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Date:         Thu, 29 Aug 2002 22:17:21 -0700
Reply-To:     Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Subject:      Re: Fire Extinguishers
Comments: To: Clive Smith <clive.harman-smith@ntlworld.com>
In-Reply-To:  <002101c24fbf$de435e20$0d00a8c0@LAGOS>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Apparently they don't now but the old ones did. Ask Pensioner about that kind of stuff.

Mike On 8/29/02 5:54 PM, "Clive Smith" <clive.harman-smith@NTLWORLD.COM> wrote:

>> Two questions >> 1. Do Vanagon engines have magnesium in them? >> 2. Wouldn't fire depts know this (if true) and avoid putting water on > these >> car fires? > > 1) NO, despite it having been said in this list a few times, the alloys in > the any auto engine, are not magnesium based, they're alumium based, and the > alloying elements mainly used for casting alloys are silicon and manganese > (and I can't remember what else). > > I may be wrong, but you'll have to go some to prove that anyone would cast > any significant quantities of mag ally's into an auto engine - for one, all > the threads would have to have inserts. > > 2) The question therefore doesn't arise, but if it did in prepoderance, > they'd soon find out that mag ally's were being used a lot. > > Maybe someone should try setting a (real) mag ally wheel on fire - bet > that's be a job - then spray it with water. > > Clive > '88 Syncro Transporter > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dan Erlandson" <danoer1@ECLIPSE.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 1:37 AM > Subject: Re: Fire Extinguishers > > >> Well... This is what I heard from a former student (I am a high school > Chem >> teacher) who was also on the emergency squad in his town. I can speak to >> accuracy of the Chemistry aspect of this, but you'll have to fill me in on >> the accuracy/truth of the story... >> >> My former student told me that he was on duty on night when they received > a >> call about a vehicle on fire on Rte 287 in NJ. When they arrived the >> vehicle turned out to be a Vanagon and luckily no one was injured, but as >> the fire dept arrived and began to put out the fire the whole thing > started >> to really get going... the more they put on it (what were they using ???) >> the worse it got... The Van was reduced to cinders (supposedly). What my >> student told me was that one of the firefighters said that the engine must >> have a fair amount of magnesium in it. >> >> Ok so here is the chemistry info... Magnesium (they stuff they used to > use >> in the old time disposable flash bulbs) is pretty slow to react at room >> temperatures with air, water... Acid makes it react very quickly at R.T., >> but turn that water into steam and Magnesium really reacts quickly... > almost >> like the floating fire effect if you have ever seen sodium or potassium >> react with water. So it is true that if an engine had magnesium in it > (what >> % ???) and that engine caught fire, then the conversion of any water in/on >> the engine to steam would simply accelerate the fire. >> >> Two questions >> 1. Do Vanagon engines have magnesium in them? >> 2. Wouldn't fire depts know this (if true) and avoid putting water on > these >> car fires? >> >> I'd weigh in on the fire extinguisher question and say any (except for > water >> based) would be ok. >> >> -- -- Dan Erlandson >> 99 Passat >> 91 Vanagon GL >> Flemington, NJ >>> danoer1@eclipse.net >> >> >> >>> From: Steven Dodson <steven@EPOCHDESIGN.COM> >>> Reply-To: Steven Dodson <steven@EPOCHDESIGN.COM> >>> Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 11:08:36 -0700 >>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >>> Subject: Fire Extinguishers >>> >>> What is the best type of extinguisher for our Vanagons? >>> >>> >>> -Steven Dodson >>> Kneeland, CA >>> "Inga" the 87 Syncro >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf >>> Of Larry Chase >>> Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 8:09 AM >>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >>> Subject: Re: vanagon Digest - 28 Aug 2002 to 29 Aug 2002 - Special issue >>> (#2002-1044) >>> >>> >>> OK, yah got my attention. >>> >>> "extinguisher would have eaten the metal of the engine block". >>> >>> What's this about? >>> >>> Happy Trails, >>> >>> Larry Chase >>> 85 Westy "RoadHaus" >>> 90 Westy Syncro ... Soon >>> Mesa, AZ >>> >>> >>> - - - - - - >>> >>> Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 22:51:10 -0600 >>> From: Eric Nettles <enettles@IRAKUSA.COM> >>> Subject: Re: Spare Parts List - Input >>> >>> Oddly enough, and just to add debate, I was lucky that the fire > extinguisher >>> didn't work when my van's fuel lines went up... The fire was small and > out >>> early, but an extinguisher would have eaten the metal of the engine > block, >>> doing more damage than the fire did. 'S just what the friendly local >>> firemen said as they swapped stories about all the vehicles they'd > burned >>> themselves. >>> >


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