Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 13:14:45 -0500
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Use this for fire safetey... AND eliminate the fire hazard...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
(By the time your magnesium parts start burning, the rest of the car will be
nice and toasted.)
I've got to argue that point.
I got an engine from a 82 Vanagon that had an engine fire, caught the
magnesium on fire in the extended process.
The Vanagon owner said the fire was contained by the steel engine lid and
only started blasting up under the rubber seals on the engine deck when the
fire department opened the license plate door with a hook and really
exploded the magnesium fan shroud.
You could see that there was an explosion because bits of pot metal,
aluminum and plastic were spread all over the underside of the engine lid,
sides of the engine bay and sheet metal.
The engine fire was so hot it burned out the silicone seals on the pushrods,
rendered the valve cover gaskets to charcoal, melted the distributor, melted
the throtle body, made the oil ports on the rear of the engine weep from
heat and melted the engine yoke as the rubber engine mounts burned.
I couldn't safely rescue hardly anything from the engine except the cam,
lifters, rods. The pistons and cylinders were a total loss because the
engine seized from lack of oil and with a nasty oil saturated engine bay the
whole thing fired..
I have no doubt that magnesium is hard to start on fire but I see that it
has been started in almost every early 50s to 83 that had engine fires. That
includes Bugs, Beatles, Busses, Vanagons and some Porsche.
Stan Wilder
www.engineceramics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff at Vanagonparts" <jeff@VANAGONPARTS.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 12:11 PM
Subject: Re: Use this for fire safetey... AND eliminate the fire hazard...
> By the time your magnesium parts start burning, the rest of the car will
be
> nice and toasted.
>
> I have conducted many sceintific experiments burning magnesium based VW
> parts (can you say bonfires) and have noticed one thing... it takes a long
> time for it to ignite.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jeff
> www.vanagonparts.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
> Of Stan Wilder
> Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 7:24 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Use this for fire safetey... AND eliminate the fire
> hazard...
>
>
> Steel engine covers will not stop the fire from going into the interior of
> your Vanagon.
> There are still magnesium parts on VWs. Like the fan shroud, tranny cases.
> Stan Wilder
> www.engineceramics.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gnarlodious" <gnarlodious@EARTHLINK.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 9:06 AM
> Subject: Re: Use this for fire safetey... AND eliminate the fire hazard...
>
>
> > Entity Craig Oda spoke thus:
> >
> > > How as the original padding attached?
> > I think it is propped up using jam rods like the headliner is. After
years
> > of heat, vibration and moisture it droops down.
> >
> > > Otherwise, I would have to look at some type of glue, maybe
> > > this foam that Gnarlie used.
> > The foam is a great material but not fireproof. Don't use it if you want
> > fire protection.
> >
> > -- Gnarlie
> >
> >
> > >> Entity Craig Oda spoke thus:
> > >>
> > >>> I've got my transmission out of the van right now and there is a lot
> > >>> of this old padding that is falling out on my driveway floor, face
and
> > >>> into my hair. It is above the trans, on the firewall. I'm thinking
> > >>> of ripping this out and putting new stuff in there. It already has
a
> > >>> big junk of padding missing.
> > >> I propped up the padding and injected polyurethane foam behind it.
> Driving
> > >> now for 2 years with no loosening, I'm real pleased with the results.
> Messy
> > >> though during application, wear expendable clothes and cover your
hair.
> Once
> > >> you inject don't move the padding or it collapses the foam. After it
> hardens
> > >> you can remove the props.
> > >>
> > >> Couldn't comment on the flammability though, this is a diesel.
> > >>
> > >> -- Gnarlie
> > >>
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