engine bay (thats why they are "after market")
however VW DID fit a fuel filter in the engine bay (and still do.)
fuel pumps have a built in filter, the early ones were servicable. all diesels also have the filter mounted in the engine bay. you live n learn uh?

Yes

I know the early fuel pumps had a serviceable fuel filter
but I was talking about rear engined air cooled VW engines..

and in particular the common plastic fuel filter that is in so many Beetles..

interesting about the tappet cover leaking and the fire...

I'm presuming the oil hit the HOT exhaust manifold

cheers

LEE

One of My tappet cover gaskets let go a few weeks ago..
never seen it happen before.. Only reason I saw it because it dropped about 300 mils of oil on MY garage floor..The gasket had compressed over the past year and let go...
it was a rubberised ?? type of gasket not just cork as I used to replace the cork ones at every 2nd oil change when I did the tappets..

LEE