Not a big stretch, this fire happened in Texas so it had 115 degrees (f)
head start.

Stan

On Sun, 18 Aug 2002 00:28:41 +0100 Clive Smith
<clive.harman-smith@NTLWORLD.COM> writes:
> >#5) The aluminum sealing washer was melted from under the oil drain
> plug.
>
> 550 C at this point then!
>
> Clive
> '88 Syncro Transporter
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Stan Wilder" <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, August 04, 2002 3:45 AM
> Subject: Fire Investigation Type IV engine
>
>
> > I submit this information so folks with the 74-83 Air Cooled FI
> engines
> > might add the air distribution box to their checklist if you're
> smelling
> > fuel but not finding your fuel leaks at the injectors, lines or
> other
> > common locations.
> > I highly suspect that the combination of the tiny leak in the air
> > distribution box and the absence of the cold start fuel spray
> > distribution tree was the cause of this engine fire.
> > If you have a leak in the box it can be soldered by yourself or a
> > radiator shop.
> > *I recently had an opportunity to investigate an engine fire in a
> 1980
> > Vanagon Air Cooled.
> > It is hard to detect exactly where the engine fire started but
> here is
> > what I found.
> > #1) The cold start spray tree was missing from the air
> distribution
> > manifold and after the fire it appears to have a leak on the
> bottom of
> > the distribution manifold. Hard to tell if this leaking condition
> existed
> > before the fire. I've never seen an 80-83 Air Cooled distribution
> > manifold without this tree mounted under the cold start valve.
> > #2) The Magnesium fan shroud caught fire (tells me there was a lot
> of
> > heat) and once the magnesium ignited the fire department just
> backed off
> > the engine fire and tried to keep the fire inside the vehicle
> suppressed.
> > It is evident that the owner used at least one fire extinguisher
> on the
> > fire and that the fire department hit the burning magnesium shroud
> at
> > least once with water, blowing portions of it back up on top of
> the
> > engine and back into the engine tin both above and below the
> cylinders.
> > #3) The fire reached high enough temperatures to melt the engine
> fan, the
> > aluminum engine yoke, the oil cooler and when I removed the 17mm
> head
> > yoke mounting bolts the threads came with them. (everything
> rubber,
> > plastic or insulated with plastic just virtually evaporated
> leaving
> > clumps of ???, but nasty). The engine tin reached high enough
> > temperatures that it has sags in some locations.
> > #4) The valve cover gaskets were burned completely out of the
> covers.
> > #5) The aluminum sealing washer was melted from under the oil
> drain plug.
> > #6) Just generally speaking all of the steel fasteners had reached
> high
> > enough temperatures that they expanded substantially and enlarged
> the
> > threads where ever they were located on the engine, top, bottom
> etc. They
> > readily screw into the threads with just light touch of the
> fingers.
> > (tells me they'll never again stay tight)
> > #7) Surprisingly the exhaust studs also reached high enough
> temperatures
> > that they came out rather than the nuts coming off the studs. I
> thought
> > that these studs possibly reached red hot in normal use, I see now
> I was
> > wrong on that assumption.)
> > I'm not completely finished with the investigation, I have a few
> more
> > things to look at.
> > The engine is locked, It will not budge in either direction with a
> 24"
> > breaker bar.
> > I'm speculating the only salvage from this engine may be the crank
> and
> > rods. I have some question about the crank since the fan end got
> hot
> > enough to reduce the seal to a tin shell and a tiny spring.
> > Nasty work but very interesting to me because I've got a momentary
> fuel
> > smell everytime I start my Air Cooled Westy, think I'll check out
> my
> > Westy a little better tomorrow AM.
> >
> > Stan Wilder
> > 83 Air Cooled Westfalia
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________
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