My daughter had just filled up with fuel and was driving home late one night when this happend. The brass tube came out of the inlet side of the fuel pump, I have not seen this happen before. All hoses had clamps on too. I now run a safety wire from the clamp around the body of the pump and the carby which ensures that they can't come apart.
Ian.

Had to make photo smaller.

So long as your daughter got out alright.
Cars are expendable.
Sounds like a good idea with the tie wire.

Man I bet that freaked her out!

Sad demise for what looked like a tidy bug.

Insured??? I hope so.

New fuel pumps have the pipes fitted differently so **should** not come out. Neither **should** the old one though

Hi Desert Bug
My heart aches, for your daughters loss, is it beyond repair?
I have to say that what happened to her Beetle is sadly not an uncommon thing. One of the first things my VW mechanic showed me when I bought my 65 Beetle was how easy it was to pull that same brass tube out of the fuel pump, it was the first thing he repaired for me!
Im glad your daughter got out OK, and I hope she was not too upset, I hope she can repair the damage or can get another Beetle, we dont want to loose her to corolla dom, Whatever way, I have always had a fire extinguisher in my VW's, it may not save them all the time, but it gives you at least, a chance!
Keep us informed about what happens!
Rob..

Fact is; there is no point having a fire extinguisher in a VW. Unless it's a full size one.
The gravity feed fuel line means it burns til you run out of fuel, & if the block catches alight you can't even use water on them.

We did a refresher course on fire fighting last week & that is what a guy from the fire brigade told me.
So all these years I've been carrying something that would be a complete waste of time if I actually needed it.......

Well I stand by my comments! what happens if you have a fuse box fire!
I realise that once magnesium starts to combust, it pointless to try to put it out, and as you said a gravity feed line will burn as long as it has fuel, but in my experiance it is better to try and do something than nothing at all, and I have seen VW engine bay fires that have been put out with an extinguisher
Rob....

Guys,
I had the same problem in my old dub, where the brass tube blew out of the carbie on a backfire and the engine stopped. So silly me kicked it over again because I was in traffic and noticed the flames in the back window. I had a small extinghiusher in the car and went around the back and put it out with no damage done at all! I stand by saying that a extinghuisher is invaluable piece of equipment in a dak dak. It saved mine from burning to the ground!

:bounce

Jeez Ian, thats a bit nasty. Hope all is well. :thumb
Steven

I'm not suggesting not carrying one, just not the toy ones most of us carry in a car.
I'm gunna get on to Chubb & see what a real one is worth.

It took the Fire Brigade 20 mins to put the fire out, it burnt till the tank drained out.
The damage was to much to repair quickly so she bought a '72 Avacardo green beetle which my wife now drives and Anthea now drives a '61 Kombi with a 1916 in it. (see it in Members Rides under "Our '61 Kombi" by matttyler). This is a daily driver. A fire extinguisher suited to petrol fires would be worth carrying.
Ian.

Hi Desert Bug, where have you been!
Mate glad to hear your daughter is still in the fold!
So from your responce the Bug can be brought back to life? :thumb:thumb
Rob....

I posted this elsewhere, worth considering WRT engine fires
kombi69
posted on 24-7-2003 at 08:18 PM

My Kombi fuel lines are well clamped, but something occurred the other day that made me wonder about the cause of VW engine fires.
The HT lead from coil to distributor dropped off at the coil end where it points down. The engine had been cutting out before it just died in traffic.
While the connection was loose, I guess there might have been some sparking.
Is it possible this could cause engine fires, not only the usual suspect of the heat of the engine itself?
I thought it worth raising this issue, it might be an idea to make sure your coil to distributor HT lead in particular is well secured.




blue74l
posted on 25-7-2003 at 07:07 AM

YES - especially in a Type 1 upright motor running a PICT carb.
The Pict 34 often leaks at the bushing and drips petrol - right onto the side of the distributor.

Check your PICT's

As a safety you could always fit a fuel lock off solenoid in the fuel line close to the tank. It will cut off fuel when ignition is cut, and can also be used for a part of an imobilisation system.

Not a nice sight.... I am Now glad that I have installed an electric fuel pump in the front of My Car, and I always have a Fire Extinguisher and a small pair of long nose vise grips... these are great for cutting off fluids in a rubber hose, such as brake fluid or fuel... My Son drove 360kms a few years ago with these vise grips cable tied to his leaking brake hose until He could get home and get a new hose... or You can put your hand up under the fuel tank and squash the fuel line with the vise grips... no more fuel or Fire... hopefully... Lee 68AutoBug
:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce

Why didn't the fire brigade pour water into the fuel tank...???? Would have stopped the fire, if they kept putting the water into the fuel tank as water goes to the bottom of Petrol and out the fuel line.... Fire out... Hopefully.... as long as You keep water coming out of the fuel line..... then when its all cold and wet.... plug the hole up or put on another piece of rubber hose.... I always carry about 400mms of fuel line and extra clamps... regards Lee 68AutoBug:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce

Thats a good question Autobug!
Rob.....

Makes sense to me! :thumb

I had the exact same thing happen to my '66 beetle. Not a funny thing.
The new style of vw fuel pump are the go. Warn anyone with the brass fitting into an alloy body style fuel pump. The heat and vibration in a vw motor lead to the problem that caused the fire. And with a vw having plenty of heat underneath the fuel pump to get things started it's hard to stop.
Luckily I had a large towel in my bug and with that wrapped around my arm i was able to bend the fuel line up and stop the gravity feed.
Hope the bug is back in shape soon, with a new pump!!

my mechanic told me everytime you change the fuel hoses which should be often get a hammer and tap the outlets back in or get the threaded ones inserted.
on my last 1600 kombi I was chnaging the fuel hoses and one of the pipes just came out with the hose
marcel

This also happened to me about 6 years ago, with my first beetle, a 67. Luckily I didnt have a fire, but it was a new fuel pump that it happened to.

I'm guessing from peoples comments that the new fuel pumps have threaded fittings now ? As mine didnt...

A fire extinguisher is really a must in any car that you drive. Things (in a beetle) like battery fires for one (if your mechanic forgets to put the battery cover back on !) and other small occasions like that they are invaluable. Sure, they wont put out an engine fire if it gets hold, but then again, not much will.

The car has been retired to the graveyard and is helping to keep a couple of other family cars on the road. The transaxle is in Phat Bugs' beetle as is drivers door and Rossi headlights, and the lowered frontend is in our youngest daughters' '63 beetle.
Photo is of the beetle Anthea replaced the burnt one with.

Well You cant complain about the replacement! Very nice Beetle!
Rob.....

love the colour too
same as my last two.. even down to the moonroof.
was only two weeks ago that my brass inlet flew off and started pissing petrol into the engine compartment. ridiculously little knurling on the end inside the alloy body of the pump. i hammered it back in (with a spanner of course) covered the join in knead-it and then tie wired the whole shebang to the body of the pump. hasn't come off again yet. *scared look*
i reckon you should sue brosol. bastards.
:thumb

One day I was in a mates beetle going up a hill and the engine stopped, we got out and the brass fitting had fallen out of the fuel pump. Luckily he had good spark leads and I think that helped prevent a fire from starting.

Electric fuel pump is the best solution, providing you remember to to turn the ignition off. Or a fuel cut-off solenoid as originally suggested.