<VV> Fire Update

[Roger Gault]

Hi, Rick,
Yeah, I've had the battery cable short to the firewall before, so now I have
a good grommet there.  I'll look for other possible shorts between the cable
and ground, though, since that failure mode makes sense.  I think I lost 12V
for about 5 seconds before the fire started - my CD went dead and then came
back.  That might be consistent with a short in the positive cable.  Maybe
the heater duct.  I'll look.

Thanks,
  Roger

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick & Janet Norris" <rickjanet at charter.net>
To: "Roger Gault" <r.gault at sbcglobal.net>; "Corvair List"
<virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 6:08 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> Fire Update


>
> I have seen this same occurance with all the same symptoms on a Vair
caused
> by the battery wire being cut through and shorting out at the firewall
> because of an out of place or missing grommet.
>
> Rick Norris
>
>
> Well, I stripped the '65 vert apart to see what the fire did, and it could
> have been much worse.
>
> I'm not sure what happened.  It appears that the source of the fire was
the
> clutch pulley at the front of the tunnel.  There is no evidence that the
> body harness was cut anywhere (my first theory).  My first assumption
after
> finding that was that I'd lost engine ground and the clutch cable was
taking
> all the current.  The only problem with that idea is that my nice 10ga
wire
> from the engine to the frame is still intact and tight.
>
> So, what should I check while waiting for parts?
>
> Damage Report:
>   Body Harness:  Melted at top end.  Dash harness connectors look
> salvageable (latch hooks melted).
>   Clutch cable: Severed.
>   Clutch pulley:  Source of fuel for fire - melted into a charred mass on
> bottom of tunnel.
>   E-Brake pulleys:  Melted.
>   Duct through floor, heater valve assy, duct up to defroster "Y":  Toast.
>   Heater control cable:  Melted.
>   Front carpet:  Melted
>   Owner's mood:  Feeling fortunate.
>
> So, before I go make my favorite vendor happy, do any of you guys have any
> ultra parts cluttering up your homes?  None of this stuff is very
expensive
> (outside the harness), but I might as well support the list members.
>
> Roger Gault
> Austin, TX
> New member of Group Red
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