In a message dated 3/1/04 3:48:23 PM Eastern Standard Time,
drillock@EARTHLINK.NET writes:

> First of all, the 'plastic' lid are NOT plastic. Secondly, they don't
> have a tendency 'to instantly melt and collapse into the engine bay'.
>
>

hi mark..i believe they are actually cast resin of some sorts, possibly
fiberglass w/a gelcoat finish, lightweight but durable. (ive seen them broken
before in junkyards, ran over by forklifts and such, and they kind of splinter)
 At any rate im sure you have seen some toasted vans, and yes the resin (aka
"plastic" as everyone refers to them as) lids do indeed melt/burn..  not
"instantly" but they will.  also the foam on the underside lights up, and fuels the
fire.
my point was that the metal lids will buy you a few more minutes of time
before the flames start licking away at your van's interior. a few minutes can be
all you need to grab your fire extinguisher and put the fire out.  its alot
easier to replace your engine wiring harness than your van's whole
interior/headliner/ac pillars etc.
But everyone knows the real smart thing to do is to replace your fuel lines
so you dont have to have this problem in the first place.....
chris