Mailing-List: contact type2-help_at_type2_dot_com; run by ezmlm
To: type2_at_type2_dot_com
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2004 22:50:14 -0500
Message-ID: <20040118.225015.2256.1.rondunn_at_juno_dot_com>
From: Ron Dunn <rondunn_at_juno_dot_com>
Subject: Fire

I too had a fire. Here is the story and a way to prevent a disaster.


A Safety Valve
 
 
            I stepped out the door on my way to work one frosty morning
to the unpleasant surprise of a flat tire on my squareback. I thought
about changing the tire, but decided to fire up Old Snoopy, my camper.
It's nice to have a Plan B available in the driveway.
            Snoop hadn't been run in over a month, so I knew it would
take a lot of starter grinding to fill the carburetor bowl. After a
lengthy crank, with no response, I decided to look for a problem in the
engine compartment. When I opened the door I was greeted by smoke, heat
and a bright orange glow like a Saddamized oil well. I really had fired
up Old Snoopy.
            The garden hose was only a car length away, how handy. You
aren't supposed to pour water on a gasoline fire, but a fine spray will
cool the fire, and reduce the amount of oxygen, taking away two of the
three elements necessary for combustion. It worked at basic training in
the navy long before this car was born, it should work again. The hose
was frozen, time for another Plan B, a small halon fire extinguisher
mounted under the dashboard.
            A blast of white powder aimed at the fuel pump put out the
fire, or so I thought. Some burning gas had dripped to the ground and was
doing its best to set everything above it on fire. It took the rest of
the halon to put that out. An anxious look in the engine compartment
confirmed my worst fear; a small parcel of flame surrounded the fuel
pump. It was time to use Plan C. With my hands over my face, I poked my
head toward the base of the fire and blew for all I was worth. A cautious
look between my fingers proved what the backs of my hands told me. The
fire was out.
            A quick check of the engine revealed no serious problems,
only burned ignition wiring and some smoke damage. I was lucky, Old
Snoopy; my faithful companion for over twenty years would live on.
            The cause of the fire was a break in the line from the fuel
pump to the carburetor. The fuel supply was limited to what pumped out
while cranking. If the line from the tank had broken, fourteen gallons of
gas would have fed a fire way beyond the capabilities of any portable
fire extinguisher. The cremation of an old friend would have been
inevitable.
            The idea of a force-fed fire really bothered me. My thoughts
centered about sitting around a campfire with the camper parked a short
distance away. A small leak in the fuel line sends gas vapors slithering
across the ground, below nose level, unnoticeduntil they reach the fire.
I had to find a way to prevent such a holocaust.
            I remembered seeing an automatic fuel shutoff valve on my
neighbors motorcycle, a Honda 650 Nighthawk. I wondered if such a valve
would work since the Japanese also use metric threads. It was an easy job
to try a test fit, sure enough; the mounting threads are the same as
those on my 70 model. A vacuum line opens the valve; fuel can only flow
while the engine is turning. Opening suction is about one pound per
square inch. There is a sump and a manual three position control, off,
on, and reserve. The on position leaves about a gallon on call at the
turn of a handle. With the valve in any position, you can clean the sump
and lose only the fuel in the sump. The off position can be used as a
security feature. No gasno go.
            I found a used valve at a motorcycle salvage yard for $15.00.
The part number for a new Honda unit is 16950-ME5-015; list price is
about $110.00. That's a lot of money for a small part, but it's cheap
insurance against a total loss.
            Mounting is a simple process since the valve just threads
into the tank. Place the valve with the handle facing the front of the
wheel-well and it can be reached without crawling under the car. A vacuum
line from the intake manifold to the valve is the only additional
installation required.
            The fire extinguisher was in my camper by chance. Several
years ago I bought an old fastback for spare parts, the previous owner
left the extinguisher in the trunk. The most logical place to put it was
in my camper. There is plenty of room for a small extinguisher in the
engine compartment, but you can't reach it if there is an engine fire. I
mounted mine under the dash, the least likely place for a fire. There are
now two extinguishers under the dash, on purpose, just in case...
 

Ron Dunn