Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 07:10:23 -0500
Reply-To: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Another Vanagon Burns Up
In-Reply-To: <003301c5359c$ac8e1490$6001a8c0@C424264A>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1250; format=flowed
This is why I list in my fuel line kit instructions to eliminate this
plastic fitting. They are seriously dangerous and can break at any
time. One of my customers had installed a remote starter. He was
sitting in a diner getting done with his coffee and thought he would
start the van and warm it up (winter). He could watch it from where he
was sitting. He saw it start and run for a while but by the time he got
out to the parking lot the van had stalled. He could smell gas and
looked underneath. There was a huge puddle of gas under the van. The
plastic fitting on the firewall had broken and the van ran long enough
afterwards to drench the hot engine with gas and put about a 2 gallon
puddle on the ground. Fortunately it didn't start a fire, but you may
not be that lucky.
Here is an easy check for fuel line replacement. Go out to your Vanagon
and look under the engine lid. Do you see really old and rusty clamps
at the injectors? They are original and you need to replace the line
and clamps. Do you see nice looking blue spring clamps? They are crap
and leak worse then the old rusty ones, replace them now! If you don't
believe me about the blue clamps, just run your finger under the bottom
of the fuel rail where the rubber lines meet the plastic fuel rail. Do
you feel something sticky? It is residue from gas leaking out and then
drying up over a long period of time. Replace fuel lines now!
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Don in North Carolina wrote:
> I tend to be suspect of any plastic fitting in the fuel system, simply
> because the fuel the engineers designed it for no longer exists. In ~20
> years, we have some totally new additives (MTBE comes to mind) that the
> existing plastics were never tested with. This may explain the fact that
> they are now very delicate and fragile.
>
> And I'll stay with my fiberglass hatch cover. Fiberglass is an
> insulator,
> and should help keep the interior damage down (providing the fire doesn't
> burn too long!). I think the reason people wanted to get rid of the
> fiberglass covers is the misconception that they were plastic. A plastic
> cover would be a very BAD idea...
>
> Don in Reidsville, NC
> 1988 Vanagon GL (Sylvia)
> "I reject your reality and substitute my own." - Adam Savage
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "MilosKitchen" <sagmoore@ZOOMINTERNET.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wed 30 March 2005 19:26
> Subject: Re: Another Vanagon Burns Up
>
>
>> Hi Budd,
>>
>> Along with the fuel lines, please don't forget the nylon firewall
>> fitting
>> (white, or now yellow, it points down at the engine at a 45 degree
>> angle,
>> mounted about the mid span of the firewall) with the fuel supply
>> pressure
>> hoses attached. It really can be broken with the greatest of ease :(
>> as I
>> found out doing my engine conversion. Please change it too.
>>
>> Dave Milo
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On
>> Behalf Of
>> Budd Premack
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 7:02 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: Another Vanagon Burns Up
>>
>> As long as you are replacing the fuel lines, or even if you don't,
>> replace
>> the fiberglass engine cover with a metal one. AFAIK, all of the air
>> cooled
>> Vanagons had metal engine covers, so if you can find a 1980-3 Vanagon
>> (which
>> is not owned by a fellow Listee), you can get a metal cover.
>>
>> If a fire does start, it should stay in the engine compartment, or at
>> least
>> spread slowly enough that you get a chance to use your fire
>> extinguisher.
>> (You all do have one of those on board, don't you?)
>>
>> Keep your original fiberglass cover to reuse when (if) you ever shift
>> into
>> another van.
>>
>> We had a 73 Bug with an engine fire, which burned for 5-10 minutes
>> before
>> the Big Red Truck arrived to extinguish it. The metal firewall
>> behind the
>> rear seat kept the conflagration away from the passenger compartment.
>> After
>> the engine wiring and all engine compartment plastic and rubber items
>> were
>> replaced, it was almost as good as new. Even the smoke smell disipated
>> after a few months. It could have used a bit of soot cleaning on the
>> rear
>> paint, though.
>>
>> Budd Premack
>> 88 Wolfsburg, etc.
>> Land of Sky-Blue Waters (and yellow flames)
>
>
| 
