Date:         Wed, 23 Aug 2006 13:36:09 -0700
Reply-To:     Mike Rouby <mikerouby@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Rouby <mikerouby@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: FIRE!! How did it happen?  How to fix?
Comments: To: Tom Young <tomyoung1@COMCAST.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <000a01c6c6ee$694f5240$6402a8c0@tomscomputer>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Think of it this way.  Any mid/rear engined is a lot more dangerous to drive due to the fact that the air current promotes any bad fuel lines to spew fuel over a hot engine.  An aircooled engine is even more so, due to heat created by the head fins (hence why VW stuck a shield on top).

  Two fluids (oil & gas) can ignite in this scenerio.  With old VW fuel injection, usually fuel injection hoses & injector seals become brittle.  Oil lines (if applicable) need to be checked too.  Best situation is to start the car (cold) and inspect for leaks after you do a pre-start inspection.  Be careful and use caution and keep a fire exstinguisher handy.

  I'm willing to bet it's fuel injection rubber related.  Another plus to go carb! :)



Tom Young <tomyoung1@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
  Hi all:

Well, after 30+ years of driving air-cooled Vanagons and busses I had my
first engine fire today. Get's the old adrenaline pumping, I tell you!

I'm puzzled though as to why the fire started and a couple of aspects of
the "fix-it" issue.

I hopped in the '82 Westy today to take a little drive to warm the engine up
before checking the idle and timing. (Points replaced with Pertronix system
so no gap to check.) Before starting the engine I tried pulling off the
vacuum hose that runs from the distributor to the throttle body just to see
if I could since I seemed to recall that it was stuck tight last time I
tried it. It came off easily enough so I pushed it back on the
distributor.

Fired up the engine - it started right up - and drove off. I'd gone maybe
1/4 mile when the engine started to die and I noticed smoke pouring
out of the back. Stopped the car, ran around to the rear and tore open the
hatch and engine cover to find the #1 and #2 spark plug wires burning
merrily. I was able to huff and puff and blow them out (all those miles
riding a bike servered their purpose), then called the tow truck.

The fire seems to have been concentrated right at the rear of the air
distribution box near the cold start injector, distributor, etc.

Pics at

http://home.comcast.net/~tomyoung1/Engine_compartment.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tomyoung1/engine_compartment_lid.jpg

A quick inventory suggest I'll be replacing/fixing

Sound absorber for engine compartment lid
Plastic hot air hose across back of engine
Plastic fan shield
Distributor cap
2 Spark plug wires
Cold start valve
Electrical connectors to cold start valve and aux air regulator
Plastic tube between air distribution box and decel valve
Vacuum line between distributor and throttle body
Oil pressure regulating valve


Question 1:
Any thoughts on how the fire started? The obvious answer is the hoses at
the cold start valve began to leak, but I don't think so. The hoses are
fairly new, they seem sound to the touch (post fire) and the cold start
valve itself doesn't appear to be severly damaged. The engine was still
pretty cool at that point, the ignition wires are recent and, in the past,
I've had these hoses leak severly on a much hotter engine without a fire
starting. Since I pulled off the vacuum hose to the distributor right
before the drive and the fire was right near there these events seem linked,
though I can't for the life of me figure out how they could be.

Question 2:
The most difficult aspect of the fix as I see it now is the damage to the
electrical harness at the cold start valve and aux air regulator. It seems
like I'll have to chop up another harness and do a splice job. Any
reasonable alternatives here?

Question 3:
It looks like sound absorbers for the engine compartment lid aren't designed
to be replaced. Is finding a junk yard lid the only practical option here?

TIA.
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Tom Young
Lafayette, CA 94549
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