I knocked you off as a jester but it was worth letting you know.
I'm in agreement about other vehicles .......... fuel leaks and oil
buildup isn't a real problem, but air cooled engines seem to have hot
spots that can ignite any fuel source if it gets concentrated enough.
I had an engine fire while testing my injectors and even with just a tiny
bit of fuel it was a memorable event.
Air Cooled engines have lots of hoses with clamps and the hoses  need
periodic replacement to avoid the flaming death situation.
The little hoses about 1 1/4" long that go from the fuel rail to the
injector can develop tiny invisible leaks that cannot be seen with the
naked eye. They need to be spotlighted with a very bright light to see
the little sparkle of mist coming out. Or wrapped with a paper towel to
catch any leak.
Modern fuels are very high quality ........... fill a tiny reservoir
(Beer bottle twist off cap) with gasoline and light it. This will show
you how a little flame can cause real damage.
I think I'm correct in saying that most Air Cooled owners are paranoid
about engine fires.

Stan Wilder

On Thu, 20 Mar 2003 12:36:31 -0800 Mark Belanger <belanger@FLUID.COM>
writes:
> Well, it was a more tongue-in-cheek response, but you've succeeded
> in
> scaring me straight.  I just have never heard of this kind of
> trouble
> with either my old Jeep or my old Bronco.
>
> Jesus... Are there any parts made of nitroglycerin just to complete
> the
> package?
>
>
> -M "From Now On Scrubbing Bubbles" B
>
> Stan Wilder wrote:
> > What are these Vanagon engine fires you speak of?  Your world
> frightens
> > and confuses me... -MB
> > -------------------------- Clip ---------------------
> > I'm guessing that you have posed a serious question.
> > Vanagon and Air Cooled Bus engine fires are often started from
> residual
> > oil that drips and then cooks down into a tar like substance.
> > Older engines often have cylinder head leaks, carbs backfire,
> exhaust
> > might leak and loose piston to cylinders can cause some fuel blow
> by into
> > the oil pan.
> > Oil that drips can have small amounts of fuel in it.
> > The fuel is mostly boiled off by engine heat but leaking injectors
> or bad
> > float seats can put new supplies in the fuel each time you turn
> your
> > engine off.
> > Engines that 'pop-back' from poor timing, bad points, leaking
> hoses
> > produce a fireball that can ignite any oil that has enough fuel in
> it for
> > a flash.
> > I consider fuel line leaks to be the most common cause of Air
> Cooled or
> > Waser Boxer engine fires. It is best to keep the fuel lines clean
> of oil
> > buildup and inspect them often.
> > I just theorize that the less fuel there is for a fire the less
> chance
> > there is for a fire and this spells clean to me.
> > Engine fires have long been the most feared event for Air Cooled
> engines
> > because in early models the Magnesium Crank Case can ignite. With
> later
> > Type IV 2000cc engines the fan shroud is magnesium and it can
> ignite, I
> > tend to think the engine fan is magnesium too (from seeing them
> burned or
> > melted). At any rate a magnesium fire is near impossible to
> extinguish.
> > On 47-79 busses the gas tank is right there with the engine and
> poses the
> > opportunity for a fair sized explosion that will certainly total
> your
> > bus.
> > The one hour required each year to give your engine a proper
> cleaning is
> > cheap insurance.
> >
> > Stan Wilder
> > 1983 Air Cooled Westfalia
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________
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> --
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Mark Belanger - belanger@fluid.com
>
>

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