| [ Total Views: 783 | Total Replies: 21 | Thread Id: 8783 ] |
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 Desert Bug
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 12:45 AM |
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Engine fire pics.
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. |
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Desert Bug
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 12:55 AM |
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Had to make photo smaller.
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Spook
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 05:27 AM |
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So long as your daughter got out alright.
Cars are expendable.
Sounds like a good idea with the tie wire.
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.
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koolkarmakombi
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 07:13 AM |
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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  |
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Robo
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 07:58 AM |
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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..
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Spook
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 08:27 AM |
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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 my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.
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Robo
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 08:35 AM |
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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....
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Yogibear
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 09:22 AM |
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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
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sikdub
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 10:36 AM |
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Jeez Ian, thats a bit nasty. Hope all is well. :thumb
Steven
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Spook
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 12:58 PM |
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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.
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.
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Desert Bug
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 01:16 PM |
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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. |
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Robo
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 01:28 PM |
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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....
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kombi69
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 03:52 PM |
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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
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 helbus
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 05:06 PM |
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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.
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68AutoBug
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 06:17 PM |
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Sorry about the VW Fire
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
- [size=4]Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY--- [/size]
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68AutoBug
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 posted on July 26th, 2003 at 06:23 PM |
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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
- [size=4]Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY--- [/size]
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Robo
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 08:39 PM |
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Thats a good question Autobug!
Rob.....
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KruizinKombi
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 10:20 PM |
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Makes sense to me! :thumb
Kruizin Kol
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vassy66T1
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| posted on July 26th, 2003 at 10:43 PM |
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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!!
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type82e
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| posted on July 27th, 2003 at 07:46 AM |
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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
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Doug Sweetman
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| posted on July 27th, 2003 at 11:37 AM |
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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.
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Desert Bug
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| posted on July 27th, 2003 at 01:57 PM |
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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.
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Robo
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| posted on July 27th, 2003 at 03:00 PM |
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Well You cant complain about the replacement! Very nice Beetle!
Rob.....
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 Peter Leonard
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| posted on July 27th, 2003 at 06:43 PM |
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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
let sleeping dubs lie
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Baja Wes
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| posted on July 28th, 2003 at 08:12 AM |
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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.
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