Just to remind everyone to carry a fire extinguisher
Discussion
Just managed to save my '57 Chevy last night as I was carrying an extinguisher, the airfilter went up in flames. Got away with some minor paint damage, some burn wires, air filter element and bonnet release cable burnt through. Could have been a hell of worse. Always worth a reminder 
Glad you managed to save your car Nick.
I always carry an extinguisher… got a funky black one clipped to the underside of my dash.
Year or two back: was leaving work so started my car up. I always like to leave the engine running for a minute whilst I roll a couple of smokes for the journey home. As I was rolling the second tab I noticed a strong smell of petrol…. killed the engine and lifted the bonnet to investigate. The fuel line into the carb had split and was pissing petrol everywhere.
The engine was cold so no harm was done (and to be fair I'm not sure that fuel spraying onto an exhaust manifold would ignite, but you never know). Anyway, rummaged in my spares I keep in the boot and luckily I had a spare length of fuel hose. Fitted that and it got me home… got me thinking though, so I bought an extinguisher that night of ebay - it's not going to stop a raging inferno but it might just stop a little fire as described by the OP.
Always thought that I'd tackle a small fire, but if the car is when and truly alight then I'd just get the hell out (after popping the bonnet latch so the fire brigade can lift the bonnet...).
Cars can always be replaced/fixed - unlike people, but it would be utterly heart-breaking to see your pride and joy in flames though.
I always carry an extinguisher… got a funky black one clipped to the underside of my dash.
Year or two back: was leaving work so started my car up. I always like to leave the engine running for a minute whilst I roll a couple of smokes for the journey home. As I was rolling the second tab I noticed a strong smell of petrol…. killed the engine and lifted the bonnet to investigate. The fuel line into the carb had split and was pissing petrol everywhere.
The engine was cold so no harm was done (and to be fair I'm not sure that fuel spraying onto an exhaust manifold would ignite, but you never know). Anyway, rummaged in my spares I keep in the boot and luckily I had a spare length of fuel hose. Fitted that and it got me home… got me thinking though, so I bought an extinguisher that night of ebay - it's not going to stop a raging inferno but it might just stop a little fire as described by the OP.
Always thought that I'd tackle a small fire, but if the car is when and truly alight then I'd just get the hell out (after popping the bonnet latch so the fire brigade can lift the bonnet...).
Cars can always be replaced/fixed - unlike people, but it would be utterly heart-breaking to see your pride and joy in flames though.
I've not had a fire, but a couple of very close calls. Years ago, the fuel hose on my Austin Maxi split right over the top of the engine. Had it been hot, and not within a few yards of starting, could easily have caught fire. Luckily a coach depot was only 100 yards away and I scrounged stuff to make a temporary repair pending replacing the whole tube.
The vintage car also had a very, very close squeak as the fuel line undid itself as I drew up at a friends. He called out, I exited the car very fast, threw him the fire extinguisher and set to with a spanner to do up the errant nut. As fuel was spraying on one of the exhausts, a much too close an event.
The vintage car also had a very, very close squeak as the fuel line undid itself as I drew up at a friends. He called out, I exited the car very fast, threw him the fire extinguisher and set to with a spanner to do up the errant nut. As fuel was spraying on one of the exhausts, a much too close an event.
had the whole engine bay of my 1931 cadillac go up in flames one day - had been in storage for a while and the carb had started leaking a little.....
I only noticed when the flames licked out of the open doors on the bonnet sides.
All I had with me was a 500ml bottle of coke - I was amazed that it actually did the trick and put the fire out almost instantly!
It was seconds away from bruning through the main feed pipe before the regulator.... would have been very nasty.
A very panic laden few moments I can tell you.... especially with me not having it insured and being inside someone elses garage at the time!
I have a small extinguisher in the old car I run now, just in case!
I only noticed when the flames licked out of the open doors on the bonnet sides.
All I had with me was a 500ml bottle of coke - I was amazed that it actually did the trick and put the fire out almost instantly!
It was seconds away from bruning through the main feed pipe before the regulator.... would have been very nasty.
A very panic laden few moments I can tell you.... especially with me not having it insured and being inside someone elses garage at the time!
I have a small extinguisher in the old car I run now, just in case!
Pics as requested, this was after we temporarily wired it up again to get it running. It has a large Caddilac air filter which contained the burning filter element fairly well. The big issue was the bonnet release cable burnt through so I can't shut the bonnet without never being able to open it again
decided to get recovered so I can repair it all properly rather than risk another incident. It started after a small backfire in the carb, seems timing has gone out a bit. Coupled with a baking engine (just done a motorway run, scorching day, black bonnet) and me pumping the throttle as I thought it was starved of fuel.
Took five hours for a suitable lift and shift flat bed to arrive then two hours recovery got me home at 3am.,
Good advice, and with a happy ending too. Could have been a lot worse!
My point is, a "fire extinguisher" does not mean a 600ml aerosol can.
I had one of those, it couldn't put out a fire in a wastepaper basket - that's a true story!
MSA requirement is for a 2Kg bottle, bulky, but will do the job.
John
My point is, a "fire extinguisher" does not mean a 600ml aerosol can.
I had one of those, it couldn't put out a fire in a wastepaper basket - that's a true story!
MSA requirement is for a 2Kg bottle, bulky, but will do the job.
John
Two things any driver of an earlier Vette has are ~ appropriate large fire extinquisher ~ battery isolator.
Unusual for enclosed air filter element to catch fire (unlike those foam lined 'pirate hat' filters) - had two major floodings on Vette this week. Caused (I believe) by 'O' ring on primary float needle breaking down and a fragment jamming float needle open. With high volume fuel pump putting excess quantities of Shell VPower unleaded in to the engine even the MSD ignition system couldn't fire the resulting ultra rich mixture without an unburnt vapour trail reminicent of a smoke screen from a WW2 destroyer!
Conscious at all times of significant fire risk.......................
Unusual for enclosed air filter element to catch fire (unlike those foam lined 'pirate hat' filters) - had two major floodings on Vette this week. Caused (I believe) by 'O' ring on primary float needle breaking down and a fragment jamming float needle open. With high volume fuel pump putting excess quantities of Shell VPower unleaded in to the engine even the MSD ignition system couldn't fire the resulting ultra rich mixture without an unburnt vapour trail reminicent of a smoke screen from a WW2 destroyer!
Conscious at all times of significant fire risk.......................
I bought a fire extinguisher after a Mercedes pulled up close to my house with a bit of smoke coming from the rear.
I went to the back garden to get the hosepipe but by the time I got back (literally two minutes) the car was fully alight and I wasn't going to go near it, five minutes later the fuel tank exploded and set off a chain reaction that took out the cars next to it so I'm pleased I didn't get close.
Took this photo from the window as the police started shouting at me to get back in the house when I tried to move my car further away.
After that I bought an extinguisher for the car, noticed yesterday that there's a decent one on sale at Lidls atm for £8 which is a bargain imo
http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?actio...
I went to the back garden to get the hosepipe but by the time I got back (literally two minutes) the car was fully alight and I wasn't going to go near it, five minutes later the fuel tank exploded and set off a chain reaction that took out the cars next to it so I'm pleased I didn't get close.
Took this photo from the window as the police started shouting at me to get back in the house when I tried to move my car further away.
After that I bought an extinguisher for the car, noticed yesterday that there's a decent one on sale at Lidls atm for £8 which is a bargain imo
http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?actio...
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