<VV> More on Fire Prevention and Causes

[corvairduval at cox.net]

Two items need correction.

1. These are not explosions, but fires. If they were explosions, the car
would be in pieces.... The sound "woomp" is just ignition of fuel, not
explosion. BTDT, got the stupid award.

2. It is not a heater fan fault that causes the hoses to catch fire. The
hose itself touches the positive terminal of the starter solenoid. The wire
in the hose acts like a heating element. Soon the hose fabric is on fire.
Seen it at a Corvair show! Late models have a hanger on the hose to help
prevent this. When installing hoses make sure they will not fall against
that large + solenoid terminal. Duct tape can be used in a pinch to
insulate the hose, but it is not concours approved. ggg

I have worked on several Corvairs that had fires.... But I am not worried
about it, just cautious of work performed by the uninformed. Sort of "Trust
but Verify",

Frank DuVal


Original Message:
-----------------
From: David Houston judgehouston at yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:16:25 -0700 (PDT)
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: <VV> More on Fire Prevention and Causes


I've received ten emails detailing corvair fires from defects in fuel lines
and wiring harness. Four of the incidents happened when these cars were
new. Most common cause of fire is aging or incorrect rubber fuel line in
engine compartment used in conjunction with a frame mounted electric fuel
pump that sprayed engine compartment and exploded. Apparently, this can
happen so fast the first sign of trouble is NOT loss of power, but the
explosion. In one case the corvair was an inferno with melted tires in less
than a minute.  It seems in most cases it took some time for the
improper gasline to desintergrate. I was also informed that the heater fan
motor can short out and has ignited the cloth covered conduits (FC's). I
was also told that Clark's,Corvair Ranch, Charley's Corvair in
Phoenix,..etc can tell and show examples of corvair fires. Be careful.  The
movie thing went over my head! 


 

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