VANAGON archives -- December 2012, week 4 (#36)

Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2012 19:34:33 -0800 Reply-To: Dick Wong <sailingfc@DSLEXTREME.COM> Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> From: Dick Wong <sailingfc@DSLEXTREME.COM> Subject: Re: Fire! Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Added some more pictures today.

<https://plus.google.com/photos/109269280604562976036/albums/582316564680081 9169?authkey=CKyk1tixnrXNDw>

-Dick Wong- 78 Scirocco Original Owner 87 Syncro 2.5 (slightly crispy)

Third Owner

12 Golf TDI

Original Co-Owner

From: Dick Wong [mailto:sailingfc@dslextreme.com] Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 7:18 PM To: 'vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM' Subject: RE: Fire!

Here are some pictures. Both links are to the same site.

Fire pictures. <https://plus.google.com/photos/109269280604562976036/albums/582316564680081 9169?authkey=CKyk1tixnrXNDw>

https://plus.google.com/photos/109269280604562976036/albums/5823165646800819 169?authkey=CKyk1tixnrXNDw

-Dick Wong- 78 Scirocco Original Owner 87 Syncro 2.5

Third Owner

12 Golf TDI

Original Co-Owner

-----Original Message----- From: Dick Wong [mailto:sailingfc@dslextreme.com] Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2012 3:37 PM To: 'vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM' Subject: Fire!

I'm okay.

Early November I bought my first Vanagon. 1987 GL Syncro with a Audi/VW 2.5L I5 conversion.

Today I had an engine fire.

Coming to a stop on a freeway off ramp the clutch pedal goes to the floor without disengaging. Step on it again and same results. Van is lurching forward because the clutch won't release. Hitting the brake slowed it but I can feel the engine pushing forward. I shut off the ignition to bring it to a stop. I look in my mirrors and see smoke coming from the rear air intakes. I hop out in the middle of the road and run to the back hoping it might only be steam. No luck, it's stinky smoke and starting to turn black. I get my cell phone and dial 911. I stand there and watch flames starting to come from the bottom of the engine. More black smoke. I think to myself, I am going to watch my "new" Syncro burn to the ground. All of a sudden there is a loud hiss and the smoke turns to white steam and water is streaming from the engine. The coolant tank melted and sprayed coolant on to the fire and put it out. Shortly after an highway patrol pull up. A few minutes later the fire truck arrives.

Not a nice day.

My theory is: Clutch hose or the slave had a catastrophic failure and when I stepped on the clutch, the brake fluid sprayed out on to the exhaust piping (exhaust runs forward on the driver side). The fluid flashed and started burning.

It's sitting in my driveway now. I'll start looking at the damages another day. I'm too depressed to do anything now. Fireman said that it might be a total loss.

-Dick Wong-

78 Scirocco

Original Owner

87 Syncro 2.5

Third Owner

12 Golf TDI

Original Co-Owner

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